The Makings of an Artist: Jennifer Rabbitt on Encaustic Art, Self-Doubt, and Finding Your Creative Identity Maya Gouliard launches The Makings of an Artist with her longtime friend Jennifer Rabbitt, an encaustic artist. Jennifer shares how she came to call herself an artist, why she stepped away from painting, the challenge of selling fine art, and what it takes to keep creating despite doubt and disappointment. In this episode: Jennifer's artistic family, her degrees in textiles and fine art, and switching her college focus to photographyHow encaustic art uses beeswax, damar resin, pigments, heat, and sometimes a torch to create layered workRejecting the dark, depressing art style of the early 1990s for bright, colorful work insteadThe long process of claiming the identity of "artist," even after years of formal trainingHer first gallery show, a Valentine-themed exhibition, and the artist friendship it led to even without a saleThe blurry line between fine art and craftPricing artwork by materials, size, time, and experience, including a $5,000 large pieceWhy family and emotional value can matter more than priceSelf-doubt, minimalism, and "a lot of paintings fail, let them"Her goal of finishing one studio piece by year's end and reaching $50,000 in annual salesChapters: 00:00 Welcome to The Makings of an Artist 01:31 Jenn's artistic family and creative education 05:40 Learning to call yourself an artist 08:37 What is encaustic art? 10:59 Jenn's first gallery show, and why it still counted 13:20 The real struggle: selling and marketing your art 19:57 Fine art vs. craft, pricing, and legacy pieces 26:51 Minimalism, self-doubt, and letting art fail 37:12 Imagining a full-time art life, and creative overwhelm 42:27 Selling, color, and Jenn's $50K goal 49:42 How do you know you're an artist? 52:17 Where to find Jenn's work, and what's next Notable Quotes: "If you're doing work some creative way and you like what you're making, I think you're an artist." "A lot of paintings fail. Let them." Mentioned in this episode: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin Savvy Painter Podcast with Antrese Wood "Wax on Wednesdays" encaustic fusing demos, Shari Replogle (YouTube) "Encaustic Painting Tips: Fusing for a Smooth Surface," R&F Paints (YouTube) Art Pricing Calculators: https://www.artspainter.com/art-pricing-calculator/ https://everycalculators.com/art-price-calculator.html Find Jennifer: Instagram @jennifer_rabbitt_art About Maya: Maya Gouliard is a fantasy author, artist, and community organizer based in Rantoul, Illinois. Writing under Calmillusion Press, she grew into art and writing later in life, asking herself the same question this show explores: am I really an artist, and who gets to decide that? Find Maya: Website: mayagouliard.com Instagram: @mayagouliard TikTok: @mayagouliard Substack: mayagouliard.substack.com Discord: discord.gg/tQZrHm8YWC Want to be a guest? https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdtAAhviHsDI6Zlk-Y4R5OxgEdOwE5R_dBN-YYJAt79bH_GyA/viewform
