Episodes
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Summer found us a few years ago at a time when she wasn’t sure why she just couldn’t seem to sell her art.
She loved creating, that wasn’t an issue - but she was forever finding it difficult to make money doing what she loved.
We are celebrating hard as just a few months Summer made the leap to full-time selling artist and makes more money now than when she was employed full time!!!
She has built an incredible life, making money from what she loves.
Summer took part in our 7 Keys program and that’s when she started to break through blocks and learn the next steps she needed take.
Guess what, she doesn’t stick to the same subject matter either !! She paints all sorts of things - listen in to find out how she is able to do this.
Despite all the crazy set backs, and she had a lot of those !! Listen to the full story now!
Click here to learn more about of 7 Keys to Make Art A Living course:
>> LEARN MORE ABOUT 7 KEYS HERE
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What does it mean to make a living from art? Does it mean pay the bills? Does it mean it has to come only from art sales?
This is what I talk about in today’s episode.
What making art a living means Whether you can make art a living The different ways you can make money and impact from your artIf you want my step-by-step framework so you can learn how to make art your living, I am running a free workshop from September 2 to September 9.
Here are the details:
>> ACCESS FREE WORKSHOP
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Missing episodes?
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My book Your Art Matters hit the number one best-seller list within 12 hours of releasing it!
Firstly, thank you if you were one of the people who bought it - you helped make this happen!!
I have been asked, how did you do it?
If you are launching a book, selling art, or having an artwork in a public space that took a lot of work and you want people to know about it, then you need people.
Fact.
People are everything.
I built a strong village of people around me during the whole book writing and marketing process.
Now, I did create some fun activities during the launch of the book with prizes and made it fun - but ultimately, this only worked as there were a group of people who believed in me.
This is where it all starts - growing your village.
I talk about this in today’s episode, and we will be doing this together in my next FREE workshop: Make Art Your Living which starts on 2nd September.
>> SIGN UP FOR FREE EVENT
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This was a question that came in last week, and I receive this same question on a weekly basis.
When you ask this question, it’s so broad - it’s like asking, how do I travel? There are so many answers depending on where you are and where you want to go.
So, to answer this question, you must dig deeper under the surface.
‘You can’t be seen until you learn how to see’ - Seth Godin
This is a quote from my new book, Your Art Matters, which explains it beautifully - we have to look inwards.
I explain this in today’s podcast and also invite you to join our next free event: Make Art Your Living.
>> SIGN UP FOR FREE EVENT
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From Sleepless Nights to Starry Heights: How Kristine Richer turned midnight hours into a thriving art career.
Join us for a live podcast talk with Kristine Richer, a Milky Way photographer who transformed late-night parenting challenges into a flourishing career. In this episode of 'Your Art Matters,' Kristine shares he remarkable journey going from selling prints for $50 to $2000!!Kristine will share how she found her voice and purpose through an unexpected twist of fate, turning sleep deprivation and homebound evenings into opportunities for creative growth. She'll reveal the steps she took to build her niche in Milky Way photography and how she's now helping others do the same.
Expect practical insights on:
Embracing life's constraints to fuel creativity
Finding your unique artistic perspective
Building a successful career from an unusual starting point
Scaling your art business from hobby to full-time income
Educating and inspiring others in your field
Whether you're an aspiring artist, a parent juggling responsibilities, or someone seeking inspiration to pursue your passion, Kristine's story will light the path to turning challenges into opportunities.
Connect with Kristine Richer:
Website: https://kristinerosephotography.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinerosephotography
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Should you stick to drawing one thing? Or creating art only using pencils?
This is a topic that can make people really angry! I understand why because some people think that niching down artwork means focusing on one thing for the rest of your life and nothing else.
But it doesn’t have to mean that.
I saw someone share a post the other week saying, ‘DON’T NICHE YOUR ARTWORK’.
This is such a broad statement that it really doesn’t mean anything. If you want to niche your art and become known for something specific, do it. If you don’t want to focus, you don’t have to.
I talk more about this in today’s episode.
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Today’s podcast is a little different. I hosted it live and made it an open Q&A. I had no idea what we would talk about, which is always a nice surprise.
The conversation ended up going in the direction of:
What happens when you don’t quite believe you are good enough to write, make art, or whatever you create - and you feel you have extensive areas of improvement?
What happens when you pour your heart and soul into your work and the fear of it being criticised - or just the fear of sharing it full stop can make you feel incredibly anxious?
Whether critique sessions actually work
Why it’s important to understand why your art REALLY matters.
