63 episodes

We interview successful professional artists including painters, sculptors, photographers and other fine artists. We talk about the business of art and what it takes to succeed.

How to Sell Art: The Abundant Artist Podcast Cory Huff, TheAbundantArtist.com, How to Sell Art Online

    • Business
    • 4.8 • 94 Ratings

We interview successful professional artists including painters, sculptors, photographers and other fine artists. We talk about the business of art and what it takes to succeed.

    6 Legal Must-Dos for Artists with Kiffanie Stahle

    6 Legal Must-Dos for Artists with Kiffanie Stahle

    Welcome back to The Abundant Artist, the show that dispels the myth of “the starving artist” and shares how you can live an abundant life as an artist and make a living from your talent one interview at a time.
    Joining Cory in today’s podcast is Kiffanie Stahle, the “friendly” lawyer who helps artists get the legal side of their art businesses in order. A firm believer in focusing on the “why” rather than the “what”, Kiffanie advises artists to first decide what they actually need to meet their business goals, rather than just investing big in legal matters that may not be required at all in their specific circumstances.
     
    In this episode, Kiffanie spells out the six basic rules that every professional artist must adhere to, to avoid getting caught in the legal net. She mentions some free templates available on her website that may be a good starting point for artists just beginning their art career. Kiffanie also talks about how easy it could be to gather tax and other legal information in your state – often just a phone call away.
    Tune in to today’s episode for more legal insights, a bit about Kiffanie’s minimalist life traveling the western US since 2020, and her goal to make life easier for small creative businesses. Well, legally at least.
    Key Takeaways:
    [1:12] Cory asks Kiffanie to tell the TAA audience a little about how she started her journey as a lawyer helping artists with legal dos and don’ts.
    [3:00] Kiffanie reminisces about how she founded the artist's J.D. as a place to provide legal tools and resources for artists, and how it has now evolved into a membership community, offering books, courses and templates.
    [4:38] How the year 2020 made a big life change for Kiffanie, and how her minimalist lifestyle impacted her legal thoughts.
    [6:39] Is getting a trademark necessary?
    [7:00] Kiffanie believes that there are only six things that are required of artists when it comes to the legal side of their small creative businesses.
    [9:49] Kiffanie explains how a simple email can also be a valid contract in the eyes of the law.
    [11:39] Cory asks Kiffanie how Entrepreneur Magazine has a trademark, given that a business name that merely describes what you do is not eligible for a trademark.
    [16:15] When do you need to do more legal stuff, if you have covered the six necessary tasks already?
    [17:54] Kiffanie has a free template on her website which artists can use to create a really simple, easy and readable privacy policy and terms of service.
    [20:04] Cory asks Kiffanie to quickly define GDPR and CCPA.
    [22:02] If your creative stuff is primarily targeted at children, there’s a whole lot of separate laws that you will need to be cognisant of.
    [23:25] Cory asks Kiffanie to explain what one needs to do to comply with the various tax requirements.
    [24:18] Kiffanie often recommends her clients to get in touch with their respective Chambers of Commerce for understanding the tax rules and regulations applicable to them.
    [31:39] At what point should artists start reviewing their tax affairs on a regular basis?
    [33:30] Who are enrolled agents, and how are they different from CPAs?
    [35:35] To decide what legal tasks you must complete, you must know where your business is going.
    [37:29] Kiffanie has been out of social media for three years now – this is one of her experiments in life minimalism.
    [38:22] Cory asks Kiffanie how artists would get in touch with her if they are curious to learn more about legal matters or need legal help.
    [40:06] What is Kiffanie’s takeaway from spending so much time working with creative people?
    [42:08] Cory thanks Kiffanie for a super-informative episode!
    Mentioned in This Episode:
    the artist's J.D.
    Stahle Law website
    Kiffanie’s Website Policy Mad Libs
    Kiffanie’s Legal Roadmap book
    Kiffanie’s Join me for coffee each Friday
    Find More Episodes Over on TheAbundantArtist.com

