Being an artist is important but often lonely work. The THRIVE Talks podcast is here to make you feel less lonely with all the ups and downs that come with being an artist.
Jamie Smith and Tara Lee Bennett are your hosts and also the co-founders of THRIVE Art Studio. THRIVE is a membership community of female, gender non-binary, gender queer, visual artists from all over the world.
Our motto is to make art, meet your people and do the work!
Setting healthy boundaries with your phone is a huge challenge! As artists it can feel like we are expected to be on our phones all the time – posting, sharing, and always active on social media. It seems like an unspoken rule that we need to be putting ourselves out there constantly or our careers will fade out. This just isn’t true, and it certainly is not healthy!
We aren’t experts, and we are probably in the same boat as you are when it comes to relating to your phone, but we are here to share our struggles and what we do to strive toward more balance. So, tune in to Episode #75 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, 5 Healthy Phone Boundaries to Try, to hear our thoughts on how we work to find our boundaries with our phones!
As always, we are here cheering you on! This podcast is one of many free resources we offer to artists, and we hope you will join the Thrive Together Network to dive in! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
We are continuing our little series of episodes about artist newsletters by sharing a dose of inspiration with you! In this episode, we go through a quick list of content ideas for your newsletter. These are some things to consider as you write, including inspiration for what to put in it and more. There are many options because artists have so much to share! It’s important to start by reminding yourself your newsletter goals are and the purpose of your newsletter. Do the work of thinking through what you want your newsletter to do for you and then let that guide your decisions about what content to include. So, join us for Episode #74 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, 10 Content Ideas for Your Art Newsletter, to get those creative juices flowing and let us lighten your newsletter workload.
As always, we are here cheering you on! This podcast is one of many free resources we offer to artists, and we hope you will join the Thrive Together Network to dive in! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
As an artist, it is on us to get the information about our work out into the world. There are many ways to do that, and today’s episode is going to talk about a big one…newsletters! There are many aspects of newsletters, so this is one of a two part series of episodes about the topic. So, for this first episode, we will talk about your system, starting your newsletter and growing a consistent habit with it that you can sustain and boldly put out into the world.
Take charge of the information going out into the world about your art practice by tuning in to Episode #73 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, How to Write a Monthly Art Newsletter. There are many different ways to tackle this goal, and for many different reasons! Get clarity on how to start with us!
As always, we are here cheering you on! This podcast is one of many free resources we offer to artists, and we hope you will join the Thrive Together Network to dive in! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
In this episode, we open up about a topic that is not frequently discussed among artists: rejection! Artists are always applying to things such as shows, residencies, or grants. And rejection is just going to happen! We really believe we need more transparency in the art world and talking about rejection is certainly an area where we need to know we are not alone. It’s not easy to discuss when things don’t go our way and yet, being open helps us connect with others and move through the world with integrity. It can be so encouraging to know that you aren’t the only one who feels a sense of failure.
So, join us for Episode #72 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, How to Recover from Rejection as an Artist, to talk about the process of going through those pesky rejections. We believe how we handle rejection is important, so tune in to own your artist identity and the inevitable rejection that comes with it! This podcast is one of many free resources we offer to artists, and we hope you will join the Thrive Together Network to go even deeper! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
This episode is going to be a game-changer for all you artists out there! As artists, we pour our hearts and souls into our exhibitions. But the magic doesn't have to stop when the show does. We want our members and our listeners to show their work and then continue to benefit from this effort long after the show is done. Sometimes you put all your effort into making the work but you forget that actually accomplishing your goals for your exhibition aren’t just about making the work, often there are admin related tasks you need to do that will really give you the results you want from your show! So tune in to Episode #71 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, 5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Exhibitions as we talk strategies for maximizing each exhibition.
This podcast is one of many free resources we offer to artists, and we hope you will join the Thrive Together Network to go even deeper! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
Are you feeling burnt out in the studio? Creativity can be emotionally draining, and it's natural to have periods where you feel low. You are not alone as an artist, and you are especially not alone in feelings of being worn down. It’s a typical part of a lifetime of creative work! You are normal!
Here in Episode #70 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, How to Recover From Feeling Worn Down as an Artist, we discuss ways to recover from the inevitable feelings of being a worn out artist. From caring for your physical health to finding inspiration we discuss all the ways you can acknowledge when you are feeling drained so you can take care of yourself. It’s all about connecting with your community and remembering why you are passionate about your work.
We are here for you through all your seasons of life as a thriving artist! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
This episode covers a topic close to our hearts, as we believe in embracing and owning our identities as artists! For some reason it can be a struggle for artists to use the title “artist” until they have achieved certain goals or a specific “level” of achievement. However, we can fall into the trap of always needing to meet a new goal before we find the confidence to validate ourselves and claim the artist identity, putting it off indefinitely. So we are here to encourage you to start doing it now! Tune into Episode #69 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, 5 Reasons You Need to Call Yourself an Artist.
We are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
Ever wonder what the most important things are that you should be doing as an artist? Artists can have so many different things on their plates, and have very different day to day experiences in their studios and in their working life overall. This episode is our practical guide to what we feel is crucial for all working artists! So, tune in to Episode #68 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, 5 Must Do’s as a Working Artist, to learn what we think you need at the top of your list to maintain a sustainable and healthy studio practice.
Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
Today is a special episode about a very important topic that is rarely discussed: maternity leave for artists! Jamie and Kaylan share their wisdom on how to plan ahead and be open about your needs heading into early parenthood as a studio artist. They share advice about delegating responsibilities, the importance of self-care, flexibility, and also the impact of being visible and open about the leave itself!
We are here for you through all your seasons of life as a thriving artist! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
We are wrapping up our Art Residency here at the Thrive Together Network, and we are thinking of ways your art residency is going to live on and help you throughout the year to come. Today on Episode #66 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, 5 Ways to Wrap Up An Art Residency Powerfully we will share tips that will help you make the most of your experience and ensure a smooth transition back into your regular artistic practice. So, whether you've done the Thrive Together Network Virtual Art Residency this month or you're planning to apply for one in the future, this episode is for you.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Ways to Wrap Up an Art Residency Powerfully are:
Reflect on Your Residency Journey: Consider the goals you set at the beginning of your residency, the challenges you faced, and the growth you've achieved. Journaling or creating a visual diary can be a powerful way to document your thoughts and feelings. Reflecting on your journey will not only provide closure but also offer valuable insights for your future artistic endeavors.
Organize and Archive Your Work: Take high-quality photographs, document any installations, and categorize your sketches or studies. This process will not only help you preserve your work but also create a portfolio or documentation for future exhibitions or applications.
Connect with Fellow Artists: You’ve met so many amazing artists at your residency, so make sure to keep in touch! Building a strong network within the artist community can open doors to new opportunities and provide a support system throughout your career.
Share your Experience: Consider writing a blog post, Instagram reel, or even organizing a small exhibition to showcase the work you created during your residency. Sharing your experience not only helps you process and internalize the residency but also allows others to gain insights and learn from your artistic journey.
Make a Plan to Get Feedback: Set up an artist date or studio visit. Or join something more formal like a crit program.vHaving a plan to get feedback helps you continue on powerfully even after the residency is over and will push the work even further.
If you joined us for our first residency of 2024 this month, we loved having you and hope this helps you build on your work! If not, join us this September for our fall residency by joining the Thrive Together Network! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
As artists, we often find ourselves navigating the expectations of others, seeking validation, or conforming to market trends. But what if we shift our focus inward and create solely for ourselves? Today on the podcast we'll be exploring the five reasons why creating for yourself is vital for your art career. We'll delve into the immense benefits of embracing this mindset and how it can transform your art in remarkable ways. So, join us for Episode #65 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, Why Creating For Yourself Is Vital For Your Art Career.
Jamie and Kyalan’s 5 Reasons to Create for Yourself are:
Authenticity and Self-Discovery: Creating for yourself allows you to tap into your true artistic voice, free from external pressures. When you create from a place of authenticity, you unlock your unique perspective and begin to explore uncharted territories within your craft.
Personal Growth and Exploration: When you create for yourself, it becomes a means to explore your own emotions, thoughts, and experiences. This leads to a deeper understanding of yourself as an artist and as a person. Here is where you really start to push the boundaries of your comfort zone!!
Creative Freedom and Experimentation: When you create for yourself, there are no limitations or expectations to confine your artistic expression. You are free to experiment with new techniques, styles, and ideas. This fosters innovation and allows you to push the boundaries of your craft, leading to unique and groundbreaking creations.
Joy and Fulfillment: When you create from a place of passion and personal resonance you can be more connected to your happiness and joy. Making work just for you can be intensely soul satisfying in a way that making for others can’t tap into.
Connection and Authentic Audience Engagement: Paradoxically, when you create for yourself, you attract an audience that resonates deeply with your art. By staying true to your own vision and expressing your unique voice, you naturally connect with individuals who appreciate your authenticity. This leads to long-lasting relationships and a loyal following that cherishes your work for its honesty and vulnerability.
So, fellow artists, let's embrace the power of creating for ourselves. Let's be authentic, explore our personal growth, and enjoy the creative freedom that comes with a balance of those things. We are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
We are in the first weeks of using our trusty Thriving Artist Map! We love the map, which is our version of a studio planner. We are diving in, and realize how much of a game changer it really is. Now, some of you might be wondering, "Why do I need a studio planner when I already have my creative flow?" Well, dear listeners, a studio planner is not just any ordinary planner. It's a powerful tool that can transform your art practice and take your creativity to new heights. So, join us for Episode #64 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, Start Using a Studio Planner for Game Changing Results to learn what our trusty Map has to offer.
Jamie and Kaylan’s Five Reasons to Use a Studio Planner are:
Organization: As artists, we often find ourselves drowning in a sea of sketches, ideas, and project deadlines. A studio planner helps us stay on top of things by providing a structured system for organizing our creative endeavors. From tracking project progress to setting achievable goals and jotting down brilliant ideas, a studio planner ensures that nothing slips through the cracks.
Time Management:In the chaotic world of art, time is a precious resource. A studio planner acts as your personal timekeeper, allowing you to allocate dedicated slots for each project, prioritize tasks, and maintain a balanced workflow. By managing your time effectively, you'll be able to devote more energy to your art.
Creative Direction: While art is often associated with spontaneity and improvisation, having a clear sense of direction is equally important. A studio planner enables you to define your artistic goals, plan your projects accordingly, and stay focused on your creative journey. It acts as a compass, guiding you through the ever-changing artistic landscape.
Inspiration and Reflection:As artists, we often find ourselves grappling with creative blocks or struggling to find new ideas. A studio planner serves as a valuable companion, providing a space to document sources of inspiration, brainstorm ideas, and reflect on your artistic journey. It’s a space to put all the big ideas that maybe you just don't have time to get to right now but later they might be a fit.
Accountability: You know we love this word because we see the power of accountability every day at TTN. As artists, we often work in isolation, which can make it challenging to stay motivated and accountable. A studio planner acts as a trusted companion, holding you accountable for your artistic endeavors.
If you are a TTN Member, you get a pdf copy of the Thriving Artists Map as part of your membership! And always, everyone can grab a physical copy to use along with our membership or independently here. We are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
Today we have a special episode for all the artists out there. We'll be discussing doing a virtual art residency and are wondering if any of you out there have participated in one before. As artists, we often seek opportunities to grow, learn, and immerse ourselves in environments that foster creativity. We will be sharing five invaluable lessons learned from past Thrive Together Networks virtual art residencies experiences.These are lessons we have learned personally and have also heard from fellow members what has been meaningful to them. So, join us for Episode #63 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, Have You Ever Done a Virtual Art Residency?
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Insights from Art Residencies are:
Embracing Virtual Connections: We went global! As artists, we often rely on in-person interactions and physical exhibitions to showcase our work. However, participating in an online art residency allowed us to connect with artists from all around the world.
Creating a Personal Studio Space: By doing a residency in our own spaces, we learned that anything goes if you can make it work for you! We encourage artists to claim space during virtual residencies and create a personal studio, even within the confines of their own home.
Self-Motivation and Time Management: In an online art residency, you don't have the external structure and routine that comes with a physical residency. It's crucial to set personal goals, establish a schedule, and hold yourself accountable for your progress. We see huge leaps forward in the bigger picture of our practices when we create and maintain our own schedules during a virtual residency.
Building an Online Presence: It is so easy to share work in progress on social media and in your newsletter. Building a strong online presence not only allows you to showcase your work to a global audience but also opens doors to collaborations, exhibitions, and potential opportunities that would have been otherwise inaccessible.
Cornerstones in Your Yearly Plan are Very Helpful: Cornerstones are large goals or markers in the year such as shows, programs you are enrolling in, or other big events. We think an art residency is something every artist can and should take on each year. They provide real work time and community connection that you can center your year around.
We hope the personal insights we shared in this episode open the door to new possibilities for you with virtual residencies! As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support and participate in our Virtual Art Residency! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
We are starting to plan for our Virtual Art Residency that will take place the entire month of February. An artist residency is a program that provides artists with dedicated time and space to create their work. They have long been an integral part of an artist's development, providing them with a supportive environment to explore their creativity and build their artistic practice. Traditionally, these residencies required physical presence, but with the rise of technology, online art residencies have emerged, opening up new possibilities for artists all around the globe. In Episode #62 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, 5 Ways An Art Residency Can Boost Your Art Career, we will explore the five key things an artist residency can do for you.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Ways an Art Residency Can Boost Your Art Career are:
Uninterrupted Focus and Dedicated Time: As artists, finding uninterrupted focus and dedicated time to create can be challenging amidst the demands of daily life. Artist residencies offer an escape from these distractions, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in your creative process.
Global Reach: Virtual art residencies transcend geographical boundaries, especially a virtual art residency like ours. This exposure to diverse perspectives and cultural influences can expand your artistic horizons, broaden your artistic vocabulary, and open doors to new collaborations and opportunities.
Proving You Have Time For Art: A virtual residency provides a flexible schedule unlike traditional residencies that require artists to relocate for a specific duration. This means you can balance your work, personal commitments, and the residency requirements simultaneously.After a virtual residency, you can build habits and prove to yourself that art making can fit in. We have seen amazing ripple effects of this from our members.
Active Community Support: During our virtual art residency we meet each week for Tuesday Zoom check-in meetings as a time to reflect and connect with one another. We believe the virtual environment of online residencies fosters a strong sense of camaraderie, support, and collaboration. It's like having an artist family at your fingertips all of the time!
Building Your Artist CV: We have an online artwork showcase at the end of the virtual residency where members can submit work for an online art show. This gives you a goal for the residency and a great opportunity to add the residency and online show to your CV. We feature the work made during the residency on social media and on the Network. We want to help you expand your online presence and reach a wider audience!
Our Art Residency program at TTN is a 6-week program that you can do from your own home studio. It offers flexibility for you to set your own goals but accountability from our community to support you. Plus some amazing planning tools from us to keep you on track! Head to www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn about our program.
Today Jamie is flying solo on the podcast with a quick bonus episode as a sister to our most recent episode called Creating Your Vision For The New Year. Here, Jamie guides you through a visualization exercise she created for her business planning class on Skillshare, and we hope it will be helpful for you as you build your vision for 2024!
Visualization is a great tool when trying to get a clear image on what you want to create, and many believe that it helps the subconscious mind to connect with our thinking brain to show us what we really want. In our busy and noisy lives it is so easy to not listen to ourselves and fill our minds with what we think we “should” want.
So, dive into this with Jamie as she leads you through a visualization of your future as an artist! This is one of many free resources we offer to artists, and we hope you will join the Thrive Together Network to go even deeper! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
A new year is an opportunity for a clean slate and setting a new vision for your work as an artist. We talk a lot about setting goals so we wanted to take a step back and actually think about the larger vision you have for your art career. Having a vision provides artists with a roadmap to navigate their artistic journey. It's like a guiding light that helps you make decisions, set goals, and stay focused amidst the inevitable challenges and distractions. In Episode #60 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, Creating Your Vision For The New Year, we deep dive into dreaming big and turning that into a concrete vision so you can define your artistic identity, understand your purpose and communicate your perspective to the world.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 4 Steps to Creating Your Vision for the New Year are:
Self-Reflection: Ask yourself three questions - What drives you as an artist? What themes or subjects resonate with you? What kind of impact do you want your art to have on others?
