Regular listeners of the Art Biz Podcast know I love to explore the topic of legacy–the mark you’re leaving on the world. Check out my conversations with David Paul Bayles in epi… Read More

Timelines are invaluable for planning your art business and marketing. They provide a structure for you to build upon so that you don't have to start from scratch. Regardless of how muc… Read More

In 1920, women–white women, that is–across the United States got the right to vote when the 19th amendment was ratified by ⅔ of the states. The fact that we are coming up o… Read More

Have a sale of your art? It’s possible! But you might also want to run a sale on products such as calendars, note cards, books, catalogs, or prints. Before we get too deep into the spe… Read More

What do you do when one of your major sources of art income disappears? I wish I kept track of how often I have heard this story. It goes something like this. ©Leslie Neumann 2019, Wait… Read More

Those in charge of juried art shows have made it stupid easy for you to enter. ©Lisa Garner, Happy Gaia. Polymer clay sculpture. Step 1: Upload images. Step 2: Complete form. Step 3: En… Read More

Have you ever wanted to start over? To move somewhere else and begin a new life? ©2019 Marcus McAllister, Quiet Insistence. Acrylic on paper, 65 x 53 centimeters. Used with permission… Read More

Your artist website is the home base for your business online. It’s where you send people to see your work, sign up for your email list, or even buy your art. In short, you need for it… Read More

We often forget that we’re not alone. It’s easy to do because you spend so much time working by yourself in the studio. But … You don’t have to hold up the weight of… Read More

Artist Lynn Basa understands the power of art to be a positive force in communities. She is interested in the varied ways that artists are intersecting with public life. From more traditiona… Read More

Every contact you have with someone is an opportunity to wow them with your art and your professionalism, so you don’t want to miss the chance to wow from the beginning. Robert Mapplet… Read More

Since I started my art career, I had this one figure in my head that if I made that figure as my annual income, then I would consider myself successful. I also made this my Art Biz Accelerat… Read More

A number of years ago, I attended a mastermind meeting that had a consistent theme running through it. The most successful people have a sense of urgency. I believe this to be true because t… Read More

Missy Graff Ballone, artist and founder of Wellness for Makers, joins the show to discuss the importance of taking care of your most precious asset for making art: your body. Missy Graff Bal… Read More

You are in charge of your art career. This means you are the person who decides what to do immediately and what can wait for tomorrow, next week, or next month. This sounded ideal until you… Read More

Artist Gwen Fox describes a situation many artists have found themselves in. You know the scenario. Your work was selected for a prestigious art show and during the show you happen to overhe… Read More

As an artist and one-person business owner, you are the talented maker, gregarious promoter, delightful conversationalist, and head honcho. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all of these… Read More

At the end of a recent email to me, Inner Circle alumnus Margaret Dukeman added the following sentence. Big thanks to you for the power that you have instilled in me and the ability to move… Read More

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, an… Read More

If you’ve had Write Newsletter on your task list for too long, it might be because you haven’t identified the individual components that will be required for the process to be su… Read More

A lot of my students and clients have mentioned their desire to open a gallery. And some have done so without putting much thought into what it takes and … later regret it. I’m… Read More

These are some of the many things that made me smile, think, or grow in 2018. I hope you find some good resources (and recipes) here. Please leave your favorite things from the year in a com… Read More

Artist Meg Black doesn’t wait for things to happen, she makes them happen. She has recently installed a major commission in the new addition of the town hall in Topsfield, MA. In this… Read More

Artist Meg Black doesn’t wait for things to happen, she makes them happen. She has recently installed a major commission in the new addition of the town hall in Topsfield, MA. In this… Read More

Thinking of giving up on your artist blog? Already given up on your blog? First, let’s assume that you’re okay with writing. You have no problem collecting words and sharing them… Read More

I’m sure you’ve been to group meetings where you thought to yourself, What in the world am I doing here? Those are groups you want to exit quickly. No sense hanging around. &copy&hell…Read More

