With a diverse portfolio ranging from businesses and fundraisers to artwork and interior design, Jan pursues her passions. We discuss her creativity workshops for corporations, casual yet impactful women's mastermind dinners, and her heart-driven project, Art for the Heart. Jan also reveals her strategies for connecting with interior designers.
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]]>Jan McCarthy describes herself as a maker because, in her eyes, that term encompasses more than the word “artist.”
Jan has made businesses, organizations, interiors, fundraisers, dinner parties, retreats, workshops, products, and plenty of art.
At age 69, she isn’t slowing down.
While I’m in the midst of discussing multiple income sources on The Art Biz podcast and on the Art Biz Success YouTube channel, I don’t think Jan considers her interests in terms of income sources. She just follows her curiosity and her heart. If those leads turn into income sources, well, that’s fine.
In this conversation, Jan and I discuss:
- The creativity workshops she has organized for corporations.
- How she has brought together monthly mastermind meetings of women, and why a casual dinner party was the best format for them.
- Why her project Art for the Heart is important for her as someone who has lived with heart disease for more than 25 years.
- How she makes connections with interior designers, what the best social media platforms are for designers, and some of their concerns.
- How she gets such great photos of herself.
Jan confesses to not using her email list of 2000 names to its fullest advantage. (She advises to do as she says, not as she does.) She knows that emailing her list is the most valuable thing she could do from a marketing standpoint.
Jan’s vibrant optimism is infectious. She wants you to know that there is plenty of life to live after 50. And even 60.
Listen
Mentioned
- Chateau Orquevaux artist residency
Minted art and artist products
Jan’s journal notebooks
Jan McCarthy Quotes
“You say, I’m an artist, and it automatically puts you in this box of an artist as someone who paints or draws. And I think art is so much more than that.”
“If it doesn’t work, you do something else.”
“What I’m doing doesn’t need to be loved by all. If it touches one person … then that makes me feel really good.”
“It’s such a healthier attitude to not care. To just go about doing what you’re doing.”
“If I can just save one life by doing that project, then that’s really cool.”
About Jan McCarthy
Jan McCarthy describes herself as follows.
I am a maker. I make art to autograph moments, the fleeting emotions and undefinable feelings that can only be expressed in imperfect swipes, lines, or ripped pieces of paper. I use my art as a way to connect and share these flashpoints of time that slip away. Every mark I make is a unique gesture. I find this process essential as a personal statement, a reclaiming of my point of view, of being a woman, of aging. It is my belief that we must forge our own path, creating opportunities that align with our purpose and curiosities.
Follow her on Instagram @JanMcCarthy
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]]>The post The Art Biz ep. 111: Focusing on Self-Care to Increase Productivity with Maria Coryell Martin appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>To balance out the hours in the studio and on the computer?
There it is. The B-word. Balance. I talked about it back in episode 70 with Chris Maynard. Honestly, I don’t believe in the relentless pursuit of balance. I believe it’s more important to enjoy what you’re doing about 75% of the time, whether you’re working in the studio, cooking dinner, or exploring a new pastime.
When you love what you’re doing, balance between business and pleasure, family and commitments, or your art and marketing is immaterial. You don’t care about an even split between those pursuits because you are fulfilled.
But you still have to take care of yourself, and I know this is a challenge.
Who can blame you? You have work to do! You have art to make. There is, if I understand you, an urgency to make the work and get it out there so that you can find the people who respond to it. That’s when the circle of creation to communication is complete. That’s when you are most fulfilled.
And then you get up the next morning and do it all over again. But you can’t if you are unwell. If your body aches from the physically demanding work you do or your shoulders are tense from hunkering over the computer all afternoon, or you are living on caffeine in the morning and a couple of glasses of wine in the evening. If, as the result of any of these scenarios, you aren’t sleeping.
In this episode of the podcast I talk with Maria Coryell-Martin, a busy mom with a thriving art career and companion business that supports her family. With all she has going on, Maria makes time for almost-daily swims in cold, open water, healthy eating, and plenty of sleep—all for the sake of keeping up her energy. Listen in to hear how she does it.
Highlights
- Maria’s expeditionary art combines her passions for science, art and education. (2:20)
©Maria Coryell-Martin, South George. Watercolor on paper, 24 x 24 inches. - The motivation behind splitting Maria’s two artist endeavors. (4:57)
- An income breakdown from Art Toolkit and Expeditionary Art. (7:44)
- Maria’s art takes her all over the world. (10:31)
- “I want to be a capable, useful person in the field.” (14:39)
- How Maria successfully solicits funds for her expeditions. (17:17)
- Self-care is the rock for Maria’s sanity. (19:25)
- The physical aspect of making art requires taking care of your body. (24:06)
- A typical day for Maria starts with getting enough sleep and swimming in the ocean. (28:21)
- Monitoring energy levels, controlling what you’re eating, responding to stress. (35:15)
- Setting boundaries around your time and energy. (40:57)
- Getting the help you need so you can do your best work. (42:45)
- The simple first steps for starting self-care today. (46:00)
Mentioned
- Cooper Island Black Guillemot Research
- The recipe that is the basis for Maria’s Lentil Burgers. Here’s how she changes this recipe.
