The Messy Studio with Rebecca Crowell

Episode 219: The Confidence Game

September 4th, 2022  |  33 mins 18 secs

art, attitude, business, confidence, creativity, personal development, rebecca crowell

As artists and as creative entrepreneurs we all know the challenges of building confidence—in our own attitudes and in our encounters with people we want to engage with our work. To a large extent, we invent ourselves as we go along, developing a vision for our work and an audience to appreciate it. And often we tackle all of this without much emotional or practical support, and the times when we struggle have a way of depleting our confidence. Today we will talk about understanding the role of confidence in your work and in your business dealings.

Episode 218: About Teaching Workshops

August 27th, 2022  |  43 mins 50 secs

art, business, creativity, entrepreneurship, rebecca crowell, teaching, workshops

Last week we talked about workshops from the point of view of artists taking them, what they look for, and how to make choices from the many options available. Today we want to talk about workshops from the perspective of workshop instructors. Many artists who have ideas and experience to share are drawn to workshop teaching. And teaching can be a very rewarding, interesting, and lucrative side job that fits well with an artist’s own studio practice. But it’s also a completely unregulated territory where success depends largely on personal reputation and endorsements, and where sometimes the best laid plans fall apart. What does it take to do well as a workshop instructor? What are some of the rewards of teaching workshops and what are some things to watch out for?

Episode 216: The Personal and The Professional

August 14th, 2022  |  41 mins 50 secs

art, business, creativity, galleries, openings, personalism, professionalism, rebecca crowell, sales

In every field of work, there are some interactions that are professional and some that can be more personal, and the lines between them are not always clear. How casual, how revealing, how personal can you be while keeping a businesslike and professional attitude? In an art career, this issue impacts your interactions in many ways—in talking with dealers and collectors, when you give talks and interviews, in setting the tone of your website, and any time you are meeting the public. Today we’ll talk about the boundaries between personal and professional situations in an art career.

Episode 215: Being Vulnerable

August 7th, 2022  |  33 mins 19 secs

art, business, creativity, emotion, professionalism, rebecca crowell, vulnerability

Situations in which we feel unsure, insecure, and vulnerable are a common experience for many of us. As artists, that feeling of vulnerability may come with exhibiting our work, promoting ourselves, explaining what we do, and even when we’re alone in the studio making art. Today we will share some thoughts about what it means to be vulnerable as an artist. Is vulnerability something to avoid --or tolerate-- or even embrace? What can we learn from situations in which we feel vulnerable?

Episode 213: Artists as Entrepreneurs, with Jerry McLaughlin

July 23rd, 2022  |  38 mins 17 secs

art, business, creativity, entrepreneurship, jerry mclaughlin, mexico, rebecca crowell

For many of us in the art world, making art is only part of what we do. The other big role most of us play, that of businessperson, can be one that comes less naturally. Many artists resist getting involved with art as a business, seeing it as something that dilutes creativity and true voice. At the same time, most of us get a lot of satisfaction from exhibiting our work and would like to be able to make a living doing what we really love, and it is gratifying to provide something that enriches the lives of fellow humans. Can we learn to see the business aspects of art in a more positive light, and bring to our art business the same skills we use in the studio?

Episode 212: Imaginary Friends and Critics

July 16th, 2022  |  32 mins 50 secs

art, business, communication, creativity, marketing, outside influences, personal voice, rebecca crowell

When an artist creates, the people that the artist images viewing the work often are unseen presences in the studio. When we are deeply involved in our work these may fade away, but they tend to reappear when we are uncertain or involved in self-critique. A legitimate and important part of evaluating our work is trying to see the work through someone else’s eyes. But who are these viewers, exactly? Who are we creating art for, besides ourselves? Today we talk about those who view our work, how we imagine them and how much power to give them.

Episode 210: Interview with Jason Matias Part II

July 3rd, 2022  |  47 mins 10 secs

art, business, creativity, design, jason matias, photography, rebecca crowell

Today we are excited to welcome Seattle-based artist, author, and educator Jason Matias back to the Messy Studio. We published the first part of this interview back in January, which focused on Jason's approach to the business side of art. We recorded a second interview that same day so that he could tell us more about his own art, and what it takes to make his striking photographs of the natural world. We are excited to share this second interview with you today.

Episode 204: Jason Matias Interview - The Art of Selling Art

January 15th, 2022  |  39 mins 18 secs

art, branding, business, creativity, fairs, jason matias, marketing, pricing, rebecca crowell, selling art

Today we are excited to welcome Jason Mathias to the Messy Studio. Jason is an experienced professional artist, an author, and an educator, who lives in a loft in the woods outside Seattle, Washington. Following seven years of military service, Jason pursued a bachelor's degree in business and a master's in organizational leadership and began to apply what he learned to his passion for photography. These days, in addition to his creating his own artwork, Jason runs the online teaching platform The Art of Selling Art, a membership site that teaches business skills, strategies, and practical approaches to the business side of art practice. His aim is to demystify the art world so that artists can sell more art. We're going to find out much more about what he has to offer other artists in today's episode.

This interview is available on both audio and video versions on our Facebook page.

Episode 201: Social Media: Friends and Followers

December 17th, 2021  |  39 mins 55 secs

art, brand, business, creativity, personal voice, rebecca crowell, social media

Many of us enjoy social media as a convenient way to share our art with others, for the sense of community it offers, and the easy way it lets us keep up with people we seldom see in person. But artists who are not enthusiastic about social media can feel pressured into participating because of the benefits it offers, yet squeamish and awkward when they do. Today we’ll talk about the role of social media in art practice and how to find a comfort level with participating if you’ve been avoiding it.

Episode 196: Open Studio Events: Pros and Cons

November 15th, 2021  |  39 mins 35 secs

art, art tours, business, creativity, rebecca crowell, sales, studio tours

At some point in their art careers, many artists are offered the opportunity to take part in an Open Studios event or Art Tour in their communities. These events can be lucrative and exciting --and provide many new contacts to help spread the word about your work. They also entail a lot of preparation and time taken away from normal studio life ---and several intensive days of meeting the public and handling all the details of selling work directly during the event. Today we take an inside look at this experience and consider the pros and cons of participating in an Open Studio or Art Tour in your own community.