13 NOV 2023 · We are entering THE best time of the year to start up or gain window painting customers, and today I’m rewinding it back to this interview I did with the window painting master himself, https://www.youtube.com/@ScotCampbellwindowpainter I started writing out my tips for window painting to record a solo episode when I remembered, wait a second, I know a guy who can explain this better than me and we’ve already recorded a full episode on the subject! I re-listened to this interview and was very surprised at the amount of info and conversation that I did not remember. His tips for how to get window painting jobs and paint with efficiency still ring true today just 3 years later. We chat about passing around a window painting flyer, how to price yourself to get those early jobs, how to paint quickly, and take up the most space to get those eye-catching designs. I am a BIG advocate for painting windows during the holidays because it gives you practice pitching, designing, invoicing, and bringing a customer’s vision to life on a not-so-permanent surface. Go to https://www.artistacademy.co/HolidayWindowPainting to download my window painting supply list and flyer template to help you get started. If you’re at all interested in making some extra cash around the holidays in a creative way (via window painting) then I know you’ll love this replay episode with none other than https://www.youtube.com/@ScotCampbellwindowpainter Scot Campbell Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ScotCampbellwindowpainter To download Window Supply List https://www.artistacademy.co/HolidayWindowPainting Have a great week! :) Andrea http://www.artistacademy.co

6 NOV 2023 · In this week’s episode, I’ll share a list of painting hacks to make your life easier. Some of these tips are ones that I use but most are a collective of Artist Academy members sharing their knowledge and experience. Ten artist brains are better than one! Here’s a brief list of some of the hacks, but you’ll need to listen to the episode to get the full explanation of each: - Rent a towable man lift for $300 for the day to access those hard to reach heights on mural projects. - Carry fingernail polish remover with you to remove accidental paint stains quickly. - A pounce or reverse stencil sticker is great for getting images in places where projectors can’t (the floor). - Use throw away plastic containers with lids (yogurt cups, egg trays, to-go trays, etc.) to store paint. - A spray bottle adds extra moisture to keep paint from drying. - Keep baby wipes on hand. Just do it. - Never use fluorescent paint for exterior work. It fades. :( - Try a step stool instead of a ladder. It’s easier on your feet, serves as a seat, and a place to set the projector. - Tape charcoal on a stick to better sketch out mural images. You can see much better from a few feet back! - Use 2 water bucks (1 with soapy water) to keep brushes clean. Let me know what you think of this week's episode all about painting hacks! Have a great week! :) Andrea http://www.artistacademy.co/

30 OCT 2023 · https://www.instagram.com/olgagunzart/ is a former teacher turned muralist. She is about to complete her second full-income earning year of full-time artistry and is set to gross over $100,000. How did she get her start you may ask? By passing around flyers and landing a window painting job that started the domino effect into murals and more. Listen to hear how Olga isn’t working her life away while bringing in double her teacher’s salary and still prioritizing family. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with https://www.instagram.com/olgagunzart/ (Gonzalez). Have a great week! Andrea https://www.ArtistAcademy.co

23 OCT 2023 · https://www.instagram.com/ashley.cassens/ is a former teacher who recently quit her job to go full-time with painting. She has an art school background and a solid understanding of painting techniques, and I think her quick success is a complement to that. It's not necessary to be perfectly good at painting coming right out of the gate, but it helps a lot. I talk about business and making money and all that comes with it. But make no mistake, the more skills we have = the easier the marketing = the more you can charge. I hope this interview inspires you to take the leap into full-time creativity and also inspires you to put in the time to work on your craft. Painting is so much more fun when you know what you're doing, but we all start not knowing. Get good, get confident. Let me know what you think of this week's episode with Ashley Cassens. www.ArtistAcademy.co https://www.instagram.com/ashley.cassens/

