Artist Academy

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...

This week’s replay episode of the  Artist Academy Podcast  is an interview with Canadian muralist  Corrado Mallia   where we talk about what it actually takes to build a mural business over time. Corrado shares how he started with cold outreach, practiced on his own, and slowly built consistent work through referrals. We get into pricing murals, what goes into quoting a project...

To kick off May Mural Month, I wanted to step outside of my usual circle and have conversations with muralists in different parts of the world. In this episode of the  Artist Academy Podcast , I’m talking with Toronto-based artist  Tetyana Bibik . We get into the realities of running a mural business in Canada, from pricing differences and currency gaps to a high cost of living and seaso...

This week on the  Artist Academy Podcast , I’m talking about something that can be tough for artists to navigate… what happens when a mural gets painted over. It’s a situation that brings up a lot of emotion, especially when a piece is loved by the community or holds personal meaning. I’ve experienced it myself, and recently my city went through a similar situation, with guest artist  Au...

Join  MURAL MONEY BOOTCAMP  starting May 1st!  In this week’s episode of the   Artist Academy Podcast , I break down what actually wins a mural job when you’re not the only artist being considered. Because it’s rarely about price. It’s about how you show up, how clearly you position yourself, and how easy you make it for the client to say yes. I walk through real situations whe...

Join  MURAL MONEY BOOTCAMP  starting May 1st!  This episode of the  Artist Academy Podcast  breaks down the stages every artist goes through while building a career, based on both my own experience and what I’ve seen coaching artists over the years. It starts with the early phase of uncertainty and self-doubt, where you’re figuring things out and questioning if this is eve...

This week on the   Artist Academy Podcast , I sit down with photographer and business coach   Scott Proposki   to talk about what really drives success as a creative. Scott has worked with brands like National Geographic and the White House, but this conversation focuses on what made that possible behind the scenes. We get into why talent alone isn’t enough, how most artists hold th...

This week on the   Artist Academy Podcast , I’m walking through a simple question that can change everything when you’re scared to go all in on your art career: what’s the worst that could actually happen? I’m breaking down the biggest fears artists have around money, pricing, clients, skill level, and stability—and sharing how I’ve handled those same fears in my own business. We’ll look...

This week on the   Artist Academy Podcast , I’m talking with Colorado-based artist   Samuel Popovich . He has built an incredible business around his hilarious, character-filled frog paintings and is sharing exactly how he did it. We talk about how he developed his unique style, how he taught himself to paint through YouTube and experimentation, and how he turned a playful idea into artw...

This week on the   Artist Academy Podcast , I’m sharing the uncomfortable truth about marketing yourself as an artist—posting online, talking on camera, networking, pitching, and doing all the awkward things that actually lead to opportunities. If showing up feels uncomfortable, you’re not alone. A lot of artists struggle with putting themselves out there, promoting their work, or being the f...

This week on the   Artist Academy Podcast , I’m diving into a topic artists keep asking about lately—AI. I decided to put three of the most talked-about platforms—ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and MidJourney—to the test and see how they actually perform when used inside a real mural workflow. In this episode, I’m sharing how I use AI in my own mural business to create faster mockups, refine co...

This week on the  Artist Academy Podcast , I’m bringing back a highly requested 2020 interview with wildlife artist  Carla Grace  — and the lessons are just as relevant today. Carla breaks down how she slowly built her career into full-time art by focusing on technical mastery first, then letting demand and pricing follow. We discuss her acrylic layering technique, collaborating eth...

This week’s episode of the  Artist Academy Podcast , I’m giving you the honest talk I wish someone had given me earlier. We’re covering the habits that quietly hold artists back—like hiding behind tools, blaming the algorithm, or constantly switching directions before giving anything a real shot. I break down why obsessing over your weak spots can keep you from becoming known for your st...

This week’s episode of the  Artist Academy Podcast  is for my fellow Type B artists… and it might make a Type A listener clutch their planner.    After hosting a mural meetup in Costa Rica, I realized just how differently artists operate—some plan every detail, and some (hi, it’s me) make decisions in real time, right there on the wall. I’m sharing the “Type B” habits that keep...