The Art Biz ep. 28: Making a Living as an Expat in Paris with Marcus McAllister

Have you ever wanted to start over? To move somewhere else and begin a new life?

In 2001 I sold many of my belongings, left my safe job in the art museum, and rented a U-Haul to start my new life in Colorado.

I had no idea what was ahead for me. I only knew that I wasn’t living the life that I was intended to lead. I was suffocating.

It was pretty brave of me to take this step, but I was just moving across the border.

My guest for this episode had a much grander adventure in mind. Twenty years ago, Marcus McAllister packed up his art supplies, flew to Paris, and never looked back.

In this episode, Marcus talks about his decision to live abroad, his sketchbooks, the sources of his income, and the importance of relationships.

Show Notes

In this interview, you will hear about:

• How Marcus has been scrappy yet intentional about his business and career.
• His sketchbooks (and why he doesn’t even walk the dog without taking one with him).
• How Marcus ended up in Paris and transitioned to a  full-time artist, and how his career has changed.
• The way Marcus overcame the language barrier and presented himself as an artist to find work.
• Why it’s important that artists own the title of “artist.”
• The dedication Marcus has to always having a sketchbook on him, with over 100 now in his possession.
• The different sources of income Marcus has including original work, mentoring, and hosting workshops.
• How Marcus keeps his expenses minimal, and is open to be vulnerable and authentic when times are financially tough.
• The connection between creativity, struggle, and doubt.
• Marcus’s go-to marketing methods and how he promotes his shows.
• The important connections Marcus has made through his relationships over the years, and why he thinks all artists would benefit from spending more time cultivating relationships.
• How Marcus makes the initial contact when networking, and how he follows up and stays in touch.
• His tradition of Sunday teas in the studio and the importance of listening to your gut and knowing when it’s time to evolve and shift into something new.
• His advice to artists who aren’t as gregarious as he is.
• Etiquette for networking at events as an artist, and why you shouldn’t be afraid to let those business cards fly.

Resources

• Video Interview with Cynthia Morris
• Marcus’s Journals on Video
• I’d Rather Be in the Studio: The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion is focused on  building and nurturing relationships that can support your art career.
• When you finally understand how critical it is to nurture relationships and are ready to devote yourself to improving the process, look at my online course, Collector Relationship Essentials.

About My Guest

Marcus McAllister is an American-born artist living in Paris since 1996. Originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, he received his degree in Fine Art from Louisiana State University in 1991 and has made his living as a full-time artist for nearly two decades.

For more than 30 years, Marcus has carried a sketchbook with him wherever he goes, using it as a tool for pulling order from chaos. His acrylic paintings are developments and expansions of the sketchbook-generated ideas. Marcus’s style combines fine art, illustration, and mysticism.

Follow Marcus on Instagram.

Sponsor

This episode is brought to you by the Art Career Success System. This year-long training program designed especially for artists is made up of four separate classes that rotate throughout the year. You can take one, two, three, or all four.

When you enroll in all four, you will have a complete system that you can use at any point in your art career. Whether your goal is to increase your income, expand your venues, become more articulate about your work, enhance your online reputation, or nurture your audience, the Art Career Success System puts the information you need into a reliable and repeatable system. Click here for the details.