Think Big and Visualize Your Art Career: Imagine yourself five or ten years from now. What does success look like to you? Picture the exhibitions, the collaborations, the recognition, and the personal growth you aspire to achieve. Visualizing your ideal future allows you to set ambitious yet achievable goals that align with your vision.
Create a Vision Board or a Journal: Collect images, quotes, and ideas that represent your artistic aspirations. Use this visual representation as a constant reminder of your goals and keep adding to it as your vision evolves. Vision boards also work because they keep your goals as a focus and help you “see” what you really want.
Create a Concrete Plan: We can’t just expect our dreams to happen, we need to identify the skills, resources, and knowledge we need to acquire along the way to make it happen. Use resources like our Thriving Artists Map to create a step by step list of tasks and identify the skills, resources, and knowledge you need to work toward your vision.
If you are a TTN Member, you get a pdf copy of the Thriving Artists Map as part of your membership! And always, everyone can grab a physical copy to use along with our membership or independently here. We are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
At the Thrive Together Network we are all about planning, and we’ve created a workbook called the Thriving Artists Map that you can use to guide you to a great year in the studio and in your art career. The Map represents what we are all about and what our community does throughout the year. It has weekly studio planning pages, goal setting prompts, a fully dated calendar, and so much more to help you set and achieve goals. In this episode of the podcast, we dive into this idea of sticking to goals to really get your wheels turning about what it will take for you to thrive in 2024.
So, join us for Episode #59 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, 5 Tips to Help You Actually Stick To Your Goals in 2024, to discuss some practical strategies to create a roadmap for your year ahead and stay committed to your goals.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Tips to Help You Stick To Your Goals are:
Set Clear and Specific Goals: Vague goals like "improve my art" or "get better at marketing" won't provide the direction you need. Instead, break down your goals into specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound objectives.
Create an Action Plan: Break your goals into smaller, manageable tasks and assign deadlines to each of them. This step-by-step plan will give you a clear roadmap to follow and make your goals feel more attainable.
Find an Accountability Partner or Community: Accountability is a powerful motivator. Find an accountability partner—a fellow artist, a mentor, or even a supportive friend. Share your goals and action plan with them, and schedule regular check-ins to discuss your progress.
Prioritize Self-Care and Balance: Remember that your well-being is crucial for sustained productivity and creativity. Take breaks, practice mindfulness, engage in activities that recharge you, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Celebrate Milestones and Progress: Sometimes, we get so focused on the end result that we forget to acknowledge how far we've come. Celebrating milestones boosts motivation and reinforces a positive mindset.
We hope these tips set you up to start looking toward an amazing 2024! The Thriving Artists Map is one tool to help you stick to your goals in 2024, and it is best paired with a membership to our online network so you can get the benefit of a community of artists to keep you on track in 2024. Join the Thrive Together Network to plug into our programming for 2024! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
Today we have a special year-end episode to celebrate your growth as artists. As we approach the end of the year, it's important to reflect on our accomplishments and recognize how far we've come. So, in this episode, we'll explore five unique ways you can celebrate your artistic growth. So, join us for Episode 58 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, Do These 5 Things to Celebrate Your Growth, and really lean into the celebration with us!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Things to Do to Celebrate Your Growth are:
Post an Art Showcase: Spend some time to gather your highlights of the year and put them up on social media to celebrate the work you have done. This not only provides a platform to display your growth but also allows you to connect with your community.
Show Gratitude: Take some time to reflect on the people and experiences that have supported your artistic journey throughout the year. Write personalized notes expressing your appreciation to mentors, friends, collectors, and anyone who has shown their support.
Reflect: Carve out some dedicated time for introspection and journaling. Reflect on the highs and lows of your artistic journey this year, the lessons learned, and the areas where you've experienced the most growth.
Set New Artistic Goals: Whether it's exploring new mediums, experimenting with different styles, or challenging yourself with more ambitious projects, setting goals helps you maintain momentum and continue growing as an artist. Celebrate all your potential by setting a new goal!
Treat Yourself: You have poured your heart and soul into your work, and it's essential to reward yourself for your dedication. Splurge on art supplies you've been eyeing, take a well-deserved day off to recharge, or indulge in an artistic retreat to explore new inspirations. Celebrating your growth should include moments of joy and self-care that rejuvenate your artistic spirit.
As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to plug into our programming for 2024! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
This episode of the podcast is inspired by an Art & Tea session that we call the Artist Timeline. We ask TTN members to look back over the past 6 years, and for each year write down art practice and art business highlights. Seeing evidence of your past accomplishments builds your confidence muscle and this is so important for artists because we need to remember that we have been successful in the past to push ourselves to keep going. In Episode 57 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, How Looking Back Can Help You Move Forward, we talk about how to be our own cheerleader by taking a look at the evidence of how far we have come.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 4 Things to Help you Look Back in Order to Move Forward are:
See How Far You’ve Come: Take a look at your Artist Timeline and really take in the evidence of your past accomplishments. We have to put ourselves and our work out in the world so often and we need to remember that we have a track record of past accomplishments!
You Are Doing a Lot: During the day to day, it is easy to forget how much you accomplish in the big picture. Being an artist is about playing a long game, so keep that timeline at the ready to remember that your daily work is part of a bigger goal.
Things Add Up: Don’t get discouraged by the small tasks! They accumulate into something much bigger. They will count and they can be added to your timeline for this year and beyond. They will matter.
Recognize Your Consistency: Over the arc of your career there are themes, opportunities, and work you have done that reveals a pattern of what you are accomplishing. Use your timeline to intentionally focus on these consistent themes.
As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to plug into our programming for 2024! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
We’ve been looking ahead to the new year in recent episodes, but today we will address the fact that not everyone feels excited about the new year. Some of you have had a tough year and need time to process or heal from it. Or, maybe you are in a big season of doubt or confusion as an artist. All of this can impact how we feel going into a new year. Join us for Episode 56 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, How to Anticipate A Great Year Ahead (Even When You Have Your Doubts), as we discuss a few simple suggestions for bringing some positive anticipation into your life this time of year, whether you are feeling excited or not.
Jamie and Kaylan’s Tips for Anticipating a Great Year Ahead:
Enter into Deeper Awareness: Do some reflection and write about your past year. Writing how you really feel and reflecting with honesty can help you find a lot of gratitude. This can bring you into a deeper understanding for where you are currently at with things in your life.
Set Firmer Boundaries: Many of us struggle with stressful anticipation and doubt because we are actually experiencing a lack of boundaries or security in our present moment. Ask yourself where you need to set some firmer boundaries and what is contributing to your stress right now. Evaluate where you can carve out more time and space for yourself.
Move Forward with Self-Compassion: You have done, and you are doing SO MUCH dear artist. You deserve a medal, a gold star, and a cash prize just for being an artist. It is such hard work. Please be kind to yourself this time of year and always. Recognize that you are human and you deserve softness and grace and understanding.
As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to plug into our programming for 2024! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
Today we are sharing a timely episode about planning for the new year. We talked in the last episode about how to plan during any time of year, but today we will take a look at how to wrap up one year and plan ahead for the next amazing year as an artist. So, join us in Episode 54, How to Map Out Your Year as an Artist, as we cover how to assess the longer term picture of the previous year and how to use that information going forward!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Ways to Map Out Your Year are:
Brain Dump: Have a big brainstorming session and write down every goal and idea you have for the year ahead. You will not take action on every goal you write down, so don’t be afraid to dream big. This is your space to let it flow.
Sort by Size: It’s important to sort the goals you really want to do by size and spend some time thinking about how much effort and energy will go into each goal. We recommend sorting your goals by big, medium and small. This will go a long way in setting you up for solid time management practices.
Identify Your “No’s”: Spend some time writing down what you will NOT do or not focus on in the new year. This activity is valuable because it helps you form concrete boundaries and stay focused on your goals. Think quality over quantity!
Set Up a System: Get yourself organized by setting mile markers for planning and create a goal setting strategy. Book planning and goal setting strategy times into your calendar for the start of the new year and moving ahead each week, month and quarter. Reflect & Rest: Don’t skip this one!! It may be the hardest to find time for, especially around the holidays but we really encourage you to set aside some time to write and reflect on the year you’ve just had.
As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to plug into our programming that sets up a planning structure for you! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
Whether you’re a parent, caretaker, working another job, or a full time artist, we want to talk about ways to plan smarter as an artist! You may love planning like us, you may hate it, or maybe you are somewhere in between. Whatever the case, we can all use ideas for how to improve our planning. Join us for Episode 54 of Thriving Artists Podcast, 5 Simple Ways to Plan Smarter as an Artist, because this is the perfect time of year to reflect on how you plan as we wrap up 2023.
Jamie & Kaylan’s 5 Simple Ways to Plan Smarter as an Artist are:
Schedule in Time for Planning: Plan a time to plan! Planning IS a task that needs to happen and so it is important to put that planning time in your calendar. It takes time to get set up in order to do what you want to do with your days!
Plan Your Year in Quarters: We really believe in this philosophy and live it out on the Thrive Together Network – planning out each quarter has many benefits! Planning out three months at a time is a perfect chunk of time to set some larger goals without losing sight of the smaller steps it takes to make them happen.
Move from Macro to Micro (and back again!): Whether you are a big picture type of person or someone who is all about the details, we encourage you to find balance between the two. Keep both in mind as you set goals, create to do lists, and schedule out your work time.
Follow a Map with Other Artists: We created a planning tool that values all of the things we cover in this episode. It’s the Thriving Artist Map and it is a weekly studio planner with tools to plan your year while considering the big picture and smaller goals all at once.
Remain Rooted in Your Why: For any plan you make, always keep an eye on why you are doing what you do. Don’t work toward things that are outside of your motivations. Regularly check in to make sure your plans match up with your goals.
As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
Today Kaylan is solo on the podcast to talk about her experience with stress and some resources for dealing with “Open Loops” that can cause us stress as artists*. This discussion is centered around a very specific type of stress created by having many things on your plate that are not yet complete. Artists especially experience this type of stress frequently because we wear so many hats and are responsible for so much. There are so many different types of jobs artists are expected to do within our business and many of us have other jobs, caretaking responsibilities or more on our plates.
Our brains can only hold so much in our active memory. These thoughts that continuously loop in our brains, or “Open Loops” can weigh us down mentally & emotionally over time. Open Loops are: things you've started and haven't finished, tasks or ideas that are 'on hold' in your brain and that occupy your active thoughts. So, tune in to learn a few tips to deal with these Open Loop from brain dumps to the “3 D’s”: delete, delegate, and do!
We hope you can continue to join us here on the podcast or come be an artist we can really get to know by joining our network! Head to www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more. The “Open Loops” episode is exactly the type of thing we walk you through each week on Art & Tea, our Tuesday zoom calls with dozens of artists that are included in your TTN membership.
*Just a reminder that Kaylan is not a therapist and anyone struggling with severe anxiety or health related issues due to stress should seek support from their physician or counselor.
One of the beautiful things about being an artist is that we all structure our careers a bit differently, and while we can learn from each other, our paths will never look exactly the same. Today on the podcast we are sharing some questions from the “Building Your North Star” activity we do once a year during one of our weekly Thrive Together Network meetings called Art & Tea. So, join us for Episode 52 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, 4 Questions to Help You Find Focus in Your Art Career to identify what you want your unique art career to look like!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 4 Questions to Help You Find Focus in Your Art Career are:
What matters most to you as an artist and how do you most want to spend your time? These are very basic points, but powerful when you think about it. Our time truly is our most valuable resource. It connects DIRECTLY to what matters most to us. So what do you want to spend your time doing??
What are your main gifts as an artist and what do you feel good doing? This question is important because it puts your unique strengths into the equation. Find the balance between your passion and your strongest skill sets, and keep in mind that this might change over time!
How do you want to feel as an artist? This question is about the big picture. Do you want to be on-the-go and moving a lot as an artist? Do you want to feel rooted and calm with lots of downtime in your studio? What are the overall, big picture feelings you want to have for your art career and your life? What impact do you want your work to make in the world? This is also a big picture question that will take time to answer. If you know what your intentions are, it can provide so much clarity in what steps to take now in your practice. Give some thought to what you want your work to say and do, and think about what conversations you want people to have about your work. Focus on impact to gain clarity.
As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support and participate in more activities like this one! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
Today we are wrapping up our podcast episodes centered on the theme “organize”. In this episode, we tackle the realm of finances. It can feel very stressful and overwhelming to think about money, but when we start taking control of our finances amazing things can happen. Join us for Episode #51 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, 5 Tips for Organizing Your Art Finances, as we talk through how to wrap your head around your expenses and income and make use of that information.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Tips for Organizing Your Art Finances are:
Do a Wealth Check: Spend a couple minutes defining your wealth as an artist. This is more than just the money you might earn, but also other valuable aspects of being an artist such as the freedom to think creatively and put it into action.
Assess Your Mindset: We often create stories about our money which makes it an emotional topic. Think of money as numbers that tell the story of how we spend our resources and time. Ask yourself some questions about your attitude toward money.
Track It: Find a system that works for you to track where your money is going that you can stick to month after month. Use a spreadsheet or a program like Quickbooks Self-Employed to keep detailed records of your income and expenses.
Review It: Implement some sort of regular process to take a look at what is happening with your money. This could be monthly or quarterly, but whatever you do, carve out regular time to take a look at where money is coming in and where it is going out.
Use It: Once you have gone over your numbers, take action based on what you have learned! Spending all this time tracking and reviewing only makes an impact when you take the story your numbers are telling you and adjust the parts that don't serve you anymore.
We hope this series on the theme “organize” has helped set you on a path to more clarity and ownership over your art practice! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support and participate in our Art Business Workshops! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
In today’s episode, we continue our theme of “organize” and bring this concept to your digital space. Do you open up your computer and feel stressed because you don’t know where your images are and you just can’t seem to find the most recent version of your CV? Don’t worry, in Episode #50 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, 5 Tips for Organizing Your Digital Assets, we help you set things on a better path so you can find what you need with ease.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Tips for Organizing Your Digital Assets are:
Create A Naming System: Decide on the format you are going to use to name your photos and other digital assets like your CV, resume, or artist’s statement. Move forward sticking to these formatting rules you’ve made for yourself and your life will get a lot easier!
Create Your Process: Determine the way you are going to save, store, and organize your files. This could be on an external drive or a cloud-based system. There are even softwares you can subscribe to like Artwork Archive that provide an inventory system you can follow.
Be Consistent: These systems only work if you follow the plan exactly. The more disciplined you are in following your plan, the quicker it will be when you are updating your website, organizing instagram posts, and completing applications. The upfront time will pay off later!
Save Twice: This means having a backup of your digital files. Don’t put all your files on one device without storing them somewhere else as well. Keep this backup up to date. You don’t want to lose or damage a hard drive and no longer have a record of your work.
Start Where You Are: It may feel like you need to make everything you have ever done be perfect or why start at all!?! But, we disagree. The next time you make a piece of art, photograph it, name the file according to your system, and save it in two places. That is a great way to start.
We hope this gives you confidence as you approach organizing your digital space. As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
In this podcast episode, we continue our theme of “organize” by discussing studio organization! It’s so nice to work in an organized space, so let’s make it happen! In Episode #49 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, 5 Steps to Organizing Your Studio, we go over how to take a close look at your space, how you operate in it, and how to optimize both! Let’s get the clutter out!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Steps to Organizing your Studio are:
Take Stock: Ask yourself what is working and what is not. Do you have multiple workspaces? Are supplies in multiple places? Do you waste time shifting things around as you work?
Look At Your Gaps: Write down what is not working. Are there areas of your studio you are avoiding? What areas are particularly disorganized or cluttered? This will help you know exactly what you want to change.