I’m sure you’ve been to group meetings where you thought to yourself, What in the world am I doing here? Those are groups you want to exit quickly. No sense hanging around. &copy&hell…Read More

I’m sure you’ve been to group meetings where you thought to yourself, What in the world am I doing here? Those are groups you want to exit quickly. No sense hanging around. &copy&hell…Read More

Are you putting your art out there and hoping someone will see it, buy it, or give you a show? ©Bonny Lundy, Good Omen. Watercolor, 28 x 18 inches. Used with permission. There was a poi… Read More

There are all kinds of places where you could show your work. Coffee shops would love to have your art! Salons would fawn over it! Professional offices would think they’d died and gone… Read More

If you’ve ever questioned the reason for making art, you’re not alone. After a particularly rough period—be it something in the news or circumstances in your career—y… Read More

Your art exhibition, class, workshop, or event has so many facets that there is no reason to send repetitive emails and social media posts for your promotions. You never know what it is abou… Read More

Your website is for generating sales and opportunities – even if you don’t sell directly from your site. You’re using your site as a digital portfolio to sell galleries and… Read More

I met Mary Erickson in person for the first time at the 2016 Plein Air South in Apalachicola, Florida. We bonded over cocktails and oysters. (Mary is the only person who has ever convinced m… Read More

Email messages are the steam engine behind much of your marketing these days. They’re cheap, they’re fast, and . . . they’re completely ineffective unless recipients open t… Read More

My first contact with artist Helen Hiebert was back in 2010 when she took one of my classes after she heard about my book, I’d Rather Be in the Studio. It’s been fun to watch her… Read More

Bang! Pop! Pow! Is that the sound of leftover fireworks I hear? Or is your art business on fire? I would love to hear that it’s your business on fire – that you are Hot – H… Read More

Over the past ten years I’ve watched Dianna Fritzler go from full-time artist to full-time marketing employee and back again. I had the pleasure of helping her a little along the way… Read More

Newsflash! You’re just getting started. Whether you think this is good news or bad news depends on your disposition. Some people feel fulfilled and complete every day. I envy them. &co&hell…Read More

Artist Annie Salness suffered a stroke almost 8 years ago. While many artists would have given up when faced with the trials Annie had, she met the challenge and kept moving forward. ©A… Read More

I’ve taken great pride in the fact that I’ve written a weekly newsletter since March 30, 2002 without ever missing an issue. It’s a story I’ve recounted repeatedly. U… Read More

Last fall I received an email from David Paul Bayles, who was a member of my class at the time. The email read, in part: Recently The Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley (third largest special c… Read More

One of the most-used business metaphors is the ladder of success. With this metaphor it’s assumed that you start at the bottom and work your way to the top rung in a predictable, progr… Read More

I’ve been encouraging artists to join artist organizations for my entire career, but the truth is that not all organizations are created equal. And before you go thinking that you shou… Read More

You are more likely to get the commission, sell the work, fill your classes, and have your proposal accepted if we believe in you. And we are more likely to believe in you if you believe in… Read More

If it’s on your bucket list to schedule a museum exhibition, volunteer or work at a museum, or see your art in a museum collection, you will benefit if you understand how a museum admi… Read More

You know that I’m all about action. My book, I’d Rather Be in the Studio, is broken up into actions rather than chapters. While I’m a champion of moving forward, I also slo… Read More

If you’ve been paying attention to what we’ve been doing at Art Biz Coach the last couple of years, you might have picked up on a “big table” theme. Not round table… Read More

It doesn’t take a genius to understand why nobody came to your art show. Let’s set aside the bad weather, natural disaster, flu epidemic, or major tragedy in the community. And n… Read More

Whether you accept commissions for portraits (houses, people, pets), funerary urns, custom jewelry, or garden sculpture, you encounter situations that other artists don’t. Commissioned… Read More

