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Ep. 11: Finding Your Creative Voice with Genna Blackburn: Building a Cohesive Brand and Audience

Art + Audience

Release Date: 10/01/2024

Ep. 33: How Georgia Norton Lodge Turned $35 House Sketches Into a Million-Dollar Art Business show art Ep. 33: How Georgia Norton Lodge Turned $35 House Sketches Into a Million-Dollar Art Business

Art + Audience

In this episode, Stacie sits down with Australian artist and entrepreneur Georgia Norton Lodge to explore the winding road from drawing houses as a side hustle to running multiple thriving businesses. Georgia shares how transparency, pricing strategy, creative pivots, and an unshakeable community-first mindset have helped her build a million-dollar business. Whether you're drawing houses or dreaming big, Georgia brings both the tough love and encouragement creatives need to hear. Today on Art + Audience: The Accidental Beginning: How a botched book cover project sparked a booming business...

info_outline Ep. 32: Why Diversification Is the Key to Surviving as a Creative Entrepreneur with Sophie Timms show art Ep. 32: Why Diversification Is the Key to Surviving as a Creative Entrepreneur with Sophie Timms

Art + Audience

Today, Stacie sits down with UK-based embroidery artist and educator Sophie Timms, founder of Mindful Mantra Embroidery and the Bloom Embroidery Academy. Sophie shares her inspiring journey from studying law to building a thriving creative business with multiple income streams, including a high-retention membership of nearly 200 embroidery enthusiasts. Whether you're dreaming of making a living from your art or already on your way, this episode is packed with wisdom about following your intuition, building a community, and crafting a business that supports your life.   Today on Art +...

info_outline Ep. 31: Creative Growth Tips for Artists: Crockpot Ideas, Side Projects, and Sustainable Success with Andy J. Pizza show art Ep. 31: Creative Growth Tips for Artists: Crockpot Ideas, Side Projects, and Sustainable Success with Andy J. Pizza

Art + Audience

In the second half of this rich and wide-ranging conversation, Stacie and Andy unpack the often unseen tension between creative expression and strategic thinking. They dive into what it means to be a “whole-brain” artist, someone who thrives in both creative exploration and structured planning, and why that's not a contradiction but a powerful gift. Andy shares his love for storytelling structure, the metaphor of crockpots for creative timing, and the concept of having a “main band” and a “side band” to stay creatively flexible. Meanwhile, Stacie gets real about balancing artistry...

info_outline Ep. 30: Andy J. Pizza on How to Build a Creative Career as a Neurodivergent Artist show art Ep. 30: Andy J. Pizza on How to Build a Creative Career as a Neurodivergent Artist

Art + Audience

In this first part of a powerful two-part conversation, Stacie sits down with the creative and deeply introspective Andy J. Pizza, illustrator, speaker, and host of the beloved Creative Pep Talk podcast. They dive headfirst into the personal side of creativity, exploring how neurodivergence, mental health, and family background shape the way we show up in our art. Andy and Stacie share candid moments about their diagnoses (ADHD and OCD), how their creative rhythms differ from traditional productivity models, and why embracing your authentic self is the first step to making art that truly...

info_outline Ep. 29: Is Leverage Your Art Worth It? Alumni Share Their Honest Results show art Ep. 29: Is Leverage Your Art Worth It? Alumni Share Their Honest Results

Art + Audience

In this special episode, Stacie brings together a panel of alumni from her signature program, Leverage Your Art. These artists, from illustrators to surface pattern designers to product-based business owners, share their honest experiences, big “aha” moments, and how the course helped them grow thriving creative businesses. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to expand your art career, this conversation is packed with encouragement, practical advice, and powerful stories from artists who have walked the path before you. Today on Art + Audience: “Does this work for me?”:...

info_outline Ep. 28: What No One Tells You About Licensing: Juliana Tipton on Boundaries, Burnout, and Creative Joy show art Ep. 28: What No One Tells You About Licensing: Juliana Tipton on Boundaries, Burnout, and Creative Joy

Art + Audience

In this enlightening episode, Stacie sits down with surface pattern designer Juliana Tipton to talk about launching a creative career in your 40s, navigating art licensing, and staying grounded through the highs and lows of the design world. From graphic design and higher education to licensing with top retailers like Target and Barnes & Noble, Juliana shares how she pivoted careers, learned to trust her gut, and built a successful business centered around authenticity and perseverance.   Today on Art + Audience: Juliana’s Unconventional Start: How she launched her surface design...

