We all know artists who do incredible work, but fail to achieve their professional goals. It’s tragic and feels unfair. At the same time, I’ll bet you can also name several artists who enjoy great commercial success, they’re achieving professional goals – yet their work leaves you scratching your head and wondering why? Why them? […]
The Artist’s Dance Read More »
One of my favorite writers is Seth Godin. I’ve been reading his books and blog for years because his advice for creatives is paradigm-changing. But life was throwing me some challenges. I wished I could ask Seth Godin about it. “Seth Godin would know what to do,” I thought to myself. “He always has the
How Seth Godin Answered This Artist’s Question Read More »
Are You Pricing Your Art Wrong? Knowing how to price your art can be really intimidating. Trust me I know. It’s one of the things that artists ask me about the most. Do you price your art in the same way that a lot of other artists do? Are you so traumatized by the very
“But Crista,” the artist asked, “How can I make a living from my art?” “I wanna be wealthy! I wanna live on a beach! I wanna be dripping in jewels! And I want my art to pay for all of it!” Then I reply with something that artist Kiki Smith once told me: “Your art doesn’t exist to support
Is Your Art Making You Wealthy? Read More »
“It’s really easy to work as an artist!” said no one, ever. Most artists are really challenged when it comes to marketing their own work. Are you? Maybe you can’t place your finger on what your style is? Maybe you play in more than one medium? It’s difficult to package something that feels so elusive
How Artists Find Their Brand Read More »
Every family has a story. They called her “Grandma Ach” because of her habit of beginning each sentence with a guttural sound of disapproval. “Ach! What is this?” But her name was Mary Anne. She was the daughter of German immigrants. Farmers. But Mary Anne was an artist. Bright, beautiful, and serious, the photos of my
She Looked Like Georgia O’Keeffe Read More »
Today I’m going to share something a little different with you. It’s an interview I gave for the book “The Business of Art.” I’ll include a link for the book itself down below. But I thought you might be interested in how I answered these questions about my own journey and the advice I have
The Business of Art Read More »
I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen a lot of art critiques in my day. Even though artistic taste is subjective, even though everyone has their own aesthetics and set of experiences and education that they bring to the work; critiques are an important part of the artistic process. Why? I often ask that
The Best Art Critique Process Read More »
Many artists sell art out of their studio, online, at co-operative galleries, or even at one of the thousands of art fairs that are so popular. But just because you’re an artist, doesn’t mean that you know how to sell your work. In fact most artists really struggle with sales and marketing and face consistent
How To Sell Your Art Read More »
They tell me that I have always been creative. My family recognized the symptoms from the start. I often heard them wail, “She’s creative!” when they didn’t understand why on earth I made the choices I did. They would cry out, hands on-head in despair, “What will become of her?” At school, I’d entertain the
What Will Become of Her? Read More »