Mindset & Confidence
Building a successful art business requires as much inner work as outer work.
These posts and episodes of The Art Biz explore the mindset challenges artists face — embracing risk, overcoming rejection, and navigating the inevitable difficulties of a creative life — through the experiences of real working artists.
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.
Practicing steady confidence as an artist (253)
After 23 years teaching artists, I realized something uncomfortable: I’ve been contributing to information overwhelm. The problem isn’t that you don’t know enough—it’s building confidence to act on what you already know.
This episode reveals the confidence killers that derail your plans and six practical ways to build the steady foundation you need to keep showing up for your art business.
It’s not your job to worry about adding to the noise (233)
Tired of overthinking every post and wondering if you’re just adding to the noise? You’re not alone. And you’re not the noise.
This episode calls out the perfectionism hiding behind “quality over quantity” and reminds you what your real job is: to show up, share the work, and let the right people catch on. No false hype, no algorithm games, just honest strategy and a clear path forward for thoughtful artists.
Dealing with rejection with Megan Wimberley (197)
Rejection is a part of every artist’s journey, essential for growth and success. Megan Wimberley, artist and founder of Cowgirl Artists of America, offers a framework to help artists move past rejection. She emphasizes the importance of mindfulness and professionalism in managing setbacks.
By embracing rejection, artists can push their boundaries, take more risks, and ultimately protect and elevate their reputations.
Beyond comparison and jealousy with Jason Kotecki (191)
More than 10 years ago in a crowded conference in Philadelphia, artist-writer-speaker Jason Kotecki had an epiphany. He realized that he had a talent stack that could set himself apart from other speakers.
In this conversation, Jason encourages you to find the additional gifts that will differentiate you from other artists and allow you to move beyond comparanoia and jealousy. We also discuss his income streams and collaborating with his wife, Kim.
The career journey of growth-minded artists (186)
I want to talk about something that gets in the way of how you think your art business possibilities: The ladder of success.
I want to help you reframe your daily decisions, actions, and results (or lack thereof)—to embrace the volatility of an artist life. To understand that there will be highs and lows, and that just comes along with the territory. To do this, let’s consider a circle rather than a ladder.
What your failures are teaching you with Laura Petrovich-Cheney (95)
Failure is necessary for growth. If you are succeeding at everything, there is no way you’re learning and growing.
Laura talks about a few failures she has learned from, why it’s helpful to have a little bit of time and space before examining failures, and the shame that gets in the way of sharing failure with others. We also discuss the inevitable comparisons with other artists that arise when you fail and see only their successes.
Are you playing it too safe in your art business? (92)
We are hard wired for self-protection.
The moment we smell risk, our physical bodies start preparing for the encounter. Our mental faculties begin telling us how we can avoid it or, short of that, deal with it.
There is no room for growth when you focus on avoiding risk. Here are a few areas in which you might be playing it too safe in your art business.
Tools to help you emerge from a struggle even stronger than before with Kelly Milukas (83)
Kelly and I scheduled our conversation to discuss her “life edit,” which involved getting rid of what no longer served her. It quickly became apparent that ridding herself of stuff when she had to downsize her studio is something she had been preparing herself for in the many years leading up to that moment.
Her story is one of perseverance and joy. She was eager to discuss the many tools she used to facilitate her healing and the people she relied on along the way.
Beware of “I am not”
You can’t say, “I’m terrible at marketing” without being terrible at marketing.
Whenever you find you’re defining yourself in the negative, remember that you have the power to shape your story. How you choose to define yourself will influence how others look at you and think of you.
Will you define yourself in terms of limitations and failings or in terms hopes and aspirations?
