For the sake of her art, Jennifer Printz has been very successful tapping into that part of her that is, as she says, typical Pisces.
On the other hand, she has learned to access another part of her to stay organized—the perfectionism that comes with being an Enneagram 1.
It’s a good thing Jennifer has embraced these two sides of her because she needs them. Not only is she a practicing artist with an enviable record of exhibitions, but she’s also an assistant professor at Florida International University in Miami. She has two full-time jobs.
I’ve watched Jennifer whip her business into shape by getting organized and creating reliable systems. I’ve even had the pleasure of helping her with parts of that.
In this episode, I talk with her about how she compartmentalizes her two jobs. We also discuss the planning process she uses, the digital and paper tools she relies on to stay organized, and why writing by hand is critical for her and her students.
Music by Wildermiss
Highlights
- Jennifer Printz reflects on the wide variety of her artwork and her work as a professor. (2:02)
- The value to Jennifer’s students of modeling the life of a professional artist and the lessons they are learning as a result. (5:53)
- Practical tips for separating your day job from your art business. (8:40)
- The value of taking time for an artist’s day, connecting with artists virtually, and creating physical space for your creativity. (11:33)
- Taking your art business beyond a plateau to the next level with coaching and positive feedback. (16:50)
- Planning out a quarter at a time to free up your mental space for creativity. (22:30)
- Day-to-day systems that will help you get and stay organized and productive. (27:21)
- Jennifer’s process to keep an updated inventory of her pieces. (33:42)
- Strategic organization of all the moving parts of an exhibition. (38:29)
- Playing into your personality strengths to maximize your art business systems. (42:35)
- What is the first step to take when your systems are breaking down? (45:04)
- A look at the works that are currently holding Jennifer’s attention in the studio. (47:12)
Mentioned
Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt
Original Impulse by Cynthia Morris
Artwork Archive inventory software
Chana Orloff at the Archives of Women Artists
IS Projects in Fort Lauderdale
Jennifer Printz Quotes
“When I hit a certain level of success I felt the need to get a more objective viewpoint to help me move to a new level of success.”
“If we’re always doing what we’ve always done and the results are what we always got, then it’s time to reevaluate.”
“It made sense to shift to a new system so I could put more effort into my creative practice.”
“In order to build strong relationships, in order to have a successful exhibition, I need to access other parts of me and not let the part of me that’s against organization get in the way.”
About My Guest
Jennifer Printz unifies photography and drawing to make poetic works that reflect the unseen structures of the universe.
In 2004 she was awarded a Puffin Foundation Grant, followed by a Dendo Fellowship in 2016. She has participated in regular residencies in the US, at the Frans Masereel Centre/Flemish Center for the Graphic Arts in Kasterlee, Belgium, St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta, and La Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France.
Jennifer is also an educator, teaching a wide range of two-dimensional media at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as courses on public art and professional practices. Currently, she is on the faculty of Florida International University in Miami.
Follow Jennifer on Instagram: @jenniferdprintz
Music by Wildermiss
6 thoughts on “The Art Biz ep. 79: Tools to Shape Up Your Art Business with Jennifer Printz”
Love this episode – Jennifer is AMAZING.
Yes, she is, isn’t she? And her work just keeps getting better.
This was such a wonderful interview! Jennifer shared so much inspiration and many practical examples of how to build disciplined systems that work for her busy art career.. Thanks to both of you for sharing these insights and lessons learned.
Thanks for listening, Diana. Glad you could get a quick dose of inspiration from Jennifer.
Alyson, I’ve been away from your platform for a while, but have been drawn in again with the recent focus on social media marketing. I’m particularly interested in getting marketing benefit from business Instagram, business Pinterest, and my business Facebook page. The only one that is at all developed is Facebook, very easy to link to a new piece of art from my FASO website. I was on business and Instagram setup sites for 2 hours today and am pretty totally confused and no further along. I’m fairly sure these media are beyond my skills to get up and running, but I remain very interested. It looks like I will need some help with the initial setup and integration with one media to another and with FASO and DailyPaintWorks, which are my main two websites. Just as one small example, it seemed that business Pinterest will only link with a personal FB page, and not my business FB page, which makes no sense. I need someone or a platform to get me started, and get set up, and then this 75-year-old artist can proceed on her own. Any suggestions? I can’t be the only one!
Claudia: Boy, I feel your frustration. I am unable to help with these kinds of tech issues — just not my bailiwick. I wonder of Cory Huff at The Abundant Artist would be helpful.