    • 43 min
    Why Personality Matters in Selling Art with Marisa White

    Why Personality Matters in Selling Art with Marisa White

    Welcome back to The Abundant Artist, the show that dispels the myth of “the starving artist” and shares how you can live an abundant life as an artist and make a living from your talent one interview at a time.
    Our guest today is Marisa S White, an award-winning artist-photographer based in Colorado. A drawing and painting major, Marisa fell in love with photography in college and eventually began to incorporate it into her work, creating mixed media collages. In 2012, she was introduced to Photoshop, and her artistic world changed forever.
    In this episode, Marisa shares her journey as an artist, why she went from art school to setting up her own payroll business to back in school learning photography, how her “decent personality for sales” has served her well, how she handles her gallery relations, and many more tidbits about her art life.
    Join us for today’s podcast to learn more about Marisa's “trials-and-errors” in life which, she believes, have got her to the point where she is now.
    Key Takeaways:
    [1:20] Cory kicks off the conversation with Marisa asking how she came up with the idea for her series titled Certain These Clouds Go Somewhere.
    [4:48] Cory reminisces about his growing up years in Utah, and how he resonates with Marisa’s creative feelings emanating from being surrounded by giant mountains and being in and among the clouds.
    [7:19] How does Marisa describe herself – a photographer, an artist, or a collage artist?
    [8:12] Marisa shares her art journey with the TAA audience, from art school to where she is today.
    [11:20] How going to the Rocky Mountain School of Photography and being exposed to Photoshop there changed the course of Marisa’s art career.
    [14:35] Cory asks Marisa why she decided to sell her payroll business and go back to school to learn photography.
    [17:22] What does Marisa mean when she says she has “a decent personality for sales?”
    [19:40] Cory compares the sales cycle in the mid-upper tier of the art market with that of enterprise software solutions.
    [22:23] How Marisa loves to share the stories behind her artworks with visitors in art fairs.
    [24:20] Marisa talks about her creative process.
    [28:48] Why Marisa thinks that making behind-the-scenes videos of their creative process can be a bit frustrating for artists since they do a lot of things “in the moment,” but why she still recommends doing so.
    [30:43] How do buyers find Marisa?
    [31:40] Apart from galleries and art fairs, sales through social media have started picking up lately for Marisa.
    [32:10] How does Marisa choose the art fairs she goes to?
    [34:14] Why it is important as an artist to keep track of where your sales are coming from.
    [36:13] Cory asks Marisa whether she has formal contracts with the galleries she is working with.
    [39:46] Marisa explains how she handles her relationships with multiple galleries.
    [43:10] Why is Marisa using both Photobiz and ArtStoreFronts for her website?
    [45:22] Marisa is going to get her own retail space soon.
    [47:31] Cory thanks Marisa for joining the podcast!
    Mentioned in This Episode:
    Marisa White’s website
    Marisa’s series Certain These Clouds Go Somewhere
    Marisa’s Instagram
    Marisa’s Facebook
    Kelli Erdmann's Instagram (kelladactyl)
    Find More Episodes Over on TheAbundantArtist.com

