inspiration Archives

Memory project art installation artist Christine Aaron strips of printed paper hanging from ceiling | on Art Biz Success

Risk, rejection, and resilience with Christine Aaron (114)

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

The Art Biz ep. 180: Affirmations for Artists to Keep You Motivated

I believe in the power of daily affirmations. I first used them a number of years ago to increase my income and it worked. My income shot up 40% that year.

I do not believe that reciting affirmations alone will move the needle. You must have the commitment to your goals in the first place and take appropriate action to move forward.

Try them and adapt to your needs.

Video included.

The Art Biz ep. 180: Affirmations for Artists to Keep You Motivated Read

The Art Biz ep. 172: Stop Incessantly Feeding the Social Media Algorithms with Kamal X

It’s easy to chase the algorithm these days. It’s more difficult to remain true to yourself and your art.

Kamal X started a collection of photographs after the murder of George Floyd—risking his health at the height of Covid because, he says, the moment was bigger than him. Kamal wants you to remember the light you have inside you, and that you can visualize and create something bigger for yourself.

The Art Biz ep. 172: Stop Incessantly Feeding the Social Media Algorithms with Kamal X Read

7 Essential verbs for artists to embrace (170)

Action builds confidence, and you need verbs for action.

Look back on how your confidence as an artist has grown over as a result not only of reading about something or hearing about it, but of actually doing it. Making more art. Having more shows. Submitting to more opportunities.

With this in mind, I have 7 verbs to embrace, which you might not normally associate with your art career.

7 Essential verbs for artists to embrace (170) Read

Jessica Burko encaustic and found drawers

How to feel like a successful artist (165)

No two artists have the same path to success—or even define success in the same way.

In order to feel successful, break down your success into smaller increments that are achievable, stay tuned in to your life circumstances, embrace failures that allow you to course correct toward a direction that’s more aligned with who you are now, and celebrate—even for a brief moment—your accomplishments, regardless of how big or small.

How to feel like a successful artist (165) Read

Following her curiosity and making new connections After 60 with Jan McCarthy (158)

Discover Jan McCarthy’s vibrant life beyond 60, where being an artist is more than painting or drawing. She prefers the term “maker.”

With a diverse portfolio ranging from businesses and fundraisers to artwork and interior design, Jan pursues her passions. We discuss her creativity workshops for corporations, casual yet impactful women’s mastermind dinners, and her heart-driven project, Art for the Heart. Jan also reveals her strategies for connecting with interior designers.

Following her curiosity and making new connections After 60 with Jan McCarthy (158) Read

6 Ways to Be [Even] Happier About Running Your Art Business (155)

Artists who embrace their role as CEOs of their businesses fare better than those who resist it.

Wishing away the responsibilities only leads to frustration and anxiety.

When you decide to turn your art into a business, do it wholeheartedly—finding joy in the journey rather than grumbling about the hard work. It’s a matter of deciding how you want to navigate through life.

6 Ways to Be [Even] Happier About Running Your Art Business (155) Read

Working Through Grief and Returning to the Studio

The direct result of losing someone or something you love is profound grief. And that hollow, meaningless feeling that accompanies loss does not lead to art.

Yet we know art is the answer.

Here are eleven ideas that helped guest blogger Barbara Muir work through her grief. Perhaps they might help you feel your way back to your studio.

Working Through Grief and Returning to the Studio Read

The Art Biz ep. 55: An Army of Artists with Sandra Felemovicius

Covid strikes.
Hospitals start filling.
Her doctor-husband continues to go to work in a building that is treating those who have fallen ill to the virus.

She feels helpless, but not for long. Sandra Felemovicius springs into action. She doesn’t think too long or overanalyze. She only knows she wants to make a difference.

That’s how her twice-weekly Instagram Live program, Tap Into Your Creativity, started.

On it, Sandra interviews artists at home in their studios—hoping to inspire and to be a light amid all the darkness. The artists, in turn, agree to donate a 10 x 10 inch painting to be auctioned to benefit Feeding America.

Follow #armyofartists to watch the progress.

Having recently started my own weekly Instagram Live (Wednesdays at 4pm Eastern) I know that there are a lot of logistics around getting guests to join you. Schedules, bandwidth, backgrounds, audio, and lighting. As Sandra says on the podcast, “Anything can happen on live TV.”

Still, when you’re committed to a project, you’ll find a way to make it happen. Listen to how Sandra does it.

The Art Biz ep. 55: An Army of Artists with Sandra Felemovicius Read

Making Art While Grieving Loss with Jan Heaton (52)

Grieving is a necessary byproduct of being human.

Perhaps it’s the loss of a pet, a dear family member, a relationship, or a safe structure that was taken away from you, along with the memories it held, in a disaster.

We will all grieve about something at one point or another. It’s an emotion we share.

When I first approached Jan Heaton to be a guest on the podcast and talk about grief, we were living in a different world. We had a recording session on the calendar and then the world as we knew it stopped.

It has become very clear that, whether or not we have lost loved ones during this pandemic, we are all dealing with grief of some sort. We have all lost something.

Artists are collectively grieving a number of things.

The exhibitions, art fairs and festivals, residencies, workshops, and other opportunities.
The plans we had made.
The studio spaces we can no longer visit.
The connection to others.
Our routines.
Our freedom to move about. To travel.

Grief on so many levels.

This is a huge topic and Jan wants to be very clear that she isn’t an expert on grief. I asked her to be on the show just to talk about her experience in hopes that it might be helpful—even if for only one person. Please enjoy this interview with Jan Heaton.

Making Art While Grieving Loss with Jan Heaton (52) Read

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Consider 44 possible reasons why your art isn't selling.