Steve Cranford is the creative chairman of the New York agency WHISPER. When I asked him why in the world a marketing firm would be called WHISPER instead of SHOUT, he replied: “The mo… Read More

Do you need to be concerned about copyright? Trademark?Is it important that you have tight contracts? It depends on your definition of success and what your business goals are. I know that… Read More

Your marketing mix is a blend of actions you take – both online and offline – to promote your art. Your ideal mix is your ideal mix and nobody else’s. ©Kerry Schroeder… Read More

It’s the darndest thing about having a website: people aren’t going to visit just because you build it. Creating a website is just the first step. Now you have to attract people… Read More

It’s unnatural for many artists to talk about money – especially when the money seems like barely enough to bother counting. And, yet, you can imagine how important it is to have… Read More

I want to help you expand your art business and grow your art career. Each of my blog posts, class lessons, or live events is carefully designed to help you get one step closer to your dream… Read More

You won’t find raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens on this list, though I’d argue that they are both delightful. Instead, here’s a peek at the things that made me hap… Read More

I asked Maria Brophy what she was most excited about these days, and she gave me a pretty decent list. I liked #1 on that list: niche markets. Done! Now we can talk. In this episode of… Read More

Jamie was my BFF in middle school. Though we were inseparable at the time, we drifted apart in high school and thereafter. Over the past ten years, we rediscovered our friendship and have be… Read More

A few years ago, I had the joy of hearing Senga Nengudi talk about her art in a gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver surrounded by the work. Nengudi makes intimate installations… Read More

We all need a little pick-me-up when we’re overwhelmed, uninspired, or unfocused Please return to these 10 Affirmations for Artists whenever you need a jolt of motivation or confidence… Read More

Last week, someone paid $450million for Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi. Yeah, it’s Leonardo. Yeah, there are fewer than 25 known works by Leonardo. Yeah, it’d be p… Read More

I believe in the power of being part of a dynamic group of ambitious people. You can’t possibly get everything you need from a single person, and I can’t possibly know everything… Read More

You were told you needed an email list, so you asked people to subscribe. And they did. But you didn’t do anything with their subscription. Those poor people sat in your system. For mo… Read More

Art buyers often have as many insecurities about the process of buying art as you do, which means they are sensitive to the signals you’re sending. It’s your job to reassure them… Read More

Little gives me more pleasure than watching a client successfully attain a major goal. Artist Lisa Kovvuri at work for her museum portrait exhibition, The Portrait Experience. Photo courtesy… Read More

My definition of failure is not taking a chance. Not risking it. Playing it safe. Everything else that other people might call failures, I prefer to think of as lessons. ©Kathleen Denis… Read More

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… Read More

How do your close friends describe you? How does your family describe you? How do your students describe you? How do you describe yourself? ©Joseph Mattus, Victoria. Grisaille oil on li… Read More

I used to teach an online class called Organize Your Art Biz. I quit teaching it when I realized that there’s no such thing as the right way to get organized. My guest for this episode… Read More

Ever worry about bothering people with your emails or postcards? You’re not alone. And there’s nothing wrong with wanting to do right by your trusted fans. You know what it&rsquo&hell…Read More

In this blog post I encouraged you to consider how your frugality might be hurting your art business by sending the wrong message to potential collectors. At the end of that article, I posed… Read More

I am tired of watching artists and arts organizations live on leftover scraps. Mind you, the organizations and agencies aren’t cheap with the patrons and board members with the big ban… Read More

As an author, I know it’s not easy to write a book. It’s hard enough to do it on your own, but what if you have a partner? I was intrigued to learn how Rebecca Crowell and Jerry… Read More

I have witnessed a large number of artists build successful blogs. I have also, sadly, watched even more artists’ blogs flounder. There is plenty of room in the blogosphere for meaning… Read More

I wish I could pull a number out of the hat and tell you how to price your art. It’s not that easy, as you’ve surely discovered. Every artist’s path to their sweet spot for… Read More