16 OCT 2023 · Do you want us at the Artist Academy to help you create an outstanding website? Join the waitlist: https://www.artistacademy.co/website-builder-interest This week’s episode is all about helping you to make your website better to gain more business via Google and organic search. - Photos are everything. Spending time taking and editing your photos to display your art in the best possible form will pay off. Good lighting, clear images taken on a quality device (I use my iPhone 12 to photograph and record all videos), etc.. A photo of you holding your painting in dim lighting sitting in your kitchen says: “I do this as a hobby. Please don’t pay me very much.” A clear photo of you (wearing something presentable) standing next to your painting (that is sitting on an easel) with a professional background and great lighting says: “I am a professional. You can sign up to be on my waiting list.” - SEO - Search Engine Optimization What do you do and how would you describe your art? = Key Words Examples: Missouri muralist, logo artist, painter, Springfield artist, interior mural, exterior mural, landscape, modern mural, midwest muralist, mural artist, painter for hire, custom art, high-end art, children’s room art, kids' room decor, nursery mural… Include these words within your website in places like within your artist statement on the “about” or “contact” page. Label your photos on your computer with these words and upload them into your website. Tip: Get featured on other websites that already have a better Google search result than you. Magazines, local businesses, galleries, etc.. Use their already optimized websites to show up on Google. - Keep your website menu/navigation options minimal and to the point. KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid We all create so many different things: murals, originals, prints, pet portraits, landscapes, art lessons, logos, etc… Simplify the options. What do you WANT to do the MOST? Put those few options in the forefront. - How can people work with you? What are the steps they need to take in order for someone to commission you to do a job? Explain those steps quickly and clearly so customers are ready to give you what you need in order to give them a quote. - Easy Checkout Make your checkout process EASY by integrating things like Apple Pay (1 click pay) and quick shipping options. Shopify is the best online selling platform for small businesses with an easy checkout process. https://www.artistacademy.co/website-builder-interest Have a great week! :) Andrea www.ArtistAcademy.co

9 OCT 2023 · https://www.instagram.com/hopeisthewayloveistheanswer/ is a muralist based in Pennsylvania and has been in the Academy for a little over a year. Within that year she has been able to quit and replicate her day job salary by diving into full-time mural work. I met Brittany at our Missouri Mural Meetup last year and watched the fire start within her. She went home with stars in her eyes, giving so much effort to her art business. Things were slow at first, but I knew it was only a matter of time before one of her efforts landed. Effort (a lot of it) is the key puzzle piece that determines whether an artist will make it or not. Listen to this week’s episode to hear exactly where Brittany put those efforts and went full-time with her art. http://www.artistacademy.co

2 OCT 2023 · Michelle is a muralist based in New Jersey and has recently had her world turned upside down - in a good way. I know we all have these excuses as to why we are not making the moves we know we need to make with our careers, but let me tell you, Michelle’s story was not one that was easily made. But she took a leap of faith, worked hard, and now has a painting career she enjoys along with an encouraging support system to back her. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with https://www.instagram.com/jerseygirlart/. http://www.artistacademy.co

25 SEP 2023 · I am a painter with a goal to make money. I’m not as much of what I would consider a “true artist” who is in love with the craft and history of it all. For a long time, I was slightly ashamed to admit that. I thought wanting to make money made me sound greedy or less than other artists. But after a while, I just said, “heck with it” and leaned into my business-minded artistic side. I’m really good at making money with a paintbrush, and I make a lot of it in not very many hours. I teach it because that’s what I’m passionate about, so if you’re at all interested in making money with a paintbrush and not just doing it for fun, then I have a big tip for you. See, I don’t mind painting something random if someone pays me enough and I don’t mind stopping a project and walking away when it’s at the good enough stage. If a customer doesn’t have an amazing budget, then I don’t make an amazingly realistic best-of-my-ability painting. I’m okay with doing a good job, but not an amazing one if the situation calls for it. And I take that theory into the rest of my work life… If I spent just a couple more months on my book it would be that much better. I could’ve added more humor, less rambling, and more whimsical words to help paint a picture of every story I told within the pages. But I didn’t. I called it done and moved on. Every single time I record a solo podcast episode, I seriously consider lighting it on fire and starting over. I’m tempted to spend another hour going back over the subject I just talked about, but this time make it so much smoother. Almost every mural design I create, at one point or another, I look at it and think why didn’t I stretch my creativity a little further to make it look just a bit better? In the middle of painting, I’ll often want to add a small detail or change a small part, but I make myself move on and come back to it in the end. “If it still bothers me when everything is complete then I’ll add/change that part.” But 90% of the time nothing gets changed, because the overall look of the mural isn’t reliant on a small detail. My art business won’t crumble if a small detail is incorrect or out of place. I’ll get to it eventually, or not. Currently, everything runs comfortably. Not perfect, but comfortable. So, when can you call it good enough? If the customer is happy, then it’s good enough. If I can say that I gave at least an 80% effort, then that’s good enough for me. Because I know adding that extra 20% often takes waaaaay longer than necessary. Let’s chat about the idea of leaving perfectionism behind and putting things out there that are good enough on this week's episode of the Artist Academy Podcast. Andrea http://www.artistacademy.co