I sauté the mushrooms and onions with other extra things from the fridge (green onions or peppers). I typically double the recipe and use different lentils—or sometimes half lentils and half split peas or garbanzo beans. I add in more miso, sometimes paprika … and, finally, I bake them instead of pan cooking them. I make about 24 at once, and cook them at about 300 or 350 until done (an hour or so) flipping halfway through. I change them up every time I make them—really enjoy them for a mid morning protein snack. I often warm them up in the toaster.
Maria Coryell-Martin Quotes
- “Ask for what you need. You may not get it, but at least you’ll learn something.”
- “I’ve developed tools and habits over my life that are my rock for my sanity.”
- “Work is like a river. You dip your toes in and do what you can and then you take your toes out and it keeps flowing.”
- “Mistakes are part of everything you do, but you’ve just got to move forward and let mistakes happen.”
About My Guest
Maria Coryell-Martin is an expeditionary artist following the tradition of traveling artists as naturalists and educators. She graduated from Carleton College in 2004 and received a Thomas J. Watson fellowship to explore remote regions through art from 2004-2005.
Since then Maria has worked with scientists, local communities, and travelers in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and the Antarctic Peninsula. In the field, Coryell-Martin sketches with ink and watercolor, and collects multimedia recordings to build her palette of place, a record of experience, climate, and color. This led her to create the wildly popular Art Toolkit.
This work became the basis for exhibits of large-scale studio and field paintings, as well as multimedia presentations and hands-on workshops for audiences of all ages to promote observation, scientific inquiry, and environmental awareness.
Follow Maria on Instagram: @expeditionaryart
Follow Art Toolkit on Instagram: @ArtToolkit
The post The Art Biz ep. 111: Focusing on Self-Care to Increase Productivity with Maria Coryell Martin appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Her story is one of perseverance and joy. She was eager to discuss the many tools she used to facilitate her healing and the people she relied on along the way.
The post Tools to help you emerge from a struggle even stronger than before with Kelly Milukas (83) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>This month we’re focusing on the benefits of cleaning out—removing physical clutter that leads to disorganization, eliminating obligations that are no longer serving you, and slowing down enough to focus on what matters most, in your art business and in your life.
Kelly Milukas has been through more in the last 10 years than anyone should have to endure, and yet she never lost hope and determination. My conversation with her is about coming out the other side of a long struggle stronger than you were previously.
Kelly and I scheduled our conversation for this episode of The Art Biz podcast to discuss her “life edit,” which involved getting rid of what no longer served her. It quickly became apparent that ridding herself of stuff when she had to downsize her studio is something she had been preparing herself for in the many years leading up to that moment.
Her story is one of perseverance and joy. She was eager to discuss the many tools she used to facilitate her healing and the people she relied on along the way.
I hope Kelly inspires you to rid your life, with the help of proper tools and support, of what might be getting in the way of your happiness.
Highlights
- Kelly Milukas reflects on her journey from athletics to music and to art. (1:57)
- Kelly works with scientists and starts researching stem cells for a commission for a biopharmaceutical company. (8:30)
- A shift in health can create a shift in focus for any artist. (12:15)
- Embracing the tools that are available to you can help you get through anything. (16:52)
- Forging through the messy middle to come out stronger on the other side. (21:26)
- Can 17 seconds or a deeper breath change your mindset? (25:23)
- How to know when to power through and when to pull back. (28:55)
- Giving yourself permission to feel your biggest emotions. (32:48)
- Cleaning out physical objects to move your art business forward. (34:50)
- Creating an organized studio that works for you on any budget. (41:10)
- A look inside all that is keeping Kelly busy in her new studio. (45:00)
Mentioned
Sheng Zhen with Master Li (free virtual meditations every Wednesday)
Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (North Carolina)
“Keys to Cures” installation at Intarcia Therapeutics
Albert Clayton Gaulden’s Sedona Intensive program
Artist Libby Caldwell’s therapeutic/artistic journaling
Kelly Milukas Quotes
“If you open up your heart and mind to knowing that if you get people to help you and put them on your team, those right people are going to appear.”
“When you’re in the middle, the really difficult middle, you’re going to come out the other side, but it’s up to you how you come out. You can come out stronger.”
“Nothing is really needed. It’s what’s inside you and around you and you can be so joyful without things.”
“I’m happy. I’m full of joy and I’m full of what’s next.”
About Kelly Milukas
Kelly Milukas began as a sculptor and has expanded her art making to multiple mediums and projects. Her portfolio of work includes painting, pastel, photography, encaustic and cast resin sculpture.
As of 2010 her art making has taken on projects at the juncture of creativity and science. This body of work contains her nationally exhibited “Keys to the Cures” series and focuses on how art can facilitate the individual stories within science and medicine. Kelly’s artwork can be found in museums, private and corporate collections, such as The Boston Group, Intarcia Therapeutics, and Simpson Healthcare.