Make An Easy Tweak: We can’t always just move to a bigger space, but we can spend a day sorting through supplies and getting rid of things we don’t use. Taking the time to make small tweaks can have huge benefits in the long run.
Test Run: We suggest you test run any changes for at least a month to get used to things before you spend so much time, energy, and often money making big changes.
Invest in Big Changes: Once you’ve lived with some small changes, you can feel confident that you know what big things you want to move forward with. This could be building custom storage in an existing studio, or totally renovating a garage or shed to make your dream space.
We are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
In this episode, we discuss tips and tricks to staying organized in your art practice and business. We focus on all the administrative tasks that go beyond making artwork and spending time in the studio. This could be accounting, ordering supplies, posting on social media, and more. Artists have SO many art admin tasks. Don’t get overwhelmed though, because in Episode #48 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, 5 Tips for Organizing your Art Admin, we are going to give you some simple tasks to tackle this type of work.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Tips for Organizing your Art Admin are:
Get clear on what repeats and what is a one-off task: Sit down and take time to think through all of your tasks. List tasks that repeat regularly, like sending out a monthly newsletter. Then write down tasks that don’t repeat regularly. This could be applications to shows that don’t have a set schedule.
Batch your repeat tasks: Look at your list of repeat tasks and group similar tasks together.For example, creating images for instagram can also become images for your newsletter. Doing these groups of tasks at once can make them easier to get done. Block out chunks of time to get many related things done at once.
Automate! Automate! Automate!: When you look at your repeat tasks, are there tasks you can automate? For instance there are many tools now to automate your social media posts. So, after you create a set of posts, you can schedule them to go out automatically over the upcoming days and weeks.
Make A Monthly Schedule: Create a monthly calendar that reflects your repeated tasks. That way, you aren’t reinventing your task list each month and you know how to structure your time each month based on what worked in the past.
Don’t do it alone!: Having an accountability buddy can help you stay organized and that can make all the difference. Contact a fellow artist and see if you can do weekly check-ins on what tasks you are doing and your overall monthly goals.
We hope you are breathing a little easier after this one! But, if you don’t want to coordinate your art admin by yourself, remember Thrive Together Network Members meet every Tuesday on Zoom to work on our art admin tasks for the week as a community. Find out more at thrivetogethernetwork.com.
Making money from your art does not have to be limited to selling the original piece of artwork! There are so many different ways of having multiple income streams as an artist such as: art prints, printing your artwork on products, teaching art, online classes, artist talks, licensing your work, and more. Sometimes, it can almost feel like too many options, so in Episode #47 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, 5 Steps to Have Multiple Income Streams as an Artist, we talk about how to identify what path works for you as you grow your art business.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Steps to Have Multiple Income Streams as an Artist are:
Look Outward: Look at other artists you admire that have multiple income streams in their business. Make sure you are picking artists that show evidence of success in their multiple income streams, and take notes about how they do what they do.
Look Inward: Your art practice is about you and your artistic dreams so if you are adding new products and ways to sell your work they have to feel good to you! Ask yourself some probing questions about what type of artist you want to be in the world.
Create Your Vision: Make a roadmap for yourself that outlines your new plan. Putting things down on paper will formalize what your goals are, and you will be able to make decisions based on this plan to grow your offerings.
Move Slowly: Start slowly and move slowly. Really think through what you are offering, and don’t put too many things out there at once, that could overwhelm your audience. Test things out and move toward what is successful.
Assess as You Go: Do not offer something new until you have had success with your first new endeavor. Track sales, make sure what you are doing is worth your time, and that your client base is responding positively. There is no rush! Do a few things well rather than overwhelming yourself.
We hope to see your many new endeavors as you diversify your income streams as an artist! We are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
The lack of inspiration, the fatigue, the dearth of ideas, you know what it is: the dreaded creative slump. If you make art long enough it happens, and maybe it happens a lot! Everyone is different and everyone is going to have different ways of combating a slump. In Episode #46 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, 5 Tips to Get Inspired When You’re in a Slump, we discuss some ideas to lean on if you are currently in a slump or find yourself in one in the future.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Tips to Get Inspired When You're In a Slump
Try a New Material: Try a new material to get into play mode. When you go back to exploring rather than pushing a specific direction with your typical medium, it releases you to channel that young artist feeling again and tap into new ideas and curiosity.
Take a Class: A class can offer a break from your responsible artist self coming up with new ideas and having to guide the creative ship. Instead when taking a class, someone else is in charge and you can tap into play and exploration and feel creative again.
Book an Artist Date: So much inspiration and creativity can come from connecting with other artists. After spending time in real life or even on Zoom with other artists, you almost can't stop yourself from having new ideas.
Set Up a Studio Visit: Reach out to a collector or a friend, and invite them to the studio. Talk to them about your work! Your own work can re-inspire you, and having a fresh take from a visitor has the potential to generate new ideas.
Use a Deadline: Find a way that you can build in deadlines to help keep you focused on your creative work. This could be setting up a meeting with an art world professional to share your progress or finding a show to apply for. Those deadlines can be really key to motivation.
We can all experience a slump, and we hope this helps you get through the low times! We are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
Today on the podcast we are chatting about applying to exhibitions! For many artists, applications for shows are a regular part of our work. We both have curatorial experience and have worked with hundreds of artists by helping them exhibit their art. We have seen different levels of professionalism with the artists we’ve worked with, and these skills are something artists learn over time. In Episode #45 of the Thriving Artist Podcast, Do These 5 things When Applying to Shows, we give you a headstart on growing your professionalism!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Things to Do When Applying to Shows:
Visualize the Commitment and Check Your Schedule: Before you apply, think about what it will take to make the show happen if you get in. Then, check your calendar to make sure you have room for that work alongside your other commitments.
Keep Track of Your Submissions: Keep track of where you apply, total submission fees, and exhibition timelines if you are accepted. This will help you understand the “big picture” in terms of where you are putting your time and money.
Follow ALL Instructions: Application guidelines vary from show to show, so make sure you give them the information they ask for in the format they request it to be in. You are an easy target to be eliminated from a show, no matter how great your work is, if you do not follow the instructions for applying.
Label Your Images: Most applications have instructions for how to structure the file name of your image. But in case they don’t, make sure you name your image files with your Last name, First name, and maybe the title of the piece. This way your information will be professional and clear. No file names with a string of confusing random numbers!
Be Patient: Remember that gallerists and curators are humans and they have just received hundreds or thousands of submissions and your work is just one of many of them. They may not have the perfect system worked up and they may make some mistakes along the way. So be patient with them and their process when you reach out.
We hope that is helpful as you put yourself out there and apply for shows! We are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
Artists frequently get a bad rap with stereotypes that we are scattered, unorganized, and unprofessional. However, Kaylan and Jamie are proud “Type-A” artists and believe in the power of intentional planning to grow and maintain your art career! There are many areas of our lives as artists that need to be organized, but today we are focusing on the structure of a week in the life of an artist. In Episode #44 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, How to Plan out Your Week, we will talk about the planning tools we both use and our strategies for staying organized.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 4 Steps to Planning Out Your Week Are:
Have a Planning Routine: This could be a weekly planning session right at the beginning of each week to look at schedules, caregiving responsibilities, and any changes to the normal routine. Or, you could close each week by taking time each Friday to acknowledge your accomplishments from the previous week and look toward what is to come the next week
Look at Your Boulders: Your boulders are the big things, the big events, the big tasks, and the heavy lifting you’ll be doing in the week ahead. What are your top priorities, and what has to come first?
Fill in the Pebbles: After you’ve considered your boulders, you can fill in the pebbles! Maybe you won’t have HUGE chunks of studio time in your week but you can block out an hour here or there! Have a Closing Ritual: Planning isn’t always about looking forward! Make sure to take stock of what you have done and find some pride for your accomplishments no matter how they went.
We hope that is helpful as you work to structure your studio practice! We are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
In today’s podcast, Jamie is here to give you a midsummer creative pep talk! This talk is a reminder that no matter how the summer is going, you are an artist. The magical thing about being an artist is that your art is always there for you, in the good times and the bad. In Episode #43 of the Thriving Artists, Postcast, How to Move from Waiting to Action, Jamie opens up about her personal journey with IVF and what this experience taught her about acceptance and when to push forward.
Jamie describes her show, Mother Time, and her large-scale installation piece that created a fantastical waiting room where she invited others to sit with her in her grief and time of productive re-imagining. She shares how valuable it can be to accept times of waiting or moments we need to pause our work, and also the importance of being tuned in to when to push forward. Most importantly, Jamie reminds us there will be a time when we step out again to face our fears and jump back into our practices, and that we don’t need to do that in isolation!
Our community sabbatical is almost over, and we are ready to jump into our Virtual Artist Residency in mid-August. Join us to dive into some serious art-making together! We are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
We are helping our members get set up for a powerful summer and we wanted to use this episode to do the same for you! We believe breaks are so important for artists so we want to give you tools to help you if you want to keep some art going during the summer. In Episode #42 of the Thriving Artist Podcast, 5 Ways To Set Yourself Up for a Great Summer, focus on talking the summer head on!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Ways to Set Yourself Up for A Great Summer:
Write it All Down: In the Thriving Artists Map we have a worksheet on planning out your time, but you can use a journal or a sketchbook and use a page or draw and a box and fill it with everything you want to complete as an artist and in your business this summer!
Get Clear: So we have this huge list now and what we want you to do is to actually pick your precious priorities this summer. Pick three things from this list of things you want to get done and prioritize these important things.
Get Specific: Look at your three precious priorities and narrow this down to ONE thing you want to get done. We do this because if everything falls apart we want you to have your most important task in mind to hold onto.
Start Now: What can you do today to help your summer self? From prepping materials to even starting work that you can continue this summer, don’t wait to head into your amazing summer!
Set Your End of Summer Date: Having an end date in mind for your summer plans will help you treat every day as our summer break as a precious one. This can give you a nice container for your plans.
We are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists. Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
Summer is upon us! It feels like there is always something fun to do and it is hard to stay motivated in the studio! In Episode #41 of the Thriving Artist Podcast, How to Make Art in Small Moments This Summer, we focus on taking advantage of even brief opportunities to make work because that may be all you have over the next few weeks! Don’t underestimate these small moments, they might even transform how you work over the long term!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Tips for Making Art in Small Moments are:
Prep an Art Kit: You might not be able to be in the physical studio, so take the time beforehand to prep art supplies in an easy, moveable way so you can take the art studio with you. You might even discover you make more work than normal because you have your kit ready and with you.
Have Work Ready at the Mid Point: Start now creating a couple pieces of work and get them halfway or close to completion and then leave them for your future summer self to finish.
Go Small: Sometimes it feels like great work needs to also be a great size but it doesn’t. If you are only able to carry a pad of paper this summer it is worth it to make work. Smaller work is valuable in its own right, but you never know when that small work could lead to something bigger down the line.
Everything Counts: Over the next weeks all of your thinking time, journaling, and sketching counts as part of your art practice. You may not be able to complete masterpieces this summer but take time whenever you can to be thinking about your art practice matters.
Be Present: You may be overloaded with people and obligations but remember art also happens when we are living and learning in the world. Don’t forget to enjoy your summer and use all your experiences in your work!! Observe, look, think, reflect and enjoy life as it is also our art!
We are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists. Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
Today on the podcast, Kaylan talks about having more FUN in the studio. We are artists because we love making art, it brings us joy and pleasure and feels good! But, it is also our job, and sometimes the expectations we put on ourselves can stifle some of the light-ness and we lose sight of the joy that is the foundation of why we do what we do. In Episode #40 of Thriving Artists Podcast, How to Have More Fun in the Studio, connect with what you love about being an artist.
Kaylan’s 4 Things That Connect to Fun in the Studio are:
Set a Season for Fun: As busy artists who are working with timelines for shows, deadlines, and juggling other responsibilities we need to be aware of WHEN we can have some fun seasons in the studio and take note of them! Don’t let an opportunity to tap into a less stressful time of creating pass by!
Have Good Entertainment: Sometimes we need some non-distracting music or even silence in the studio when we really need to focus because a serious deadline is looming. When you are leaning into a fun studio session, find entertainment that matches the mood you are going for. This could be a fun podcast, audiobook, or even just upbeat music.
Enter a FLOW: Limit distractions, put your phone in airplane mode, and just MAKE. Do a little advanced planning, pack a snack, and preserve that precious space to let loose free from responsibilities.
Use Non-Precious Materials: One of the ways we can enter flow and have more fun in the studio is to use non-precious materials to play and experiment. Do a series of studies on cheap paper, use all your collage or scrap material, take a week to have fun in the studio while only using scraps of materials from your “more serious” work.
Head to thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more about the Thrive Together Network all the various resources we have to offer! As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists.
As artists, most of us struggle with self doubt! Artists see the world differently and often take atypical paths in society. This can affect our confidence. Combine that with all those other artists we can compare ourselves with on social media, and this can really make us doubt ourselves. In Episode #39 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, 5 Ways to Fight Self Doubt, we share some steps to help you face your self doubt head on!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Ways to Fight Self Doubt Are:
Identify Why Art is Important: When those pesky voices start whispering in your ear causing you to doubt this whole career, take time to identify why art matters to you! Name it and write it down for yourself. Why does Art Matter? Why do we need art in the world? And, when you’re ready, why does YOUR art matter?
Name Your Fears & Insecurities: Just like naming why art is important to you can help, naming and writing down what you fear can be beneficial too! Sometimes the lack of clarity around what you are really thinking and feeling is what causes us to spiral and grow our self doubt more than the thing itself!
Clarify Your Expectations: There are so many expectations we place on ourselves and that are placed on us by society. Take some time to get crystal clear on your expectations for yourself as an artist. What are your main goals and priorities? When you know what your goals are, you can calm your own fears in the low times!
Cultivate Patience: Work towards a long-standing career that grows sustainably over time. Envision yourself making work until you are old and gray! It takes time to build trust in your art community, to develop your work, and to grow your career. Focus on sustainability and doing what is valuable in the long run.
Remember How Far You’ve Come: You have already done so much!. You have put in so many hours, you have built something from nothing! Remember this and reflect often on what you have already accomplished before you move on to thinking about all that you hope to do.
We are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists, even when you feel that self doubt! Join the Thrive Together Network to build your network of support! Visit www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
We have been leading art communities and been leaders in the arts for many years now and we decided to pool our experience and think about the “art world” as a whole. As we did this, we realized there are some unfortunate aspects of the art world but, spoiler alert, we also see a lot of these as very positive things. In Episode #38 of the Thriving Artist Podcast, 5 Unfortunate Art World Truths, we discuss how if artists recognize these truths exist they can avoid discouragement and use these truths to their advantage.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Unfortunate Art World Truths Are:
Art Takes Time: Art doesn’t do well being forced or pushed. But the more we accept this truth and not fight it, the more patience and calm we can bring to our studio practices
The Art Market is Oversaturated: Yes, there is a ton of art out in the world right now BUT your voice is unique. Your voice might feel small amid all of it, but small is mighty and we live in a time where with tools like social media that allow our voice to take up space.
Being an Artist and Being an Entrepreneur are Two Different Things: There is a push and pull of making work and trying to sell work. Accepting that these are two completely different skill sets can help free your inner artist during studio time and release her from figuring out the business side. Then you can adopt our business persona when you are working on some of the more outward facing strategic work.
Stories Sell: It can feel exhausting to make the work and then figure out how to share the story. But this is the marketing side of the business that is truly essential to drawing people into your “art world”. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming to figure out how to share your work, but making it a story can be so fulfilling.
A Lone Artist is a Lonely One: We have been fed a story that the artist is a rebel, an outcast and often portrayed alone making their work. But what we have definitely learned over the years is that artists REALLY need people! You will get further faster when you have a strong network and community backing you up!
We hope you have found these unfortunate art world truths actually freeing! As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists. Head to www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more!
