teaching Archives

The Art Biz ep. 86: Collaborating on Your Art Business with Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin

Collaborations aren’t for the faint of heart—especially for artists who are used to working alone and making decisions without having to get approval from another human being. But my guests for this episode of the Art Biz Podcast have figured out how to make it work.

Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin first collaborated on the publication of their book, Cold Wax Medium. Their collaboration has only deepened since that time, adding the Cold Wax Academy in 2020.

Rebecca, Jerry, and I discuss the format of Cold Wax Academy, how they make decisions together, how they find new members, and what they’d do differently with the benefit of hindsight. You’ll hear what makes their combined efforts work so well

We also talk about one of my favorite topics—systems—and the technology they use to keep their joint venture going.

The Art Biz ep. 86: Collaborating on Your Art Business with Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin Read

The Art Biz ep. 41: Art Safaris and Consistent Promotion with Alison Nicholls

When I was a kid I used to hole up in my room to draw—dreaming of being an artist. One of the books I worked from was titled something like How to Draw Wildlife. The drawing I remember making most vividly was a charging lion.

But I was just copying from a book. Learning anatomy and how to depict movement convincingly by building lines and shapes on top of one another.

I can’t imagine the opportunity to sketch African wildlife in their habitat.

That’s what Alison Nicholls does.

Once a year, Alison leaves her home in New York and heads to South Africa to lead her Art Safaris for Africa Geographic. (They found her from her online posts back in 2010!)

I know from experience that it’s difficult enough to fill a workshop in your hometown or even a neighboring state. Alison’s Art Safaris are thousands of miles away and sell out months in advance.

In the latest episode of the Art Biz Podcast, I asked Alison how she attracts students so far ahead of time. You’ll also find out how she got to be a guest on this podcast, which is a great marketing lesson. Definitely stick with it to the end.

The Art Biz ep. 41: Art Safaris and Consistent Promotion with Alison Nicholls Read

The Art Biz ep. 36: Reaching the Other 99% for Your Art Business with Adele Sypesteyn

Have you ever been so focused on a goal you thought was right for you that you missed opportunities that might have been better?

Chances are good that you can’t answer that question because you were so myopic. You just knew that this one direction was the path you needed to take. And you might have ignored that it wasn’t working or didn’t feel like the right fit.

This week’s podcast guest, Adele Sypesteyn, has been making a living from her art for 4 decades. But she never gets too comfortable with income coming from a particular source. She pays attention to changes in the marketplace and economy. And she educates herself.

The people who go into galleries are 1% of the population.
I wanted to reach the other 99%.

Listen to learn how Adele made the decision to pull out of her galleries and how she easily replaced that income.

The Art Biz ep. 36: Reaching the Other 99% for Your Art Business with Adele Sypesteyn Read

The Art Biz ep. 35: Leading Your Own Art Workshops and Retreats with Lorraine Glessner

Teaching art workshops for artist organizations and venues can contribute significantly to your art income. But you can dramatically increase your bottom line when you organize those workshops yourself.

Of course, creating and running your own workshops presents challenges that you don’t have when groups and individuals hire you. If you earn money from teaching, or if you’d like to, this episode of the Art Biz Podcast is for you.

In this episode, I talk with Lorraine Glessner talk about how she makes a living as an artist and an instructor and why she views her retreats as “collaborative teaching ventures.”

The Art Biz ep. 35: Leading Your Own Art Workshops and Retreats with Lorraine Glessner Read

How to Offer Upgrades for Your Teaching

When you offer services, such as teaching, mentoring, or coaching, seize the opportunity to enhance the experience for your students and clients. This may also be a chance to create extra income for yourself.

I’m talking about offering upgrades to your services.

An upgrade is an offer that adds value to the service for an additional fee.

The most important reason to offer an upgrade is that it improves the experience for your students. The additional income is a bonus for you.

