Speaker 1: 0:08

Hello and welcome to the artist's guide to business. I'm Kay. I'm here to help you navigate the business side of art in a way that actually makes sense. Why? Because, as artists, your true calling is to create and spend your time where you belong in the studio. Our mission here is to empower you to earn a living doing exactly that making your art. So, whether you're a painter, sculptor, digital artist or wear any creative hat, this podcast serves as your guide to a sustainable and fulfilling artistic career. We'll decode the business lingo, unravel marketing mysteries and pave a clear path for you to thrive both creatively and financially. So grab your favorite brush, a fresh canvas or just a cup of coffee. Welcome to the Artist's Guide to Business to business.

Speaker 1: 1:14

Okay, artists, let me tell you about an unexpected lesson I learned about how we frame our art to the world. So for years in the beginning of my career, I taught sip and paint classes. You know, those really like fun events where people gathered to paint and enjoy themselves, and it was really a great revenue stream for me. I genuinely enjoyed helping people connect to their creativity. I got to go to some fun towns around Montana and I got to meet a lot of really cool people. So this is not about sip and paints being a bad thing. I think they're a very, very positive opportunity for a lot of self-employed artists. However, something interesting did start happening over time really took over my social media and things like that. Whenever I would post like my actual artwork, my personal pieces, pieces I'd spent like weeks developing, that represented my growth as an artist, it was becoming somewhat common for people to comment, hey, can we paint that next? And that's when I realized something crucial about how I was framing my art. By consistently presenting art as something anyone can create in a two-hour session at a brewery, I was unintentionally framing all of my work that way. Now, don't get me wrong Again. Those sip and paint classes were valuable in so many ways. And those sip and paint classes were valuable in so many ways. And actually one of my regular students from that later called me up like five years later and commissioned a $3,500 piece from me and it was a super easy sale because she already knew me and we had established a lot of trust, you know. So there was a lot of positive things to come out of that, but the lesson about framing was really important and priceless, you know, to be a really good sip and paint instructor.

Speaker 1: 3:10

You want people to feel comfortable with art. You want them to feel accessible. You want them to feel like they can do anything, because so many of them are scared to even touch paint right, and a lot of them are very creative people who just took different turns in life, right. So it's sort of like that personality. For that to be successful, it had to be forefront, it had to be so, you know, loud and vocal to overcome their own inner critic. But I was doing it too good, but I was doing it well and I really did believe everything I was saying about it.

Speaker 1: 3:46

However, that balance started to shift and I had to make a decision at that point. Did I want to continue being a sip and paint business? Is that the messaging I wanted to continue? Or did I want to shift back to having a little bit more exclusivity around my work, a little bit more unattainableness or wonder about how I created things? And so I slowly made the shift back towards focusing more on my own art skills and my own fine art. Now there was also another option. I could have gone fully, like created a separate business for Sip and Paints, and that would have been a really good option too. I just, you know, my heart wasn't in it by the time. It was, you know, time to make these decisions, and then COVID happened. So, basically, those decisions ended up getting made for me because we could not gather and paint for two hours at a brewery.

Speaker 1: 4:46

But okay, let me get back on track, because here's why I'm telling you this story. If you're listening to this episode, I'm guessing you've had the thought like maybe I should have a real website or a real presence online, but also my work is maybe not ready for that, or is my work ready for that? It's quite possible that you've told yourself you need more pieces in your portfolio first, or that you need better photos or more sales under your belt. So today I want to talk about that uncertainty and possibly flip it on its head, and I'm going to share something that might completely change how you think about being ready. First off, your art. If you have been making art for a little while now and it's something you're excited about and you're passionate about it, it is ready for professional presentation right now. You don't have to wait until you have more pieces. You don't have to wait until you've mastered another technique or when you have made certain number of sales. Right now it's ready and you're probably good enough. It's about creating the right context for people to experience what you have already created.

Speaker 1: 6:00

So let me share something that drove this home for me. I had been a professional artist for about eight years. When I hired some studio help, the person I hired was actually like a close and personal friend who knew me well and she knew my work well. You know, she'd been aware of my business throughout the years and then, while I was training her on our business voice and about what we're about, I pulled up my website and it was so interesting because, despite our long friendship, she was like genuinely surprised and she said something like wow, you're like, yeah, a professional. I mean, there's a lot here. And in that moment she saw my business as a business and she saw me as a professional in a way she had never seen me before, even despite knowing me and my work for years.

