Making Art Archives

The Art Biz ep. 23: Leaving Behind What is Safe with Jan R. Carson

One artist’s journey is never the same as another’s. Not only do you have to be creative in what you make, but also in how you get it out there, connect with the right people, and make a living. They all involve taking risks.

In 2010, Jan decided to begin the journey away from what had been a safe income (production work) to go after the art and life she wants for herself.

She discusses the balance of both worlds and how she is successfully transitioning from one to the other. She’s leaving what is safe and taking a risk by betting on her art.

You’ll hear about the following from Jan.

The many hats she wears in handling the construction of the mobiles, along with marketing, accounting, etc.
Why she found it easier to retain and train people as employees rather than interns.
Her commitment to letting her body make the work, and keeping her mind out of it.
How she got the confidence in herself and her artwork to exhibit it, and what it felt like to put it out into the world.
The important question artists need to ask themselves: What do I need to make? Not: How do I sell my art?
The social component of being an artist, and how Jan navigates the world as a self-proclaimed shy homebody.
The value of listening, connection, and staying open and present as an artist.

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7 Ways to Expedite Your Breakthrough

I hope you’ll agree that breakthroughs come in handy. Yes?

It’s pretty awesome when the perfect answer appears or that nagging problem is solved. Suddenly, the barrier is removed and you can make progress.

You can’t identify the moment that a breakthrough will happen, but you can prepare yourself for it to come.

Breakthroughs happen as a result of doing the work and being present. Here are 7 ways to accelerate the process.

1. Solve a problem.

Any problem! Art is about solving problems.

How can I balance the composition?

How can I make this with less expensive materials?

How can I convey this or that emotion?

Faith Ringgold was researching shipping options for her paintings when she realized that if she just painted on fabric, without the support, she could roll it up and easily ship it in a tube.

2. Challenge yourself.

There’s very little motivation in the daily grind: update Facebook, schedule a few tweets, send a newsletter, write a blog post, work in the studio. If you’re not careful, you can get stuck checking off menial tasks without doing something extraordinary for your art and for yourself.

Pick a color or

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How Do You Know If You’re a Real Artist? (Curious Monday)

Does this scenario sound familiar?

You’re at a <party/meeting/wherever> and Smarty Pants asks you what you do.

I’m an artist, you say with confidence (of course).

Not missing a beat, Smarty Pants says, “Oh! My aunt is an artist. She does these …”

You restrain yourself – resisting the urge to stomp your feet and throw a tantrum while shouting, You don’t understand! I’m a REAL artist!

Okay, so what does that mean?

What is a real artist anyway? How do you know if you are one?

Please leave a comment with this post and share your experiences.

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The Art Biz ep. 6: Getting Back Into The Groove

Any change in your routine — holidays, illness, vacations, family deaths or weddings — can bring a slump in your creative work.

Even when you’re completely into your art, there’s often an inertia that keeps you from rebooting and being productive.

Cynthia Morris and I recognize this in our clients and thought it would be juicy content for a podcast.

But first … full disclosure … we went to a yoga class. It was an experiment. What would it be like to record one podcast, go to yoga, and then try another after taking a break? Would we be able to get back into the groove?

It was a tall order and it didn’t quite work. I think you’ll see that we empathize with the topic when you listen to this podcast.

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Where and How Do You Retreat? (Curious Monday)

It’s well proven that we need rest and relaxation for peak performance.

Artists need to get away or get out of their heads in order to be refreshed and newly inspired.

Enter the artist’s retreat.

You might have official getaways planned in the form of retreats. I often refer to Art Biz Breakthrough as a retreat because it allows you to get away from the daily grind and focus on business-building.

How do you get away from it all?

Do you have regular retreats planned? Where do you go? What do you see and do?

Do you plan weekly or monthly retreats?

What do those look like?

Please share in a comment below.

Where and How Do You Retreat? (Curious Monday) Read

The Best Idea for Unloading Unsold Art

We received loads of good ideas for what to do with earlier artwork that is taking up emotional energy and inventory space.

Many of you wanted to donated it to charity, sell it at a steep discount, repurpose it, or destroy it. On top of this, a number of you said that if it’s not up to your standards, you should rework or destroy it rather than give it away. I agree.

As promised, I have selected a winner. Be sure to keep reading for the honorable mentions.

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The Role of Failure in Your Art Practice

Failure. It’s a loaded word. Lisa Call attended a panel discussion at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design that I couldn’t attend and thought this question had a lot of value. Deep Thought: Is failure in your art practice something to be embraced, managed, or forgotten?

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