    • 47 min
    How Music Shapes Art for Kathy Lajvardi

    How Music Shapes Art for Kathy Lajvardi

    Welcome back to The Abundant Artist, the show that dispels the myth of “the starving artist” and shares how you can live an abundant life as an artist and make a living from your talent one interview at a time. 
    Today’s guest is Kathy Lajvardi, a contemporary mixed media artist based in Laguna Beach, California. Kathy was born in Iran and later migrated to the US when she was nine-years-old – a cultural shift that has shaped her as an artist, designer, author and curator. Her diverse artistic background ranges from reflective resin to large-scale paintings that tell a story, are conceptual, and raise awareness.
    In this episode, Kathy shares her journey as an artist, from earning her BFA to working with high-profile clients such as Madonna, Beyonce, Lexus, Disney, and Apple. She further talks about how the late night brainstorming sessions with her husband have turned into actual successful projects over the years, and offers her perspective on the Iranian art and culture scene pre and post the 1979 revolution, and how that has influenced her art.
    Join us in this podcast to learn more about Kathy’s art journey, and why she thinks artists should go all out to promote their art themselves rather than waiting to get “discovered”.
    Key Takeaways:
    [0:35] Cory welcomes Kathy to the TAA podcast and asks her to introduce herself to the TAA audience.
    [1:20] Kathy talks about how she went on from earning her art degree to working on motion graphics projects for celebrity musicians, movies and companies like Apple.
    [4:35] She transitioned into digital experience post her marriage and the birth of her children, and started managing the Graphics department in her husband’s advertising agency.
    [6:25] How Kathy and her husband started organizing wine events with winemakers.
    [6:38] What was the Somxx event and how did it happen?
    [9:22] Cory asks Kathy about her connection with Iran.
    [10:57] Kathy explains the connection between her art and the music she likes to listen to, and why she always works with her headphones on.
    [13:52] Kathy further talks about her background, and how her choice of music was received by her family.
    [17:50] Cory asks Kathy to describe her series titled “Unbreakable Queens”.
    [18:52] Kathy further talks about the Iranian singer Googoosh and her struggles, and how that has inspired the artist’s “Unbreakable Queens” series.
    [22:05] Kathy offers her thoughts on what Iran used to be like before the 1979 revolution.
    [23:17] Kathy explains in detail how she and her husband organize the events, from visualizing to planning the details to getting sponsors.
    [30:35] Kathy deep dives into how once she knows what she wants, she plans the steps needed to achieve that.
    [32:17] Why the “hustle mentality” is important, and how social media can be used as a platform to reach a wider audience.
    [32:44] Kathy takes her marketing flyers everywhere she goes.
    [33:29] Art dealers can surely accelerate an artist’s career, but Kathy insists that an artist can be their own art dealer too.
    [34:21] Cory asks Kathy how her events/parties convert into sales.
    [37:15] Cory thanks Kathy for joining the podcast!
    Mentioned in This Episode:
    Kathy Lajvardi’s website
    Sommx event
    Drive Through Napa
    Drive Through Paso Robles
    Unbreakable Queens series
    Find More Episodes Over on TheAbundantArtist.com

    • 37 min
    Art Licensing Explained with Cherish Flieder

    Art Licensing Explained with Cherish Flieder

    Welcome back to The Abundant Artist, the show that dispels the myth of “the starving artist” and shares how you can live an abundant life as an artist and make a living from your talent one interview at a time. 
    Internationally featured and award-winning artist/designer Cherish Flieder joins TAA founder Cory Huff in today’s podcast. Apart from being a creative entrepreneur, Cherish is also a teacher and the founder of a virtual art licensing community, ArtLicensingShow.com.
     
    In this episode, Cherish explains what is art licensing and how it can actually be a viable business model for artists, talks about her first love i.e. children’s book cover illustrations, and reminisces about her journey of art licensing from greetings cards and book cover to fashion apparel and ultimately launching her own art lifestyle brand.
     
    Tune in to listen to Cherish’s journey in art licensing, and what you must know as an artist to potentially adopt this business model.
     
    Key Takeaways:
     
    [:37] Cory introduces Cherish to TAA podcast listeners
    [2:20] What is art licensing? Cherish explains how it’s a viable business model for artists
    [3:35] Different types of products on which Cherish’s artwork has been shown. How she started with children’s book cover illustrations after art school
    [4:30] Why do most artists start with licensing their artwork for greetings cards?
    [5:20] How the process of licensing her art to fashion companies ultimately led Cherish to launch her own trademarked art lifestyle brand, Something to Cherish®
    [7:37] Cherish describes her artwork as “whimsical elegance”
    [9:45] Why Cherish believes in partnering with experts for production and marketing
    [10:22] Cory asks Cherish what she thinks has changed in art licensing in the last couple of years
    [11:00] How “Fast Fashion” brands are changing trends even on a weekly basis, and what artists need to know while licensing their art to fashion houses
    [12:03] Why artists licensing their art must be connected with fellow licensing artists or communities
    [14:51] How can artists position their art in the market to make the most of whatever opportunities come their way?
    [17:06] Cherish throws some light on what her business planning process looks like
    [18:30] The Notion App Cherish uses for the business side of her creative venture
    [22:50] How the Clubhouse social audio network has been a useful community for Cherish
    [24:35] Why do so few art schools have courses on art marketing?
    [30:03] Why only ~50% of artists taking a marketing course implement the learning in their art business
    [32:14] What is a more realistic expectation for an artist who’s just getting started selling their art?
    [34:53] Why consistency is key while marketing your art
    [35:43] Size of your social media follower base may not convert to actual sales. What social media strategies Cherish recommends for driving the sale of artwork
    [43:] What steps does Cherish recommend for artists seeking to license their art to what she calls “companies behind companies”?
    [45:09] What are Cherish’s favorite trade shows? Why is it important to visit trade shows to understand your chosen niche in the market for licensing your art e.g. gift items or home décor?
    [47:07] Cherish advises artists to start researching the market first on their own before handing over their licensing business to agents. And it is important to have a lawyer check your licensing agreements
    [47:32] Cory asks Cherish to explain for the audience what an ASMR video is, and why she recently experimented with creating one
    [50:25] Cherish talks about her “Gratitude Practice”
    [51:48] Cory thanks Cherish for joining the podcast!
     
