Artist Academy

This week’s featured muralist for May Mural Month is none other than Anat Ronen. She was highly requested within members of Artist Academy, so we sat down to chat about murals. She’s been painting full time since 2008 and had a lot of tips to give. If you follow Anat on social media, and I highly request you do in order to see the quality of her product, you’ll see her share tidbits of some of her lessons learned [the hard way]. Naturally, I had to ask for more of those stories. I love to hear the lessons from artists who have been doing this a long time, because they tend to have some GOOD ones. Times where they really messed up, or put up with a crazy customer, or learned something that forever changed the way they do business. If you ever meet an artist who has been doing this job for more than 10, or better yet 20 years, ask them if they ever had a moment that changed the way they work for the better. There’s so much gold in the advice they can give. We might have to do a follow up interview with Anat because I know we just scratched the service of gift giving advice with her. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Anat Ronen. Mural Pricing Training: www.artistacademy.co/pricingguideMural Supply List: www.artistacademy.co/supplyJoin us for a Mural Meetup: www.artistacademy.co/meetup

This week’s episode is a jumpstart on our upcoming May Mural Month where I’m focusing on everyone’s favorite subject: MURALS. Here are some common questions along with a couple free resources to help: “Painting murals looks intimidating. I don’t even know where to start.” - Come join the upcoming Missouri Mural Meetup on June 6th-9th for a hands-on learning experience! You can also check out my mural supply list to see what supplies I use to paint murals quickly + links to each item. I even include a video showing the supplies and explaining why I chose each item over other options. “I think I’m underpricing myself. How do you price mural projects?” - Girl, same. I’ve been there! Take a look at some of my past and current mural project prices by checking out my mural pricing guide. I’ll walk you through my 10 year process of raising my prices, plus show you photo examples of projects with price tags. “How do I get mural jobs?” - That’s a loaded question with so many possibilities. My TOP recommendation would be to focus on becoming the go-to muralist in your area (for your specific niche). Listen to this week’s episode to hear how I’m currently attempting to do this in the small but growing town we now live in.

This week’s episode features painter, writer, musician, and creativity coach Lauren Spangler. Lauren helps artists find the sweet spot between passion and prosperity. Lauren’s mission is to empower artists to enjoy the creative freedom they crave without sacrificing the financial stability they depend upon. She has helped hundreds of professionals set and achieve their goals, and now she’s here to help you unblock your inner artist and take big steps toward your biggest dreams. Take a pulse on your own creative wellbeing with the free 10-minute “Spark or Sputter?” self-assessment at https://www.laurenspangler.com/spark.

This week’s episode is a coaching call with Artist Academy member Samantha Brown. My favorite question to get from students is, “How do I get mural jobs?” Oh boy, do I have some advice for you! Samantha is just getting started in her muraling journey, having only painted murals in her home as a trial run. She knows who her target customer is (schools) so we work out a plan to start getting those types of jobs. Example:Step 1: Have mural photos to showcase.Step 2: Pitch a low-cost option to schools in order to get a “yes,” meet face-to-face and pitch ideas.Step 3: Use the credibility of having already painted for a school to get into more schools. Listen to hear the tips on how to get started pitching, even with limited examples on the resume!

This week’s episode features artist Chanelle Jefferson. Chanelle is based in rural Nova Scotia where she regularly sells her original canvas paintings and hosts retreats. She is an energy, mind, and emotions practitioner, which she uses to help guide her customers through the process of commissioning a very special and meaningful piece of art. Chanelle uses her skills to extract the right information/emotions/descriptions from customers in order to understand their situations and create a custom piece embodying those emotions. This interview emphasized the importance of intuitively making business decisions surrounding the things you want to do daily. How you create art and display it and sell it is uniquely your own. Just because I paint murals and come alive doing it, doesn’t mean you will. Chanelle is a great example of someone who is living her life the way only she was meant to do it in the ways that bring her the most joy and fulfillment. This conversation was a fantastic way to start my day with intention and I hope it will be for you too. Chanelle has such a calmness about her that spilled onto me and soon on to you. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Chanelle Jefferson.

