This week, we discuss why so many artists are driven to continually change  … is this the natural state of all artists? Or do we vary in this? We consider the benefits of settling into a subject matter and a way of working (there are benefits that include easier branding and consistent audience growth) but ultimately we accept that it's a matter of personality type and that neither of us is able to stay in one place with our work for too long.  There are of course, pluses and minuses to this … and we explore some of them in a wide-ranging conversation that covers studio size, ways of working, Ted Hughes, running, and even Eastenders! This one is sure to get you thinking... Mentioned:  Louise's new work Ted Hughes' poem "Wind" Couch to 5K app Follow us on Instagram @alicesheridanstudio  @louisefletcher_art   www.alicesheridan.com Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Open Studio season is coming up... whether you are an old hand or this is your first year showing in this way we have some ideas for promotion and things to do in advance,  during and after so that you make the best of your Open House events this year.  We are also discussing inspiration boards and reminders of what makes us tick in our work - whether that's recognition of a slowly developing series, and what happens when you try to make a painting because you feel you "should". For full listings of ideas for Open Studio please check through to our full podcast notes at: https://alicesheridan.com/artjuice18 OR https://www.louisefletcherart.com/open-studios/ Mentioned: CyTwombly at Bastian (until 15th June 2019) https://www.galleriesnow.net/shows/cy-twombly-natural-history/ Gerhard Richter at Gagosian “Overpainted Photographs” (until 8th June 2019) https://gagosian.com/exhibitions/2019/gerhard-richter-overpainted-photographs/ How to make a mood board https://alicesheridan.com/how-to-create-a-mood-board-for-your-art/ Follow us on Instagram @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art   Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This wide-ranging discussion was sparked by recent projects. These new challenges have required us to stretch ourselves - to learn new technologies, to develop new skills and to get comfortable with promotion. We discuss the blocks to developing the required skills - including fear of failure and worrying about negative reactions - and offer our own perspectives along with concrete tips and solutions. We also explore the difference between working on promotion for someone else, and versus doing it for ourselves, and discuss procrastination - when is it simply our need to slow down and move step by step?  In addition, we share our perspectives on approaching galleries. Should you really be nervous about this, or can you re-frame the issue and think about new galleries as potential business partners? Ways to let people know about what you have to offer! Instagram: bio text, link page, post, post shared to your story, story talking, story as a fixed image Facebook: as well as within posts in multiple ways, you can create an event, share to a relevant group, update your FB Page header Website: add a section to your home page and then link with more details to a blog post, or a new page, add that to your Menu so people can find it easily. Give people the information or links they need. Emails: Send an email to your list (more than once!) Add a link within your personal email footer Mentioned Station Eleven by Emily John Mandel Stand Out Online  by Natasha Courtenay-Smith The White Hotel by D.M. Thomas Follow us on Instagram @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Did you know that who you surround yourself with makes a huge difference to your life?  Does your family have a creative background? Is your creative streak viewed with suspicion or disbelief. It can be hard to make art if this is what surrounds us so we review our personal histories and how we've made changes to the things which influence our beliefs.  The quote “You’re the average of the five people spend the most time with,” is most often attributed to motivational speaker Jim Rohn, but science backs him up. What this means is that if your friends are obese, you are much more likely to also be obese. If your friends drink too much, chances are you will too. But how does this impact our art-making? We discuss the importance of having supportive people in our lives and we share some of the ways we have done this for ourselves. We also share our thoughts on minimizing the psychological impact of negative comments as these can derail us if we are not careful. In the end, it comes down to choosing who or what will influence our mindset and making conscious moves to ensure we stay in a good place. We also talk studio clear-outs and what we have learned about launching a course online (even though it's not our course!) Mentioned Tara Leaver Gary Vaynerchuck Maz Hawes blog post Nicholas Wilton CVP Study on social influence Submit a question at bit.ly/artjuicepodcast Find show notes on  www.alicesheridan.com/podcast  www.louisefletcherart.com/podcast Follow us on Instagram  @alicesheridanstudio  @louisefletcher_art  Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week we dive into the topic of selling - why it doesn’t need to be intimidating and why - above all - we must develop our own unique approach - one that leverages OUR unique strengths and matches the interests of OUR target audience. In the end, selling is like art-making - the more unique and personal our approach, the more successful we will be. Real world examples include a door-to-door art salesman, an enterprising London painter, and Alice’s window cleaner!  We also discuss how to ignite the creative spark and the power of simply not caring what other people think. Submit a question at bit.ly/artjuicepodcast Find show notes on  www.alicesheridan.com/podcast  www.louisefletcherart.com/podcast Follow us on Instagram  @alicesheridanstudio  @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week, we’re considering event and exhibition submissions and asking what criteria should we use to decide if something is right for us. We consider both the financial and reputational benefits of events, identifying areas to consider including costs, location, audience match etc.  