Follow Kelly on Instagram @kellymilukas
The post Tools to help you emerge from a struggle even stronger than before with Kelly Milukas (83) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Perhaps it's the loss of a pet, a dear family member, a relationship, or a safe structure that was taken away from you, along with the memories it held, in a disaster.
We will all grieve about something at one point or another. It's an emotion we share.
When I first approached Jan Heaton to be a guest on the podcast and talk about grief, we were living in a different world. We had a recording session on the calendar and then the world as we knew it stopped.
It has become very clear that, whether or not we have lost loved ones during this pandemic, we are all dealing with grief of some sort. We have all lost something.
Artists are collectively grieving a number of things.
- The exhibitions, art fairs and festivals, residencies, workshops, and other opportunities.
- The plans we had made.
- The studio spaces we can no longer visit.
- The connection to others.
- Our routines.
- Our freedom to move about. To travel.
Grief on so many levels.
This is a huge topic and Jan wants to be very clear that she isn’t an expert on grief. I asked her to be on the show just to talk about her experience in hopes that it might be helpful—even if for only one person. Please enjoy this interview with Jan Heaton.
The post Making Art While Grieving Loss with Jan Heaton (52) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Grieving is a necessary byproduct of being human.
Perhaps it’s the loss of a pet, a dear family member, a relationship, or a safe structure that was taken away from you, along with the memories it held, in a disaster.
We will all grieve about something at one point or another. It’s an emotion we share.
When I first approached Jan Heaton to be a guest on the podcast and talk about grief, we were living in a different world. We had a recording session on the calendar and then the world as we knew it stopped.
It has become very clear that, whether or not we have lost loved ones during this pandemic, we are all dealing with grief of some sort. We have all lost something.
Artists are collectively grieving a number of things.
- The exhibitions, art fairs and festivals, residencies, workshops, and other opportunities.
- The plans we had made.
- The studio spaces we can no longer visit.
- The connection to others.
- Our routines.
- Our freedom to move about. To travel.
Grief on so many levels.
This is a huge topic and Jan wants to be very clear that she isn’t an expert on grief. I asked her to be on the show just to talk about her experience in hopes that it might be helpful—even if for only one person.
Listen Now
Music by Wildermiss.
Highlights
- Kristin’s story (3:06)
- Kristin’s misdiagnosis (9:02)
- Jan moves to Laguna Beach from Austin to help out Kristin and her family (11:19)
- Everyone moves to Boston for Kristin’s treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass Gen) (13:17)
- Kristin took control of her healthcare (16:11)
- Jan recommends recording all sessions with doctors (16:38)
- Jan sets up a makeshift studio in Kristin’s home by the beach (19:53)
- Ali Cavanaugh recommends taking naps when the kids nap (20:48)
- The kindness of anonymous gifts from friends and neighbors (26:47)
- The genesis of the Big Pink Blanket of Love project (31:13)
- Davis Gallery raises $35,000 for The Peabody Fund in 2017 with the exhibition Mandalas for Kristin (32:00)
- The Big Pink Blanket of Love auction is delayed because of Covid-19 (38:13)
- How Jan is spending time during Covid-19 (38:33)
- “Sometimes art is not just about making the art.” (42:25)
Mentioned and Recommended
- If you are experiencing debilitating grief, please seek counseling and support groups to help you through the process. Jan recommends the book Healing After Loss, which is a collection of daily meditations by Martha Whitmore Hickman.
- Davis Gallery in Austin
- Big Pink Blanket of Love
- Hiatus Spas
- Working Through Grief and Returning to the Studio
About My Guest
Born in Michigan, Jan Heaton is a watercolorist who calls Austin and Laguna Beach home. She has studied at Wayne State University, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the University of Texas – Austin. Heaton’s watercolors are abstract, but her creative process is inspired by the structure, color, and pattern of elements in nature that are often overlooked. Her work isolates details and exposes the viewer to an everyday object or place seen from a new viewpoint.
Jan is represented by the Davis Gallery in Austin, along with art dealers and galleries in San Antonio, Marble Falls, Houston, Atlanta, Santa Barbara, and San Francisco.
Music by Wildermiss.
The post Making Art While Grieving Loss with Jan Heaton (52) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>I feel hopelessly inept to provide any guidance for artists in these situations. Can you help?
The post How do you work around a long-term or chronic illness? appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>I have witnessed too many artists deal with illness: temporary, chronic, and fatal.
Back in 2013, I asked artists to respond to some questions that might help fellow artists.
What do you do when you're sick? When you're dealing with more than a short-term illness?
Is it important to keep up your art when you have a longterm or chronic illness?
How do you think beyond the current suffering?
Where do you find support?
What else do artists in these situations need to know about and understand?
While comments are closed on this post, I think you will find something to help from the many artists who shared their stories.
As a result of this post, Janice Tanton created this support group on Facebook: Artists With Illness. If you seek support, please send a request to join. If you know of someone who could benefit from it, please share the link.
Related on The Art Biz
Hear about real struggles straight from these artists.
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