Artist Academy

In  this  episode  of  the  Artist Academy Podcast , we dive into the world of  Girls Who Paint Murals —Allison and Christine, a powerhouse duo who’ve been painting murals together for over four years, knocking out 1-2 projects every week. They open up about how teamwork, clear communication, and leaving ego at the door keeps their workflow smooth and their mural...

In  this  episode  of  the  Artist Academy Podcast , I’m sharing some of my favorite painting and mural hacks, many of which I’ve gathered from YOU—my fellow artists—and from my own studio experience. I’ll let you in on clever ways to use everyday household items like coffee cans, ladles, and silicone muffin trays to make painting easier and more efficient. I’m also giving...

In  this  episode  of  the  Artist Academy Podcast , I’m sharing Chapter 2 of  Mural Money —a sneak peek into my book that walks you through the early days of building my art business, back when I had more determination than experience. I’ll explain how I define luck as preparation meeting opportunity and introduce the idea of the “Luck Fairy,” who only shows up...

In  this  episode  of  the  Artist Academy Podcast ,  I’m  sharing  Chapter  1  of  my  book  Mural Money   and  walking  you  through  my  journey  from  business  major  to  full- time  artist. I’ll  talk  about  the  importance  of  getting&n...

This week’s episode of the Artist Academy Podcast is a replay from a few years back with South Carolina muralist Randall Kane , brought to you as part of May Mural Month— a month packed with mural interviews, book chapters, and all the inspiration you need to fuel your summer painting hustle. I was actually having a bad day before I sat down to interview Randall, yet you’d never know it, because I...

This week on the  Artist Academy Podcast , I’m sharing the behind-the-scenes struggles that come with running a mural business—specifically the stress and burnout that can sneak up on you when you're trying to do all the things. From overbooking to underpricing to saying “yes” way too often, I’ve been there. In this episode, I’m talking about how I learned (sometimes the hard way) to set...

This week on the Artist Academy Podcast is a replay episode featuring Cleveland, Ohio-based muralist Lisa Quine . I really enjoyed my chat with Lisa. She has this positive, honest energy that comes from someone who’s just come out of the thick of building her business— having figured out so much already, while still growing and evolving. We talked about her unique pricing strategy and how it becam...

In this episode of the   Artist Academy Podcast , I’m sharing practical strategies to help you get started with murals and land your first job. If you're looking to build your portfolio and gain experience, here's what you need to do: Paint a mural   on your wall (or a friend or family member’s wall) of a design you   LOVE   and want to be hired for again and again. Take a well...

This week’s May Mural Month replay episode on the   Artist Academy Podcast   features the social media-famous international muralist,   Kiptoe . I knew this guy had a ton of Instagram followers (285k), even more fans on YouTube (823k), and plenty of experience under his belt. But what I didn’t know about Kiptoe was that his hustle game is next-level—and that he started traveling the...

This week's episode on the Artist Academy Podcast is all about mural meetups—what they are, how I plan them, and why they’ve become one of my favorite ways to mix art with adventure. I’m sharing stories from recent trips to Florida, Costa Rica, Mexico, Barcelona, and St. Croix, where I teamed up with other artists to paint murals in exchange for accommodations (yes, you can trade your talent for a...

This week’s episode on the Artist Academy Podcast breaks down the results of my recently completed $100K in 100 Days Challenge. Saying “yes” to this challenge pushed me to think outside the box, and it paid off big time. I ended up making over twice as much as I ever have in the first quarter. I’m spilling all the details—from the unexpected wins to the strategies that actually worked. We’re talki...

This week's episode on the  Artist Academy Podcast  is all about the power of practice. I’m sharing how I’ve spent over 20,000 hours painting—and why that one thing has made the biggest difference in my skills and career. From my early college art classes to those 60+ hour weeks painting for Bass Pro Shops, I dive into the moments that helped me grow the fastest. I also talk about the va...