Speaker 1: 7:02

There's just something about being presented in that manner that clues it in for people. Hey, this is established, this is real, you know, especially for family and friends, people who follow you online because they like your art, or people who are interested in your art. They think you're an artist already. It's the friends and family who probably don't. I'm just kidding Kind of. Anyway, this goes to show to like the art hadn't changed and my skills weren't any different. The only thing that had changed was the frame through which she viewed it. I mean she was literally helping me package and send like 16 pet portraits in one holiday season. That to me sounds like a professional artist, right. But seeing it lined out like that on a website just changed the perception or really solidified it. Does that make sense? So it's kind of about how you're presenting. It will also be how people receive it. But it goes beyond just worrying about, like, how people and others see your work. It also changes the way you see your work. So this is really crucial to understand.

Speaker 1: 8:17

When you present your work professionally, something magical happens. Not only do others begin to see your work differently, but you also do so. You know, I experienced this myself with my live wedding painting. When I finally started presenting this service professionally from my own appearance to how I photographed myself and showcased the work something really shifted. Initially, when I was starting that service, I was not 100% confident in it, and I was definitely piecing it together. It was appropriate for where I was, though, in that business right, like I was newer on that scene, I was learning from other artists, I was taking it all in mashing it up and putting it out there in a new way. But, just like the first strokes on a canvas or any sort of beginning parts of your art, the first time you start presenting your work is going to be sort of like a test. It's going to be feeling your way, finding your way through it. You know how does this look when I present it this way. Where is it falling short, et cetera, et cetera, and it's really good to go through that process authentically where you are.

Speaker 1: 9:32

If I had started my live wedding painting, you know marketing and display as highly polished and highly perfect, there would have been a disconnect between what I was selling and what I was presenting, because I was new to it, right. But then when I became more confident in it, then when I saw, okay, this is something I really truly want to pursue, that's when I up-leveled how I was presenting the services and the art, and that way, now you know it fits with what people are going to expect and what they're going to receive. So I also then felt prouder of what I was offering. I felt like, yes, this is the product I want to offer, and a lot of that was literally through seeing images of my work presented in a way I felt proud of and that looked really professional. So clients, you know they'll begin more readily accepting higher price points. But, more importantly, I began seeing my work differently and the professional presentation reflected back to me kind of the value of the experience and of the art I was creating.

Speaker 1: 10:43

It's like you know, just any piece of art you make, when you put it in a frame, it says a lot, it changes the experience of that art. I mean, you guys, like there was a banana duct taped to a wall and the context of that banana made it worth billions of dollars, which I know is annoying and like we don't like talking about it, but that's really just like. That explains it right there. Right, this is an issue of framing, and so that's what a professional website does for your art, or a professional looking website does for your art. When I say professional website, all I mean is one that you own, one that you can kind of update, and one that you have created for your art.

Speaker 1: 11:28

It's not about waiting until your art is, like, better. It's about giving your current work, the work you have today, the space and the context that it deserves to truly shine. I mean, even just think about it from that perspective, right, like it's a way for you to say that you respect and you appreciate your artwork. Who cares what anyone else thinks? That in and of itself, is really powerful for you. Also, I have lots of alsos, but I can tell you, like I have put work up online before and just that simple act of making it public helps you to see it in a different light. Act of making it public helps you to see it in a different light and sometimes it's a more positive light. And also sometimes you're like, oh, you know what, that piece actually isn't ready and then you pull it off and you fix it so it can really work to your benefit too, because the act of putting your work on display in a public way helps you, helps you see it differently, okay, okay, moving forward your readiness for a professional presence is a lot of times simpler than you think.

Speaker 1: 12:41

I've heard numbers from people that you have to have like 50 pieces of artwork so that anyone who's looking at your site knows that you have like a style, and that, to me, is just bonkers. You guys, that's a crazy amount of work to make before you even start selling or showing it, and also that's a big portfolio. A lot of times it's better to have a small portfolio with stronger pieces in it. So let's break down what being ready like actually means. So let's break down what being ready like actually means. So, basically, you guys, if you've ever had one piece that you're really proud to show, that you're like excited about, then you are ready to show it professionally on a website. And if you can take a clear photo of your work, then you're also ready. Then you're also ready. If you can describe what you make in one sentence, something like I paint landscapes of my local area, then you are ready. You know, if you've ever sold anything to anyone, even if it was a supportive family member, then you're ready.

