01: Unleashing Your Inner Liberated Artist: The Key to Building a Sustainable and Successful Creative Business

Popping that bubbly, rocking my party pants, and rolling out the red carpet.

Consider this the warmest welcome to the ribbon cutting of the very first episode of the Liberated Artist Podcast. I'm thrilled you're here taking a chance on this new space for those of us who know that when it comes to selling our art, there's just gotta be more than exhaustion, ickiness, and selling out.

In this episode, we'll be chatting about the key non-negotiable artists can leverage to get their art seen, the three-pass filter that makes running and marketing my business feel like self-care and can do the same for you.

So if you're a fine artist who is navigating the complexities of the art world and you're still holding on to the passion for making art and a meaningful impact in the world and your bottom line, then this episode is perfect for you. Tune in for valuable insights and strategies for becoming a liberated artist.

Please enjoy Episode 1, Unleashing Your Inner Liberated Artist, the Key to Building a Sustainable and Successful Creative Business.

Picture this, a space for unvarnished talk about selling your art online. Whether you've got yellow ochre under your fingernails or clay dust on your jeans, we're here to bridge the gap between art and entrepreneurship. Because let's face it, you shouldn't have to sell out just to run a profitable art business. Welcome to the Liberated Artists podcast. I'm Marianne Durst, a marketing nerd who's helped countless artists sell their art online. With a bachelor's in fine art under my belt, I've worked as an artist, sold my work worldwide, and built four creative businesses over the past few decades. I know exactly what it takes to get your art out there without depleting your creative juices. I'll be your go-to mentor as you embark on the liberated artist journey, which is all about honoring your integrity, protecting your artistry, and boosting your courage. Instead of waiting for a gallery to discover you, sell your own art, and create a prolific and profitable art practice.

Ready to walk this path together? Let's get started!

Hey, liberated artists! Welcome to the very first episode of the Liberated Artists podcast! I'm so excited that you're here! Before I share with you the three essential values that will help you build a thriving and nourishing creative business, one that aligns with your artistic vision, I want to encourage you to go back and listen to episode zero, where I talk about where the idea of the liberated artist came about, so that we have this common ground laid out and it's going to help you understand just the context of what I'm going to be talking about. It's really important to understand that stance. And in case you don't feel like pressing. you know, clicking a bunch of buttons on your phone or wherever you're listening to this. The concept is all about bridging the gap between art and entrepreneurship. And so these are artists who aren't afraid to call themselves entrepreneurs. They don't compromise their artistic vision or their integrity in order to make sales. And they also incorporate their artistry into all aspects of having a business. But Trust me, the episode zero is short and sweet, and you'll get a lot more context.

But anyway, where we're starting out now is, I've had a few creative businesses under my belt, and I have been helping hundreds of artists sell their art online through my business called Mariana Durst Studio, where I create all-inclusive websites, which means branding, copywriting, and website development… and also some mentorship. And so I've gotten this insider's view of what today's successful artists are doing. And I'm bringing that into this conversation.

Because the good news is that gone are the days of relying on a brick-and-mortar gallery as a main way to get your art seen and sold, right? My clients are... pushing the boundaries of what technology offers and of what society tells them they have to do to reach the hearts of collectors looking for art to fall in love with.

In a 2022 report published by Saatchi, 31% of the artists surveyed said they are earning more than ever, perhaps due to finding new online and virtual audiences during the pandemic shutdown. All of this to say, that while there are still challenges related to building a business out of your artwork, there is tremendous benefit to taking ownership of the way that you share and sell your art.

Which brings me to the first of the three essential values an artist must embody to unleash their inner liberated artist and build a sustainable and nourishing creative business. The non-negotiable- Courage. I mean, traveling this artistic path. is a deeply personal journey. Developing your voice takes patience, persistence, and yes, a great degree of courage. Yep, that's the same essential trait that artists use to create meaningful evocative work, and it is the one that will help your art be seen. It takes vulnerability to create the work, but let it turn into fear and it will keep you from shipping it, to borrow a phrase from marketing guru Seth Godin.

Liberated artists don't let fear make decisions over their creativity. It doesn't mean they don't feel fear, it just means that they share the work anyway. Liberated artists don't stay hidden. They become magnificent conduits between their work and their audience, facilitating the communion between their souls. Liberated artists understand that shipping the work is part of the work.

Liberated artists embody courage at every stage of the process, especially when it feels fraughty, tiresome, risky, or complicated. You know, all those things that are trying to keep you from sharing your work and being seen. Liberated artists aren't afraid to plant seeds and harvest the fruits of their labor within their lifetime. No more of that, you know, he sold or she sold their painting for a penny and now it's worth millions. No. We value our work and we harvest those fruits of our labors while we are alive.

One strategy for becoming more courageous is to take baby steps from where you are right now. If you're just starting and dealing with self-doubt, share your work with those close to you. Or perhaps join a group of artists at your stage who can offer encouragement and support. You'll find how many people feel the same way, but how they take a bold step and share it publicly anyway.

If you're a little further along, hitting a stride and, like most artists, becoming aware of the discrepancy between their art and how they're selling it online, like many of my clients, it may mean having the courage to get more people on your email list and stay and keep in constant touch with them.

Or if you're an established artist, overwhelmed with content creation, marketing, launching, et cetera, It may mean having the courage to ask yourself, how can I make this easy?

