Creative Thursday with Marisa

My planning practice, or rather my planning obsession, has reached a new level and I've got a brand new tip to share with you in this episode.   Inspired by another new love for project management - something that before my business started to grow to include a team that I had no idea "was a thing" - this planning tip is good for both using pen (preferably markers!) + paper and digital.   I'm also...

Are you feeling frustrated that you aren't getting any traction in marketing and consistently selling your work?   This might be why... Not all marketing trends are the best strategy, especially for Artists starting out.   With a new "Art expert" popping into my social media feed every other day, there's more noise than ever out there with a million and one recommendations and marketing strategies...

In almost 300 episodes I haven't shared EXACTLY how I started my Art business, how is that possible?   The truth is that business owners can get so distracted by shiny squirrel syndrome (listen to this previous podcast episode no.) and all the latest marketing strategies, that we can miss the most obvious one that's right in front of us, and forgetting to stay focused on what works (easily!) and d...

Sharing inspiration from your fellow Creatives with Artist Success Stories with you in today's episode with 4 guest Artists and Expansive Artist members. My favorite kind of conversations to have ~ as we do! we touch upon a lot of topics on this journey of an Artist:   how the decision to stick to a higher price resulted in a loyal collector why the work of the Artist is equal to the work of a hea...

Who decides when you're ready? Is it you? Is it an Art teacher or Gallery owner? Is it your family, your partner? Is it the inner critic living in your mind? (You know that one that's not always the most supportive...)   One of the most common objections I hear from Artists starting out is that they don't feel "ready" to sell their work.   While it's an important question to ask ~depending upon th...

Have you ever wondered how Art gets chosen for TV + film?   As an Artist whose work is featured in the 2nd highest grossing feature film of all time, The Avengers Endgame, I'm going to break it all down for you in this episode.   It's not just because I live in Los Angeles that my Art has found its way onto countless walls in both film and tv over the years (although it does help!)   There are a v...

Are you frustrated with all the changes?   Do you find the resistance creeping in along with a wish to just keep things the same for a while, already!   I see Artists coping with similar struggles over and over, and it doesn't help that there are also a lot of shifts happening all at once in the creative and online industries.   If we want to keep following through on our plan, it's time for a dif...

Does posting to Social Media feel like a waste of time?   Like it's getting harder and harder to be seen, let alone know if you're reaching your Ideal Collectors?   There may be an important step you're missing, and an opportunity you haven't even considered, especially if you're just starting your business as an Emerging Artist.   However, I've found that a lot of well-established Artists are als...

When you think of a Thriving Artist, what qualities do you think they embody?   In today's episode, I'm joined by 3 Artists, Marie Delage Carlson, Heather Harrington, and Yvonne Sellick.   Alumni from our first sessions of Artful Selling joined me to share with me not only the qualities that they believe separate the Struggling from the Thriving Artist but also what has made the difference for the...

Do you worry about coming across as too Salesy when you're putting your Artwork out for sale? Do you think you're bothering or boring people with your marketing?   Today I bring you a special Sunday episode of the podcast, part 2 of Creative Business Coaching over Coffee and we're talking all about marketing + selling.   I'm answering your questions: What's the best approach for marketing and sell...

Episode Title: 285 Let's talk about the Slow Build when it comes to growing your Art Business     How does feeling more calm with less overwhelm sound when it comes to growing your Art business?   Yes? tune in!   Today's episode is another special edition of Creative Business Coaching over Coffee where I go LIVE on Instagram and share business guidance.   On this call, we covered such a variety of...

Hello Creative Friend, I've got you!   While I don't regret it, I do look back and recognize the sometimes subtle, singular decisions I could've made that would've been a game changer in growing my Art business.   In today's episode, I'm sharing with you the 1 thing - if I could only pick 1 - that I'd do differently.   There's no need to repeat the Artist struggles and yet I see Creatives ignore t...

