Artists in rural markets often find it difficult to get support and locate opportunities that are close to them, much less sell their art.
How do you navigate your rural market?
What do you do differently than artists in metropolitan areas?
Thriving as an artist in a rural market Read
The daily work of running an art business — making art, posting, responding, shipping — always feels urgent. The strategic work doesn’t. So it waits. But postponing that deeper evaluation isn’t neutral.
There are five specific costs that accumulate when you keep the strategic work on the back burner, quarter after quarter. None of them announce themselves. And that’s precisely what makes them so damaging.
Before you can decide what to do next in your art business, you need to know what you actually have. In episode 260 of The Art Biz, I walk through the three-zone framework I use with every private client: Outreach, Presence, and Systems.
It’s a structured self-assessment that gives you a clear, honest picture of where your business stands, so you can stop guessing and start making decisions that actually move things forward.
The Art Business Self-Assessment Every Artist Should Do (260) Read
Most artists didn’t design their art business. They drifted into it. A gallery here, a commission there, a product line because someone asked.
In this episode of The Art Biz, I invite you to step back and ask a question most artists never take the time to ask: if you were starting fresh today, would you build it this way? That one question can change everything.
Do You Have the Art Business You Actually Want? (259) Read
There’s a difference between working in your art business and working on it, and most artists spend almost all of their time on one of them.
This episode breaks down what each mode looks like, why the balance matters, and what it actually looks like to step back and think strategically rather than just execute.
Stop Being Busy, Start Being Strategic (258) Read
Selling products—giclées, pillows, notebooks—can be a smart move for many artists. But if you’ve been asking yourself how to sell more of your original art, something might need to shift.
This episode draws on a background in museum work to explore what actually gets in the way of selling originals, why the mindset piece matters as much as the tactics, and two practical moves that help you lead with what matters most.
When You Want to Sell More Original Art (257) Read
When an accountant asked Hannah Cole “When are you gonna get a real job?” instead of explaining quarterly taxes, it planted the seed of shame that many artists carry around money.
This conversation explores why artists develop allergies to financial conversations, how negative beliefs about wealth prevent fair compensation, and two practical strategies for building confidence with your numbers.
Healing Your Money Allergy with Hannah Cole (256) Read
What started as weekly artist video interviews during the pandemic became a statewide arts organization with popup exhibitions, state contracts, and a sustainable funding model.
Daniel Sipe and Karlë Woods share how they built Lights Out from scratch with no money, no connections, and a willingness to take risks—plus why they invested in track lighting and marketing before almost anything else.
Building Community Through Art: The Lights Out Model (255) Read
What if the scarcity you’re experiencing isn’t real? Visual artist, educator, and writer Damien Davis exposes the gatekeeping mechanisms—from application fees to institutional approval—that keep artists competing instead of collaborating.
He shares why learning business skills helped him bypass permission structures, redefines what success actually means, and explains why artists talking to each other threatens the people who benefit from keeping you isolated.
Art World Gatekeeping Forces Artists to Compete with Damien Davis (254) Read
You’re going to make mistakes. You will absolutely make the “wrong” decisions from time to time. And you’re going to be rejected from shows and opportunities.
You’ll become more and more resilient every time you take a risk that doesn’t work out as you had intended. You’ll bounce back. And you’ll be stronger for it in the long run. Promise. Listen to how this plays out for Christine Aaron.
Risk, Rejection, and Resilience with Christine Aaron (114) Read
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