As our community puts on dozens of exhibitions this May as part of our Taking Up Space Initiative, we hope you are getting out and attending any of the shows in your area! Generally, we hope you make it a part of your art practice to plug in to your local community and support the artists in your city or state. Here in Episode #37 of the Thriving Artist Podcast, Do’s and Don’ts for Attending Gallery Shows, we are sharing some quick tips in the form of things to DO when you go to an art show and things NOT TO DO.
Jamie and Kaylan’s Do’s and Don’ts for Attending Gallery Shows are:
Sign In: Make your presence known and provide documentation that you were there to the artist and the gallerist. Sign the artist’s book with a thoughtful comment and sign up for the gallery newsletter.
Help Promote the Show: Share promotional Instagram posts about the show you are attending and post about being there. The gallery and the artist will really appreciate it if you spread the word.
Attend the Artist Talk: If the exhibition or gallery is hosting an artist talk, definitely go to this!! You’ll be inspired and you are making your presence known again.
Ask the Artist or Gallery a Thoughtful Question: Ask a thoughtful question at any artist talks or at the opening. Everyone appreciates when someone wants to engage with the work more deeply.
Don’t ask for your own show: This is not a good way to form an authentic connection and build a relationship. Don’t ask the artist to help you get a show at their opening and definitely don’t directly ask the gallery owner for a show there.
Don’t go to the show expecting an outcome for yourself: Attending shows is about relationship building, making yourself known, and establishing yourself as a reliable member of your local art community over time. Be patient and build some trust and authentic connection with the gallerists and artists instead of just expecting a hand out or immediate result for yourself.
Don’t forget to follow up: Send a note, email, or even an Instagram message to the artist and gallerist and just tell them how much you loved the show. A little support can go a long way!
We hope this is helpful on your journey to becoming a confident and considerate member of your local art community. As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists.
There is power in planning your studio time! That way you know the milestones you would like to hit as you move through the amazing studio time. With a plan, your brain can focus on making the work, not on what you should or shouldn’t be doing with your time! In Episode #36 of Thriving Artist, Podcast, How to Get the Most Out of Your Studio Hours, we talk about why structuring your studio time in advance creates a really strong creative loop that you can use over and over again.
The 4 parts of a studio plan’s creative loop are:
Rumination: Create time for your ideas and concepts to ruminate in your brain while you are not at the studio. Think about your work and come up with some “moves” you want to make mentally, then implement physically the next time you are in your space. When you next head to the studio your brain will already be activated and knows the next step.
Preparation: Prep materials or even food in advance! Do small tasks outside the studio at convenient times so you are ready to go when you arrive. Are there any small tasks you could do in down time outside the studio like prepping materials while watching TV? Don’t dread the blank canvas in your studio! Prepare!
Production: By showing up with the idea ruminating and materials prepped, you are ready to go! The production part of the process is actually easy! Heading into the studio to play and explore is amazing, but what we want to avoid is heading into the studio and feeling lost. Ruminate and prep to create space for that amazing studio flow time where you make, make, make!
Return: Create a meaningful return to the studio by starting a plan for the next session before you leave. That way this creative loop will continue to feed itself! Consider your return when you are leaving space for your future self to come in and feel activated and inspired.
Join us at the Thrive Together Network and you can plug into the resources and get started planning your studio time with intention! Visit our website thrivetogethernetwork.com to get signed up!
At the Thrive Together Network, we host an annual retreat for our community where we come together in person to rest, get inspired, and bond. In addition, and especially since this experience is not going to work for everyone every year, we recommend all artists do a personal retreat once or twice a year. In Episode #35 of the Thriving Artist Podcast, How to Plan a Personal Art Retreat, we break down the steps on how to create a retreat experience for yourself that works for your circumstances.
Jamie and Kaylan’s Six Steps to Creating your Own Personal Retreat Are:
Block your Time: Check your schedule for available time. This should be 6 to 48 hours. Pick a day where you can push all the other to-do’s aside or a night or two where you can totally unplug from your normal responsibilities and get away. If you don’t claim the time, it will never happen!
Name What Matters: Think about what you are needing most right now. What sounds MOST nourishing to you? Is it reconnection with your body or nature? Is it seeing art in person? List one or two things as a guidepost for yourself as you plan. Remember, not every retreat should be the same, we get to tweak them based on what we are craving during this season.
Plan Ahead So You Feel Cared For: If you were planning the retreat for a friend, what steps would you take to make them feel special? Do those things for yourself!! Buy your favorite bottle of wine, pack a bag of your favorite snacks, get ready to crack open that book you’ve been dying to read. Pack well and do it when you feel calm and thoughtful about the retreat.
Do Some Writing and Reflection: We are huge believers in taking stock through quiet moments of writing. We wrote a whole workbook for our community to follow for a YEAR that is full of this stuff! Take time to follow some of the writing prompts from this episode to reflect on your practice. It pays off!
Prioritize Something You “Never Have Time For”: This is the time to do that thing that you just have been putting off. Not a task or to-do, but something for PLEASURE and joy. Just go do it! Make it a part of your plan and be nourished by it.
Let Go of Expectations and Have a Plan B in Your Pocket: This retreat will not go perfectly. And perfect is not the goal here. The point is to prioritize yourself, take up some space and make the claim that you matter. Come up with a plan B in case your dream retreat scenario doesn’t work out.
Don’t forget to get signed up for our newsletter so you don’t miss the Artists Summer Toolkit that is going to drop June 12th. It’s a packet of info to help you plan your retreats and get set up for a great summer. Go to www.thrivetogethernetwork.com to sign up. As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists.
Today, we are going to chat about the importance of retreats and why we believe they are integral and necessary, not just to us as human beings, but specifically for us as artists. The reasons we discuss are relevant for all types of retreats, and there are so many options depending on where you are in life. You could do a solo retreat, a connection building retreat, a retreat far away or one close by. Regardless of how you choose to retreat, in Episode #34 of the Thriving Artists Podcast, Why Artists need to Retreat, we discuss what they all have in common as a way to build you up as an artist.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Reasons Artists need to Retreat are: Remove yourself from the juggle: We juggle so much in our everyday lives like relationships, caregiving, jobs, bills and meetings. The list can feel endless and fitting all of these into our days like a chaotic puzzle can be exhausting. Retreats offer a break from this juggle, because when you show up to a retreat everything is ready and prepped.
Invest in your nourishment: Retreats offer a specific time to nourish ourselves, to give ourselves the food, fuel, and inspiration we so desperately need. To nourish literally means to give ourselves the substances we need to grow and be healthy. Retreats give us what we need to be healthy as artists as well, such as rest, pleasure, experimentation, exploration, discovery and connection. Experience a new environment: There is something magical when you wake up somewhere different and get into a different landscape. It’s like our sense of awareness and “noticing” is heightened. We are pulled back into the practice of attention, rather than being bored or saturated by what is familiar to us. This helps encourage our creative processing.
Making connections: When you join in retreats you make connections! Experiencing something with new people outside of your comfort zones is one of the most ultimate ways to bond. You form an instant connection and the energy flows in such a nice way. Artists who bond at retreats frequently go on to future collaborations and mutual support.
Resist grind culture: JUST BE. Retreats are a portal to JUST BE. Attending a retreat does not make you lazy. You are investing in your nourishment, making a claim that you deserve to have moments of peace, rest, rejuvenation and re-alignment. You deserve to JUST BE with a group who gets you.
If you’d like more information on how to attend our Thrive Together Network retreat in Black Mountain, North Carolina the weekend of June 3rd, 2023, we would LOVE to have you! Head to www.thrivetogethernetwork.com/retreat
You might not have thought of it this way, but buying art can help your art career and help you thrive as an artist! Purchasing work by other artists can leave you feeling inspired, empowered and feeling good that you have put your money where your mouth is by living your values. When you bring art into your home, it tells a story about who you are, and in
Episode #33 of the Thriving Artist Podcast, Why Artists Should Buy Art, we discuss how it can feed you as an artist, bringing about so many good things that support you and your career!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Reasons Why Artists Should Buy Art:
Walk the Walk: If we are going to ask other people to value our work and buy it then we need to do the same. We need to value art enough to spend our hard earned art dollars on it as well, and there are many ways to do this in an affordable way.
Study buyer behavior: When we buy art we get the opportunity to be on the other end of the transaction and consider why we are buying the work and what made the purchase happen. Then we can use the experience to better position ourselves to make our own sales happen.
Experience a customer journey: When artists buy art, we get to see what the experience is like from purchase to delivery. We can use this experience to make our customer journey even better. This firsthand look at the communication the artist should give the buyer and how to guide the buyer through the customer journey helps us improve our own practices.
Build confidence: Seeing the power of original artwork in your own home will help you be confident as you go out to sell your own work. When you spend your money on artwork, it reminds you that the art is a true gift for the collector.
Support your community: Putting your money into what you love and where your values are does only good things. This will always come back to you in good ways!
We hope you will find a way to celebrating and supporting other artists by having their work in your in my home. We want to support you in your art career as well! Join our community, the Thrive Together Network, at www.thrivetogethernetwork.com.
All of us can have those feelings of doubt creep in when we start sharing our work or talking about ourselves as artists! At Thrive Together Network we believe we can be confident in our art practices and speak about our work with certainty. Episode #32 of the Thriving Artist Podcast, 5 Tips for Speaking More Boldly About Your Art, we go over 5 tips to put aside your second guessing and fearlessly own your artist identity.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Tips for Speaking More Boldly About Your Art are:
Call Yourself an Artist: Claiming your artist identity is just something you have to put into practice, even when you aren’t feeling it! Choose to believe it… YOU are an artist. Accept it, know it, proclaim it, and it will help you be more confident and speak more boldly about your art! Have a Pitch: When someone asks you what you do, it’s totally ok to have a rehearsed response ready! Be ready to say, “I am an artist and I make work about this, this or that…”, when you meet someone in the elevator or at the park.
Make it Relatable: After you have shared your simple answer to “what do you do”, think of a way to make it relatable to whoever you are talking to so they can engage. Pulling someone into your art by asking them to relate to it at the end with the question turns topics of your work into an engaging conversation. State What You’re Proud Of: When you are talking about your work, literally use the prompt “I’m really proud of….______”. It’s a great way to boost your confidence while you are speaking, and to own your accomplishments.
Write, Reflect, and Practice: Do some writing. Read your artist statement occasionally. Don’t just write it once, stick it on your website and never look at it again. Reflect on the writing you do and practice saying it outloud in different ways. It helps when it’s time to speak to people about your work!
Head to thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn more about the Thrive Together Network resources that help build your confidence as an artist such as the Thriving Artist Map and our live Art & Tea sessions. As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists.
By the end of March, many of us at the Thrive Together Network are working on our solo and group art shows that are happening in May 2023 for the Taking Up Space Initiative. To support this amazing work we have recorded 2 other episodes all about putting on your own art show:
Episode #23, How to Put on Your Own Art Show in 5 months and Episode #29, How to Get People To Come to Your Art Show. Today, in Episode #31 of the Thriving Artist Podcast, The Checklist You Need for Every Art Show, Jamie tackles the final details you need to do to get ready for your opening once the work is on the walls.
Jamie’s Checklist You Need for Every Art Show Is:
Plan for Future You: One of our favorite ways of self-care is caring for a future version of yourself. Earlier in the week try to plan ahead as much as you can for "You on Exhibition Night". This could mean picking out an outfit in advance, finding a babysitter, or tackling meal plans ahead of time.
Prepare for Conversations: Try practicing your responses to the comments you may receive on the night of the exhibition. It will greatly help with those butterflies and insecurities that could rise up in the moment! Work on being able to confidently describe your show in 2 or 3 sentences.
Pick an Exhibition Event Mantra: We easily let nerves, insecurities or persistent perfectionism get in the way from remaining present and confident in our accomplishments. Choose a mantra to help you stay grounded on the night of the event. Examples are: “My work is worthy of this exhibition.” or “I belong here.”
We can’t wait to see the exhibitions our community puts together for the Taking Up Space Initiative in 2023, and as always we are here for you, cheering you on and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join us at www.thrivetogethernetwork.com
Today on the podcast we are talking about confidence, which is something almost every artist has to work on throughout their careers. Join us for Episode #30 of the Thriving Artists, Podcast, 5 Strategies to Have More Confidence in Your Art as we tackle how to approach this challenge! This topic is so important, especially in the age of Instagram where we see the curated version of everyone’s studio practice. It can be hard to navigate the ups and downs of being an artist when there is so much great art out in the world readily available at our fingertips.
At the Thrive Together Network, we believe there is room for everyone, but sometimes we can become intimidated and it gets hard to be confident when we see such amazing things all around us!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Strategies to Have More Confidence in Your Art are:
Travel back in time: Use your own story as an example of growth and inspiration, and this will help you start to see how far you’ve come. Faming your work in the context of everything you have already accomplished will grow your confidence. We tend to always look outwards with social media, so this is a great way to ground and center inwards.
Write about your work: Take the time to think about your work and what you are saying with your practice so that you will be able to then speak about it and share your work confidently. Taking time to work through your concepts and ideas helps you remember why you make what you make and why it is important.
Know where you fit in the cannon: Know your historical influences and the other artists that have influenced your work. This is the story of where you came from as an artist. By mentally putting yourself alongside these art heroes, you will build your confidence in the value of what you are doing.
Get feedback: Self doubt and insecurity thrive in isolation. This is when your inner critic takes over! Building confidence is about you in relationship with others. Engage with other artists to build them up and allow them to do the same for you. Join a community online or locally and start to connect and receive feedback!
Keep going: Nothing builds the confidence muscle like time! Show up again and again and again. Continue to keep learning and improving. Practice a growth mindset that focuses on all the improvements you are making by continuing to show up.As always we are here for you, cheering you on and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists! Join us at www.thrivetogethernetwork.com
In Episode #29 of the Thriving Artists, Podcast, How to Get People To Come to Your Art Show we discuss small actions that have a huge impact on attendance at your exhibitions.
We have hosted a number of art shows on our own and it is a lot of hard work, but getting people there is so important. We use the phrase “the final 5%” when we talk about this type of work. You’ve made the art, found a venue, and have generally done so much, but the last few tasks are so important for success. These are “the final 5%”. By taking these steps to make sure you have good attendance at your exhibit, you are going to get the most you can out of all your hard work.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 4 Tips for how to get people to come to your art show are:
Tell people a lot of times: When we say a lot…we mean a lot. It’s important to start sharing early and start prepping your audience for what they can expect to see. Don’t feel like you are annoying people if you do multiple posts on social media, not everyone will see every post.
Tell people in a lot of different ways: Have a plan for when you send our newsletters, post on socia media, send out a press release and drop off flyers in different places. Get organzied to get the word out and have multiple ways to spread your message!
Tell people everything they need to know: Include the address, time, date and any other important information in your communication. These simple details can be so easily forgotten when you are busy trying to get everything done for your show. We want there to be no barriers for attending your event!
Invite people in personal ways…and tell them to bring a friend: Sending personal emails and messages to people you want at your show goes a long way. Feeling personally invited to something gives the invitation more weight and people are more invested in going to that event.
For all of our Taking. Up. Space. 2023 artists this is such a good reminder to get sharing and get people excited about your upcoming show!!
It’s easy to get distracted by shiny new things or follow a fad that is supposed to bring you success, but we believe the keys to success as an artist are found in some very basic principles that build longevity and bring wins over time. In Episode #28 of Thriving Artist, Podcast, 5 Things Successful Artists Do we are sharing some of these foundational practices. We have seen these practices time and time again with the hundreds of artists we have worked with.
Jamie and Kaylan’s list of 5 Things Successful Artists Do:
Commit to creating - Artists who are successful in their work and career all have a certain level of commitment.These artists figure out what they can commit to during the season of life they are in and they really go for it. They make their art as big of a priority as they can and develop habits and routines that create growth for their careers. Develop an art language or art voice - The most successful artists are the ones who have really dug in deep and figured out their artistic language. This can mean many different things, but it means knowing what you make and why you make it and having a visual vocabulary that is strong, succinct and recognizable.
