John Bishop Fine Art : Podcast

We are literally just back from our annual goals and objectives retreat, and this year it went far more smoothly than I would have suspected.  Every year we take some sort of trip, or isolate ourselves in some way to spend uninterrupted time crafting our goals and objectives for the coming year.  We deviated slightly from the way we have done goals in prior years, in that we stepped up the organiz...

Anyone running a small business knows that we are required to do all of the same things that larger businesses do... ourselves. Just because I'm not a large corporation does not mean that I can neglect all of the things that those larger organizations must do to be successful.  I have to create products, market, sell, keep records, pay taxes, budget time and resources... and ultimately make a...

The holiday season is here.  I can't believe I'm saying that.  Q4 has come, I've purchased my first bag of Halloween candy for the neighborhood kids, and it's getting darker earlier and earlier.  Of course, living in south Texas, there's no chill in the air or foliage splendor, but the signs of change are there nonetheless.  The year is wrapping up, and all the associated...

Woo Hoo, we're back in the USA.  I don't know why I sound so excited, we actually were a little bit sad to leave Romania, but it's always good to be home.  We missed the cat, and she seems to have forgiven us for leaving her.  Special thanks to artist Deborah Ellington, who cat-sat while we were away.  I think the kitty was happier there, so I'm glad we came home when we did......

We're Still in Romana, and this seemed like a great time to update you guys on what's going on, since yesterday we completed everything we came here to do.  We wanted to come to Romania, open a business here, get set up with phones and an official address, a bank account, and an accountant.  We finished all of that just yesterday, so I can proudly say that we've accomplished everyth...

Bogdan and I made it to Romania this week, and have been hiding out at his mom's house in Campulung, eating like kings, and waiting for the jet lag to subside.  We have ventured out a couple of times into the mountains nearby, and have been  enjoying the beautiful landscapes and the remarkable people from this area.  So beautiful.   We've just gotten word that our Romanian company has be...

Just want to give you guys an update on the Romania experiment. We leave in a week, and will fly to Istanbul, then on to Bucharest. We'll be in Romania for just over three weeks, and in that time, we'll need to finalize the establishment of a business, open a bank account, secure the services of an accountant, scope out the art scene, and possibly look at some real estate. You know, your...

Let me set the stage for our dilemma. We have a bit of cash now between our savings and money we inherited from Mom and Dad. We’ve looked around Houston, and indeed around Texas, and we simply can’t afford to purchase a property that would support our goals and dreams for the business. We do not qualify for a loan, since we’re freelancers and don't have a steady source of income.  Art sales h...

Bogdan and I recently sat down with Jenny Guarino, a fluid artist who maintains a working studio in our building, Silver Street Studios in Houston. We’ve known Jenny for several years, and have not only been impressed with her amazing artwork, but as well with her rather ambitious annual travel schedule. Jenny and her husband are Australian, but her husband’s extended family still reside in Italy....

Having a good week this week.  We've had some good sales at the studio, and it's looking like this may be a really strong month for us after all.  If you've been listening to other episodes, you'll know that we recently have been looking at buying some property in which to base our art business.   You may also remember that our plans pretty much fell through as we were unable t...

Today I would like to talk a bit about the 10 things we need from an art studio space to move our art business to the next level.   We must have a space that people will visit.  Where we are now, that’s not an option, not only because we are remote, but also those HOA restrictions we have to contend with.  Working from our home would require us to maintain studio space in Houston.  We have recentl...

The importance of routine for creatives seems to me to be essential, even if we think we don't want it.  I have found that there is a huge benefit to my creativity, production, and work/life balance when I have a basic framework of order, schedule, and routine in my life.  I think you may have experienced the same. As artists, or creative professionals, we need to feel as though we are free t...

Our art business has reached a crossroad, but that's not a bad thing.  Over the past 7 years, Bogdan and I have been able to create a small freelance creative company that somehow survived almost three years of pandemic.  Against all odds, and despite our total lack of preparation, we have built a collector base, and an inventory of art that sells consistently.  Of course, we don't yet s...