18 SEP 2023 · This week’s episode features Florida-based visual artist Cody Meacham of Radley Relics. Cody crafts nostalgic miniatures inspired by beloved theme park attractions and horror films. Each piece is meticulously designed, reflecting his passion for capturing the essence of iconic haunted experiences. Cody has worked on projects for Universal Studios and has lately nestled into his own business of collaborating with collectors to create custom pieces. He leans into the fact that his work is extremely niche and has a very unique, nailed down audience. Cody interacts with his collectors to gain insight from them as to what they might be looking for in his work. Having that one-on-one communication with people who have already bought into his work helps him customize each piece to the liking of his fan base. Instead of starting completely from scratch every time and not knowing how it will be perceived, by getting upfront feedback from collectors he already knows each creation will be a hit. It’s genius! There’s a fine line between doing what you love and taking outside advice to dictate what you do, and Cody is walking that line brilliantly. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Cody Meacham of Radley Relics. http://www.artistacademy.co https://www.instagram.com/radleyrelics/

11 SEP 2023 · What creates a good offer? I believe, if you make a product that appeals to your audience enough to make them want to buy, then that is a good offer in itself. You don’t need to add any gimmicks if the product sells. However, if the products aren’t selling, then maybe adding some kind of element, like giving the buyer a reason to buy right now, is the push it needs to complete the sale. Or maybe doubling up on the product and giving more of it is the added persuasion tactic that’s needed. The idea for this episode came about with me watching my own spending habits take place lately. I’ll give a couple of examples… I am currently in love with this food delivery service I’ve been using: Factor75. It’s not sponsored but what made me buy the product in the first place is what makes it relevant. My friend highly recommended it, but that wasn’t enough to talk me into it since I had already tried meal delivery services in the past and wasn’t amazed. Then she gave me her free box discount code to try it for free and I was sold. The product was amazing and I’ve been using it since! Maybe you could give out a free digital item like a downloadable Christmas card set that people could print out for free, in order to get people on your email list. There’s no cost except a couple of hours of time designing the cards with your art on them and “Happy Holidays,” or whatever, written on the inside. Customers will opt in, and you’ll have an email system in place ready to upsell them with products you’re offering for the holidays. Maybe it’s WOWing a customer with a custom mockup to get them to say yes to the full mural. Another item I bought lately was a bamboo sleeper for my 9-month-old baby boy. Actually, 5 sleepers because at first, I said, “absolutely not” to the price of 1 for $36. I know they are high quality and the prints were adorable, but I couldn’t get myself to spend that on something he won’t fit in next year. Then I received a buy 2 get 1 free email… Nope, not good enough. The next day I received a 24-hour flash sale of buy 3 get 2 offer… Sold! I realize that art is not the same as other products. It’s typically more expensive and has a different allure than buying something you can eat or wear. But I think it’s useful to look at the reason we buy other products and somewhat integrate that thinking into our art products. After I bought those pajamas, I received an email telling me when my order was going to be shipped, thanking me for my purchase, and inviting me to their Facebook group where they post their biggest discounts. It was also written in a very cute and non-salesy way. (I’ll read it word for word on the podcast because it was THAT good) We should all be doing this! What’s your can’t-say-no-to-this offer? I’ll share mine in this week’s episode of the Artist Academy Podcast. Listen to hear more about this subject and how I’m integrating these sales approaches into my art business. Links mentioned: Factor75 www.bumsandroses.com Have a great week! :) Andrea www.ArtistAcademy.co