Read more about the article #138 Danny Gregory: Author, Artist, and Teacher

#138 Danny Gregory: Author, Artist, and Teacher

Artist Danny Gregory has written a dozen books about drawing and art. He first came to drawing in his 30’s when his family was going through a difficult time. Drawing everyday objects in his home and from his walks through his New York City neighborhood became the comfort that he needed. Danny was very generous in telling us his personal story of how and why he started drawing. He’s since formed a huge community of sketchbook artists who encourage one another with their passion, and he shares what he’s learned in the Sketchbook Skool online classes that he started with his partner Koosje Koene.

Listen here or use a podcast app, such as Apple Podcasts, Castbox, Spotify, or Stitcher.

Danny Gregory

Danny Gregory by Danny Gregory

Danny's drawing started out like this: He drew the first thing in his medicine cabinet. Then the next, then the next.
This is Danny's latest book.

Danny’s personal website is dannygregory.com and you can find his blog through that or dannygregorysblog.com.

You can find a list of all Danny’s books on the Author tab of his website here.

You can find him on Instagram @dannyobadiah

Danny started The Sketchbook Skool with Koosje Koene. That website is sketchbookskool.com.

Sketchbook Skool has a

Facebook group

Facebook page (Sketchbook Skool News)

Instagram

YouTube Channel

On his YouTube Channel, be sure to look for his weekly drawing show called Draw with Me and Koosje’s Draw Tip Tuesday.

If you’re interested in Sketchbook Skool, you can try out a free lesson on the website. Just go to the website and scroll down to the bottom to click on the free lesson.

Danny mentioned that in the February, 2020 time period, The Sketchbook Skool website will be going through some changes, so keep an eye out for that. He’s also adding live workshops to the mix by then, and that will give people an opportunity to take a live online class on an afternoon with thousands of other students. If you sign up for his newsletter you can find out about all his new offerings.

Here are some great takeaways from our conversation:

  1. Danny believes that art can just be a celebration of what’s happening in your life. He celebrates the every day things in his life by drawing them: what he sees in his house, what he sees when he’s walking outside.
  2. Drawing every day objects can become a record of your day and what you have experienced. Daily drawing can become your journal of sorts.
  3. Observing things so that you can draw them allows you to slow down a bit. You need to slow down to be aware of what’s around you. Really looking at the details and drawing them allows you to appreciate what you are seeing.
  4. Danny first started drawing using a ball pen and later some markers. After he started using watercolors, he got a very small watercolor set and a water brush pen that he could put in his pocket and take anywhere to make art.
  5. One of the things Danny wanted to tell people when he wrote his second art book, The Creative License, is that there are many ways to be an artist and many ways to support yourself as an artist. It’s not all just paintings hanging in a gallery. He also emphasized that it’s O.K. to have an office job and make art at night. You can still be an artist even if that’s not your way of making income.
  6. Another thing he emphasized in that book is that the sketchbook could be the final product. Art doesn’t need to be just something that you can hang on the wall.
  7. Danny has a great partnership with artist Koosje Koene. They created and run Sketchbook Skool together. This came about because he was going to Amsterdam to speak, and he asked if anyone in his online community was from Amsterdam and would like to meet for tea while he was there. This was a completely random question, but their meeting became a great collaboration on a successful business. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and meet new people. You never know where that meeting may end up.
  8. Danny looked at other instructional videos out there, and he felt like he wanted to do something different. He wanted the viewer to get to know the artist and their art, and have the video tell a whole story. Don’t be afraid to do something differently if you think you can do something better.
  9. If you’re looking to sell something from your website, either art, or classes, or anything else, it helps if you already have followers who have shown an interest in what you do. Followers can come from blog readers, newsletter subscribers, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. If doesn’t matter where they come from, just that you do have an existing base of potential customers.
  10. At the end of our conversation, we talked a little about my recent trip to Morocco and how it was traveling with art supplies. Danny said that he’s been making more art by using the iPad, and that’s especially great when he is traveling somewhere. He also mentioned that he offers a class called How to be an iPad Artist, and you can find that in Sketchbook Skool.
Read more about the article #137 Munirah Rimer: Batik Artist and Instructor

#137 Munirah Rimer: Batik Artist and Instructor

Munirah Rimer is a batik artist from Malaysia. She has traveled throughout Southeast Asia to expand her knowledge of batik designs, tools, and techniques. She now lives near Miami, Florida, and teaches batik in her home studio and throughout South Florida through AirBnB Experiences. Her workshops represent a tribute and a commitment to the authentic culture of her birthplace in Malaysia.