Should we go to Romania?  Bogdan feels the need to return to Romania to somehow chronicle the story of refugees fleeing from the war in Ukraine.  So much to think about as we try to find a way to respond to what's happening in the world.  But as we struggle with the possibility of travel, we're continuing to create new artwork, prepare for a variety of art exhibitions and receptions, and...

We’ve spoken about the importance of goal setting, and laying out the matrix of how my objectives and activities fold in under those goals… but we haven’t spent a lot of time talking about how to make those objectives measurable. In my last post, I shared my concerns about giving us permission as artists to evaluate and measure our success based upon criteria that better suits our type of creative...

Last year I spent a lot of time struggling over creating realistic goals and objectives in my art business, because I felt like I was stretching ideas and strategies in an awkward way. I don’t mean to suggest that as an artist I don’t need goals and objectives, but rather that I didn’t feel completely comfortable that I was measuring the right things. It just didn’t feel right. So I set myself the...

Quick review of John and Bogdan's business objectives for 2022.  Goal setting is so important in any business, but particularly so in a freelance, creative environment.  Even if you're the only person in your art business, it is imperative to have an organized plan for your year, even if you make changes along the way.  A goal without a plan is just a dream. _____________________________...

“Conversations for Freelance Creatives” is a weekly blog/vlog/podcast that creates a community, a conversation, between creatives in all sorts of fields at all sorts of levels.  We want to discuss what we’re learning, what we’ve experienced, and whom we’ve met in our journey of running a freelance creative business. John Bishop is a visual artist living in Houston, Texas. His work is largely abstr...

This week Bogdan and I talk about Q4, and the need to be ready to sell during this holiday season.  So many businesses sell more in this quarter than in the rest of the year, and art sales should be no different.  We're getting ready for our big biannual sale at Sawyer Yards in Houston (October 2), as well as beefing up our online presence to catch those holiday shoppers.  Let's face it,...

We've been working on upgrading Mom and Dad's house to use as a home studio, and that work continued this week as well.   We've been working a lot on creating art this week.  I (John) have been working on a commission, and Bogdan on some new ink work on paper. Bogdan was also accepted into a group, juried show in Poughkeepsie, New York, at a gallery called The Trolley Barn, and I st...

Just got back from our week-long trip south of the border to beautiful Guadalajara, Mexico.  Bogdan was lucky enough to be included as an artist in the first annual FAIN Art Fair in Guadalajara.  FAIN is a group out of Argentina, who I believe last year did their first fair in Mexico City, and this year have expanded their reach to three Mexican cities: Monterrey, Guadalajara, and the capital.  Th...

In this podcast, John talks about how puzzling it is to try to determine why someone listens to a particular podcast or vlog series, and not another.  The question then arises as to what are the reasons that the listeners of this online content in particular listen to Conversations for Freelance Creatives.  People gravitate to a variety of online content based on their needs for authoritative info...

Lots going on this week.  John was able to deliver all but one of the Panca Marga paintings purchased at the gallery opening last month, and place all of the unsold artworks in the studio.  Bogdan is busy reinventing some beautiful line art drawings and illustrations with hand embellishments and gold foil.  He has also bee working more on his sculptural photography, and getting it all ready for th...

So let's look back at the past year or two.  People who started working from home pivoted, ordered things on their computers, home schooled their kids, created virtual work spaces, and actually saved a lot of money.  Many of these people, since they were spending so much time at home, began projects around the house, beautified their homes, and sought out entertainment and enrichment online. ...

Tune in to hear the continued progress toward John's first solo art exhibition.  The invitations are in, the catalogs are printed, and the artwork is framed.  All that has to happen now, in the month preceding the show, is to find enough people to show up for the event, who will buy all of the paintings on opening night, and eat all the catering he's paid for.   No pressure... I mean, wh...