Have a Strong Network - Support cannot be underrated. Not only do fellow artists validate your identity as an artist, they appreciate your work and join in supporting you around the challenges of figuring out your art career. A strong and diverse network is crucial to keeping you going in your practice.
Consistent Self Promotion - Putting yourself out there and sharing your work in a consistent way creates trust between you and your audience. This promotion builds momentum for your career. Some of the most successful artists are ones sharing their work without feeling ashamed and without apology.
Despite any doubt, do the work anyway - Commit, move forward and do not let your doubts get in your way! We really believe that everything else will follow if you prioritize your work and do it even when you feel uncertain or full of doubt.
Head to thrivetogethernetwork.com to learn how we can support you as you build and grow your foundation as an artist! As always, we are here for you, we are cheering you on, and we believe in the work you are doing as thriving artists.
In the last episode, we talked about 4 relationships every artist needs, and in this episode Kaylan tackles how to network and actually build those relationships in ways that are sustainable. So, go back and listen to Episode #26 if you missed it and then dive in to Episode #27 of Thriving Artists, Podcast, 5 Sustainable Strategies for Networking. Networking is hard work and can be time consuming. Having a plan to develop your network means you are intentional, you are motivated, and you are invested in your career and the art careers of others!
Kaylan’s 5 sustainable strategies for networking are:
Identify your relationship layers- Take the 4 layers of relationships we outlined in episode #26. Who are the people in those categories? Write down their names! If you have even one person in each category, that’s great!
Target the gaps- Find places those relationship layers feel a little thin. Maybe you have many people in your audience but could use some close art friends in your inner circle. Maybe you have lots of close friends and artist mentors and peers but you need some art professional connections.
Pick a time frame and time amount- Make time for networking and consider it part of your work. Pick a time frame, this is when you will network and for how long. You probably naturally already have some networking built into your life. This could be a monthly studio date with a friend or a crit crew meeting through TTN. It all counts!
Share consistent content- Share consistent content and share that content consistently across all layers of your network. Did a museum acquire a new work of yours? That’s something to share! Spread the news to your close friends, your mentors and peers, your followers and your professional contacts.
Identify your outlets- Identify your outlets for each layer of your network, this means asking how you best communicate with each layer. For your close friends, you may use text messages. Maybe for peers, you use the Thrive together Network. It might be best to communicate with your audience and followers through Instagram or a newsletter. For professional connections it might be email or a postcard.
Head to thrivetogethernetwork.com to download your Artists Networking Toolkit and join us for the FREE SESSION of Art & Tea on Tuesday March 14th where we are going to be working all this out together.
Today we are chatting about relationships!! Relationships in the art world can sometimes feel tricky, but we really need other artists, arts professionals, and people in our communities to support our work. No artist thrives in total isolation. In Episode #26 of Thriving Artist, Podcast, 4 Relationships Every Artist Needs, we break down the different types of relationships you need to to have a well-rounded and supportive community for your studio practice.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 4 Relationships Every Artist Needs are:
Your closest art friends: These are people in your closest orbit. They just “get it”. You can text them last minute, ask any question, or get quick feedback on your work.
Your mentors and peers: Right outside of your inner circle are peers and mentors. We need quite a large number of peers in order to feel supported as an artist. These relationships can range from acquaintances to closer friends. You need to have artists in your community who support your work.
Your audience and collectors: This is the third layer of relationships. These are the people who follow you on social media accounts and comment, like, and share your work. They buy your art and hang it in their homes, and they generally follow along with what you are doing. These people may or may not be artists, but they certainly are art-appreciators, and we need people like this in our lives to support our careers!
Your professional connections: This is the last layer. These are folks like gallery owners, curators, people who run podcasts or have other platforms. They work in the press or at publications. These are people who can do the work of sharing, supporting and giving opportunities to an artist that can really take your career to the next level.
If you want to dive more into understanding the relationships in your life as an artist, we have a FREE GIFT for you called The Artist’s Networking Toolkit. Included are worksheets and activities, plus 2 free sessions of our popular Art & Tea weekly network programming on this topic! These are “open house” style sessions where you don’t have to be a member but you can join us to check it out! These two sessions are on March 14th and March 21st, 2023 at 1:00pm EASTERN or 10am PACIFIC.
Head to our website thrivetogethernetwork.com to find out more, download Your Artists Networking Toolkit and find the Zoom links to the corresponding open house sessions in our Instagram link in bio.
What comes to mind when you hear the word “critique”? As artists, the idea of putting our work out there and receiving feedback can be daunting, if not completely scary! We’ve all heard the stories of artists getting their work verbally ripped to shreds in a grad school critique. Here at Thrive Together Network, we believe that critique can be respectful and caring, providing a deep and transformative experience that pushes your work forward. We model this approach in our Crit Crew program, so we wanted to do a deep dive here in this episode to discuss all of the benefits of feedback in a small group setting like our Crit Crews. Join us for Episode #25 of Thriving Artists, Podcast, 5 Ways Critique Can Change Your Practice, as we discuss and demystify…the dreaded critique.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Ways Critique Can Change Your Practice are:
Helps you understand what others are seeing when they look at your work: Being part of a critique where others are simply sharing with you what they see when they look at your work can be SO powerful. It can guide you towards making decisions within your work that you would never have arrived at on your own. This helps you get your concepts across!
Roots you more deeply in your art lineage: We don’t always have the knowledge for understanding exactly where our work fits into the canon of art history. We have to learn these things through research, lots of time spent in galleries and museums and we aren’t always able to tune in to those narratives. Others can contextualize your work and jumpstart your understanding of where you fit into the bigger picture of the art world.
Opens you to new materials or processes: Deep knowledge of materials and processes comes with time and experience. As independent artists, we reach for the materials we know and the processes we are familiar with. However, when we open ourselves to critique and let other artists and mentors look at our work and studio practice, they help us see that there are new materials or ways to make our work that might help make our work stronger!
Guides you toward your next steps: Working in your studio alone day after day can send you into ways of working that become habitual, familiar and known. Critique can shake things up and guide you to new exciting places!
Nourishes your artist identity: Establishing a relationship with other artists who give you productive feedback is nourishing to you because YOU are developing your skills talking about your work. You are making connections, learning, and that nourishes your artist identity in immeasurable ways.
If you want to join our crit crew program, we would love to extend the invitation. These groups are truly life changing, and getting feedback like this on your work can revolutionize your career! Our enrollment is currently open and spots are filling fast! Our program is limited to 40 artists so sign up before the deadline of February 26th to ensure you get to participate.
This is week one of Thrive Together Network’s Virtual Artist Residency, and in Episode #24 of Thriving Artists, Podcast, How to Plan Out Your Studio Time we talk about how to set yourself up for good time management in the studio. Having a plan and being intentional with your time in small ways can really help you reap big rewards. We think planning out your studio time and implementing some structure is especially important and not something we really hear people talk about!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 3 steps for planning out your studio time are:
Name what Matters Most: Prioritization is key to spending our studio time in a way that is fruitful. Putting in a few minutes to think through what matters to us right now can ease up some of the mental “mess” help us identify our guideposts for each studio session. Make time to pause and connect your mind, your priorities, and your calendar to the actual work you are doing in the studio to help keep you on track!
Divide and Conquer: Take one large project or task and break it down into smaller tasks by category and complete those tasks in one session. Break down the parts of your process and get into the flow of one method for each session. Limit the materials you are getting out and the clean up!
Create a Closing Routine: Create a closing routine anywhere from 10-20 minutes in length to wrap up your session. This could mean tidying up your work space, prepping materials for your next studio session, doing a little art reading, or journaling about your studio time. You could use this time to do a short meditation or even one minute of conscious and deep breathing before you transition back to your other responsibilities and out of “artist mode”.
You can sign up to join us in our Virtual Art Residency, and experience a whole month of dedicated studio time with the support of other artists!! Head to thrivetogethernetwork.com to sign up! Also, follow the residency on instagram to see what other artists are doing by going to the hashtag #thrivetogetherartres
Today’s episode is inspired by Thrive Together Network’s Taking. Up. Space initiative. For T.U.S.,Thrive Together Network members put on art shows during or close to the month of May each year. In Episode 23 of Thriving Artists, Podcasts, How to Put on Your Own Art Show in 5 Months, Jamie shares a deep dive into how this is done! There is a whole course on the Network that breaks this down in detail for our members, and today’s episode is the condensed version of that course.
Jamie’s Outline for How to Put on Your Own Art Show in 5 Months:
Month 1 Planning: This month is all about planning, committing and understanding your “why”. Use this time to ask questions about your intentions, what type of show it will be and what type of space might be available for your show. Spread the word and think outside the box to gather possibilities.
Month 2 The Art Making Process: Month 2 in the Taking. Up. Space. Initiative coincides with our Virtual Art Residency. This is the month to make sure you have a realistic plan for what work will be in the show and to execute that plan! Write and get your initial thoughts out about your work in this busy time of making!
Month 3 Capture Your Work: This month is time to finish your work, document your work for future promotion, create your artist statement and show statement, and make a plan to get people to your show!! By month 3, you should have your space locked down so you can create your promotional plan!
Month 4 Get the Word Out: Month 4 is time to spread the word and start inviting people. Get your press release out into the world and start generating some buzz about your show! Add the finishing touches to your pieces by signing them, protecting the work, and getting the work up on your website.
Month 5 It’s Show Time: This is when it all comes together so enjoy it! We will have a future episode with an art show checklist for all of those tasks you need to get the art from your studio to your show. Overall, stay present and celebrate your accomplishments!
If you are a current member of the Thrive Together Network go to the Taking. Up Space. Section on the Network and you will find a whole Course 2023 and in there are press kits for TUS, checklist, branding for you use, how to videos and more.
And if you are not a member then head to thrivetogethernetwork.com to join us! Be part of the moment and take up space in your community because your work is important.
In today’s episode, we are talking about accountability and why we need it! It’s on our minds as the Thrive Together Network community is kicking off our Virtual Art Residency this week. Accountability allows us to reach our goals together! It can be hard to carry the weight of setting and meeting goals in the studio all on your own, and that is why community accountability is so powerful! In Episode #22 of Thriving Artists, Podcast, Why Every Artist Needs Accountability, we discuss why it is so valuable to share our burdens of responsibility.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 4 Reasons Why Every Artist Needs Accountability:
It requires us to be clear with ourselves: To get accountability we need to get clear on what we care about and what we want. The act of telling someone else what we want for our lives and art careers means we have to do some thinking and process through our goals.
Easier said than done: Accountability with another human being or a community of humans allows us to not just talk the talk but walk the walk. We have said the thing aloud to someone else and they will know if we don’t do it. This pushes us to do hard things we would otherwise neglect!
Creates goal posts: There is so much we have to juggle as artists and many things easily go unnoticed. Sometimes these things are hard to measure and hard to remember to celebrate but when we have accountability with fellow artists all those things are understood and celebrated!
Lets you share your wins: Having fellow artists who actually get what you are working so hard on is so important. Having an art community that you are accountable to allows for meaningful recognition of your work!
By joining a community like TTN or connecting you can start to meet fellow artists and find one or a group that you click with. We hope you will consider joining us in time for our Virtual Artist Residency in order to get the full benefit of the accountability provided by our community!
Head to thrivetogethernetwork.com to join us!
In Episode #21 of Thriving Artist, Podcast, 5 Reasons to do an Art Residency, we share why we think artist residencies are so important and how they can impact your entire practice! We wanted to make this episode now because we believe in the power of art residencies and if you are on the fence about joining us in February or joining another art residency this year we wanted to share our thoughts on why they are so important. We just absolutely love reserving space for dedicated studio time!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 reasons you should do an art residency are:
Our Art Is Our Cornerstone: An art residency provides a sacred container of time to focus on the work, to get back to basics and to come back to our cornerstone - we are artists and we make art.
Create a mental break: It can be a challenge to make great art while mentally multitasking about other things! By doing an art residency and claiming that space in your life and mind you are creating a time to just think about your art.
Creativity thrives under constraints: Constraints can lead to action and creativity! The month-long residency format provides enough time to really dig into a project and get creative, but it isn’t so much time that you get lost in the weeds…because you have to get it done!
Take up space: Don’t just take up space with your physical studio space, take up the space in your schedule as well. Label this time as your art residency to tell everyone in your life that you are an artist and you take yourself and your work seriously.
Goals matter: When we have goals and benchmarks in our practice, amazing things happen. An artist residency doesn’t just impact the time during the residency, it pushing you forward throughout your entire year! The power of a residency is that you can then say yes to other opportunities later in your year because of the results of your hard work during your residency.
We hope you will join us next year in February for our Virtual Artist Residency on the Thrive Together Network so we follow your progress each week in our live Art & Tea Sessions! Head to thrivetogethernetwork.com to join and participate in the residency as one part of a full year of THRIVING!
In our first episode of 2023, we share our thoughts on planning, and we channel all of our organizational energy into helping you map out a great year ahead! Join us for Episode #20 of the Thriving Artist, Podcast, How to Map Out a Great Year as we share four steps to set our compass and be intentional and achieve our goals in 2023. If we know where we are going, we can make a plan to get there. Join along and get started mapping out a great year!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 4 steps for mapping out a great year are:
Set your Compass: Identify what is important to you, what your intentions are for your year, how you want to feel, and what you want to accomplish. This will be your guide to goal setting and making to-do lists!
Identify your Don’ts and your No’s: Sometimes we just know in our gut what doesn’t feel right for us, even when we aren’t sure what DOES feel good. Identify that healthy knowledge so you can use it to steer your ship and map out a great art year!
Goal Set by Quarter: We think goal planning is best done 3 months at a time. You may have a goal that will take you 1 year to accomplish, but break down that goal into parts or smaller goals you will accomplish by quarter. Head into the year with this quarterly mindset!
Book check-ins: Make time for yourself to check-in and asseses throughout your day, week, month, and year. We are more impactful when we are deeply rooted in our intentions through checking in and assessing, re-directing, or celebrating what we are doing.
We would LOVE to spend the year cheering you on and supporting you as a member of our community. When you join the Thrive Together Network, you get access to our weekly Art & Tea sessions (including links to the replays if you can’t make them live), 2 virtual art residencies, all of our Taking Up Space course material, and your own digital copy of the Thriving Artists Map, our year long guide for helping you map out an intentional, nourishing art career this year.
Head to thrivetogethernetwork.com to join us!
This episode marks the launch of the Thriving Artist Map: A Year-Long Guide to Support Your Art Career and Artist Life in 2023. The Map is a workbook that not only gives you structure but also gives you activities, check-ins, and planning guides. It acts as a rhythm for a year of really thriving as a working artist. There are planning spreads for each month and quarter that help you keep track of your goals, plus lots of reflection and writing prompts. In Episode #19 of Thriving Artists, Podcast A Map For You To Thrive In 2023, walk you through the details of the Thriving Artist Map to explain what is to come to start getting excited about the year ahead.
We’ve divided the year into quarters, with themes for each month. Here is a quick rundown of what to expect each quarter:
First Quarter: Virtual Artist Residency, Start of Crit Crews, and planning for Taking Up Space!
Second Quarter: Taking up Space Exhibitions, in-person Retreat, and a mid-year check-in to keep us on track
Third Quarter: Our rest month and a focus on making with another Virtual Artist Residency
Fourth Quarter: We have activities to get organized, refocus on values, and most importantly, CELEBRATE!
We truly believe every path is different in the arts and each artist has a different set of goals and dreams. The Thriving Artists Map is a structure that you can use to get where you want to be alongside an amazing community of artists. Join us throughout the year at the Live Art and tea Zoom session as we all use the Thriving Artist Map to be the artists we want to be!
Head to our website to get a full list of what’s included in the Thriving Artist Map. All of our TTN members will get a digital copy of the Thriving Artists Map. You can also buy your own hard copy at www.thrivetogethernetwork.com.