But we also go deeper. This topic unearthed a rare difference of opinion as a result of two different perspectives. In the end, we both agree that submission decisions shouldn’t be made in a vacuum - but rather as an element of your wider strategy. We also discuss fear of sharing work-in-progress, the simple joys of returning to art after some time away, and the power of self-belief in determining the level of our success. Mentioned You can sign up for the free Art2Life workshop at: louisefletcherart.com/art2life alicesheridan.com/art2life Listings of open exhibitions and events: https://www.mallgalleries.org.uk/call-for-entries https://www.artquest.org.uk/opportunities/ https://www.artrabbit.com/artist-opportunities https://www.artshub.co.uk/callouts/list/-/call-for-artists/ https://www.a-n.co.uk/tag/open-call/ Submit a question at bit.ly/artjuicepodcast Find show notes on  www.alicesheridan.com/podcast  www.louisefletcherart.com/podcast Follow us on Instagram  @alicesheridanstudio  @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Does art need a gimmick to succeed? If art has a quickly recognisable ‘hook’ does that make it easier to sell?  This week Alice has been learning the value of taking detours - Louise is in flow with her work and both have been working together to share a free art workshop with Nicholas Wilton which will show you the three most powerful principles you can use to transform your art. Sound good? You can find out more here: louisefletcherart.com/art2life alicesheridan.com/art2life We explore the difference between artists who have settled on a process and/or subject matter that works for them, and those who are continually searching. Perhaps there isn’t as much of a difference as we are assuming. Our discussion ranges from pop art to cubism and from Damian Hirst to a colour-blind Yorkshire farmer.  Perhaps it's not that art needs a gimmick to succeed - but that it needs a story, so that others can relate to it. We also answer a question from a listener, who asks "How much do you concern yourself with contemporary, 'critically relevant' art? How do you navigate the call to innovate versus just following your own pleasure and intuition?" Mentioned Richard Snowdon Murphys’ Oil soap! Submit a question at bit.ly/artjuicepodcast Find shownotes on  www.alicesheridan.com/podcast  www.louisefletcherart.com/podcast Follow us on Instagram  @alicesheridanstudio  @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

A question from a listener leads us into a wide-ranging discussion about the artist life. Many feel a frustration about limited time to spend on their work and don't feel it counts alongside another career, but a recent study by The Arts council found that 68% of artists support themselves with other jobs.  What is it really like to work as an artist? What is the fantasy and how does it stack up to reality?  Do we risk losing the joy when we turn a hobby into a career?  We cover all this and more as we discuss our own journeys from hobbyist to professional. We talk about how we strike the balance between business and art, how we keep the joy in our professional lives, and how to get comfortable calling yourself an artist. We also discuss two exhibitions in London and how they offered inspiration in different ways (and some of the same) ways. Mentioned:  https://whitecube.com/exhibitions/exhibition/tracey_emin_bermondsey_2019 https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/ey-exhibition-van-gogh-and-britain https://www.artworkarchive.com/ Read the Arts council report here Find full show notes at:  www.louisefletcherart.com www.alicesheridan.com  SUBMIT A QUESTION HERE Join our Facebook groups:  Art Explorers with Alice Sheridan This Painting Life with Louise Fletcher Follow us on Instagram  @alicesheridanstudio  @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week we’re discussing investments - not stocks and bonds, but the kind of investments you make (or don’t make) in yourself and your art practice. We consider the role that self-worth plays in our investment decisions, we discuss how we decide about spending money, and we ask whether it’s possible to make significant leaps forward if we are not willing to invest in ourselves, whether we are talking about time, energy, or money. We also answer a question about gallery relations, discuss working on commissions, and bravely soldier on through a fit of the giggles. Find full show notes with images at:  www.louisefletcherart.com www.alicesheridan.com  SUBMIT A QUESTION HERE Join our Facebook groups:  Art Explorers with Alice Sheridan This Painting Life with Louise Fletcher Follow us on Instagram  @alicesheridanstudio  @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

There is great merit in sticking with something long enough that you actually benefit from your own mistakes. But we hope to make things a bit easier by sharing some of the mistakes we've made - from email marketing, understanding how to talk about yourself and your work and simply not knowing how to sell paintings because they are so mysteriously different. We have a great listener question: “When do you decide when a painting is finished? So often, I like what I see, but want to push forward for something even more dynamic. I am nervous that  I will mess it up (and I have!). But...always afraid I am not reaching my full potential in a particular painting if I give up too early.  Help!”  We have some time based suggestions - and also the two types of fear you may be having around finishing a work. Finally, we are inspired by different reactions to art in completely different contexts and scale. And Riley has a reaction to the postman ;-) Find full show notes with images at:  www.louisefletcherart.com www.alicesheridan.com  SUBMIT A QUESTION HERE Mentioned: Louise's 'different' painting Join our Facebook groups:  Art Explorers with Alice Sheridan This Painting Life with Louise Fletcher Follow us on Instagram  @alicesheridanstudio  @louisefletcher_art Credits "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License