We also talked about how external pressures can influence the work we create and we pondered this question together:
If you could make any art without fear, judgement or external pressures - what art would you really make???
I don’t actually know the answer to this myself, but when I ponder this question, I do know that there is a part of my art-making or creativity that hasn’t been released. I know there is a part of me that would make art against the norm—whatever that is.
A seed has been planted for sure.
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Have you ever felt like one of your goals is just impossible?
A money goal you just can’t seem to achieve, or a level of standard in your work you just can’t get close to?
Last week, I had an experience with a mattress that really got me thinking about how to make impossible goals possible.
When you feel you repeatedly hit a wall, and then BAM - the answers present themselves.
I share this in today’s episode, plus two ways to immediately start moving from impossible to possible.
Enjoy!
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Have you ever worried about falling victim to an online scam as an artist?
We share a real story from our community about a member who fell victim to a scam but handled it with remarkable resilience. We discuss practical steps to identify and avoid scams, such as verifying email domains, checking for legitimate websites, requesting references, and using secure payment methods.
Additionally, we emphasize the importance of staying engaged and building trust with potential buyers while encouraging artists not to let fear prevent them from sharing their work.
Join us as we offer guidance, support, and inspiration to help you navigate these challenges and continue thriving as an artist.
P.S: This is where you can get more support and information on scamming and protecting yourself, this is a UK site but the advice is relevant to all.
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In the book 10X Is Easier Than 2X by Dan Sullivan and another co-author, the idea of aiming for goals that are ten times larger than your current ones is explored. This concept challenges you to think and act on a much larger scale, whether it’s creating more artwork, earning more money, or collaborating with more people.
Applying this to my own goals, such as selling 5,000 copies of my book, I found the idea both exhilarating and intimidating. The fear of aiming higher reveals internal barriers that might also be hindering smaller goals. By setting a 10X goal of 50,000 copies, I started asking different questions, considering new strategies, and thinking creatively about reaching larger audiences.
This shift in mindset normalizes the original goal, making it seem more achievable. Even if the 10X target isn’t reached, the process of aiming higher transforms your approach, potentially leading to greater achievements than initially expected.
I challenge you to 10X your goal. Reflect on the thoughts and fears that arise, and explore how you could make the seemingly impossible possible. Share your journey with friends or within your accountability group, and let’s support each other in breaking through our self-imposed limits.
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I‘ve had the same big financial goal for the last 3 years, and for a long time, it has felt like I’m getting further away from it than closer to it.
Have you ever experienced this? You set a financial, art-related or personal goal, and you just can’t seem to hit it.
It might be that you want to make your first sale, be more visible, or make more money.
I reflected on this extensively in January and significantly changed how I approach my financial goal. I am starting to see a shift and am getting closer to hitting it.
Three big factors have helped me, and I shared them in this week's podcast.
You can watch or listen here
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The BIG day has arrived. The publication date of my book, Your Art Matters is 6th August.
Our official book launch event is 16th August - we would love you to join us for this.
In this episode, I share the importance of understanding why your art matters as it relates to the work you make, your purpose in life, who you connect with and how you sell.
This is why I am so passionate about this book that will help you find your voice, purpose and people.
I explain the book, the event and how I overcame the barrier to create an event in this episode.
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Being paid to:
Have a community of people around you. Make art all day. Use your studio space. Learn from you. Have a break.These are some of the ways you can create a membership platform where people pay you on a monthly, quarterly, 6 monthly, or annual basis.
I know this sounds incredibly daunting and scary to many, as it did for me when I first started!
I have had many questions about knowing if a membership is the right decision for you and your art - so I am giving the download it today’s episode.
I also take you through the steps Sharon took to create a pop-up membership that earned more that £15,000 in one month.
Stu’s Full Membership Experience Course has opened for enrollment, click >>here
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Wow - this was a bumper LIVE episode as we talked with artist, Bonny Snowdon.
Bonny broke down her whole journey from not making art in 30 years to self-taught, fully booked artist with thousands of students.
Bonny kindly shared how she managed to increase her pricing by building a waitlist and managed to exit her fulltime job to fulltime artist within 12 months.
Celebrating £ 1 million in turnover this year, Bonny has overcome challenges and set backs but found success as she works daily on her mindset and beliefs.
Bonny spoke of her success and credits her mindset and the people she has around her.
This was such a great episode, we may have to bring Bonny back for a round 2 as we could have kept talking.
If you want to learn more about Bonny, click here:
https://www.bonnysnowdonacademy.com
https://www.instagram.com/bonnysnowdonacademy
Want to learn to draw an otter in 7 days? Bonny is hosting a coloured pencil week where you will do just this :)
https://www.bonnysnowdonacademy.com/coloured-pencil-week-may-2024
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This was a live podcast where I brought in my mentor, Stu McLaren.