Listen here or use a podcast app, such as Apple Podcasts, Castbox, Spotify, or Stitcher.

Munirah Rimer

Munirah’s website it terataimalaysia.com.

Her classes through AirBnB Experiences are linked right on the Home page of her website.

Other classes that she teaches outside of her home studio are listed here.

You can also find her on Instagram @terataimalaysia

Here are some great takeaways from our conversation:

  1. Munirah understood that people would enjoy taking a class that teaches a traditional handicraft and informs them of the culture behind the tradition. She traveled to learn under masters in batik so that she would be teaching the authentic methods to her students.
  2. She has found that a great way to advertise her classes is through AirBnB Experiences. This is a section on the AirBnB website that offers local things to do when someone is visiting a city. You can reach Munirah’s classes right through her website terataimalaysia.com and that will connect you to her classes on the AirBnB website.
  3. She has found that the classes in her home studio are very popular with AirBnB clients because they want the personal experience when they are visiting somewhere and they want to feel welcomed by a local.
  4. She’s found that six students is ideal for her batik classes because she can still give individual attention to each student if needed.
  5. To save time during class, Munirah does the junting, or the wax design ahead of time. She does consult with the students in advance to get an idea of the design they might want.
  6. Munirah has found that a 3-hour class is perfect for her students, and in that time they can complete a 22”x22” painted fabric. If someone wants to do a larger project, she can offer a longer one-on-one class.
  7. In her classes, she spends about half an hour at the beginning explaining the tools and letting the students try them. She’ll also demonstrate the steps that she’s done ahead of time before the students have arrived.
  8. Because the batik needs to dry after it is painted, her students can’t take the scarves home with them at the end of the class. Munirah will mail the scarves to her students, or if they are from out of the country, she will try to get them to them before they leave Miami.
  9. Munirah also offers batik kits on her website. Art kits are a great option for your students who want to do art again at their homes or want to try it by themselves.
  10. Munirah travels to different countries in SE Asia to learn how they do batik different from one another. This expands her knowledge and she can choose the best techniques that work for her and her students.
  11. Anyone can propose a class with AirBnB Experiences. You’ll submit your proposal with photos, then they will approve you and your experience will get published. The more availability with class times that you put out there, the more your Experiences will show up in the algorithm.
  12. Putting your classes on AirBnB Experiences exposes them to thousands of potential students.
Read more about the article #136 Lara Cornell: Art, Flowers, and Travel Adventures

#136 Lara Cornell: Art, Flowers, and Travel Adventures

Artist Lara Cornell is a lifelong traveler who hosts creative retreats all over the world. She also has an event space called Anahata Collaborative, where she holds creative seminars and events. Lara also facilitates entrepreneur meetup groups in her home town of Minneapolis. I met Lara in Morocco when we attended an art retreat. We talk about that and her upcoming retreats, including one in 2020 to Scotland.

Listen here or use a podcast app, such as Apple Podcasts, Castbox, Spotify, or Stitcher.

Lara Cornell

Anahata Collaborative
This is the site of her past retreat to France.

Lara’s website is laracornell.com.

Her event space is anahatacollaborative.com.

On Instagram, she is @laracornellart and @anahata_collaborative.

She also can be found on Facebook.

You can find out more about her 2020 retreat to Scotland here.

Here are some great takeaways from this episode:

  1. We started by talking about Lara’s background in traveling around the world. This tip isn’t really an art business tip, but I want to list it anyway. She said that whenever she goes somewhere in the world for business or fun, she flies through somewhere else so that she can visit a new country. For example, the first time she went to Morocco, she flew through Iceland because she had never been there before.
  2. If there’s something that you know you need to do, but you don’t know how to do it, try taking a class to get some ideas and learn more. That’s what Lara did when she knew she wanted to get some creative practice into her life. She found the Brave Girls Club and took an art class through that.
  3. If you are looking to open a space, research others through the internet to get ideas about how they are used and how they make income.
  4. When trying to figure out what you want to do, it’s a great idea to develop a business plan. However, realize that your plan can change based on what you learn from the experience and how the business is or isn’t working for you.
  5. If you are someone who has a lot of creative ideas but not enough time to do them all, a great way to evaluate and prioritize them is to ask yourself: Is this something I’d like to be doing for a very long time? Those are the ideas you should try because they’re the ones you’ll want to stick with.
  6. If you’re running a retreat with many excursions and many participants, you might want to consider having someone extra to help you with the logistics. Lara has helped on logistics for a few retreats with Mati Rose McDonough and Faith Evans-Sills because they do retreats of over 15 participants.
  7. When planning excursions for retreats, it’s a great idea to support local businesses and artisans. Your retreat attendees will love to see what the locals do and how they live.
  8. Lara will be launching Lunar Coaching in 2020. She has discovered that there are certain times in the moon phases when you should be using your creative side, and certain times when you should be using your business side, and certain times when you should be resting.
  9. She says that analyzing these times will help you to understand when you need to take a rest and how to prevent getting burnt out.
  10. We talked a lot about the purpose of painting, and you can replace the word painting with any kind of created art. Lara mentioned that she started painting because she loved the process, but once her paintings started to sell, she was painting as if it was an assignment and something that must be completed by a certain date. Be aware of how you feel about creating and make sure you are still doing it for your original purpose, whether that purpose was just to satisfy yourself and give you joy, or because you have the purpose of selling your art. Make sure when you are creating your are doing so because you want to and not because you have to.
  11. Lara has discovered that when you paint because you want to, you will get a much better response from people. People just seem to know if you really had your art behind your creation. They can tell by the result.
  12. Lara has connected with some national networking groups by searching on meetup.com. You can find local chapters through that website or you can start your own chapter. One of the ones Lara oversees is the Minneapolis chapter of The Rising Tide Society. You can search through meetup as well as Facebook groups to find groups that help entrepreneurs and creatives.
Read more about the article #135 Jan Rodusky: Grant Writing for Artists, Classes, and Coaching

#135 Jan Rodusky: Grant Writing for Artists, Classes, and Coaching

Jan Rodusky is a grant specialist who helps artists find grants and apply for them. She has decades of experience working with grants. With her company, Venn There Grants Consulting, she provides classes and coaching for those looking to fund their art projects through grants. We also talk a little about fellowships, scholarships, and residencies.

Listen here or use a podcast app, such as Apple Podcasts, Castbox, Spotify, or Stitcher.

Jan Rodusky

Jan’s company is Venn There Grants Consulting, LLC. Her website is venntheregrants.com.

On her website, she offers classes, coaching and mentoring, and application critques. 

She also has a Facebook page and can be found on LinkedIn.

Jan mentioned many places where you can find lists of grants available to artists. A few of them are:

format.com

artspace

artworkarchive.com

artadia.org

creative capital

fractured atlas

Sometimes it is required that only non-profits can apply for grants. Fractured Atlas offers a way to apply for grants through their 501(c)3.  Fractured Atlas also has an art space finder

National Endowment for the Arts

Each state also offers artist grants. In Florida, we have the Division of Cultural Affairs.

In South Florida, the South Florida Cultural Consortium has a fellowship in recognition of your body of work.

CERF+

transartists.org for artist residencies

artemerging.com

You can also find grants through Calls to Artists. You can search on Instagram through #callforentry or #callforartists. Here are also a few other listing sites:

callforentry.org

artguide.com

entrythingy.com

Here are some great takeaways from our conversation:

  1. An artist grant is money that is given to an artist for a piece of work, a body of work, or future work.
  2. It can be given to the artist at the beginning, or after work is done.
  3. When looking at grant possibilities, you must review them in depth to determine if it makes sense for you to apply to it. You should look at the eligibility requirements and any restrictions. You will find that you can apply to some grants but not others because of their requirements.
  4. Look for grants from art-centric organizations; private foundations; and local and national art institutions.
  5. For my Palm Beach County, Florida artist friends, the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County is offering a grant that is available to local artists. The deadline for this grant is January 31.
  6. Generally, grants are not free money. There are restrictions on how it can be used and you need to be aware of these restrictions before you apply for the grant.
  7. Artists should have an artist statement and a vision for what they want to do in the future. If their vision is not in line with the stipulations of a grant, then they shouldn’t apply for that grant.
  8. An artist statement is a mission – what is your passion, why are you doing that passion, and what is your goal for the future?
  9. Grants are designed to fund your core projects, so make sure your core projects fit into the requirements of the grant.
  10. You should look at grants as something you can use to fund things you were already going to do anyway.
  11. Most grant proposals have standard elements, for example:
  • What is your program description, meaning, what are you going to deliver to get this grant?
  • What is the need that you see and why would you do that?
  • How are you going to deliver this program, including the budget and timetable
  • What is the end result and why is it important to the giver of the grant?
  1. When estimating your budget, don’t just take a guess. Get estimates from vendors and others you’ll be partnering with.
  2. Grants may have different parameters, including:The artist’s age or sex
  • Your years of experience
  • Your geographic location
  • Your social or economic status
  • Your status as an emerging artist
  1. A CV is a good document to have to prove your status as an established artist. A CV should include all your shows, awards, collections, and other accomplishments from your life as an artist.
  2. Fellowships are also opportunities for artists. They could be a way to become a part of an institution for a period of time, or they could send you overseas to do a project, for example. Some fellowships are simply an award for your body of work.
  3. Scholarships are also available to artists to get additional education, not necessarily traditional college courses.
  4. When doing a grant application, keep the eligibility and other requirements right next to you so you can be sure you are meeting everything they need and that your project fits with what they want.
  5. If you are not awarded a grant that you applied for, you still may be able to apply for it again the following year. Just check to see if the requirements have changed and if your project has changed based on how you’ve grown as an artist during the year.
  6. When you have completed your application, have someone review it who is not in the art world to see if they can understand what you’re saying. Sometimes we talk in a shorthand jargon and an outsider may not understand what you’re trying to say.
  7. During the grant period, it’s important to give updates to your funder so they know how you are progressing with your project. This could include photos and outcomes, even ones outside of the requirements of the project, because this will demonstrate that you really care and you’re really appreciative of their funding.
  8. You should look at your completed application through the lens of SMART Goals. That means is your project Specific to the proposal and the guidelines? Is it Measurable? Are there ways to measure your outcomes and your results of your project? Is it Attainable? Can you realistically complete this project in the time and budget and guidelines given? Is it Relevant to today and of value to the funder? What is the Timeline?
Read more about the article #134 Kasia Avery: From Art Journaling to Wanderlust
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#134 Kasia Avery: From Art Journaling to Wanderlust

