Artist Academy

In this episode of the Artist Academy Podcast , I’m joined by Stephen Ridley , a British pianist, artist, and entrepreneur with a pretty incredible story. He started playing piano when he was just two years old, went on to study at Durham University, and eventually landed a job in investment banking. But despite the success and security, he knew it wasn’t the life he wanted. Stephen eventually lef...

In this week’s episode of the Artist Academy Podcast , I’m sitting down with my friend and Artist Academy member Ariane O’Day . I’ve known Ariane for about five years, during which I’ve had the privilege of watching her painting career blossom over time. She started out teaching and bartending but quickly realized those jobs were taking time away from the creative career she really wanted. Ariane...

In this week’s episode of the Artist Academy Podcast , I’m talking with Brittany Wolfe of Painting with a Twist in Little Rock, Arkansas. She has been with the franchise for nearly 16 years and talks about how she was able to build a successful paint-and-sip studio, and how you can too. We talk about why she chose the franchise route, the support that comes with it, and everything that goes into k...

“Your worst client will teach you more about your business than your best one ever will. They’ll show you every gap in your process, every weakness in your communication, every boundary you didn’t set.” In this episode of the   Artist Academy Podcast , I’m sharing some of the worst customer experiences I’ve had throughout my mural career and the business lessons those experiences taught me. F...

In this week’s episode of the   Artist Academy Podcast , I’m talking about selling original canvas art and how I unexpectedly sold about $7,000 worth in just three weeks. I’ve made more than a million dollars with murals, but only around $50,000 from original canvas work in the last 13 years. So these recent sales really surprised me, especially because some of the paintings had been sitting...

In this week’s episode of the  Artist Academy Podcast , I’m joined by  Daniel Scott , a coach for creatives who works with artists on creating a life that supports both their creativity and their financial goals. Daniel comes from an interesting background as a musician and former lawyer, having spent 12 years advising ultra-high-net-worth clients before shifting his focus to helping cre...

In this episode of the   Artist Academy Podcast , I’m joined by oil painter   Chris Abigt . I met Chris at an art show in Springfield and was immediately drawn to her work. I ended up buying one of her prints and knew I wanted to have her on the podcast. Chris has turned art shows into a full-time business. She and her husband travel around the Midwest and do up to 18 shows a year. But t...

In this episode of the  Artist Academy Podcast , I’m joined by  Derrik Diza  to dive into hiring, team building, and growing an art business beyond just yourself. Derrik was previously on the podcast to talk about outreach. Since then, he has built a much bigger operation with employees, artists, a mentorship program, and systems that allow him to take on more work without doing eve...

In this week's episode of the   Artist Academy Podcast , I'm sharing why hiring a virtual assistant for around $150/month can completely change the way you run your art business. I'll walk you through what I delegate, when it's time to hire, and why your most valuable hours should be spent creating and promoting. Over the last couple of months, I've made over $100,000 while investing about $2...

In this week’s episode of the  Artist Academy Podcast , we're talking about why hiring an artist helper sooner than you think could be one of the best decisions you make for your business. I'll walk you through the five levels of artist helpers, what I typically pay, and how to know which type of help is right for your business. I'll also share why you don't have to wait until you're overwhel...

In this week's episode of the   Artist Academy Podcast , I'm chatting with   Kelli Panique , host of   Picture Book Summit , an online conference created for aspiring and published children's book writers and illustrators. If you've ever dreamed of creating a children's book, whether you're writing, illustrating, or hoping to do both, this episode is for you. Since I'm currently wor...

In this week's episode of the   Artist Academy Podcast , I sit down with artist   Mary Harris , for a fascinating conversation about the fine art world. While we usually spend a lot of time talking about murals, this episode takes a different direction as Mary shares what it really takes to build a career as an exhibiting fine artist. Mary is a Los Angeles-based artist who has worked wit...

In this week's episode of the   Artist Academy Podcast , I'm sitting down with Australian muralist   Binx , whose career took an unexpected turn after a devastating flood destroyed her studio and years of artwork. Instead of giving up, she rebuilt her business through murals and is now taking on some of the biggest projects of her career. We talk about what's helped her grow her business...

In this week's episode of the   Artist Academy Podcast , I'm sitting down with sculptor   Stephen Feilbach , whose larger-than-life creations have become destinations for families, travelers, and communities. If you've ever stopped to take a photo with a giant sculpture, you've probably experienced exactly what he's hoping to create. I went into this conversation thinking sculpture was j...

In this week's episode of the   Artist Academy Podcast , I'm chatting with Clarissa from   San Diego Party Banner   about how she built a profitable side business creating custom hand-painted party banners. What started as a birthday decoration for her son quickly grew into a business that's generated hundreds of banner orders, digital products, and a growing online community. She s...

It's easy to look at successful artists and assume they have something you don't—more talent, more connections, more money, or more opportunities. But what if your greatest advantage is something you already possess? In this episode of the   Artist Academy Podcast , we'll talk about how to identify the strengths and experiences that make you uniquely valuable. Maybe it's your ability to conne...

Are you building the art career you actually want, or the one that simply feels safest? In this week's episode of the   Artist Academy Podcast , I'm diving into a mindset shift that's been on my mind lately: the idea that many artists unknowingly limit their income by limiting the types of opportunities they're willing to pursue. Using examples from both the art world and beyond, I'll explore...

In this week's episode of the   Artist Academy Podcast , I'm sharing a reminder that I think every artist needs to hear from time to time: just because things are slow doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. A year ago I found myself staring at an almost empty schedule. There were opportunities floating around, but nothing seemed to be sticking. I found myself questioning whether I was bein...

This week on the   Artist Academy Podcast , I’m chatting with artist and former tech entrepreneur   Shirley Yang Crutchfield   about her journey from startup founder to luxury portrait artist. After stepping away from a successful career and becoming a mother, Shirley found herself facing an identity crisis that ultimately led her back to art. Through years of experimentation, she d...

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 (278k), even more fans on YouTube (832k), 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 on the   Artist Academy Podcast , I’m chatting with international muralist   Nina Valkhoff   for another May Mural Month episode! Nina shares how she went from painting custom client work in the Netherlands to creating large scale wildlife murals across 16 countries worldwide. Over the years, she slowly transitioned away from painting whatever clients requested and began f...

This week’s replay episode of the   Artist Academy Podcast   is an interview with the international street artist   Peachzz   (aka Megan Russell). You’ll hear Megan tell her story of how she got started with murals (using spray paint) with a theme of birds and wildlife. Her style evolved into also painting the human form, and fast forward to today with one that blends into both...

This week on the   Artist Academy Podcast , I’m chatting with Australian muralist   Cat Dean   for another May Mural Month episode! Cat shares her journey from selling drawings at markets to building a full time mural career while raising two daughters along the way. Today she paints murals for schools, businesses, hospitals, and government spaces across Australia. We talk about dev...

This week’s replay episode of the  Artist Academy Podcast  is an interview with an incredibly talented Australian muralist and mentor  Danielle Weber ! Danielle has built a thriving art business from the ground up, painting murals and canvases priced anywhere from $10K to $30K on average. We talk about everything from how she connects with clients through Instagram DMs to how she bo...

This week’s episode of the   Artist Academy Podcast   is an interview with Australian muralist Patrycja Hannagan, also known as   Mural Nomad . We talk about how she built a full-time mural career while traveling across Australia, what she learned from completing her 100 Mural Project, and how her business has evolved over the years. Patrycja shares the reality behind life as a trav...