The Art Biz Alyson Stanfield

host: Alyson Stanfield
Some artists are fine working by themselves in their studios. Other artists need to move their art beyond the studio walls and into the public in order to be fulfilled.
My guest for this episode is Marilyn Fontaine, a multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in East London. Her work is spiritual with a strong foothold in feminine themes.
She has begun marrying that work to the history of the local community—in particular, the stories of those who share her Afro-Caribbean roots.
Marilyn and I talk about the work she does within her community, including how it is funded and why her growing network is essential.
We also discuss:
Her ritual upon entering the studio for a day’s work, which is always a favorite topic of mine. Why she’s leaning into rejection and learning to be curious about negative reactions that some people have to her work. How she is learning to let go—to not hold too tight to the idea that she wants something so badly—and to allow it to come by creating that space. 🎧 RELATED EPISODES
Injecting Personal Narrative Into Your Art with Sara Lee Hughes (ep. 131)
Committed to Telling Native Stories Through Her Art and Activism with Danielle SeeWalker (ep. 153)
How Your Art Makes People Feel (ep. 184)
 
📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/community-fontaine
⭐️ Connect with Marilyn and see more of her art: https://marilynfontaineart.weebly.com/
 
🔶 Please join me for THE PEOPLE PLAN 🔶 a planning workshop to identify, establish, and nurture stronger relationships with buyers, collectors, curators, students, gallerists, and more. May 7-9, 2024. https://artbizsuccess.com/peopleplan
 
⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.
~ ~ ! ATTENTION INDIGENOUS ARTISTS and BIPOC ARTISTS ! ~ ~
This is an invitation to all Indigenous and BIPOC artists, wherever you are in the world, to share your story here on The Art Biz. Here’s how ~~~~> https://artbizsuccess.com/pitch-podcast/

Host: Alyson B. Stanfield
For so long, I asked artists Why they make art.
Some artists have a Why.
For other artists, being asked why they make art is unfruitful—even debilitating. They feel unworthy if they can’t come up with a good Why.
A better strategy is to focus on the people who will be viewing, talking about, and living with your art.
How does your art make people feel?
Bernadette Jiwa says, "People don't buy why you do something. They buy how it makes them feel." If you think about it, this, ironically, leads to your Why: Connection.
 
🎧 RELATED EPISODES
Episodes that focus on your relationships:
Following Her Curiosity and Making New Connections After 60 with Jan McCarthy (ep. 158)
Being Seen—Networking for Artists (ep. 148)
How to Guarantee that People Remember You with Skip Hill (ep. 147)
📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/make-them-feel/
 
🔶 Please join me for THE PEOPLE PLAN 🔶 a planning workshop to identify, establish, and nurture stronger relationships with buyers, collectors, curators, students, gallerists, and more. May 7-9, 2024. https://artbizsuccess.com/peopleplan
 
⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.
~ ~ ! ATTENTION INDIGENOUS ARTISTS and BIPOC ARTISTS ! ~ ~
This is an invitation to all Indigenous and BIPOC artists, wherever you are in the world, to share your story here on The Art Biz. Here’s how ~~~~> https://artbizsuccess.com/pitch-podcast/

Host: Alyson B. Stanfield
In this episode of The Art Biz I talk with Lori Sokoluk and Susan Purney Mark, who met in my coaching group many years ago and started a collaboration during the pandemic.
When I teach about collaboration, I’m usually talking about an exhibition or event. Lori and Susan took it to the next level and collaborated on the artwork itself—resulting in a two-person exhibition that recently closed.
I wanted to know what the artmaking process was like when you’re presented with someone else’s marks on the canvas. I think you’ll enjoy hearing about it and what they discovered during the process
We also discussed:
The parameters of the collaboration. The challenges they faced, such as Lori’s physical limitations. How they titled the pieces together (a fascinating theme and process). How they divided up the business stuff. How the exhibition was organized. How it has affected their individual work. The advice they share with any artist who is open to collaboration. 🎧 RELATED EPISODES
Here are a few more episodes about collaboration:
Multiply Your Audience and Expand Your Show’s Impact with Jill Powers (ep. 27)
Knit Democracy Together with Eve Jacobs-Carnahan (ep. 64)
Play Tops Work, Connection Tops Solitude, and Confidence Tops Fear with Willie Cole (ep. 126)
Expanding Your Skillset to Respond to Opportunities with Detour (ep. 128)
📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/sokoluk-mark
 
⭐️ Connect with Lori and Susan and see more of their art:
https://lorisokoluk.com
https://susanpm.com
 
🔶 Please join me for THE PEOPLE PLAN 🔶 a planning workshop to identify, establish, and nurture stronger relationships with buyers, collectors, curators, students, gallerists, and more. May 7-9, 2024. https://artbizsuccess.com/peopleplan
⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.
~ ~ ! ATTENTION INDIGENOUS ARTISTS and BIPOC ARTISTS ! ~ ~
This is an invitation to all Indigenous and BIPOC artists, wherever you are in the world, to share your story here on The Art Biz. Here’s how ~~~~> https://artbizsuccess.com/pitch-podcast/