This week’s episode features Texas artist Bryan Peterson. This is not your typical business talk but rather a reminder to create the art that makes you happy. Art that evokes emotion within the artist and creates excitement within the process. We take it back to the basics of drawing/painting because you love it rather than to make a dollar. If the product is great, the customers will buy. But what your version of great is compared to mine is vastly different. It depends on the subject, color, style, meaning, etc.. What you like to create is not what I like to create, and that’s the beauty of it. Your perfect customer is waiting for you to create the perfect thing for you, because it will inevitably be the thing that speaks to them. Listen to this episode for a reminder to find out what art YOU are passionate about creating. Let me know what you think of this week’s long interview with Bryan Peterson.

This week’s episode is part of a coaching call with Artist Academy member Sheryl Corriveau. She asks me questions that revolve around how to kickstart her mural business to eventually quit her day job and be a full-time creative. Sheryl was recently trained on how to be an official Bob Ross paint party instructor, which I think is not only really cool but a great way to start bringing in income. We talked about what her ideal week would look like as a blend between muraling and paint party instructing. I think it’s so important to have a goal in mind that is very specific, and if plans change that’s fine, but start with the goal of how you want to spend your days. Then we can create a plan of action to get you there. If you’d like to sign up for a 1-on-1 with me you can do so within the ArtistAcademy.co. I offer these to members for a small fee at any time. Sometimes it helps to have someone experienced look at your business from the outside and tell you the exact next steps to take. A mentor can see the future of your business more clearly than you can because they’ve already been where you are and have been through the hurdles to get to that other side. If you’re someone who could use some direction, I highly encourage you to seek out a mentor. Whether it’s me or someone who does the thing you want to do. It can make all the difference and get you to where you want to be faster. Let me know what you think of this week’s sneak peek into a coaching call with Sheryl Corriveau.

This week’s episode features New York artist ELLE. She’s been featured in a variety of different high-profile brand collaboration projects and has traveled around the world painting murals. I always give the advice of doing a free mural or two to get practice/photos to advertise later, but ELLE got her start painting, not just for free, but illegally on the streets of New York. She put her art in front of passerby eyes to see and get noticed in order to get jobs. She wasn’t just spray painting her name up on the wall. ELLE practiced to create eye catching art that served as a building block to the career she now has. I’m so impressed by her and I know you will be too. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with street artist ELLE.

This week’s episode features sculptor/ceramicist Curt Hammerly. Curt sold and shipped over 5,000 pieces of work this past year at about $100 per item. You do the math, but this dude has the credibility to be giving us all advice on growing a social media following and making sales. With over 350,000 followers on Instagram, it’s best to listen when he gives tips on audience growth. Lucky for you, he gives plenty of no-bullshit advice in our hour long convo. He also drops the F bomb several times, which I appreciate because things like that help the conversation to not be so stiff. It’s basically putting an emphasis on his point but if you have little ears nearby maybe just use headphones. Curt sheds some light on the idea that not everyone who has the artistic eye should be a full-time artist. I love the honesty and his reasoning behind this which you’ll hear shortly. He’s right. With making art for a living come so many other things like marketing or social media or whatever you need to do to sell the art you create. If those things are continually giving you a headache, maybe taking on a “real” job is best. Listen to this week’s episode to hear if those points apply to you. I think you’ll like Curt’s very real advice on what it takes to create for a living and grow your creative business to new heights!

This week’s episode features abstract artist Jenna Kast. This is yet another interview with an artist who has a completely different perspective on creating than I do: she thinks about the art first and the money follows. I tend to find myself thinking about how I’m going to sell a canvas before I create it, but not Jenna. She spent the early part of her career creating for others so that when she made the switch to running her own business it was all about painting whatever she feels like painting. That happens to be colorful abstract art which is sold through her social media and recent galleries. Listen to get tips on both of those sales strategies in this week’s episode with Jenna Kast.