This week's episode on the  Artist Academy Podcast  is all about working smarter, not harder, in your art business. We’re diving into the power of the 80/20 principle and how focusing on a few key actions can lead to major results.  I’m sharing why you don’t need to post daily to stay relevant online—sometimes, one solid post a week is more than enough. I’ll also break down how atte...

This week's episode on the  Artist Academy Podcast  is all about the business of live wedding painting with  Stephanie Gaffney .   Stephanie shares how she built a thriving career painting weddings live, charging $5,000+ per piece—far above the national average. She dives into her marketing strategies, from leveraging social media and SEO to growing her reputation through word-...

This week's episode on the   Artist Academy Podcast , we’re exploring the strategic approach to raising your prices as an artist. Determining when and how to increase your rates can be challenging, especially when faced with fears of losing clients or undervaluing your work. In this episode, I break down the key indicators that signal it’s time for a price adjustment, the mindset shifts...

This week’s episode on the Artist Academy Podcast is all about tackling social anxiety as an artist. If putting yourself out there feels overwhelming—whether on social media, video, or in person—you’re not alone! I’m sharing my own journey of overcoming shyness and social anxiety, along with practical tips to help you build confidence and promote your work. We’ll talk about the power of practice,...

This week’s episode on the Artist Academy Podcast takes a closer look at using the Apple Vision Pro for mural painting. I’ll walk you through how this headset works as a projection tool, demonstrating its features with the DaVinci Eye app for image placement, resizing, and opacity adjustments. We’ll also compare it to traditional projectors and other AR/VR options like the Meta Quest to see if it’...

This week's episode on the   Artist Academy Podcast   features UK artist   Louise McNaught . Louise is an environmentally conscious wildlife artist whose passion shines through every canvas she paints. I reached out to Louise back in 2019 for her first interview on this podcast (see her first interview   HERE ), so this episode provides an updated look at how her art busin...

Does outreach seem scary/foreign/confusing?  Let me help…  This week's episode on the   Artist Academy Podcast  is all about  how I’m gaining mural customers  from  reaching out to businesses via email/DM and how you can get started too.  Outreach can be a pain in the a$$ if you don’t know what you’re doing. I know, because I’ve been spending the past few mo...

This week’s episode on the Artist Academy Podcast is all about pricing your art and mural projects with confidence. Figuring out how much to charge can feel overwhelming, but it’s one of the most important aspects of running a successful art business. In this episode, I’m breaking down my pricing strategy—from $20 to $65 per square foot—and explaining exactly what factors go into those numbers. I’...

This week’s episode on the Artist Academy Podcast is all about simplifying your social media strategy as an artist. Should you create a separate account for each art niche, or is it better to keep everything under one profile? I’m sharing my personal approach and the pros and cons of both, so you can decide what works best for your brand. We’ll also dive into the type of content that performs best...

This week's episode on the Artist Academy Podcast is all about understanding the true cost of running a mural business. From essential tools like projectors, iPads, scaffolding, and lift rentals, to ongoing expenses such as marketing, software, and website maintenance, we’re breaking down the financial side of being a professional muralist.  I’ll take you behind the scenes of my own busi...

This week’s episode on the Artist Academy Podcast  is all about mastering sales strategies. When pitching your mural services to potential clients, crafting the perfect pitch can make all the difference in landing the right opportunities. I’m joined by my husband Ryan, who brings his expertise from the world of insurance sales. He shares practical tips on customizing scripts, understanding cl...

On this week’s episode of the Artist Academy Podcast , we’re diving into a topic that hits home for many artists—waiting for that response from potential clients. Silence can feel intimidating, and it’s easy to let overthinking take over. But the truth is, a delayed reply rarely has anything to do with rejection. I’ll share personal stories about how our minds often create negative narratives when...

This week on the Artist Academy Podcast, we’re exploring the habits and practices to leave behind in the new year in order to improve your art business. It’s not just about the resolutions, but about making intentional changes that will push you toward growth. In this episode, I’ll share how I’m focusing on presenting a more professional appearance, setting realistic goals, and batching work to re...