The Messy Studio with Rebecca Crowell

Episode 245: Art and Technology

March 18th, 2023  |  41 mins 39 secs

art, communicating, creativity, history, marketing, materials, rebecca crowell, technology

As artists, many of us honor the age-old tradition of creating our work with nothing more than our hands, a few tools, and materials that have stood the test of time. Yet we also live in a high-tech world, and that impacts all of us. How artists view technology ranges from a necessary evil to a full embrace of its creative possibilities. But we should all understand that technology itself is not a new factor in making art. Today we’ll look at some of the ways technology has been used over time in art and ways to think about it in our current world.

Episode 243: Being Seen

March 4th, 2023  |  31 mins 5 secs

art, communication, creativity, history, marketing, purpose, rebecca crowell

A basic human desire is to truly be seen. We long to be understood by other people, acknowledged, appreciated, and accepted for who we are. As an artist, you have a literal way of being seen, of communicating who you are in a visual way. The hope that people will be able to connect with you through your work is a basic motivation for making art. Today we’ll talk about the desire to be seen and understood by the people who view your work.

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 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 185: Approaching Galleries and More: Interview with Jason Horejs:

July 5th, 2021  |  41 mins 8 secs

art, business, creativity, galleries, interview, jason horejs, marketing, rebecca crowell, sales

We interview Jason Horejs of Xanadu Gallery and RedDotBlog.com on the best way to market yourself and your work to galleries.

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 139: Those Awkward Moments

August 22nd, 2020  |  42 mins 22 secs

art, career, conversation, creativity, criticism, marketing, rebecca crowell, self improvement

In a recent podcast, we talked about the remark often made about abstract artists --” my kid could paint that.” But there are lots of other things people say to and about artists that show a lack of understanding or even hostility toward art. When these happen in conversation, they can create some awkward moments. Most of us tend to feel defensive when this happens, and we can miss an opportunity to elevate the conversation. Today we’ll talk about some of these common remarks, consider why people make them, and ways to handle them gracefully.

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.