‘Tis the season for taxes. Hannah Cole, artist and owner of Sunlight Tax, was kind enough to come on the podcast and answer some of the most common questions like: How should I file?When should I hire a tax professional?What items can I list as an expense/deduction?Listen to hear answers to these questions and be sure to check out her extremely helpful resources below: The Sunlight Podcast: Clear, actionable tips on how to manage your taxes and money as a self-employed person. Free visual guide to your tax deductions A free one-hour class, Make Taxes Easier and Stash an Extra $130k in Your Savings

This week’s episode features Ukrainian-born, now New Jersey-based, artist Olga Muzician. About halfway through this interview I realized - we have two very different work styles. Olga has the drive and need for perfection in everything she does. Everything is organized, clean, and as efficient as possible. There is no room for spontaneity or winging it in her work life. This interview is a great look at the opposite side of a previous solo episode I did where I confessed that I paint up to the value of my customer’s budget. If the customer is happy, I’m happy. With Olga, if she’s not making her next masterpiece, then she’s not happy. There’s no good enough attitude happening here. Which explains why her project minimum is $3,500. Olga charges her worth and explains what’s included in her process to create a masterpiece every single time. She also put into words the mental creative process that happens inside my head when trying to think up the next big idea (mockup) for a customer. That brain roller coaster that goes on throughout a couple of days or weeks of extracting that one-of-a-kind idea out of my usually stagnant creative brain for my new hopeful customer. I’ll let her do the explaining, so let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Olga Muzician.

This is what the seasons of my business typically look like: Winter: Planning, practicing, resting - Do I want to repeat last year or change some things? How can I make this year more enjoyable? Spring: Experimenting, pitching - Stick to the plan and welcome new, fun opportunities. Summer: Hustling - Let’s go! Fall: Slowing, regrouping - Avoid burnout. Listen to this week’s episode to hear an explanation of each, including the things I’m currently doing in this winter season to prepare for having my most productive/profitable year yet. I also share recommended replacements for all of that negative self-talk new artists often given themselves in the beginning of their art careers. Things like, “I’m not good enough,” or “I’m not where I want to be yet…” Listen to hear how I personally combat the negativity and replace it with hope! The Series Six Challenge starts SOON! Join us: Artist Academy Challenge1

This week’s episode features art marketer Jessica Craddock. Jessica mentors ADHD artists who are tired of marketing strategies that don’t align with their personality to sell 3x more art. I like talking to other business minded creatives and I used this interview to extract some art marketing advice that I don’t regularly teach. Jessica comes from a business background and gives a clear look at her student’s businesses to help them simply describe their art and how to buy it. We chat on subjects like outreach, how to get referrals, and how to start selling canvas art in your local area. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Jessica Craddock.

This week’s episode of the Artist Academy Podcast features an Atlanta-based multi-passionate artist Elise Garcia. Elise has a positively infectious energy about her that I know will spill onto you to brighten your day. Her outlook on living a fearless life is commendable as she has some hilariously terrible travel incidents to share with us today. On the art side of things, Elise is still very much in the building phase of her business and trying anything and everything she feels called to. One big tip I picked up from this interview is something I will 100% be implementing this year: collaborations. The best way to attract your ideal customer is to go somewhere they are already hanging out… like on another person’s Instagram page. Since everyone is on the social media hampster wheel of creating reels nowadays, my plan is to take some of that work off their to-do list (because I like creating videos) in trade for being seen by their audience. How can you be of value to someone who has what you want? Something to think about this Monday. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Elise Garcia.

This week’s interview is with a muralist/surfboard artist who is living the RV lifestyle, artist Nicole Miller. Her artwork is solid, and her marketing efforts are on point, so it’s no wonder Nicole is making a great living as an artist even though she’s traveling around every couple of years to a new location. Yep, she’s starting over every time she and her husband (and 2 dogs) change locations, which means her clientele starts over. How does she do it? By going out and meeting people in person through live painting (mostly). She doesn’t stay within the walls of her studio, or in her case an RV or rented storage unit. She goes out into the world and boldly creates in public. How about, instead of creating art in the safety of your art space today, you take it outside? If the weather isn’t cooperating then take it into an indoor public space. Or message an event center about live painting at their next shindig. Or go live online while you paint! Anything to get you out and about, because you have to be creating anyway. Why not create with an audience? Listen to this interview to hear how Nicole is doing it and I bet her results will talk you into it. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Nicole Miller.

