Podcast – Adventures in Arting Podcast Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Talking about your artwork effectively can enhance how it’s perceived and understood.  Talking about it ineffectively can make people less interested in your work. One of the big keys is to consider your audience. Generally speaking, you’re going to be speaking to: Fellow Artists, Art Folk (Curators, Gallerists, Collectors, Etc.), or the General Public. During the podcast, we go over how to handle each type of conversation so that you’re understood and of interest to your audience.









Links:







* Tip the Artist: PayPal.Me/balzerdesigns* Sign up for the Friday FREE newsletter: https://forms.feedblitz.com/bco * Monthly Membership: https://bit.ly/JulieMembership * Take an online class: https://balzerdesigns.com/Classroom/* Shop: https://www.juliebalzer.com/shop.html * Let’s connect on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balzerdesigns/ * Favorite Things: https://www.amazon.com/shop/balzerdesigns 







Thanks for listening and subscribing!

Mom came up with today’s topic. It’s a fair question. Do you think that the artistic life is solitary or based in community?









Links:







* Tip the Artist: PayPal.Me/balzerdesigns* Sign up for the Friday FREE newsletter: https://forms.feedblitz.com/bco * Monthly Membership: https://bit.ly/JulieMembership * Take an online class: https://balzerdesigns.com/Classroom/* Shop: https://www.juliebalzer.com/shop.html * Let’s connect on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balzerdesigns/ * Favorite Things: https://www.amazon.com/shop/balzerdesigns 







Thanks for listening and subscribing!

“Putting yourself out there” refers to various strategies artists use to gain exposure, connect with audiences, and advance their careers. During this podcast we’ll talk about some ways to make the process of putting yourself out there easier – especially if you’re an introvert or insecure. Remember that putting yourself out there is a gradual process, and it’s okay to take it at your own pace. Celebrate your successes, no matter how small, and acknowledge the courage it takes to share your creativity with the world.









Links:







* Tip the Artist: PayPal.Me/balzerdesigns* Sign up for the Friday FREE newsletter: https://forms.feedblitz.com/bco * Monthly Membership: https://bit.ly/JulieMembership * Take an online class: https://balzerdesigns.com/Classroom/* Shop: https://www.juliebalzer.com/shop.html * Let’s connect on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balzerdesigns/ * Favorite Things: https://www.amazon.com/shop/balzerdesigns 







Thanks for listening and subscribing!

This week we are continuing our discussion about our abstract art likes and dislikes. Here is some of the artwork we discuss on the podcast:



















































Click on any image to view it larger.









On the podcast I also share a list of 15 questions you can ask yourself when viewing abstract art in order to better understand and appreciate it.







Links:







* Tip the Artist: PayPal.Me/balzerdesigns* Sign up for the Friday FREE newsletter: https://forms.feedblitz.com/bco * Monthly Membership: https://bit.ly/JulieMembership * Take an online class: https://balzerdesigns.com/Classroom/* Shop: https://www.juliebalzer.com/shop.html * Let’s connect on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balzerdesigns/ * Favorite Things: https://www.amazon.com/shop/balzerdesigns 







Thanks for listening and subscribing!

In this episode of The Adventures in Arting Podcast, Mom and I are discussing our likes and dislikes when it comes to abstract art. Here’s a peek at some of the art we are looking at in part one:



























































Click on any of the images for a larger view.









Tune in next week for part 2!







Links:







* Tip the Artist: PayPal.Me/balzerdesigns* Sign up for the Friday FREE newsletter: https://forms.feedblitz.com/bco * Monthly Membership: https://bit.ly/JulieMembership * Take an online class: https://balzerdesigns.com/Classroom/* Shop: https://www.juliebalzer.com/shop.html * Let’s connect on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balzerdesigns/ * Favorite Things: https://www.amazon.com/shop/balzerdesigns 







Thanks for listening and subscribing!

I recently asked my newsletter subscribers what was the biggest obstacle to their creativity and many people said: time.







Nobody has “free time.”  But we all can make time for art.  Even though my job is art-related, it doesn’t mean that I get to make art all day.  I try to set aside at least 10 minutes a day to do some personal work just for me. 







Let me help you figure out how to make time for art in your life. There are two stages of this process: identify the problems and make the art habit easier.













IDENTIFY THE PROBLEMS







Identify your priorities.  







This is where you have to have a real talk with yourself.  Would you rather scroll TikTok in bed or go make some art?  It’s fine to scroll TikTok, but then don’t beat yourself up about it.  Ask yourself what are your priorities?  What would you sacrifice for time to make art? Is making art a goal or an aspiration?







Log your time to see what you really do in a day.







Keep a detailed log of your activities throughout the day. This can be done manually with a pen and paper or by using time-tracking apps or tools. Be sure to record everything you do, even small tasks or breaks.







Pay attention to what distracts you during the day. This could include notifications on your phone, social media, emails, or interruptions from colleagues or family members.







Review your time log at the end of the day/week.







Based on your analysis, pinpoint specific activities or behaviors that are wasting your time. This could be excessive time spent on social media, unnecessary meetings, procrastination, multitasking, or inefficient processes.







Make a Plan.







Once you’ve identified your time-wasters, take proactive steps to reclaim that time. Set boundaries around activities that consume too much time or are not essential to your goals. For example, limit your social media usage to specific times of the day or disable notifications.







You can also experiment with different time management techniques to improve your productivity and minimize time-wasting habits. Techniques such as the Pomodoro Technique.







* Get a to-do list and a timer.* Set your timer for 25 minutes, and focus on a single task until the timer rings.* When your session ends, mark off one pomodoro and record what you completed.* Then enjoy a five-minute break.* After four pomodoros, take a longer, more restorative 15-30 minute break.







The 25-minute work sprints are the core of the method, but a Pomodoro practice also includes three rules for getting the most out of each interval:







* Break down complex projects. If a task requires more than four pomodoros, it needs to be divided into smaller, actionable steps. Sticking to this rule will help ensure you make clear progress on your projects.* Small tasks go together. Any tasks that will take less than one Pomodoro should be combined with other simple tasks. For example, “write rent check,” “set vet appointment,” and “read Pomodoro article” could go together in one session.* Once a pomodoro is set, it must ring. The pomodoro is an indivisible unit of time and can not be broken, especially not to check incoming emails, team chats, or text messages. Any ideas, tasks, or requests that come up should be noted to return to later.







I use a variation of this method with a timer and art time.  Just 10 minutes of truly focused time – usuall...