Upgrade Options

Your upgrade offer is limited only by your imagination. Here are some ideas to help get you started:

An additional, but different, workshop or class
Printed and bound copy of your notes
Audio recording of your notes
Video lessons
“Club” membership
A lifetime Facebook group that includes club-only email tips
A package of programs and bonuses, like the Art Career Success System
Personal coaching, mentoring, or critique sessions (live or via video conference)

If you are hosting a multi-day workshop, consider adding:

Private tours
30-minute coaching/critique sessions before or after instruction for the day or an additional coaching-only day at the end
Meals

What can you offer to a large number of people at a reasonable price?

How to Offer Upgrades for Your Teaching Read

The Art Biz ep. 4: Making a Living as a Teaching Artist with Elizabeth St. Hilaire

The secret to making a living as an artist is that there are no secrets. Artists find their own paths and each path is unique.

There are some qualities, however, that you must have:

– Stamina
– Ambition
– Motivation
– Talent
– Resilience
– Boundaries

And … a willingness to learn, adapt, and grow.

It also helps to have a positive outlook, people skills, and a grateful heart.

Elizabeth St. Hilaire has all of these – in spades. I have always admired her business savvy and work ethic.

I was delighted to spend 3 days with her recently. During a hike together, where we talked mostly about art and business, I blurted, Hey! We should do a podcast while you’re here.

So we did.

In this podcast, Elizabeth breaks down where she generates income (teaching, licensing, art sales, books, and DVDs). She also outlines the various teaching models that are available to artists today.

The Art Biz ep. 4: Making a Living as a Teaching Artist with Elizabeth St. Hilaire Read

5 Ways to Follow Up with Students in Your Art Classes

The follow-up process for students is different than that for buyers and collectors.

Once someone has studied with you, they are likely to take additional classes from you, which means it’s just as important to follow up with students as it is with your collectors – if you want to grow your class sizes and offerings.

You have to show students that you care before, during, and after the program they enroll in.

Here are five ways to do that.

1. Ask for Evaluations and Testimonials

Evaluations can help you improve your offerings while showing students that you care about the experiences they’ve had with you. You’re asking to hear their opinions.

Evaluations can also be a source of testimonials for your programs – if you ask the questions the right way.

Keep your evaluation short. I suggest some variation of these three questions:

What did you most enjoy about this class?

What was your

5 Ways to Follow Up with Students in Your Art Classes Read

How to Build a Student Following – Online and Off

If you want to teach, you need a pool of potential students.

You need a following. And a following suggests there is a leader. If you expect people to sign up for your classes or buy your how-to book, you must step up and be the leader.

You’ve got to position yourself as an expert.

Becoming known for your skills is not an overnight process. It’s a process that you must be dedicated to and in it for the long haul.

I built Art Biz Coach using all of the tactics I share below. I think it would be harder to start my business today because the market is much noisier than when I opened back in 2002.

Your market is also robust. There are more people seeking instruction, and there are a lot more artists who are teaching in their own studios, in art centers and supply stores, and online.

In business terms, this presents both a threat and an opportunity. The threat is that more people are competing for students. The opportunity is that you can differentiate yourself.

The distinguishing characteristics of a successful, independent art teacher are:

How to Build a Student Following – Online and Off Read

Notes From an Artist Lecture

As I was flipping through my notebook last week, I came across notes from a lecture by ceramic artist Doug Casebeer at the Foothills Art Center in Golden, Colorado on January 25, 2014. There is so much wisdom here that I’ve decided to share them in their raw form. Enough time has passed since I

Notes From an Artist Lecture Read

Teaching at the Museum of the Southwest in Midland, Texas. Photo by Rafael Aguilera.

My Top Teaching Secrets

I have been teaching artists online and at live events since 2002. While students pay to get valuable content from me, I learn almost as much from them as they do from me. That’s one of the great joys of teaching, and why I will continue to offer live learning. I can’t possibly put all

My Top Teaching Secrets Read