Host: Alyson B. Stanfield
Your list is something unique to you and your career. No one has this same list. No one makes art like you do; no one knows the same people as you do; and no one has the exact vision that you have. Nobody! Your list is almost worthless to anyone else, yet it’s invaluable to you.
It is the primary tool you use to share your art with the world. It’s your #1 marketing asset, but worthless if you’re not using it.
The definition of a mailing list isn’t as clear cut as it sounds.
I have a philosophy around this 2-word phrase that we frequently take for granted:
You don’t have a single list. You have multiple lists.
I use the term mailing list as an umbrella term, but, in truth, you have three lists that I define as follows:
1️⃣ Your email list
2️⃣ Your VIP list
3️⃣ Your online followers
In this episode, I describe the difference among them and why you need to remember all of them when you’re thinking about your mailing list.
🎧 RELATED EPISODES
Self Sales, Open Studios, and Relationships with Interior Designers with Carol MacConnell (ep. 171)
She Knows Exactly How Much Her Art Income Will be Every Month with Kelly Pelfrey (ep. 162)
Following Her Curiosity and Making New Connections After 60 with Jan McCarthy (ep. 158)
 
📖 To read more, see images, download the transcript + mailing list assessment mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/your-lists
🔶 Put your mailing list to better use in THE PEOPLE PLAN 🔶 a planning workshop to identify, establish, and nurture stronger relationships with your lists. May 7-9, 2024. https://artbizsuccess.com/peopleplan
⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.
~ ~ ! ATTENTION INDIGENOUS ARTISTS and BIPOC ARTISTS ! ~ ~
This is an invitation to all Indigenous and BIPOC artists, wherever you are in the world, to share your story here on The Art Biz. Here’s how ~~~~> https://artbizsuccess.com/pitch-podcast/

Host: Alyson Stanfield, Art Biz Success
My guest is Janice Mason Steeves, author of Bloom: On Becoming An Artist Later in Life. Which, as I say in our interview, is “a lovely mix of insights from a questionnaire, gentle guidance from someone who teaches and leads artist workshops all over the world, and wisdom from academics, professionals, and spiritual advisors.”
Janice has been in my orbit for a long time and I have been dying to talk with her about this book, the seeds of which she mentioned to me about 4 years ago. It’s a book that needed to be written and proves that we have a lot more to talk about this topic.
But let’s kick off the conversation.
Janice will share her background and the realization that the students in her workshops tended to be in the 60 to 80 age groups. This piqued her curiosity about taking up art later in life.
We spend the first half of our conversation talking about how the book came to be. Then we discuss the advantages, benefits and challenges of becoming an artist after age 60.
I, of course, want to know about how artists over 60 approach the business of art, but that’s not Janice’s concern. (And I have some experience that perhaps will lead to a different episode.)
🎧 RELATED EPISODES
These are episodes with other artist-authors >>
Secrets from Copying a Masterpiece with Lilianne Milgrom (ep. 87)
Publishing a How To Book for Artists with Carol McIntyre (ep. 37)
How Two Artists Self-Published and Are Promoting a Successful Book Together (ep. 9)
Mentioned: How Do You Know You’re an Artist? with James Holmes (ep. 181)
 
📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/bloom-steeves.
⭐️ Connect with Janice and see more of her art: https://janicemasonsteeves.com
 
If you want to learn about or improve your art marketing skills, 🔶check out my Essentials program. 🔶 It’s for beginning and emerging artists as well as artists who just need a reboot.
artbizsuccess.com/essentials
⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.
~ ~ ! ATTENTION INDIGENOUS ARTISTS and BIPOC ARTISTS ! ~ ~
This is an invitation to all Indigenous and BIPOC artists, wherever you are in the world, to share your story here on The Art Biz. Here’s how ~~~~> https://artbizsuccess.com/pitch-podcast/

I believe in the power of daily affirmations. I first used them a number of years ago to increase my income and it worked. I increased my income 40% that year. And while I am not now as dedicated to reciting them daily, I know should be! I attribute the majority of my success back then to these affirmations.
What possessed me to stop? 🤷‍♀️ I do not believe that reciting affirmations alone will move the needle. You must have the commitment to your goals in the first place and take appropriate action to move forward. I encourage you to try them as a proven business accelerator tool. It can’t hurt! I read through these affirmations slowly. Then I take a break and repeat them. Use what lands for you—changing the wording to make them your own.
🎧 RELATED EPISODES
Raising Prices on Your Art, Valuing Community, and Balancing Motherhood with Bri Larson (ep. 166)
6 Ways to Be [Even] Happier About Running Your Art Business (ep. 155)
Risk, Rejection, and Resilience with Christine Aaron (ep. 114)
What Your Failures Are Teaching You with Laura Petrovich-Cheney (ep. 95)

 
📖 To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/affirmations
🔶 Does your art business need a boost or a refresh? Please see my comprehensive art-marketing program, Essentials for Artist Success 🔶  full of tools, strategies, and process you need to establish your professionalism and increase your visibility. For those with beginning and emerging art careers and those who need to approach their business with more thought and intention.
⛰️ The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.
~ ~ ! ATTENTION INDIGENOUS ARTISTS and BIPOC ARTISTS ! ~ ~
This is an invitation to all Indigenous and BIPOC artists, wherever you are in the world, to share your story here on The Art Biz. Here’s how ~~~~> https://artbizsuccess.com/pitch-podcast/