When Kasia Avery discovered art journaling, she realized that was exactly what she wanted to do and that she wanted to teach her techniques to others. She and her husband Jamie invited other artists to create classes, and they’ve put together a yearly group of classes called Wanderlust. They’re in their 5th year, and they offer one class per week for a year, including classes that they teach as well as classes from 24 other artists. December 31, 2019 is the last day you can sign up for Wanderlust 2020, so be sure to go to my website and look at the Show Notes for Episode 134 to use my affiliate link to sign up for Wanderlust.

Listen here or use a podcast app, such as Apple Podcasts, Castbox, Spotify, or Stitcher.

Kasia Avery

Jamie and Kasia Avery started Wanderlust in 2016.
Instructors for Wanderlust 2020

All of Jamie and Kasia Avery’s offerings are found on their website everything-art.com.

Kasia also has a blog on her personal website that she updates, and you can also see photos of her artwork on her personal website, kasiaavery.com.

In addition to Wanderlust, Kasia and Jamie also offer other courses that you can find here.

You can follow Kasia on Instagram @kasiaavery or @everythingartuk. You can also follow these hashtags: #eaclasses and #wanderlustclasses.

Kasia mentioned the artist Finnabair. She first took art classes from her and Finnabair has been a Wanderlust instructor.

Here are some great takeaways from our conversation:

  1. Art making doesn’t have to be fine art. It’s all to be explored, even the messy art with many layers and mediums.
  2. Not too long after Kasia started art journaling, she realized she wanted to make income from teaching this kind of art. She worked at night developing her weekend classes while she had a different day job. This is a great way to work your way into an art career quickly.
  3. Teaching online classes is a great way to teach from your own home and not travel to teaching locations.
  4. Kasia and her husband Jamie reached out to other artists to see if they’d like to teach classes under their Wanderlust brand. You won’t know if that will work unless you give it a try and reach out to people. Remember, it’s all about just doing the ask. You won’t get anything if you don’t ask.
  5. If using other instructors, give them some kind of parameters to work with, like theme or subject matter, and the length of the class.
  6. For 30-minute video classes, Kasia suggests breaking that down to a few smaller videos rather than one long video. This appeals to students because they can do small chunks of the class at a time.
  7. Kasia opens the signups for Wanderlust in September. Because the first video doesn’t become available until the first Friday of January, she offers other content and mini classes that people can do in the months leading up to January. This is just extra bonus content for everyone. That’s a great way to keep people excited about your classes.
  8. Kasia offers Wanderlust as lifetime access. That means that although the classes come out every Friday for a year, you will always have access to them. Instead of doing one class per week, you can do them at a slower pace if you’d like. This makes the class more appealing to people because they are trying to fit it into their busy lives.
  9. Kasia also offers other classes on her website. These are good to try so you can learn a little more about art journaling and see if you’d like to join Wanderlust for the year. It’s always good to offer extra videos or tutorials so people can learn about your art and teaching style.
  10. Art journaling allows you to express anything you feel, so it can be a very personal form of art.