    Mentioned in This Episode:
     
    Cherish Flieder’s Website
    Art Licensing Community founded by Cherish Flieder
     
    Find More Episodes Over on TheAbundantArtist.com

    • 52 min
    New Orleans Artist Adam Hall

    New Orleans Artist Adam Hall

    Welcome back to The Abundant Artist, the show that dispels the myth of “the starving artist” and shares how you can live an abundant life as an artist and make a living from your talent one interview at a time. 
    Joining the podcast today is Adam Hall, who describes himself as “an artist who paints New Orleans''. Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, Adam's tryst with New Orleans started when he joined Tulane University there to obtain an undergraduate degree in studio art and history. Although later Adam studied in the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA) and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (MFA), he eventually decided to move back to New Orleans and settle there.
    The impact of Hurricane Katrina is visible in Adam’s art, especially in his black-and-white, burnt-paper three-dimensional collages that explored themes of loss and upheaval. A visit to Paris in 2009 and the study of impressionist painters convinced him to switch to impressionist oil paintings.
    In this episode, Adam explains why he calls New Orleans his home, his metamorphosis from a sculptor/installation artist to an impressionist painter, how Hurricane Katrina has inspired his artworks, and how he manages the business side of his art career.
    Key Takeaways:
    [:33] Cory reminisces how he has known Adam since 2013.
    [4:05] Why Adam has found his “artistic home” in New Orleans.
    [5:45] How Adam’s website captures the fascinating evolution of his artworks.
    [7:15] Adam was more into sculptures and installations during grad school. Why has he taken up painting after moving to New Orleans?
    [10:05] How has Hurricane Katrina shaped Adam’s artistic expressions?
    [12:38] Why it was important for Adam to create artworks that looked similar to oak trees.
    [20:12] How over time Adam coached himself to make impressionist paintings of New Orleans.
    [32:30] How Adam has designed his life for selling paintings.
    [33:40] Adam enjoys the business side of his art career. It’s not “work” for him.
    [36:40] How Adam’s New Orleans paintings changed over time and why.
    [38:14] How the pandemic impacted Adam’s choice of subjects for paintings.
    [41:11] How did Adam figure out what works for him in the business side? How TAA class helped Adam with finding his “voice”.
    [46:14] What kind of write-ups Adam does regularly for his collectors. How does he decide on what to write?
    [49:07] Social media and his website helped Adam sell his paintings more than outdoor shows.
    [51:11] What’s working for Adam on social media?
    [53:00] What’s Adam excited about his art business at the moment?
    [55:03] Cory thanks Adam for joining the podcast!
    Mentioned in This Episode:
    Adam Hall’s Website
    Adam’s Blogs
    Find More Episodes Over on TheAbundantArtist.com

    • 55 min
    What does an Art Advisor do with Maria Brito

    What does an Art Advisor do with Maria Brito

    Welcome back to The Abundant Artist, the show that dispels the myth of “the starving artist” and shares how you can live an abundant life as an artist and make a living from your talent one interview at a time.
     
    Normally this podcast features professional artists, but this week’s guest has such a vast experience in the art world, we decided to shake up our usual!
     
