The Messy Studio with Rebecca Crowell

Episode 181: Respecting Your Artist Self

June 5th, 2021  |  35 mins 14 secs

art, business, career, creativity, personal development, rebecca crowell, respect

Self-respect is one of the central ingredients for a healthy mindset yet can be one of the hardest to achieve. As artists, we may lose our grip on it when encountering the larger art world or lack of self-respect may interfere with our art practice itself, keeping us from dedicating time and resources to our work, or behaving in ways that undermine our success. Is your self-respect as an artist firmly in place or does it waver or fade in some situations? Today we’ll talk about ways to build and maintain your self-respect inside and outside the studio.

Episode 173: Keeping Records: The Stress and Mess

April 10th, 2021  |  31 mins 39 secs

art, business, finances, inventory, lifestyle, organization, personal development, rebecca crowell, record keeping, taxes

There probably are a lot of artists who are able to keep accurate, up-to-date records of their inventory, sales, expenses, materials, and contacts. They have systems that are efficient and neat, and any information they need about their art careers can be easily retrieved from a file. Then there are those who fail miserably at organization, and whose records--if they exist--are in total confusion. A question about the location of a certain painting, or the need to put together images of work for a presentation is cause for panic. Are you somewhere in between these extremes, or do you identify with one or the other? Today we take an honest look at the challenges of record-keeping for artists.

Episode 171: Challenges and Risks

March 27th, 2021  |  36 mins 15 secs

business, career, challenges, cold wax academy, jerry mclaughlin, painting, rebecca crowell, risks

As artists, we are often presented with situations that ask us to say “yes” to something that feels challenging or risky. This could be as small as the need to rework a painting to as large as agreeing to a major solo exhibit. Accepting any challenge requires a commitment and it may feel stressful, and bring on self-doubt. Yet successful artists always take some risks that lead to growth and new possibilities—in their careers and in the studio. Today Rebecca and her partner at Cold Wax Academy, Jerry McLaughlin, talk about why it is important to take on challenges and risks in your art practice--along with a few stories about their own related experiences.

Rebecca and Jerry recorded this episode on video as well as audio, so if you'd like to see the video version, please visit the Messy Studio Facebook page or the Cold wax Academy Facebook page. That’s www.facebook.com/messystudiopodcast or www.facebook.com/coldwaxacademy.

Episode 141: How Others See You

September 5th, 2020  |  50 mins 35 secs

art, business, marketing, personal brand, personal development, professionalism, rebecca crowell, reputation

We create our art and conduct our art careers mostly from within the bubble of our own point of view. But our reputations are important to our success and they are defined by the way other people see us. From within our own perspectives, we can lose sight of how we come across to our colleagues, collectors, students, galleries and others who define us in the outside world. Today will be talking about shaping your reputation as an artist, and why it is important.

Episode 122: Sell More Art Online, Interview With Dave Geada

April 25th, 2020  |  1 hr 8 secs

art, business, dave geada, marketing, rebecca crowell, sales, social media

Dave Geada, CMO at BoldBrush, teaches us how to generate more sales online by telling stories.

Episode 101: Influence Vs Copying

December 7th, 2019  |  39 mins 4 secs

art, business, copying, influence, rebecca crowell

No artist is wholly original. We all owe those who came before us for techniques, ideas, theories, and approaches, and we should honor these influences. Each of us references these influences in our own way. Some of us place ourselves firmly in the tradition of a certain approach to art, or even as followers of a particular artist but with our interpretation and expression, while others work from a combination of many influences. These are healthy aspects of influence. Unfortunately, there are also artists who either deliberately plagiarize another artist's work, or use so many of another artist's ideas that they come uncomfortably close to outright copying.

Episode 100: The Art Of The Side Hustle

November 30th, 2019  |  34 mins 3 secs

art, art income, business, rebecca crowell, self employment, side hustles

For many artists, some form of outside employment is necessary to make a living. Their day jobs often have little or nothing to do with their creative lives, but some have developed income streams that evolved naturally from their studio practice. This approach leads to a more integrated approach to earning a living. Today we’re focusing on some examples of art related side hustles.

Episode 96: Dealing With Rejection

November 2nd, 2019  |  27 mins 4 secs

art, business, rebecca crowell, rejection, self improvement

We’ve all suffered through rejections both major and minor. Like the cycle of ebbs and flows that we talked about in episode 94 of The Messy Studio Podcast, rejection in various forms is a part of an art career that we have to deal with on a regular basis. How can we stay positive and motivated when we are being told we didn’t make the cut? What does rejection really mean in the big picture of our lives as artists?

Episode 94: Ebbs and Flows

October 18th, 2019  |  32 mins 8 secs

art, business, ebbs and flows, mindset, rebecca crowell, self improvement

The ebbs and flows of income (and other positive events) are challenges for any self-employed person. But we have to learn to deal with slack times if we want to persist. Once you become discouraged it can be easy to lose your motivation and even think about giving up. Today we’ll cover some strategies and thoughts that can help if you’re in the midst of a downturn, and also ways to take the best advantage of the good times.

Episode 93: Considering Commissions

October 12th, 2019  |  30 mins 51 secs

art, business, commissions, rebecca crowell

Many artists work regularly on commission and depend on this arrangement for income. Yet others find their restrictions challenging, accept them with reservations, and may even refuse them completely. Artists may also be confused about how to proceed the first time they are offered a commission. In this episode we’ll consider both the benefits and drawbacks to working on commission as well as what to consider when accepting one.