Last week I dragged my busy butt down to a mineral springs resort and spa for a getaway with my dear friend, Kelly. Road trip! Conveniently, the getaway coincided with a discussion I had wit… Read More

When Sam Woolcott, one of my Art Biz Inner Circle members, told me that she and her husband were invited to have a joint museum exhibition, I knew I had to interview them. They live together… Read More

I’m looking at a word scratched in lime green on our office white board: DISRUPT I had written it earlier in the day after feeling closed in by conventions and “shoulds.” Y… Read More

“How do I start a mailing list?” It’s a question that I’ve been asked numerous times in the past few weeks. Hmmm … Where to begin? One thing is for certain. &l&hell…Read More

Whenever a new class begins, I receive plenty of questions. Currently, I’m fielding questions about Creative Content Camp. The gist of the questions is: This class looks enticing, but… Read More

We are officially at the halfway point for 2017. Are you halfway to your financial goals for the year? As all of my students and clients know, I stress the importance of “doing the num… Read More

Social media will not fix your broken marketing. There aren’t enough friends, likes or followers that can help you when you have a weak foundation. ©Cynthia Morris, Tasting Light… Read More

A nice man named Curt recently wrote me a heartfelt email. He had a strong desire to help his introverted, talented son with his art career. “I’m wondering if you would have advi… Read More

If I had a nickel for every time an artist told me that their lives would be better if only they lived somewhere else, well … I’d have a lot of nickels! Some of you have convinc… Read More

Not too long ago, I sat down to figure out what I was going to do with my book, I’d Rather Be in the Studio. The first edition was published in 2008 and the last edition in 2015. While… Read More

I built Art Biz Coach on action. The first iteration of my newsletter back in 2002 was titled “Do This” (Zzzzz) and had an action at the end of each issue. My book, I’d Rat… Read More

All is right with the world. I have proof. I’m at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to see the Matisse/Diebenkorn exhibition. I arrive early with Rob, my trooper of a husband. He… Read More

Most weeks I write as if I have all of the answers. I don’t. Far from it. I write about what I’ve experienced or witnessed. When I don’t know an answer, I know the best way… Read More

Congratulations! You had an article written about your art. ©Juliet R. Harrison, Coming Into the Frame. Photograph. Used with permission. Whether it is in a newspaper or magazine or pub… Read More

Your exhibition/class/event was a smash hit, and now it’s over. You can breath a sigh of relief. Your calendar is empty. The breathing room feels good for a few days, until you realize… Read More

If marketing is everything you do to build your reputation and sell your art, there are a lot of areas in which you could improve. In which we could all improve. ©Lynn Krawczyk, Printed… Read More

A catalog can be a snapshot of your career at a moment in time or a retrospective documenting your entire life’s work. With the advent of on-demand, inexpensive publishing, every artis… Read More

I am writing this draft in Evernote on my iPad while taking the light rail train into Denver to see a few art shows. When I want a document that I will reuse and share with students, clients… Read More

You only get one chance to make a first impression. True? True! Competition is fierce in today’s art market, and you must distinguish yourself. How will people come to know y… Read More

A gentle warning before you read this. This was supposed to be a celebration article, but things happened that led me in a different direction. You might find it sad. Stick with me because t… Read More

Sales are slow. You’ve been with the gallery for a short time (let’s say just over a year) and you expected them to sell more art for you, but it’s just not happening. Or m… Read More

Our first grade classroom photo was taken on St. Patrick’s Day. I was the only one who wasn’t decked out in green that day. Mom had just made me a beautiful red and white dress… Read More

©Michael Joyal, Never Give Candy To Strangers. Watercolor and acrylic, 40 x 30 inches. Used with permission. It’s not unusual for artists to be concerned about protecting their co… Read More

Business insurance! That’s our topic for this Art Biz Podcast. Stay with me because this is important. Claudia McClain, founder of HomeBusinessInsurance.com, addresses the various… Read More