Another way to embody courage and also the liberated artist second value is to honor your energy, resources and creative cycles. This means not just accepting rando business or marketing advice online or easy passes without passing them through your filter first. It's about having courage without betraying yourself, your values, or your creativity. In other words, operating from a place of integrity, which is our second core value. Nail this and you'll be able to shift the business and marketing site of art to a place of more ease. Now, I know, hear me out. We've been bombarded with marketing tactics for the majority of our lives. And a lot of it can feel really uncomfortable and being sold to in a way that shuts off your critical thinking and employs questionable practices doesn't feel good. So it's natural for us to feel resistance to the idea of selling. So the question is, how do we make selling feel good? The answer? It's to check in with your values, your story and resources. and operate from a place of integrity. When you do this, you can shift marketing into an aligned space that feels way more comfortable, natural, and generous.

I know what you're thinking, marketing, generous? What? And to you, my potentially skeptical friend, I propose this. Consider that you have a precious gift, something so special. that is born out of your soul and skills. You've poured little bits of your story into your art. You've been vulnerable and courageous enough to put it out there, knowing exactly what's at stake. And for what? I'm going out on a limb and saying, it's not just for the money, although that's nice, right? It's for a greater cause, to express, connect, inspire, et cetera, et cetera. Your creative work is meant to create positive ripples. Therefore, sharing it from this perspective makes marketing an act of generosity.

Are you with me?

Reframing marketing this way can open the gates to easy and memorable relationships between you, your art, and your collectors. But it's not the only strategy to be in integrity. A second strategy to maintain integrity is determining what it means to us. I imagine there are many ways to develop your own definition, but this is how I like to define it for myself. Responsibility for my finances, respect for my boundaries, honoring my creativity, my voice, and audience, committing to my values, goals, and vision, and congruence between words and actions. It's important for me to live my life in line with this definition. which is why I strive to incorporate it into everything I do. As a result, I make business decisions that help me maintain my integrity, ultimately allowing my business to feel like self-care. We often clip our arts wings by not building beautiful bridges that others can cross to connect it. And I get it; it's hard to make the internal external. Putting words to intuition and flow can feel daunting. However, drawing from our story, our journey, and our unique approach to create marketing messaging is the third strategy.

A fourth one, one that helps us get an alignment, is to unearth our values. Not the aspirational ones, the ones that look good on paper. but the ones we actually live out in real life. Our values are a map leading us to our individual integrity. And when we live our values, everything becomes liberating. Decisions become easier to take, newsletters get easier to write, and your art becomes easier to share.

The fifth and last strategy I'll share with you today is a great technique to check whether your business and marketing are in integrity with you. It's a three-pass filter every business and marketing idea should pass before you act on it.

Number one, is this ultimately going to help me reach my goals?

Number two, can I put this into action without harming my creative energy?

And number three, is this within my resources or do I need to make edits to the plan to make it be sustainable?

Liberated artists market their art from a place of generosity.

Liberated artists don't compromise their values or artistic vision to attract collectors. Instead, they explore deep within to pull gems of wisdom that their collector can understand and relate to.

Liberated artists know that their work can speak for itself but prefer making it exciting and easy for collectors to deepen their relationship with it. pulling from their observations, stories, and value.

Liberated artists create their own definition of integrity and strive to align every thought, every belief and word and action with it.

Finally, let's talk about the third core value, artistry. I know you know this one because it's your bread and butter when it comes to your creative work. However, it's the number one thing that gets left at the door when artists do the behind the scenes work of running a business. By bringing it into all aspects of our creative business, not only are reliving an integrity, but we also build a business that's as nourishing and sustainable as our art practice.

Embodying artistry in your business may mean adding your own spin to things. This may mean developing a consistent brand voice and style that reflects your vision, or developing a freebie that ties into your art, or it might mean curating a delightful unboxing experience for your curators, which makes them feel even more aligned with you.

Maya Angelou once said, I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did. but people will never forget how you made them feel. So how can you curate that intentional feeling with your audience at every touch point they have with you and your business? How can you use artistry to make it fun for you and irresistible for them?

Liberated artists use their unique voice and style to elevate their art. Liberated artists curate exquisite customer journeys that invite people to their world. They see their art as more than just a physical good. They seek to infuse their artistic vision into every touch point.

Liberated artists bridge the gap between art and entrepreneurship and aren't afraid of looking outside standard business and marketing strategies to find something that fits them.

Today, we explored the values of courage, integrity, and artistry that define the liberated artist. We discussed how these values are essential in building a sustainable and fulfilling creative business and how they can help you unleash your inner liberated artist. I also shared some strategies for becoming more courageous and operating from a place of integrity and as you navigate the complexities of the art world. Remember to embody these values and to always stay true to yourself and your artistic vision.

Today's episode was brought to you by Mariana Durst Studio’s Prolific & Profitable Artist™ Quiz: A quick quiz to assess your marketing prowess, learn your superpowers, and get a personalized plan to overcome overwhelm and get your art seen and sold. Your art visibility plan awaits at marianadurstudio.com quiz. S

o until next time, my name is Marianna Durst cheering for you on your Liberated Artist journey and reminding you not to drink the paint water.

Thanks for listening to the Liberated Artist Podcast. Be sure to visit liberatedartistpodcast.com for show notes, bonus materials, and to subscribe to get new episodes dropped straight into your pretty little inbox when they're published. If you enjoyed today's podcast, I invite you to follow or subscribe to the show wherever you're listening so that new episodes magically appear on your feed. If you have any artists in your life who desire to or are selling their art online, then please be sure to share this episode with them.

Want to connect? Me too. Let's continue the conversation on my Instagram @marianadurstudio.