Speaker 1: 13:47

When I started selling my art, it was not that good, although it had its charm and it was not totally terrible, but I had so many supportive family members and friends support my efforts. Even in those early stages. They appreciated what the art was. They appreciated the budding artistry. My price points were right for what kind of work I was making and they were able to support me. I've always said it like find someone who is willing to pay you where you are now so that you can learn and continue going where you want to go. It's very hard to get where you want to go if you don't have any resources. Okay. So even if someone from your family has purchased a piece of art from you, take that as a sign that you are ready to display your art in a professional way. And these aren't really high bars to clear, they're just your starting points, because here's the truth. High bars to clear, they're just your starting points. Because here's the truth.

Speaker 1: 14:53

Starting with a professional presence, it's not about being perfect. It's about creating a foundation that helps both you and your audience see the value in what you're creating. That's all, it is Okay. The last piece of this, or one of the last pieces, is that your professional presentation creates space for you to grow into. So having a nice website, having a space on the internet that you own, it isn't just about presenting what you have today. It's also about presenting or creating the space for what you're going to create next, or creating the space for what you're going to create next. So if today you are not creating the masterpieces that you hope to create someday, at least get these systems going and started so that, when you are creating that work, it's a simple maneuver to move them into your website and your systems. It's not hard for you to then present the work in a digital presence or on an online website. Okay, establishing this framework now and helping yourself see yourself as a professional artist, working out all those kinks and everything, it will help you understand where you're going and where you want to become. So.

Speaker 1: 16:12

One of my clients actually recently experienced this. She was raising her prices and she had someone inquire about a piece and instead of apologizing for the higher price, which she often had done before, she took the time to educate this potential buyer about everything that went into creating that piece. She framed her work professionally and helped them to understand its value, and the result was very promising. The buyer didn't blink twice at her higher price point, and that's the power of professional framing. It's not about pretending to be something you're not you certainly don't want to do that but it's about helping people to see the value that you already have there.

Speaker 1: 16:59

Here's what actually matters for getting started, like can people see what you make, can they understand how to buy it? Can they contact you or reach you and can they get a sense of who you are and what your art's all about? If you can answer yes to these basic questions, you literally have everything you need to begin. The truth is, waiting until you feel completely ready means you might be waiting forever. Art and business is totally a journey and it's not a destination. Every small step compounds and leads you to where you're hoping to go. There is no waiting for that perfect moment or waiting for, like, the perfect readiness. It's kind of like the artists who get stuck waiting for the perfect studio space. If you're not creating the art in the space that you have right now, you're just delaying the process. Maybe the perfect studio space exists and it is exciting when you get some really great studio space. I'm not discounting that dream, but it shouldn't be the thing holding you back from starting now.

Speaker 1: 18:12

Today I started literally in lift shacks. If you don't know what that is like at ski hills, you know the people that run the lifts. I was one of those at a somewhat sleepy ski hill, so I had a ton of time to just be drawing in my sketchbook. I was learning skills while I was, you know, on the clock at a ski hill, so I had a ton of time to just be drawing in my sketchbook. I was learning skills while I was, you know, on the clock at a ski mountain. But those skills they came with me. They didn't require the perfect lighting, they didn't require the perfect setup, and it's absolutely the same for something like your professional website or your business.

Speaker 1: 18:54

All right, so here is your permission slip your art. I'm telling you right now and I mean this from the bottom of my heart your art deserves a very professional presentation right now, and it's not because it's perfect, but because it's yours, because you made it, and because that alone means it has value. So where do we go from here? This week? I really want you to take a look at your work with fresh eyes, not the voice of your inner critic, not the voice of how you want it to be or how it could be better, not the voice of how you want it to be or how it could be better, but with eyes of someone who really loves it and who really admires it, and of someone who wants to help others discover what you yourself have created. Gather your work, even if it's just a few pieces, and look at them as if you're seeing them for the very first time and ask yourself what would these pieces look like in a professional space? How would I present them if I was going to put them in a gallery? What do I want people to know about them? What do I want people to feel when they see them?

Speaker 1: 20:07

Remember creating a professional online presence. It's not about pretending to be something you're not. This is really important. It's not about your ego. It's not about anything like that. It's literally about creating the right environment for people to discover and connect with what you've already created, and in doing so, you might just discover something. You might discover you've been ready a lot longer than you thought. That happens to a lot of artists.

Speaker 1: 20:35

Thank you for joining me today. If this episode helped you see your work in a new light, please share it with fellow artists who might need this message too. And until next time, keep creating, keep growing and remember you are ready now, just as you are. And that wraps up another episode of the artist's guide to business. I hope you found insights that resonate with you and your business and will help you on your artistic journey. If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe to our podcast, leave a review and share it with your fellow artists. Your support truly makes a difference and helps us reach more creative minds like yours, and we're all in this together. We'll see you next week and until then, keep creating, keep dreaming and remember your art has a place in this world.