Art Problems

EP 44: Your 2024 Goal Setting Model to Get Your Art Seen

In this episode of Art Problems, I take on a vexed topic for many artists: goal setting!
Is it even worth setting goals when it's so difficult to know where your opportunities will come from?
Short answer: Yes.
I talk to artist and Netvvrk member Heather Beardsley about the process she used to set her goals, and how she achieved them.
And you know what?
It's not rocket science.
You can follow Heather's method (the Netvvrk method) and do the same thing.
Because study after study shows that people who set goals are far more likely to achieve them.
So, have a listen and get down to business!

EP 43: 2024 Art World Predictions

Last year, I predicted what 2023 in the art world would look like. This week, I take a look back at those predictions, share what I got right and wrong, and make new ones for 2024.
Spoiler alert: We've got big structural changes ahead. It's hard to say how those changes will play out, but discuss the benefit of approaching shifts with cautious optimism.
 
Relevant links:
The Internet is about to Get Weird Again 
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-commentary/internet-future-about-to-get-weird-1234938403/
 
The Enshitification of TikTok 
https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-platforms-cory-doctorow/

EP 42: The Cure for Your Anxiety

Do you have an internal ticker tape running tracking one anxiety to the next?
Many of us who struggle with fears that our ambitions for our art will never align with our careers find end of year planning stressful.
That's why, in this podcast, I invited artist and meditation expert Kristen Jordan to the podcast. (Psst: She also manages the Netvvrk membership support desk.)
She tackles all of the anxiety around meditation, the ways it can help us formulate and tackle goals, and even leads is through a mediation at the end of the podcast.
 
Relevant Links:
https://www.kristenjordan.com/
https://www.vvrkshop.art/netvvrk-waitlist

EP 41: How to Art Fair Without Drowning in Despair

Is conventional wisdom shifting? Many believe art fairs and artists shouldn't mix. One artist described it to me as watching your parents have sex. It's not something artists want to do!
But not everyone agrees.
In this episode I speak to artist Mark Joshua Epstein about his experience at the Miami art fairs and why he believes the stigma associated with artists who attend without exhibiting their work has changed. He got a lot out of his visit, and shares what he gained, who he thinks will benefit, and when it won't help you. And he shares plenty of insider tips to help you if you decide to go!
 
Names mentioned:
Shelter Gallery presents Jaqueline Cedar at NADA
https://www.shelternyc.com/
 
Mrs Gallery presents Nickola Pottinger at Art Basel Miami 
https://www.mrsgallery.com/2023-art-basel-miami-beach
 
High Noon presents Ryan Crotty at Untitled 
https://www.highnoongallery.com/untitled-art-miami-2023
 
County presents Danielle Mysliwiec at Untitled 
https://www.daniellemysliwiec.com/exhibitions
 
To Weave The Sky at El Espacio 23 
https://elespacio23.org/2023/10/05/to-weave-the-sky-textile-abstractions/
 
Noon Projects presents Alex Kerr at Nada
 https://elespacio23.org/2023/10/05/to-weave-the-sky-textile-abstractions/
 
Aysa Geisberg at Untitled
 https://www.asyageisberggallery.com/

EP 40: Weathering Art Basel FOMO

Is there a way to escape the demoralizing FOMO many artists experience during the Miami art fairs? In this episode of Art Problems, I discuss the ceiling many artists feel during this time of year, how to insert yourself into the fairs, and how not to feel like this whole art endeavor-thing is pointless.
Spoiler alert: The whole art thing is not pointless.

EP 39: Why Traditional Business Model Frameworks Won’t Work for Artists

This week, I conducted an experiment: I took a survey that identified problems for standard businesses by revenue stages and examined how those problems aligned with the average artist's studio practice.
Surprise! The metrics didn't line up.
So, I used the framework for the business stages to create my model for artists. This podcast shares what I learned and produced for you! In the process, I created a downloadable action checklist so you can identify your career stage and what actions you need to take to get to the next level. That link below.
THE THREE BUSINESS STAGES OF STUDIO PRACTICE
 

EP 38: Sales are Not a Measure of Your Self Worth

In this episode, I discuss the abundance of triggers liable to make you feel a little more sensitive about your career this time of year including the Miami art fairs, holiday sales, and an art market recession. I also discuss what you can do when you start feeling all the feels.
We often get in our own way when we become self-conscious about visibility. This podcast is designed to give you the tools to avoid the behaviors likely to set you back.
 
 Sign up Here for early access to the Vantablack Friday offer!
 
Relevant links:
https://hyperallergic.com/784192/art-problems-dont-make-art-to-sell-do-i-still-belong-in-the-art-world/

EP 37: Your Ultimate Artist Residency Guide

Do you really need an artist residency?
You know it helps a CV, but how much?
Will it help other aspects of your career?
In this episode, I talk about how to determine if you need a residency and how to find the residencies best suited to your needs. If you've been stressing over whether you should spend time at a residency or how to find one, this podcast will provide an answer to many of those anxieties.

EP 36: How to Master Technology When You Hate Technology

Is your lack of tech literacy stressing you out?
 
Are you worried you're too old to get the hang of new technology?
 
Maybe you're not old, and reasonably tech-savvy, but still stymied by constant tech updates?
 
Today on the podcast I invite my mother, Jacqueline Johnson, to talk about her use of technology.
 
She is not a master of technology. But, at age 77, she has figured out how to use what she needs, and reports crying far less often as a result of the computer.
 
Learn how she overcame her fear of technology and how you can, too!

EP 35: How to Navigate Health and Change

Is your body not working as well as it did when you were twenty? Is this affecting your studio practice? Welcome to the joys of mid-career!
 
In this episode of Art Problems, I speak about the importance of seeking out good healthcare so you can sustain your work in the studio.
 
Try different types of support.
 
Use what works for you.
 
Trust your body.
 
Adapt, adapt, adapt.
 
Learning to accept change is the key to happiness.
 
Relevant links:
Brad Stuhlman, Master of Change
https://www.amazon.com/Master-Change-Everything-Changing-Including/dp/006325316X