info_outline Ep. 27: Carrie Cantwell on Building Confidence, Facing Rejection, and Finding Your Voice show art Ep. 27: Carrie Cantwell on Building Confidence, Facing Rejection, and Finding Your Voice

Art + Audience

In this inspiring episode, Stacie chats with Carrie Cantwell, a graphic designer turned licensed artist, Skillshare top teacher, podcast host, and creative coach. Carrie opens up about her transformative journey from the high-pressure world of film graphics to finding her artistic voice through art licensing. Her story is one of courage, reinvention, and learning to lean into the things that come naturally. Together, Stacie and Carrie dive deep into the realities of self-doubt, the power of creative bravery, and the freedom that comes with not needing external validation. Today on Art +...

info_outline Ep. 26: How I Built Two Creative Businesses That Generate $5 Million a Year show art Ep. 26: How I Built Two Creative Businesses That Generate $5 Million a Year

Art + Audience

In this episode, Stacie reveals the system behind her two creative companies generating a combined $5 million in annual revenue: the STAR Productivity Method. Drawing from humble beginnings at her dining room table to leading a powerhouse team, Stacie shares the weekly rhythm that has guided her journey. Whether you're a side hustler or full-time creative, this episode provides an actionable framework to gain clarity, stay focused, and make meaningful progress even with limited time. Today on Art + Audience: The Origins of the STAR Cycle: How Stacie developed the method during her early side...

info_outline Ep. 25: Q&A | Licensing, Niches, and Newsletters – Your Roadmap to a Sustainable Art Business show art Ep. 25: Q&A | Licensing, Niches, and Newsletters – Your Roadmap to a Sustainable Art Business

Art + Audience

In this episode, Stacie answers real listener questions and dives into how artists can move from feeling overwhelmed by possibilities to finding strategic clarity. She offers empowering advice on balancing multiple passions, making smart licensing choices, and evolving your artistic style without confusing your audience. Whether you're at the start of a creative pivot or deep into the licensing world, Stacie's thoughtful insights will help you take confident, intentional steps forward.   Today on Art + Audience: Overcoming Creative Overwhelm: Sarah, a graphic designer, dreams of...

info_outline Ep. 24: How Many Emails Should You Send? The Answer That Scaled Our Business to $2M — with Angie Classen show art Ep. 24: How Many Emails Should You Send? The Answer That Scaled Our Business to $2M — with Angie Classen

Art + Audience

Today on the show, Stacie is joined once again by her long-time business partner and sister, Angie Classen. Together, they pull back the curtain on how consistent email marketing helped grow their handmade brand, Gingiber, from a $100k Etsy shop to a multimillion-dollar enterprise. This episode is a deep dive into ditching the fear of self-promotion, showing up authentically, and embracing email as your most powerful marketing tool. Whether you're just starting out or looking to level up your product-based business, Stacie and Angie break down actionable strategies and candidly share the...

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More Episodes

Today, Stacie is joined by her good friend and illustrator, Genna Blackburn, for an insightful conversation about finding your signature style and growing a loyal audience. Genna shares her journey from graphic design to surface design, how she overcame creative blocks, and the challenges she faced while transitioning into art licensing. They discuss the importance of developing a cohesive Instagram feed, building an email list, and consistently showing up for your audience. Genna's story serves as an inspiring roadmap for artists looking to balance creativity with audience growth.

 

Today on Art + Audience:

  • Introduction to Genna Blackburn: Genna shares her background as an illustrator and surface designer based in Detroit. From ballroom dancing to graphic design, she’s found her niche in creating childlike designs for kids' products, such as diapers and puzzles.

  • Overcoming Fear and Finding Your Style: Genna talks about the transition from graphic design, where creativity often took a back seat, to discovering her voice as an illustrator. She candidly discusses the self-doubt she faced and how she developed her signature style over time.

  • Building an Email List: Genna emphasizes the importance of creating a lead magnet (like her free guide to finding your style) as a way to organically grow an audience. She shares how she built an email list of 4,500 subscribers without ads by simply offering value.

  • Developing a Cohesive Instagram Feed: Cohesiveness, Genna explains, is key to growing on Instagram. She talks about limiting color palettes and planning her posts to create a feed that attracts both art directors and potential clients.

  • Authenticity and Engagement: Stacie and Genna dive into how authenticity—being vulnerable about struggles and real experiences—helps build genuine relationships with an audience. Genna shares tips on how to keep talking about your work, overcoming the fear of self-promotion.



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