On the Thrive Together Network, we gather as a community every Tuesday for sessions called “Art & Tea.” In these sessions we connect with fellow members, share advice and ideas. We asked our community to reflect on a few questions to help them wrap up their year powerfully. For Episode #18 of Thriving Artists, Podcast, 4 Questions To Wrap Up Your Year Powerfully, we thought it would be fun to share these questions from Art & Tea participants with you and answer them ourselves. We hope our answers offer a template for you to think about your own year and hope this will feel like listening to friends share about their own experiences. You are not alone in this!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 4 Questions to Help you Wrap Up Your Year Powerfully Are:
What are you most proud of in your art practice this year?
What do you make space for this year?
What was a big lesson for you this year?
If you had to “theme” this past year with one word what would it be? What word do you want to manifest for the new year ahead?
As you reflect on last year, make sure you head into next year with intention with our Thriving Artist Map. We are offering the new Thriving Artists Map workbook to every TTN current and new member when you sign up before January 31st, 2023.
Making a plan to realize your big dreams can be overwhelming! As artists, we have SO much freedom in how we structure our studio practice, but what happens with that open structure becomes daunting? In Episode #17 of Thriving Artists, Podcast, How to Plan Ahead and NOT Be Overwhelmed, we talk about how to dream your biggest dreams, and create achievable goals to get you where you want to be!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 steps for how to plan ahead and NOT Be Overwhelmed are:
Time Travel: Mentally fast forward to the end of the year you are planning and ask yourself what are the dreams I have that I would be the most proud of if looking back at the end of the year. We suggest sticking to 1 or 2 dreams to aim for!
Plan In Quarters: Quarters allow enough time, 3 months, to get so much done but not such a huge amount of time we can get lost in the plan and not know how to start making action steps. Set your goals in 3 month chunks!
Plan 4 Goals Max: Be realistic with your goals and your time. Your big dream for the year will have multiple steps and parts and often we don’t take the time to map these out and get clear on what our dream or goal truly entails. Keep things to 4 goals per quarter as you work toward next year’s dream!
Have a Parking Lot: A parking lot is a metaphorical place to write down and record all of your dreams, plans, hopes. Yes, limit yourself to 4 goals per quarter but add a “parking lot” section where you can write down everything else you hope or want to get done. Get it out, park it there for the future!!
Don’t Go At It Alone: Whether you join our community and our year long Thriving Artists Map or not… a tip for planning ahead but not getting overwhelmed is to have accountability and community so that you actually put that plan into action!
We hope these steps will help you achieve something big next year! We hope you will join us on the Thrive Together Network as we navigate the Thriving Artists Map in 2023! If you want to join the TTN community and sign up to the Network at www.thrivetoegthernetwork.com.
Do you have a love/hate relationship with Instagram? This week we learn from Kaylan’s amazing Instagram habits and insights into how to make the platform work for YOU and your practice. From working smarter to using the platform to build real relationships, Episode #16 of Thriving Artists, Podcast, 4 Ways to Make your Instagram Experience Easier will help you embrace that Insta love.
We are so lucky to have a free platform to share our work. It has literally changed the art world and given artists power. But, it also brings its own challenges. We hope this episode helps you feel empowered and find people to drive you to engage in a positive way with Instagram. We recently started a hashtag for members to use to post the reels they make each week doing our weekly posting challenge through the Network, so if you are curious to see some members videos you can check it out at #ttnchallenge.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 4 Tips are:
Use a Planning Tool: Batch your work and get into a planning and marketing mode pre-scheduled posts so that when your future self is having a long day and the last thing on your mind is posting on IG- the post is ready for you.
Post and Be Present: Don’t “Post and Ghost”! Comment and react when people engage with your post! The more interaction on a post, the more the algorithm says this content is valuable. It also gives acknowledgement to the people who are engaging with your work! Go for quality over quantity!
Use Reel Templates: Use templates that other people have made to fit music or a sound bite to your reel. You “click” the template button and you can add your videos in to match the music perfectly! It makes reels so much more user friendly!
Get Community Support: Find motivation and support in the real world for your Instagram posts. This could mean joining us after Art & Tea weekly for our TTN Boost Group where we post and learn together, or meeting up with a friend to post and like each other’s Instagram activity.
We hope these tips help sharing your work on Instagram less intimidating and more rewarding! Want to join the community, click here https://thrive-together-network.mn.co/
Time is a big talking point for artists, especially in our community. Many, but not all, of the artists on the Thrive Together Network are caregivers, parents, or have other jobs. It can be challenging to find more time for anything! In Episode #15 of Thriving Artists, Podcast, 5 Ways to Give Your Art More Time, we share strategies to inspire some small changes you can make to get more time for your precious art making.
We hope these small tweaks can yield an abundance of positive effects. Embrace these easy changes and the results just might surprise you!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 tips for giving your art more time:
Sneak in an Extra Hour: Pick ONE DAY each week where you will get up 2-3 hours early or stay up 2-3 hours late to get in your precious studio time. Carving out 2-3 extra hours of studio time just once a week adds up to 8-15 extra hours a month!
Do a Mini DIY Residency: Book 2 days for yourself, maybe this is once a month or every so often. Block off those two days and plan to do NOTHING but make your art!
Limit Distractions In Your Studio: We are constantly picking up our phones, being interrupted, interrupting ourselves by switching tasks! Be more effective and give your art MORE time by ONLY doing art for stretches of time.
Make a Plan for Studio Time: Do the heavy lifting of decision making ahead of time. Before you head in to work, collect your materials, make decisions on scale, your palette, etc. When you plan and prep, your time in your studio will be more focused and therefore better quality.
Adapt Your Practice to the Time You Have: Adapting your practice to get some studio time in outside those traditional hours means making use of those smaller chunks of time in your life or changing mediums to something that can be picked up quickly and put down as needed.
Looking for community? Join us at https://thrive-together-network.mn.co
Time is a big talking point for artists, especially in our community. Many, but not all, of the artists on the Thrive Together Network are caregivers, parents, or have other jobs. It can be challenging to find more time for anything! In Episode #15 of Thriving Artists, Podcast, 5 Ways to Give Your Art More Time, we share strategies to inspire some small changes you can make to get more time for your precious art making.
We hope these small tweaks can yield an abundance of positive effects. Embrace these easy changes and the results just might surprise you!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 tips for giving your art more time:
Sneak in an Extra Hour: Pick ONE DAY each week where you will get up 2-3 hours early or stay up 2-3 hours late to get in your precious studio time. Carving out 2-3 extra hours of studio time just once a week adds up to 8-15 extra hours a month!
Do a Mini DIY Residency: Book 2 days for yourself, maybe this is once a month or every so often. Block off those two days and plan to do NOTHING but make your art!
Limit Distractions In Your Studio: We are constantly picking up our phones, being interrupted, interrupting ourselves by switching tasks! Be more effective and give your art MORE time by ONLY doing art for stretches of time.
Make a Plan for Studio Time: Do the heavy lifting of decision making ahead of time. Before you head in to work, collect your materials, make decisions on scale, your palette, etc. When you plan and prep, your time in your studio will be more focused and therefore better quality.
Adapt Your Practice to the Time You Have: Adapting your practice to get some studio time in outside those traditional hours means making use of those smaller chunks of time in your life or changing mediums to something that can be picked up quickly and put down as needed.
Looking for community? Join us at https://thrive-together-network.mn.co
This discussion is so near and dear to us because we created the Taking Up Space Initiative that asks Thrive Together Network members to host their own art shows in their own communities in the month of May each year. We do a deep dive of just why this is so valuable in Episode #14 of Thriving Artists, Podcast, Why Hosting Your Own Art Show Is Important.
We believe that showing your work on your own terms and not waiting for gatekeepers of any kind can be so empowering!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 reasons Why Hosting Your Own Art Show Is Important:
Your show can be on your terms and on your schedule: You get to be the boss and plan out the show location and timing that works best for the season you are in the goals you are working to achieve.
You will build your network: It can be much easier to meet people in the art world when there is a shared purpose or goal and hosting my art show with other artist can do just that!
You will learn how to promote your work: love it or hate it…. It is so important to learn how to get your work out in the world and to be given other opportunities.
You will appreciate other people when they sell your work: It can give you deep gratitude and appreciation when others like curators, or gallerists, sell your work. And give you an understanding of all they do for their commission!
You will feel the sweet sweet pride of showing up for your important work: There is nothing like standing at your art show full of people and they are looking at your art and you think I DID THIS! All of this.
If you want to join the TTN community and put on an art show with us in May you can sign up to the Network at www.thrivetoegthernetwork.com
All the TUS resources are there and ready for you so you can get started planning your show anytime.
This discussion is so near and dear to us because we created the Taking Up Space Initiative that asks Thrive Together Network members to host their own art shows in their own communities in the month of May each year. We do a deep dive of just why this is so valuable in Episode #14 of Thriving Artists, Podcast, Why Hosting Your Own Art Show Is Important.
We believe that showing your work on your own terms and not waiting for gatekeepers of any kind can be so empowering!
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 reasons Why Hosting Your Own Art Show Is Important:
Your show can be on your terms and on your schedule: You get to be the boss and plan out the show location and timing that works best for the season you are in the goals you are working to achieve.
You will build your network: It can be much easier to meet people in the art world when there is a shared purpose or goal and hosting my art show with other artist can do just that!
You will learn how to promote your work: love it or hate it…. It is so important to learn how to get your work out in the world and to be given other opportunities.
You will appreciate other people when they sell your work: It can give you deep gratitude and appreciation when others like curators, or gallerists, sell your work. And give you an understanding of all they do for their commission!
You will feel the sweet sweet pride of showing up for your important work: There is nothing like standing at your art show full of people and they are looking at your art and you think I DID THIS! All of this.
If you want to join the TTN community and put on an art show with us in May you can sign up to the Network at www.thrivetoegthernetwork.com
All the TUS resources are there and ready for you so you can get started planning your show anytime.
In this episode, Kaylan takes over the podcast! In Episode #13 of Thriving Artist, Podcast, How to be an Empowered Artist, Kaylan talks about knowing and valuing ourselves as artists.
Encouraging and supporting artists to find confidence in their work and their careers is at the heart of this podcast and Thrive Together Network. It can be so easy to get down on ourselves, to feel lost and without a compass, or to feel lonely and like no one is out there who understands. We want you to have a healthy mindset, to feel confident in your decisions and to live empowered lives as an artist … THAT is how we will influence the art world and our communities around us.
Kaylan’s 5 Tips for being an empowered artist are:
Clarify your Vision + Build your North Star: Make sure your vision for your art career is clear to you right now. Your North Star is your personal mission statement. It's a fixed destination that you can depend on in your life as the world changes around you.
Strengthen Your “Building Boundaries” Muscle: Empowered artists have STRONG and CLEAR boundaries! We know how we want to spend our time and we make decisions to protect our resources.
Make time for yourself that is JUST FOR YOURSELF: Can we really feel empowered as artists unless we have a deep knowledge, understanding, and like for ourselves as individuals? Get away once or twice a year and sleep, nourish your body with good food, and get tuned in with your thoughts.
Surround Yourself with Positive Peers: Be more empowered by surrounding yourself with empowered people! These are people who inspire you, who delight in you, who appreciate you and who support you.
Be Intentional about Closing Your Loops: It is important for artists to not get caught up in cycles of continual production and projects without closing our loops. We need to implement PAUSING and RECOGNIZE the work we have done, and most importantly CELEBRATE!
If this episode resonates with you, head to thrivetogethernetwork.com to join in one of the many ways we work to support you and your art practice.
In this episode, Kaylan takes over the podcast! In Episode #13 of Thriving Artist, Podcast, How to be an Empowered Artist, Kaylan talks about knowing and valuing ourselves as artists.
Encouraging and supporting artists to find confidence in their work and their careers is at the heart of this podcast and Thrive Together Network. It can be so easy to get down on ourselves, to feel lost and without a compass, or to feel lonely and like no one is out there who understands. We want you to have a healthy mindset, to feel confident in your decisions and to live empowered lives as an artist … THAT is how we will influence the art world and our communities around us.
Kaylan’s 5 Tips for being an empowered artist are:
Clarify your Vision + Build your North Star: Make sure your vision for your art career is clear to you right now. Your North Star is your personal mission statement. It's a fixed destination that you can depend on in your life as the world changes around you.
Strengthen Your “Building Boundaries” Muscle: Empowered artists have STRONG and CLEAR boundaries! We know how we want to spend our time and we make decisions to protect our resources.
Make time for yourself that is JUST FOR YOURSELF: Can we really feel empowered as artists unless we have a deep knowledge, understanding, and like for ourselves as individuals? Get away once or twice a year and sleep, nourish your body with good food, and get tuned in with your thoughts.
Surround Yourself with Positive Peers: Be more empowered by surrounding yourself with empowered people! These are people who inspire you, who delight in you, who appreciate you and who support you.
Be Intentional about Closing Your Loops: It is important for artists to not get caught up in cycles of continual production and projects without closing our loops. We need to implement PAUSING and RECOGNIZE the work we have done, and most importantly CELEBRATE!
If this episode resonates with you, head to thrivetogethernetwork.com to join in one of the many ways we work to support you and your art practice.
As artists, we frequently feel beholden to put our art careers on the back burner, or lower on the priority list below many other things. We want you to kick that mindset to the curb! In Episode #12 on the Thriving Artists, Podcast, How to Let Your Art Take Up More Space in Your Life, we talk about how to fully lean into your identity as an artist, and feel that you and your practice are legitimate and important. There is a big myth out there that we are not a “real” artist unless we are “discovered”.... unless someone else gives us the power or the platform to be one. This week, we put the power back in our own hands to say who we are and live that identity to the fullest.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Tips are:
Declare it: Call yourself an artist! Introduce yourself as an artist, talk with people about your life as an artist, and know in your bones you are one. This title isn’t dependent on gatekeepers giving you approval.
Commit to it: Time can be a sensitive topic but it is also our biggest resource. If we want our art careers to be important to us, we have to give them time, even if it is just an hour here or there.
Give it Real Estate: The physical space and resources we have to give are in constant flux and vary from artist to artist. Whether that is a desk drawer of supplies you open/close when you want to work or spending $200 a month on a shared studio rent in your downtown, claim space for your work!
Let it Grow: Mentally remain encouraged, positive and in a growth mindset. Think expansively and passionately about your art! Accept your failures and see them as part of the journey, rather than taking them personally.
Exhibit It: When you show your work with the world you are showing the world that art is important and gives you personal momentum in your practice. Putting together your own exhibit helps build community and reinforces your sense of agency as an artist.
You don't have to do this alone! Join our community https://thrive-together-network.mn.co/
In the last episode of the Thriving Artists Podcast, we talked all about why knowing your numbers is important and shared some reasons we want all artists to know their numbers… like we want you to celebrate more and take time off! In Episode #11, 5 EASY Steps To Know Your Numbers, we have broken down steps on how to accomplish this goal.
This episode is going to be useful if you are feeling lost with your money and financial systems or if you are totally new to tracking your money. If you are someone who has a system in place already this episode will be a great check in and reminder to keep going. With these easy steps, you can create a consistent system to track your financial data so that you can be self-empowered to achieve your goals.
Jamie and Kaylan’s EASY steps to know your numbers are:
Book in time: Get out a calendar and give yourself a real chunk of time to get your system in place and organized.
Start with last month: Tracking your money from last month gives you the most recent snapshot of your business money health.
List your expenses: Use a spreadsheet, app, or bookkeeping software to make a list of your expenses. This makes you see and think about exactly where your money is going!
List your earnings: What is important about knowing this number no matter how wonderful or depressing it is, is that we can then make important decisions from this data that lead to concrete goals.Make a commitment: After this initial step, keep it going! This is a living record and your financial app is only useful when the data is updated and used. One month is great but six months or a year really starts to tell a story.
Join the community at https://thrive-together-network.mn.co/
Do you avoid thinking about the financial side of your art practice? Maybe it feels overwhelming or even a lower priority than actually making your work. However, in Episode #10 of the Thriving Artists, Podcast, Why Artists Should Know Their Numbers, we talk about how being on top of the financial side of things can be encouraging and help you avoid losing sight of what you really value in your art practice.