This week’s interview features New York artist Dean Christensen. Right out of school, Dean created a series of paintings then turned around and sold those paintings at an art show. He used that money to buy a one-way bus ticket to New York where he stayed on a friend’s couch for 2 months until he was able to get on his feet financially and kickstart his art career. This interview aims to inspire you to take a risk towards doing the unique thing only you want to do and dig deep to create a style that’s all your own. We chat about the current projects we are working on and how they align with our strange/edgy/fun style. Dean’s journey is very relatable, especially because it’s still fresh. He’s still in the beginning parts of his journey in some ways, but doesn’t let doubt or fear paralyze him into not taking action onto the next thing. He recently started an art gallery with a business partner and talks about the challenges behind that along with the unexpected success of it all so far. This is a wide ranging conversation that spans across painting, NFTs, pop-up galleries, and diving into projects headfirst. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Dean Christensen.  

Join fellow muralist Samantha Cox and I as we play a different version of the game Never Have I Ever... 🍻 Are you familiar with this game? We will be taking shots of kombucha while reminiscing through the mistakes moments of our mural careers. "Never will I ever do (BLANK) again!" Listen (and probably laugh) through our hard lessons learned. Use the code ANDREA for $30 off at www.MuralCoProducts.com

Before we begin… I just wanted to let you know that TODAY is the start of our 31-Day Challenge aka January Paint Challenge, whatever you wanna call it: 31 paintings and 31 days!You can paint like me, or redirect it to whatever your business needs most. 31 social media posts, 31 drawings, 31 photos/videos… 31 whatever! Sign up: 31-Day Challenge Commit by ANNOUNCING it to your audience today! (There’s no better motivation than other ppl expecting it from you) Post [daily] using #January31DayChallenge Now onto this week’s episode: My strategy to making $200k in 2024 while working only 30 hours per week.  In a nutshell, I’m going to be focusing on: VIDEO- I’ll be setting time aside to get even more creative with video this year by exploring more long form face to camera techniques.  Podcasting- I’ll be pitching to get bigger names on the podcast and promoting it to a wider audience in a variety of ways (more video).  Applying for bigger mural projects that require an RFQ (request for qualifications). Sticking to my higher pricing strategy and not taking any small jobs. Posting to social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) consistently.  Listen to this week’s episode of the Artist Academy Podcast for descriptions and reasons behind why I’m focusing on these things to hit my highest earning income goal yet. This year’s January 31 Day Challenge is sponsored by Mural Co Products. Enter to win the Mural Essentials Kit which includes all the supplies to start a muralist’s journey! Along with having all the essential tools needed to begin, this kit serves as a full cleaning system to extend the life of your materials. This curated product has been created by a muralist, for other muralists with the ultimate goal of saving you money and time. Use code ANDREA for $30 off at www.MuralCoProducts.com Here's the link to How AI is Making My Art Business More Efficient  

I’m in shock that this year ended up being my highest-grossing year ever (by far). On paper, I’ve always made a little more than the year before, so it would make sense that this year would be my best year yet. But number projections don’t account for life happenings. Specifically, being home with a newborn in the first quarter. Then opting for daycare just 2 days per week (because that’s all I could emotionally handle) the second quarter, and slowly working up to now an average of 4 days per week in the fourth quarter. With all of that adding up to the equivalent of working part-time, I still made over $150k this year and I’m so proud of it. I get emotional thinking back because this year has been so tough with sleep exhaustion, breastfeeding for over 8 months, and the overall anxiety that comes with being a new mom needing to keep this little baby alive at all costs. Needless to say, work was not my main priority this year. But the systems I had put in before giving birth, combined with being forced to set very firm scheduling and budget boundaries, made this income goal possible. I hope you like this week’s special Christmas episode where I get very real about what it took to maintain and grow my art business in 2023 as a brand-new mom. Join the January 31 Day Challenge: ​​https://www.artistacademy.co/artist-academy-challenge-1  This year’s January 31 Day Challenge is sponsored by Mural Company Products. Their featured product is the Mural Essentials Kit which includes all the supplies to start a muralist’s journey! Along with having all the essential tools needed to begin, this kit serves as a full cleaning system to extend the life of your materials. This curated product has been created by a muralist, for other muralists with the ultimate goal of saving you money and time. Use code ANDREA for $30 off at www.MuralCoProducts.com