Alyson Stanfield, Author at Art Biz Success

The Art Biz ep. 156: Using Patreon as a Teaching Platform with Kimberly Santini

Kim Santini and I discuss her dedication to blogging, but the bulk of our conversation focused on how she uses Patreon to teach and build a community of artists.

We talk about the features of her Patreon tiers, how her workflow keeps aligns with her studio practice, and how she differentiates the content for patrons from the content she creates for her blog, newsletter, YouTube, and social media.

The Art Biz ep. 156: Using Patreon as a Teaching Platform with Kimberly Santini Read

6 Ways to Be [Even] Happier About Running Your Art Business (155)

Artists who embrace their role as CEOs of their businesses fare better than those who resist it.

Wishing away the responsibilities only leads to frustration and anxiety.

When you decide to turn your art into a business, do it wholeheartedly—finding joy in the journey rather than grumbling about the hard work. It’s a matter of deciding how you want to navigate through life.

6 Ways to Be [Even] Happier About Running Your Art Business (155) Read

The key to success on social media with Cathy Nichols (154)

While not everyone will be interested in your art, you can choose to focus on those who genuinely love your work. To embrace what is rather than wishing for it to be different.

Cathy Nichols went from 5,000 to 107,000 Instagram followers in 3 years by researching who they were and why they were following her. She shares valuable insights about how she continues to grow her art business with joy and authenticity.

The key to success on social media with Cathy Nichols (154) Read

The Art Biz ep. 153: Committed to Telling Native Stories Through Her Art and Activism with Danielle SeeWalker

Native American stories are too frequently told from an historical perspective, but Danielle SeeWalker wants you to know that they’re still here. They never left. We just silenced them for too long.

We discuss her roles as artist, activist, and mother. We touch on how she selects projects and how the rest of us can serve as allies for Indigenous people around the globe.

The Art Biz ep. 153: Committed to Telling Native Stories Through Her Art and Activism with Danielle SeeWalker Read

The Art Biz ep. 152: How to Squeeze More Time from Your Busy Calendar

As an artist and business owner, you’re constantly juggling responsibilities. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but take solace in knowing that you’re not alone. In this episode, I share 8 tips for and 2 truths about time management.

Optimize your schedule and increase efficiency—not so you can do more, but so that you make the most out of your limited time and enjoy life.

The Art Biz ep. 152: How to Squeeze More Time from Your Busy Calendar Read

The Art Biz ep. 151: Running an Artist Residency Alongside a Studio Practice with Shannon Amidon

Artist residencies are invaluable to an artist’s growth, but there are barriers to doing them—primarily the time commitment and cost.

Shannon Amidon has created a residency especially for, but not limited to, artists who might be parents or caretakers and can’t commit to the month or longer that some residencies require.

We discuss what she looks for in attendees, the mistakes artists make when applying, and more.

The Art Biz ep. 151: Running an Artist Residency Alongside a Studio Practice with Shannon Amidon Read

The Art Biz ep. 150: How to Project Confidence Even When You’re Not Feeling It

Every artist who takes risks and commits to creative and professional growth struggles with confidence at some point. It should help you to know that you are not alone.

But confidence in your art is necessary when you want to share it with others.

I share 6 tips to help you project confidence even when you’re questioning your talent and place in the world.

The Art Biz ep. 150: How to Project Confidence Even When You’re Not Feeling It Read

The Art Biz ep. 149: The Traveling Artist: Residencies with Amy Clay

Artist residencies play important roles in an artist’s career, but there are as many different types of artist residencies as there are artists who fill them.

In this episode, Amy Clay shares what she has learned from being an artist-in-residence in more than 30 locations around the world, including what she looks for in a location, how she funds them, and why they’re important to her practice.

The Art Biz ep. 149: The Traveling Artist: Residencies with Amy Clay Read

The purpose of your artist newsletter

An artist newsletter is not for sales. Rather, it helps you maintain a warm connection with subscribers. It’s a commitment you make to yourself and your art.

Without the nurturing, you might find yourself having to reintroduce yourself at some point to a list that has gone cold.

Bonus: Staying in touch makes you the artist who comes to mind when people look for art.

The purpose of your artist newsletter Read

Options for growing your email list

When used, your email list can help you establish trust, cultivate relationships, and showcase your experience and expertise.

It’s your #1 marketing asset—unique to your art and goals.

While growing an email list has become challenging, that doesn’t mean we should give up. Take advantage of every opportunity (asking, using forms, offering freebies) to attract and add subscribers—remembering, always, that it’s more important to engage the right people than to focus on the numbers.

Options for growing your email list Read