Join us as we share why when artists know the details of their finances, it bolsters their emotional wellbeing and facilitates a stronger studio practice.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 4 reasons to know your numbers are:
So you can take a day off: Knowing your numbers lets you know when you are okay to take a day off, giving you a chance to lean into times of financial security!
So you can say no: Awareness of your finances allows you to say no to things that seem like opportunities, but are actually distractions. Get those “distract-itunities” out of your life!
So you can give: When you know where you stand financially, you are also aware of your capacity to give to others.
So you can celebrate: We love a celebration! When you aren’t pushing your finances to the back of your mind, you are aware of when to take a moment to celebrate a sale or other financial successes.
Join the community at www.thrivetogethernetwork.com
In this episode, Jamie and Kaylan share 5 EASY Ways to Increase Your Art Income. Making art is a hard job but then you add in the “selling art” part of the equation and that can feel impossible sometimes.
What we have realized from working with hundreds of artist over the years is that it is possible to make a living through your creative practice and it also really helps to have a plan to help you take charge and empowered in your business.
We wanted to share some very easy and quick things you can do right now that are going to help increase your income. Over time these strategies are going to yield big results.
Know your numbers: Know your business and personal monthly financials to help you be in the drivers seat of your business. Start by figuring your last months business income and expenses.
Cut unnecessary expenses: Once you know your numbers, go through and cut any unnecessary expenses to increase your useable income. Spend less to keep more in your business.
Audit your offerings list: Do your many offerings serve you and your business. Simplicity is the goal!
Set goals: Goals that are realistic based on your actual numbers. We want them to be achievable but also stretch and push you as well.
Focus on your current collectors: Cultivate your community and over time and they will become your marketing by sharing your work with others just like them!
Join the TTN community at https://thrive-together-network.mn.co/
In this episode of the Thriving Artists Podcast, Kaylan and Jamie share their five money mindset “ah-has” in hopes to help artists cultivate a rich money mindset.
Mindset plays such a huge role in our financial landscape but it is often overlooked. This episode dives into ways that you can regain control over your financial life!
Here are the five money mindset “ah-ha’s”. Number 1: Know your stories: Our money stories are the deep rooted beliefs and ideas around what money means to you and the role it has or doesn’t have in your life. We must know how we really think about money in order to work on creating an abundant money mindset. Number 2: Money is a tool: Money is not bad or good, it is merely a tool we can use to create the life we want. Number 3: Focus on your artist wealth: Wealth includes many things and we can feel rich in so many ways but first we must define what wealth means to us. Number 4: Set Savings Goals: By focusing on what you are saving versus worrying about what you are spending can help you celebrate the wins but to really do this you need to know your monthly personal and business numbers. Number 5: Find Supportive Resources: Find money books and resources that speak to you and can guide in this lifelong journey of being in relationship with money.
Making art is important and as always the Thriving Artists Podcast is here to support you! If you want to get more support and a community of working artists all over the world join our online community The Thrive Together network at www.thrive-together-network.mn.co
Do you ever find that your motivation and energy dwindle at the end of a large project?
Or, perhaps you find yourself not feeling that you’ve fully closed the creative loop on a body of work? Episode #7 on the Thriving Artists, Podcast, How to Finish a Project Well gives you 4 tips on how to feel that you have fully completed a project and that it is DONE WELL.
While we talk about doing things well, we don’t want you to carry any stigma on being perfect or high achieving. Finishing anything in a normal, regular, or easy way is totally acceptable. Our thoughts on finishing a project well hopefully help you tune in to alllll the work you are doing, slow down and celebrate that work and feel great about it!
Finishing something well can look different in different circumstances, and we hope these tips help you feel good about your work.
Jame and Kaylan’s 4 tips are:
Reconnect with your why - Look back at the beginning of a project and remember why you were inspired to do it in the first place! Take a moment to notice the ways your motivations might have shifted or evolved during the execution of the project.
Consider the growth - Take stock of the growth you experienced as you completed this project. The final product might not be exactly as you expected when you started out, but the growth along the way is important to recognize. The journey is the point!
Share the project - This could be the hardest one, but you worked hard so make sure someone connects with your work. Share your work with a friend, meet with a mentor, submit to an open call, or post to the Thrive Together Network for encouragement from a supportive community!
Celebrate - Close off your project by relishing in your progress and celebrating what you’ve done!! This could be large or small celebrations and acknowledgements of your work, but don’t skip this one!
If you want to get more support and a community of working artists all over the world join our online community The Thrive Together network at www.thrive-together-network.mn.co
In this episode of the Thriving Artists Podcast, Kaylan and Jamie share their five strategies on how to make art when it feels like the world is falling apart.
It is hard to accept that we have no control over this beautiful and chaotic world around us. The media around us makes it so easy to feel very overwhelmed and want to shut down.
And then as artists we ask ourselves to pull deep within and be vulnerable with our creative selves. That can be a lot when our minds are full of the latest news update, it is so easy to feel bogged down and lose our creative motivation.
Here are five strategies to keep you making art even in the hard times:
Breathe
Remember you are here now and you are lucky to be an artist.
Help Find a way to use your talents and time to support a cause you believe in. Take back some control!
Research Go back in time and be inspired by all the artists that have come before you, making work when they too felt like the world was falling apart.
Join Find a community of artists to help keep you motivated and inspired to continue to make work no matter what state the world is in (may we suggest the Thrive Together Network?!?)
Don’t Stop!Don’t stop creating your important work. It does matter.
Making art is important and as always the Thriving Artists Podcast is here to support you! If you want to get more support and a community of working artists all over the world join our online community The Thrive Together network at www.thrive-together-network.mn.co
Are you ever frustrated when you feel like you can’t give your best all of the time? Check out Episode #5 on the Thriving Artists, Podcast, How to Authentically Show Up (Even When You Can't Give 100%). Jamie and Kaylan give their thoughts on how to accept the realities of our busy lives, and give ourselves some space to have different capacities at different times. Not only is it NORMAL that we can’t show up and give 100%, all of the time, it’s healthy to be a person who cares about many things at once and is always moving through levels of engagement and awareness.
We hope this episode and our 4 tips help you feel better about whatever state of mind you are in and help you feel more accepted for the messy, distracted, beautiful human being you are.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 4 Tips include:
Normalize the gray - expand your thinking and look for shades of gray to take yourself out of that dualistic, all-or-nothing thinking that causes us to have unrealistic expectations of ourselves.
Allow for paradoxes - you don’t necessarily have to choose one extreme or the other or decide firmly how we feel about something, but can feel both frustrated and fulfilled by any one activity
Give ourselves self acceptance and grace - accept who you are, the artist you are, the human you are
Show up to safe spaces - put your energy into safe spaces that allow you to show up as you are and simply be you
Using Jamie and Kaylan’s tips on how to show up authentically can help artists navigate a busy life and build a meaningful community with real, complex, complicated humans!
Do you know how to make the most out of the time you have?
In this episode of the Thriving Artists Podcast, Kaylan and Jamie share How to Time Block Effectively in 5 Steps. They break down their thoughts on how to time block - a time management method where you divide your day into blocks of time. Instead of wading through your day wondering what to prioritize and what to do when, planning out what to do in certain blocks of time gives you structure and provides a flow to your day. This way of working can open up our creativity and allows for freedom and space to enter our studios.
Jamie and Kaylan’s 5 Tips include:
Schedule and Assess - put time in first to think through what needs to get done and then plan for it to happen, assess the time you have available for that day, week, month
Prioritize - identify what the most important or urgent things are for you to get done. Bump those things to the time blocks where you have the most energy or focus.
Prep - Get your materials or items lined up beforehand in order to make the most of your time blocks. Build an “on-ramp” to that block of time so you can maximize your efficiency. Buffer - Build in extra time around your blocks, when you are able, to give yourself grace if things take longer than you expect, or give yourself space to relax between tasks. Re-assess - Pause to reflect and re-assess how your time blocks went, what you miscalculated, and what went smoothly, in order to help you learn and grow from how you are spending your time.
Implementing Jamie and Kaylan’s time-blocking flow can help you make the most of the precious time you have, which hopefully results in an easier pace to your busy artist life and more enjoyable days!
Join the Thrive Together Network today and meet over 350 artists worldwide, https://thrive-together-network.mn.co/
This episode of the Thriving Artists Podcast shares inspiration for how to prep for an artist residency! Not sure you really know what an artist residency is? Tune in to Episode #2 to hear Jamie and Kaylan describe one.
To prep for an artist residency, there are 5 principles Kaylan and Jamie cover in this episode.
Name Your Why - identify what’s important to you about this residency and why you are committing to it during this season.
Understand the Parameters - get a better idea of what you are working with and what the structure surrounding your residency will be.
Prepare Your Materials - get physical materials purchased, assembled, and ready to go! Don’t waste your first few studio sessions doing this task, show up ready to create.
Manage Your Expectations - Create reasonable goals, be kind to yourself in the process. Understand from the start that it may not go as you expect and create space for your feelings if/when that happens.
Celebrate! - Plan a halfway and completion celebration for during and after the residency. You deserve to be rewarded for your hard work!
Twice a year on the Thrive Together Network we participate in a Virtual Art Residency Program together! September is Art Residency month so head to thivetogethernetwork.com to find out more or straight to our network membership site to join us! www.thrive-together-network.mn.co
In this episode of the Thriving Artists Podcast, Kaylan and Jamie answer a great question, “What is an art residency?”
They share how they define an artist residency so that you could decide if you want to apply for one somewhere in the world or join our virtual one or make your own!!
An artist residency is just another one of those things in the art world that can feel exclusive if you let it… but it’s a great experience and you can even DIY it and make it happen for yourself! You can be the boss and schedule your own personal art residency, or join a community of artists like the Thrive Together Network Virtual Art Residency that happens twice a year.
This episode dives into 5 characteristics of an artist residency:
CommitmentCommitting to a specific amount of time for you to focus on your studio and art practice.
ProjectDesigning a project that you want to complete or get a chunk of work done during your set time.
TimeFocusing on this one project will allow you to make a plan to set aside time to get it done.
SpaceCreating a workspace to move your project forward and keep the momentum going is very important.
Accountability
Planning check-ins and having a community during this time will keep you on track and help make the experience even more fun!
Making art is important and as always the Thriving Artists Podcast is here to support you!
If you want to get more support and a community of working artists all over the world join our online community The Thrive Together network at www.thrive-together-network.mn.co
In this episode of the Thriving Artists Podcast, Kaylan and Jamie share their top five tips on how to get back into the studio after a break.
The Thrive Together Network Community is just wrapping up a six week summer sabbatical and now it is time to get back to it! It can be hard to restart your routine after summer time and even harder to make studio time a priority.
Here are five steps to getting back to the studio in a powerful way after a break!
Step 1: Set The Date
Get out your calendar and set the date you will return to the studio.
Step 2: Reflect On The Break
Don't forget to think about the big learnings from the break and time you took for yourself!
Step 3: Clean Up
Spend some time getting cleaned up and organized as you transition back to the studio routine.
Step 4: Make A Mark
Make something, anything! Start small and just start making to get the ball rollin’.
Step 5: Plan Small
Schedule in your new studio routine for the next two weeks only so you can see what is working for you and the people around you.
Making art is important and as always the Thriving Artists Podcast is here to support you! If you want to get more support and a community of working artists all over the world join our online community The Thrive Together network at www.thrive-together-network.mn.co
TTN Community: www.thrive-together-network.mn.co
TTN Instagram: www.instagram.com/thrivetogethernetwork/
TTN Website: www.thrivetogethernetwork.com
Jamie's Art Instagram: www.instagram.com/jamiesmithstudio/ Kaylan's Art Instagram: www.instagram.com/kaylanbuteyn/
In this episode Jamie explains the recent changes to the THRIVE Talks Podcast, now named the Thriving Artists Podcast! She is joined by her co-host Kaylan Buteyn every week to share support and strategies to help artists thrive! Together they run a community for artists called the Thrive Together Network.
Tara and Jamie wrap up Season 2 with Pennylane Shen! Pennylane is an artist consultant who runs Dazed and Confucius and was a big hit the last time she was on the podcast. During this episode they each share things they have learned from working with so many artists including some pet peeves and how to combat common artist blocks. There are sure to be some useful tips and tricks!
Visit Pennylane’s website here and follow her on Instagram here.
Follow Tara on Instagram here, and Jamie here.
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
Fill in our listener survey here.
Shyama Golden uses figuration to explore how identity is experienced, performed, and reinforced. The subjects she depicts are a combination of real and imagined people, with masks and animals often functioning as metaphors for human social dynamics. A former graphic designer she shares about how her previous work experience informs her art practice. She also talks about managing self doubt, prepping for her upcoming show and some fun projects including creating a Catsquatch Powersuit. That last one will make sense when you listen to the episode!
Visit Shyama’s website here and follow her on Instagram here.
Follow Tara on Instagram here, and Jamie here.
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
Listen in for a mini THRIVE Mastermind meeting with THRIVE Leader Twyla Exner! Twyla creates sculpture, drawings and mixed media work. She creates colourful organic forms from found post-consumer e-waste, wires and circuits from the ever-growing stockpile of obsolescent technological products that shape and define our environment. In this episode we cover a lot of things including the physical toll of art making, pricing work for studio sales and what to do when you're asking yourself "what is the point?" Also there is more talk of barnacles!
Visit Twyla’s website here and follow her on Instagram here.
Follow Tara on Instagram here, and Jamie here.
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
Ceramic sculpture is a labour intensive process with a lot of room for things to go wrong! In this episode with ceramic sculptor Susannah Montague we talk about dealing with the ups and downs of an art career, shipping, gallery "dating" and staying true to your path and your work.
Follow Susannah on Instagram here and check out her website here.
Follow Tara on Instagram here, and Jamie here.
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
This episode with independent curator Lolita Cros offers great insights into how curators think and what they do! Listen in for great advice for artists looking to be noticed by curators and for tips on finding your way in the competitive art world. We also talk about the power of just going for it!
Follow Lolita on Instagram here and check out her website here.
Follow Tara on Instagram here, and Jamie here.
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
Listen in for a mini THRIVE Mastermind meeting with Bambi Edlund! Bambi is a needle felter, stop-motion animator, illustrator and also a member of the THRIVE Leadership Team. In this meeting we cover a lot of things including studio sales, time management and following your creative passions.
Follow Bambi on Instagram here and check out her website here.
Follow Tara on Instagram here, and Jamie here.
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
In this episode Jamie and Tara celebrate two years of podcasting and four years in business! In this special episode they take some time to reflect, share what they've struggled with, what they've learned and what they are excited about! They think it is important to share the realities of running a business in the hopes that these conversation inspire you in your businesses especially in those times when things get tough! Last year they did a similar episode and are excited to do it again. Follow Tara on Instagram here, and Jamie here.
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
Danielle was on the THRIVE Talks Podcast some time ago! In this episode we catch up and Danielle talks about some of the exciting changes over the last while including having her first big solo show, renovating her art studio and going big with her work. She also shares about grief after the loss of her father and why "worth" keeps coming up for her. She also makes a big announcement!
Follow Danielle's website here and follow her on Instagram here and here.
Follow Tara on Instagram here, and Jamie here.
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
Do you read Create! Magazine? Today we talk with Ekaterina Popova and Alicia Puig about the ups and downs of running an independent contemporary art magazine and working in the arts! We loved talking to another creative duo about starting where you are, failure and they offer awesome tips on getting your work featured!
Visit Create! Magazine’s website here and follow them on Instagram here.
Follow Ekaterina on Instagram here and Alicia here.
Follow Tara on Instagram here, and Jamie here.
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
Jamie's guests are Joanne Hastie and Jen Clark! They are both THRIVE Members and Leaders and in this episode have a mini THRIVE Mastermind meeting together! You'll love this episode if you're interested in getting into the studio more, managing rejection and robots. Yes robots!
Visit Joanne's website here and follow her on Instagram here.
Visit Jen's website here and follow her on Instagram here.
Follow Jamie on Instagram here!