We talked about my past and how Stu has impacted my life in the most profound way ever.
We talk about how you can use your creativity to impact others and make money at the same time.
Imagine being paid to make art? With money coming in month after month.
I get paid to make art, and I don’t have to sell it - how crazy is that ?
This episode is super special to me as Stu has shown me ways of living I never knew possible and I have a feeling some of you need to hear this - so enjoy.
Here are what others are saying about this episode:
I am SO GRATEFUL I didn’t miss this - Nikki McDiarmid
I discovered you during a painful moment in my life 4 years ago, you have helped me believe that my art not only matters to me but to others too. I am following your recommendations and growing as an artist. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart - Lia Pintaryrelajar2206 (YouTube) -
In today’s podcast, I set out to talk in-depth about how a free training I took back in 2016 changed my life in the most profound way.
Although I do talk about it - I don’t go into detail as I find it emotional to talk about.
To think that back in 2016, when I signed up for a free workshop with Stu McLaren, and how my life is unrecognisable now moves me to tears.
I spent years in emotional turmoil, lost and struggling financially.
Stu taught me not only how to create a membership platform, but how to find myself, teach others, build confidence and armed me with incredible knowledge.
In today’s episode I share insights into how you can use what Stu teaches to not only make more money from your creativity, but to enrich your life
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My son was getting quite angry and upset as he wanted to buy an Xbox but didn’t have the money. We can all relate, I am sure - there are many things I want but don’t have the money :)
So, our motto is every problem has a solution - and so we created a project plan and worked out how he could earn the money.
He decided to sell his art and we broke down the steps of how he could do it.
I share behind the scenes today of what we created as the lessons here relate to us all as it comes down to setting a financial goal and finding a way to hit it.
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What if I told you the mistakes you make are increasing the value of your art?
We often disregard our mistakes, which can impact our confidence negatively. Yet, our trials and errors are what make our art great.
This is what I talk about in today’s episode.
What if you are a beginner? With no trials and errors? Does this devalue your work?? Nope, I also talk about this in the episode.
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Making art that sells - a term some people love and for some it brings feelings of guilt, shame and a sense of selling your soul.
This week, I explore this topic as it relates to making art with the intention of selling.
For me two primary considerations contribute towards sales:
Making art (or anything) that is like you - by this I mean leaning into what makes you unique. Your art reflects you, and the more you understand this, the more you can communicate this. This applies to what you make, identifying what makes your work different to everyone else, and also leaning into your story - as there is a story behind every artist and every artwork.
Learning what people want - this means either getting to know your audience, if you have one and learning what sells. A particular frame?? A certain animal?? Or if you don’t have an audience, it’s about looking at a particular area of art you are interested in and looking around to see what works. Taking note of scale, frames, patterns, colours and so on.
This what I talk about in today’s episode.
If you haven’t signed up to the next FREE art workshop called The Art Of Your Life, click here to register:
This workshop is run by Nicholas Wilton and it starts on 4th March. It’s delivered over 3 days and replays are available.
It is an entire week of teaching from Nicholas, designed to help you make art that is stronger and more like you.
A lesson in how to make art that stands out from the crowd.
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I remember looking at my painting and wondering what was wrong with my creation. It didn't seem right, but I couldn't determine why.
It was like when I had found an inspirational image and tried to replicate what I saw but failed miserably.
I've taken courses in drawing, acrylic, life drawing, watercolour, textiles, collage, ceramics - the list goes on. The one thing I have learned over time is that art is a language.
It doesn't matter how many courses you take; if you don't learn the fundamental elements that contribute to what art is, you will always struggle.
I’ve learned this is a surprisingly common challenge…
So common, in fact, that my friend Nicholas Wilton has decided to address it in his upcoming FREE workshop.
Click here to save your seat in the free Art of Your Life Workshop!
Specifically, he will be covering the first 3 (and most important) stages in the Art2Life Process, including
DESIGN:
Why so many people with lots of education, degrees and experience still struggle to make art they love
How to master composition in a way that will quickly elevate your art
VALUE:
How to strengthen your discernment — that internal compass — that tells you when to go further, pivot, or pull back with your art
How to create a beautiful kind of depth and balance in your art
COLOUR:
How to add a vibrant new level of dimension AND subtleness to your work with a perspective on color you haven’t heard before!
How to feel more confident in your creative choices — so you can begin making art MORE like YOU.
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