    Maria Brito is an Art Advisor, Art Consultant, and Curator. She has spent more than a decade working with a multitude of well-known artists as well as emerging talent, getting them in touch with her clients and building long-term relationships. She also works with corporate clients, helping foster creativity wherever she can.
     
    She comes on the show to discuss her unique perspective on the art business, and how it intersects with the rest of the world. Cory and Maria discuss the revolutionary changes that technology has enabled, decentralizing the art practice and collectors’ markets. They also touch on what artists need to succeed in the free markets as well as in the official art machinery, and how an increasingly polarized world requires open-mindedness and curiosity to move forward.
     
    Join in for a lively discussion on the ever-evolving business of art making.
     
    Key Takeaways:
    [:30] Cory welcomes Maria Brito to the podcast and dives right in with a question about failure.
     
    [1:30] Always remember that failure is impersonal. Maria shares her perspective on the importance of self-reflection and the piecing together of clues to build future projects. She shares a personal story of learning and growth through failure.
     
    [6:50] Maria encourages listeners to take time to review past failures and how they were used to better their practice.
     
    [8:11] What does an art advisor do?
     
    [11:19] From very unhappy corporate attorney to art advisor, consultant, and curator, Maria talks about how her path diverged almost 14 years ago.
     
    [19:22] “Emergent artist” is a term that has changed meaning over time, but belongs to the official machinery of art galleries. Maria speaks about the label “outsider artists,” used for people who evolve away from those official structures.
     
    [24:55] Many cities all over the world are brimming with art ecosystems because technology has enabled a wonderful decentralization of opportunities.
     
    [26:20] How galleries contact Maria, and what they share as information for consideration.
     
    [31:00] A substantial percentage of the art market originates from Instagram, close to $7.5 billion!
     
    [33:25] The three things artists should get good at to build their following on Instagram.
     
    [35:03] Teaching the creative process to corporate clients was years in the making, Maria shares how it came to fruition and some of what she teaches.
     
    [40:00] The starving artist myth needs to be broken. From Picasso to O’Keefe, Maria explains why artists need to stop underestimating themselves as entrepreneurs.
     
    [44:23] Maria’s favorite art and entrepreneurship studies.
     
    [49:00] Pursuing a career for the sake of happiness and creativity versus that of safety has nurtured in Maria a need to share her knowledge to inspire other people to follow their passion.
     
    [53:28] The consistent habits of the creative mind as well as the counter-productive nature of anger and self-righteousness.
     
    [1:08:12] Maria’s advice for aspiring artists in a world that is rife with excellent competition: train your eye and choose your platform.
     
    [1:15:40] Cory thanks Maria for joining the podcast and sharing so much of her knowledge!
     
    Mentioned in This Episode:
    Maria Brito’s website
    @MariaBrito_NY on Instagram
    @MariaBrito_NY on Twitter
    Maria on Facebook
    Hiscox Online Art Trade Report 2021
    Harvard Business School:
    “Christo and Jeanne-Claude, The Art of the Entrepreneur”
    “Theaster Gates: Artist as Catalyst for Community Development”
    “Building an Aspirational High-End Brand through Cu

    • 1 hr 16 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
94 Ratings

94 Ratings

Clairebear17278 ,

Always inspiring advice!

Cory’s guests and the way he interviews them always yields some nuggets for running an art business. I like that Cory his guests are real on the show. I appreciate this podcast!

Miriam Schulman ,

top notch

Cory Huff knows how to market and is generous with his knowledge. He also has top notch guest with inspiring stories

@schulmanArt host of The Inspiration Place podcast

ScottH108 ,

down-to-earth inspiration

First: Cory I'm so glad you have restarted the podcast after many months hiatus-- I've really been enjoying catching up on several years of back episodes - glad there will be more!

Second: This series features loads of insightful interviews with guests I, as an artist just getting started in business, can relate to. I sometimes find the episode titles a little off-putting. They seem "hyped" to me. But then I listen to the episode and find the guests have a lot of humility and real-world experience to share. Cory Huff does a fine job keeping the interviews focused, practical, and kind. Very valuable.

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