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
So many artists struggle with feeling like they don’t have enough time in their day to juggle their art making, art business, personal lives and day jobs. Business and life strategist Leah Goard is back on the podcast to talk about time management! Leah talks about her time management philosophy and offers practical principles, tools and methods to use. She also shares why she thinks "Balance is Bullshit."
Visit Leah’s website here and follow her on Instagram here.
Follow Tara on Instagram here, and Jamie here.
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
At THRIVE we call Pennylane Shen the unicorn of the art world and we are so excited to have her as a guest! In this episode Pennylane shares the wisdom she has gained from the hundreds of artists worldwide she has worked with as an artist consultant. She also shares the 5 things that artists that artists need to know but don’t like to hear and why 1 out of every 10 people cry during a consult!
Visit Pennylane’s website here and follow her on Instagram here.
Follow Tara on Instagram here!
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
Tara's guests are Erica Pang and Marlene Lowden. They are both THRIVE Members and Leaders and in this episode we have a mini THRIVE Mastermind meeting together! You'll love this episode if you're into yoga, journaling and getting a little "woo."
Visit Erica's website here and follow her on Instagram here.
Visit Marlene's website here and follow her on Instagram here.
Follow Tara on Instagram here!
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
We all know the numbers in the art world have to change! Our guest Liezel Strauss is working to be part of that change through her Art Girl Rising t-shirts, Instagram and speaking recently at the United Nations. We talk all about that and more on this episode! Visit Art Girl Rising’s website here and follow them on Instagram here. Follow Tara on Instagram here, and Jamie here. Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
Jamie and Tara chat with artist Zöe Pawlak! Zöe is an artist and designer who works with private clients, interior designers, and brands. She is prolific painter and she also has designed a line of rugs and collaborated on furniture too. We talk with her about her career path and she shares great tips for her fellow artists!
Visit Zöe’s website here and follow her on Instagram here.
Follow Tara on Instagram here, and Jamie here.
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
Our guest Annette Nieukerk describes herself as a life long artist who is perpetually reemerging! Annette shares about her work which is primarily focused on working with the aging female form. All of her models are over sixty years of age!
Annette is a THRIVE Member and Leader and in this episode we have a mini THRIVE Mastermind meeting together! Also this is the first THRIVE Talks Podcast where one of us doesn’t have a struggle and we talk about the importance of accepting and embracing the good times too!
Visit Annette’s website here and follow her on Instagram here.
Follow Tara on Instagram here, and Jamie here.
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
Courtney Cerruti is a maker extraordinaire and she makes something everyday! We ask what a typical week for someone who works at Creative Bug, has an art practice, writes books, co-owns a retail space and teaches workshops looks like. She also talks about the challenges of building a brand when your passions cross a number of mediums and projects! She also offers solid advice on deciding if something new is an opportunity or a distraction? Visit Courtney’s website here and follow her on Instagram here. Follow Tara on Instagram here, and Jamie here.
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
Did you know that Rebecca Chaperon was at the very first ever THRIVE Mastermind meeting? She is also our guest on the podcast this week! Rebecca is a hard working and prolific artist whose work is found everywhere from public and commercial galleries to her online store! She shares practical tips for other artists who want a similar diversity and variety in their careers and advice for persevering through the challenges that come along the way! Visit Rebecca’s website here and follow her on Instagram here. Follow Tara on Instagram here, and Jamie here. Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
Jamie and Tara have their own mini THRIVE Mastermind meeting with Andrea Soos! In this episode they talk about the importance of community and Andrea shares about the transition she has made from local business owner and teacher to full time artist!
Visit Andrea’s website here and follow her on Instagram here.
Follow Tara on Instagram here, and Jamie here.
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
Jamie and Tara talk to Taylor Loren from Later.com about Instagram for artists! This episode is perfect for artists who want to focus on making meaningful work while not having Instagram run their lives. Taylor shares some great tips for making your account a must follow and also shares what she thinks more artists should be doing!
Follow Taylor Loren on Instagram here.
Check out Later.com here.
Follow Tara on Instagram here, and Jamie here.
Learn more about becoming a THRIVE Member here!
Jamie and Tara are back behind the podcast mics! They update us on what’s been happening and also share what’s coming up for Season Two of the podcast.
[insert audio block]
In this episode, Jamie, Tara, and their guest Shannon Ward talk about:
Changing the way we think about sales to positively impact our art practices as well as client experiences.
Shannon's definition of "sales", and how it can empower both artist and client decisions.
Reaching your target market and the ideal client.
Giving yourself and your client the ability and tools to transform.
Episode Notes/Resources
Shannon's website, OnTrack.
Special thanks to:
Marty and Laurie from Sonance Media.
Follow THRIVE at:
Follow us on Instagram, THRIVE's Facebook page, as well as our Female Artists Unite group!
Jamie's Instagram | Website
Tara's Instagram | Website
In this episode we talk Money for Artists with Leah Goard!
So many of our members and artists struggle with the age old tale of the “starving artist” and other money stories we have picked up along the way. At THRIVE we believe these stories and mindset for artists needs to change. We need to define our money stories, design a better path and align this with routines that help us be successful.
But we need a guide and we need to do the work and that is why we are so excited to have Leah as a guest on the Podcast!
We are also thrilled to have partnered with Leah to create a course all about money for artists! We have just launched this amazing work and the course is called Define Design Align Money Course for Artists and you can sign up for it here!
Episode Notes/Resources
Link to the Define Design Align Money Course for Artists.
Special thanks to:
Marty and Laurie from Sonance Media.
Follow Leah Goard at:
Website, Instagram and Facebook.
Follow THRIVE at:
Follow us on Instagram, THRIVE's Facebook page, as well as our Female Artists Unite group!
Jamie's Instagram | Website
Tara's Instagram | Website
In this episode, Jamie, Tara, and their guest Ola Volo talk about:
Ola encourages female artists to take on mural projects and is an example of the power of women in the field.
How important it is to prepare thoroughly for a mural, and how Ola goes about doing it her way.
The very real physical and mental burden of mural work, as well as the technicalities of painting in different spaces.
Episode Notes/Resources
Ola's website and Instagram.
Ola's Hootsuite mural.
Special thanks to:
Marty and Laurie from Sonance Media.
Follow THRIVE at:
Follow us on Instagram, THRIVE's Facebook page, as well as our Female Artists Unite group!
Jamie's Instagram | Website
Tara's Instagram | Website
To celebrate one year of podcasting and three years in business Jamie and Tara have a chat about the ups and downs of running a business. They share what they've struggled with, what they've learned and what they are excited about. They hope that this conversation inspires you in your businesses especially in those times when things get tough!
Special thanks to:
Marty and Laurie from Sonance Media.
Follow THRIVE at:
Follow us on Instagram, THRIVE's Facebook page, as well as our Female Artists Unite group!
Jamie's Instagram | Website
Tara's Instagram | Website
In this episode, Jamie, Tara, and their guest Lisa Congdon talk about:
Creating habits that support real success.
Finding your creative voice and what it means to have one.
Balancing time and energy as a full-time artist, and the importance of honouring your needs as a creative person.
Episode Notes/Resources
Lisa Congdon's website and Instagram
Lisa's CreativeLive classes
200 Women Who Will Change the Way You See the World
The New Media Gallery
The Reach Gallery, and Rebecca Chaperon
Women Who Draw
Headspace
Live Awake podcast
Ladies Get Paid
Special thanks to:
Marty and Laurie from Sonance Media.
Follow THRIVE at:
Follow us on Instagram, THRIVE's Facebook page, as well as our Female Artists Unite group!
Jamie's Instagram | Website
Tara's Instagram | Website
In this episode, Jamie, Tara, and their guest Kari Kristensen talk about:
The magic that happens when you go into the studio and stick to a consistent schedule.
A controlled letting go, and delegating your work and trusting in others.
Being an introvert as a public figure, and dealing with personal attention.
In this episode, Jamie, Tara, and their guest Flora Bowley talk about:
Building the confidence to refer other artists and the power of connecting others.
The experience of hosting a consistent workshop, and what Flora's experience has been like, with tips, tricks, and more.
Helping people get excited and the creative value of being a teacher who crafts special experiences for people.
Episode Notes/Resources
Flora Bowley's website and Instagram
The Profile
Planoly
Quick Win about content planning on our YouTube channel
The Jealous Curator: Susannah Montague | Aimée Henny Brown
Orly Avineri
Thinkific
Squarespace
The Creative Fire: Myths and Stories on the Cycles of Creativity, by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
Two Artists Walk Into a Bar: The Ladies of Thrive Mastermind
Follow us on Instagram, THRIVE's Facebook page, as well as our Female Artists Unite group!
Special thanks to:
Marty and Laurie from Sonance Media.
Follow Jamie Smith and Tara Galuska:
Jamie's Instagram | Website
Tara's Instagram | Website
In this episode, Tara and guests Crissy Arseneau and Jenn Brisson talk about:
Helping each other as women to build confidence and the importance of teamwork and reaching out to others.
Having priorities when growing a business, saying both "yes" and "no", and dedicating your best to the parts that matter.
How far you're willing to go for a client, and negotiating between your own expectations as well as your clients'.
Episode Notes/Resources:
Crissy Arseneau's website and Instagram
Jenn Brisson's website and Instagram
Sandeep Johal
Jennifer Clark
Kari Kristensen
Jenn's '5 Second Day' film with Titmouse Animation
April Lacheur and Sarah Ronald, and their Port Moody Art Center exhibitions
Smithsonian's Earth
Smithsonian's The Planets
13 feet off the ground
Joanne Hastie
Rebecca Chaperon
Maker Labs, and Tools for Women
Tierney Milne
Women Who Draw
The Pumpkin Plan, by Mike Michalowicz
Patagonia
Pennylane Shen's artist consultations
Aimée Henny Brown
Crissy's Suspended in a Sunbeam
Start with Art, at the Seymour Art Gallery in North Vancouver
Special thanks to:
Marty and Laurie from Sonance Media.
Episode Notes/Resources:
Guest Jessica Somer's website!
THRIVE Mastermind
Special thanks to:
Marty and Laurie from Sonance Media.
Content warning: Please note in this episode we speak about childhood sexual abuse, being triggered and Donald Trump.
In this episode, Jamie, Tara, and their guest Ola Volo talk about:
Ola's design process behind murals and how she prepares for them.
How to deal with being overwhelmed and constructively protecting yourself in a sustainable manner.
Balancing financial resources, time, and your own art practice in terms of projects, and shedding old goals to make way for growth.
Episode Notes/Resources:
Ola Volo's Instagram and website.
The Profile
Kari Kristensen, Laura Yu, and Tierney Milne
Takashi Murakami, and his show in the Vancouver Art Gallery, "The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg"
Keynotes
Jamie's new website
Creative Mornings
Pennylane Shen Artist Consulting
Chef's Plate
Janet Mock
Fashion documentaries that Ola mentions: Dior and I, Iris, and The First Monday in May
The September Issue
Brené Brown in Oprah's Super Soul podcast - part 1, and part 2
Canva
Audacity
iMovie
Special thanks to:
Marty and Laurie from Sonance Media.
This is a must listen episode for artists who are trying to decide if Artisan Markets are for you! In this special bonus episode with artist April Lacheur, she shares her experiences and advice for artists who are considering Markets as an outlet to share and sell their work. Listen for her tips, tricks and the things April learned the hard way so you don't have to!
Guest April Lacheur's website and Instagram!
Episode Notes/Resources:
Guest April Lacheur's website and Instagram!
THRIVE Mastermind
Special thanks to:
Marty and Laurie from Sonance Media.
In this episode, Jamie, Tara, and their guest April Lacheur talk about:
Their words of the year and the importance of self-reflection, getting excited, having goals and being okay with failure.
Planning and organizing ahead to avoid being overwhelmed.
Newsletter tips and tricks.
Episode Notes/Resources:
Guest April Lacheur's website and Instagram!
April's upcoming show, Our Roots Exposed on February 22nd, Thursday night, 6-8PM: Facebook event page and more information from the Port Moody Art Center.
Natalie Baxter
Bad Feminist, by Roxane Gay
Ola Volo's website and Instagram
Oprah Winfrey's Golden Globes speech
Making Oprah, a podcast from NPR (scroll to the bottom for Oprah's episodes)
Britney Berrner Photography
Ann Friedman
The Day Designer
Asana
THRIVE Talks and April's THRIVE Talk
The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield
In this episode, Jamie Smith, Tara Galuska, and their guest Charlotte Spafford talk about:
Holding the tension between wanting more and also being happy and content with exactly where we are.
Knowing what you want and avoiding a half assed ask.
The joy of drawing, creating a visual vocabulary and transitioning to new bodies of work.
Harry Potter!
Episode Notes/Resources:
Guest Charlotte Spafford's website and Instagram!
Pennylane Shen Artist Consulting
The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte
Tony Robbins
Britney Berrner Photography
Natalie Baxter
Meredith Dittmar
Jessica Molnar
Goal Setting Book (The Goal Setting email challenge in coming in the new year!)
Quick win video on how to create a simple Content Calendar
Passion Planner
The gross Cat Report drawing
Special thanks to:
Marty and Laurie from Sonance Media.
Please note in this episode there is some adult language and as this episode was recorded on Skype the sound reflects that.
THRIVE Talks is a monthly podcast hosted by artists Jamie Smith and Tara Galuska from THRIVE Art Studio. Every episode follows the format of a THRIVE Mastermind meeting where they share what they are excited about, learning and struggling with.
In this episode, Jamie, Tara, and their guest Danielle Krysa talk about:
Showing up and investing in your artwork and art business.
Working small, creating ugly work and the value in making a lot of work.
How tricky it can be as artists when selling work and dealing with rejection.
Juggling time management and hiring when the time is right.
Pom-poms!
Episode Notes/Resources:
Guest Danielle Krysa's website and Instagram as well as her Jealous Curator website and Instagram and the Art For Your Ear Podcast!
Dazed and Confucius website services for artists
Britney Berrner Photography
Pennylane Shen Artist Consulting
Mayberry Fine Art
Shannon Ward
Sheila Hicks at the Venice Biennale
Sunshine Coast Art Crawl
Eastside Culture Crawl
Link Tree
Link In Bio
Wintergreen Oil
Diva Light attachment for your phone
Local (ask for booth 102)
Special thanks to:
Marty and Laurie from Sonance Media.
Please note in this episode there is some adult language and we speak about some adult themes.
THRIVE Talks is a monthly podcast hosted by artists Jamie Smith and Tara Galuska from THRIVE Art Studio. Every episode follows the format of a THRIVE Mastermind meeting where they share what they are excited about, learning and struggling with.
In this episode, Jamie, Tara, and their guest Sandeep Johal talk about:
Episode Notes/Resources:
SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES
THRIVE Talks is a monthly podcast hosted by artists Jamie Smith and Tara Galuska from THRIVE Art Studio. Every episode follows the format of a THRIVE Mastermind meeting where they share what they are excited about, learning and struggling with.
In this episode, Jamie, Tara, and their guest Aimée Henny Brown talk about:
Episode Notes/Resources:
SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES
THRIVE Talks is a monthly podcast hosted by artists Jamie Smith and Tara Galuska from THRIVE Art Studio. Every episode follows the format of a THRIVE Mastermind meeting where they share what they are excited about, learning and struggling with.
In this episode, Jamie and Tara talk about:
Episode Notes/Resources:
Artist We’ve Mentioned:
Subscribe on Itunes
THRIVE Talks is a monthly podcast hosted by artists Jamie Smith and Tara Galuska from THRIVE Art Studio. Every episode follows the format of a THRIVE Mastermind meeting where they share what they are excited about, learning and struggling with.
In this episode, Jamie and Tara talk about:
Episode Notes/Resources:
Subscribe on iTunes
THRIVE Talks is a monthly podcast hosted by artists Jamie Smith and Tara Galuska from THRIVE Art Studio. Every episode follows the format of a THRIVE Mastermind meeting where they share what they are excited about, learning and struggling with.
In this episode, Jamie and Tara talk about:
Episode Notes/Resources:
Subscribe on iTunes