You don't want to skip this part!   It can be easy to get too carried away with more advanced steps to building your Art business that you completely forget to be thoughtful in the order and care you take those early steps.   When you rush, and try to figure it out by yourself you just cost yourself more frustration and time in the long run.   Save yourself that agitation now and ask an experience...

No one wants it to take an overnight hospital stay to be the wake-up call for you to learn an important lesson.   But so be it.   This is my personal story that doesn't veer far from my professional life. For too long I let fear and anxiety influence the way I chose to grow my Creative Business, and this is where it's time to make a new choice.   The person who went into the hospital is not the sa...

Are you in it for the long game or the quick sale?   Or? are you wanting to offer an affordable option to your loyal Collectors?   Maybe you're prolific and running out of room to create new work?   Perhaps, you're getting ready for a studio move?   What if you want to celebrate an important anniversary with your Collectors!   All reasons that you might consider having a special sale around your o...

Stunned that we're still having this conversation and throwing cautionary tales out to people who may just be getting up the courage to pursue their passion as a business, I open this episode with a response to a conversation I heard with 2 well-respected Women leaders, just moments before I went LIVE for Creative Business Coaching over Coffee last week   And then one of our founding Expansive Art...

Turns out that when asked if social media feels both frustrating, and confusing as to who's actually following you? that answer was a resounding 100% on a recent poll I posted.   Which means, we've got some work to do!   Precisely why I'm back with another edition of Creative Business Coaching over Coffee where I get to have a conversation with EA member and Artist Jeanette Bergstrom answering her...

Oh and! which platform do you choose?   Do you choose just 1 or more? How do you know which one is the right one?   Before you set sail in the wide-open ocean of social media, and possibly waste a whole bunch of time posting aimlessly to ALL the platforms at the same time, you're going to want to answer some important questions about your business vision + goals.   In today's podcast episode I wal...

What if you could save a TON of time, and get that next breakthrough?   Do you have a Coach?   Today on the podcast, I'm bringing you a Creative Biz Coaching over a Coffee conversation I had on Instagram with one of our Expansive Artists members, Artist + Illustrator Jo Blake.   From practical tips to inspired tangents about living this Creative Business life, we covered a lot of ground in our cha...

What do you do if your financial goals are not being met by your dream (yet) ? How long do you give it before you give up?   If this is the question you're asking, then this is precisely the moment you'll learn just how much you want your dream.   And how much you're ready to be self-reliant   And spoiler alert, as I recount my financial story of how I finally started to make a consistent living,...

How do you know that you're not ready for something you've never done before? ~ James Wedmore Today I invite you into the world and mind of James Wedmore~ and the opportunity to get off the fence once and for all and say YES to following your passions in this life.  Telling you now...  this is one of those episodes you're going to want to save and listen to multiple times.   James is the founder o...

This one's for you! A special Sunday edition of the  podcast. Want to never be laid off, fired and still have a regular paycheck? Recurring revenue is your answer, and one of the ways you can add that into your business is through creating digital products from online teaching to creating your own membership. An excerpt from one of our Expansive Artist calls featuring my mentor and business coach...

Do you think you may have found your voice but you're just too close to the work to see it? Or is it because you're emerging that you automatically assume you don't have a voice yet? Could it be that your work needs a more consistent practice to fully develop into a unique + elevated offering? Spoiler Alert: you might already have the answer on how to find your voice, but you're looking outside fo...

Do you feel conflicted about your dreams? Do you find yourself second guessing your path, wondering if you're headed in the right direction? Does the uncertainty of how it will all come together often affect your day to day progress? When you're not feeling clear, there's a reason. Tune in to learn what we uncovered with Hawaii based Artist Jesse Tepora around why she may be feeling a lack of clar...

How do you know what to focus on when? But what if I'm a creative free spirit and I don't like to be boxed into one style, theme, medium or project? A little something I learned the hard way ~ (but you can learn it now!) unfortunately for us Free Spirits the "I don't want to be BOXED IN" approach is a no go strategy when it comes to having a thriving career as an Artist. In today's episode I share...