Stop complicating your art marketing plan (275)
The Art Biz
In this episode of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield makes the case that a marketing plan doesn't have to be a spreadsheet full of self-imposed deadlines. She argues for routines over rigid plans, walks through three distinct ways she sees artists approach their marketing, and reframes marketing as something bigger than self-promotion. If you've ever built a plan and abandoned it by week two, this episode is the reset you need. Alyson reveals: Why routines stick when spreadsheets don't The three profiles most artists fall into — and why even the best one isn't ideal What marketing actually...
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The third path for artists that we aren't talking about (274)
The Art Biz
In this episode of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield names three paths a serious artist can take — and makes the case for the one no one talks about. After more than two decades of teaching online, she's changing how she works with artists, shifting from multi-month courses to coaching groups and private consulting. She also announces The Third Path, a new group for artists staying in the work on their own terms. Alyson reveals: Why "ambitious" doesn't describe every serious artist What's changing at Art Biz Success after more than 20 years teaching online courses The three paths a...
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You know what to do but you're not doing it: ADHD and your art business with Georgie Coote (273)
The Art Biz
Many artists know exactly what they need to do to move their careers forward. They just aren't doing it. In this episode of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield talks with Georgie Coote, a National Board certified health and wellness coach who specializes in ADHD in adults, about what's often underneath that gap and why standard productivity advice tends to fail the people who need it most. Georgie reveals: Why so many artists know exactly what to do and don't do it The pattern behind late-in-life ADHD diagnoses in women What most productivity advice gets wrong for ADHD brains The difference...
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Only listen to this if you're an ambitious artist (272)
The Art Biz
In this episode of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield makes the case that waiting isn't ambition — it's longing. She unpacks why so many artists organize their careers around a big break that rarely comes, names the three kinds of openings available to every artist, and offers a simple five-step cycle for building real momentum on your own terms. She covers: Why waiting has no relationship with ambition Why hustling isn't the alternative most artists think it is The 3 kinds of openings, and the one most underused What "building a career on someone else's schedule" actually costs you The 5...
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Why nobody came to your art show (271)
The Art Biz
You worked hard to get your art on those walls. So when only a handful of people show up to the opening, it stings. In this episode, Alyson Stanfield looks at the most common reasons your supporters stayed home — and what you can do differently before your next show. In this episode: Why the 5-10 days before a show are too late to fix most attendance problems How a cold list can cost you the people most likely to show up Why you can't rely on the venue to bring people to your exhibition Why one or two social media posts won't cut it The power of a personal invitation and letting people know...
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The obvious salespeople you're not using (270)
The Art Biz
Host Alyson Stanfield makes the case that your best salespeople are already in your life, just waiting to be asked to help. This episode isn't just for artists with collectors. If anyone has ever responded enthusiastically to your work, it applies to you. Alyson reveals: Who counts as a potential advocate Why these people genuinely want to help Why the relationship has to come first How to make it easy with tools whether they are tangible, in-person events, or digital tools When and how to make the ask, and what it doesn’t look like If the follow-up is a weak link for you, join Alyson for...
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Do you have too many income sources in your art business? (269)
The Art Biz
There are many ways for artists to make money, but more income sources don’t always lead to more income. In this episode, host Alyson Stanfield looks at the difference between an income source and an income stream—and why that distinction matters when you’re deciding what belongs in your art business. You’ll also hear about: Why adding a new income source can mean building a separate business The time, energy, marketing, and systems each source requires Why so-called passive income is a myth How to evaluate profitability, potential, and return on your time Questions to help you decide...
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How curiosity and research deepen your studio practice (268)
The Art Biz
In this episode of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield makes the case that research is not an academic exercise. And it’s not separate from your art practice, but part of it. She encourages you to think of it as leading with curiosity, which strengthens the work and builds confidence. Alyson draws on her background as an art historian and her own current investigation into timelines to show what this actually looks like in practice. Alyson reveals: Why "I've always been drawn to this" isn't a good enough answer, and what happens when you push past it The difference between work that is...
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How much time will your art career take? (267)
The Art Biz
Every artist wants to know "how much time?" How much time on the business side, how much time making the work, and how long before any of it pays off. In this episode of The Art Biz host Alyson Stanfield gives straight answers to the two questions that matter — including a number you might not want to hear — and offer a better question to ask yourself instead. She covers: Why "how much time?" is the wrong question, and what to ask yourself instead The difference between your daily time and the longer stretch it takes to establish yourself Why willingness and commitment matter more than...
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Making a living from your art (266)
The Art Biz
Making a living from your art takes more than passion and talent. In this solo episode, Alyson Stanfield walks through the real considerations — from committing to your studio practice to making friends with marketing — for artists who are serious about turning their practice into a livelihood. It starts with a question worth considering: is this really for you? In this episode, Alyson covers: Why marketing your art too early can undermine everything you're working toward The financial math many artists avoid, and why ignoring it is not an option The old stories that hold you back and...
info_outlineBeing busy is boring.
In episode 258 of The Art Biz, host Alyson Stanfield makes the case that most artists are so deep in execution mode that they never step back to evaluate, redirect, or ask whether any of it is actually working. This episode draws a clear line between working IN your art business and working ON it, and explains why both matter, but one gets almost all of the attention.
IN THIS EPISODE
- Why execution without direction is just activity, and what it costs you.
- The side-by-side difference between IN and ON work across four common artist tasks
- The two failure modes: too much IN (reactive, no filter) and too much ON (perfect systems, no execution)
- What working ON your business actually looks like in practice, including the questions to ask
- Why multi-year plans have lost their usefulness, and what to hold onto instead
QUESTIONS TO ASK IN YOUR “ON” TIME
- What is actually working — and why?
- Is this still where I want to go — and why?
- What on my to-do list no longer serves me?
- What has the best potential for a long-term payoff?
- Where am I playing it too safe?
- How can I enjoy my art business even more?
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