What if you could go from doubting you're a "real artist" to actually getting excited about your weekly newsletter?

In this inspiring Artist Success Stories episode, I'm sharing conversations with three incredible artists - Rochelle, Jessica, and Linda - who've transformed their creative practices and businesses over the past year. These aren't overnight success stories - they're real examples of what consistency and community can create.

Meet the artists and discover:

• How Rochelle started growing her email list and now wakes up excited about her newsletter content
• Why Jessica calls planning "a container for freedom" and how she learned to love every mark in her art - even during the "ugly phase"
• How Linda shifted from economics to art and now believes in the possibilities available to her as she builds her art sales on the side
• The surprising mindset shift that helped these artists embrace marketing as relationship-building, not selling
• Why starting with friends and family as your first collectors is actually a strength, not a limitation
• The simple tracking system that helped one artist realize she'd accomplished WAY more than she thought

Each of these artists started exactly where you might be now - questioning if they were "good enough," wondering if this could really work, and feeling overwhelmed by all the options. But they found their rhythm through consistency, community, and believing that small steps add up.

The common threads? They all found safe, creative communities, committed to small daily actions, and learned that marketing is really just sharing the heart behind their work.

Ready to write your own success story? The doors to Artful Selling close June 24th.

This intimate program combines practical business skills with AI tools and personalized coaching to help you build a sustainable art business around the work you love most.

Join us at artfulselling.com - because every success story starts with someone deciding to begin.

You can find all things

Rochelle Colgan @rochellecolganfineart on instagram

Jessica Fritz @jessicafritzart on instagram

Linda Glass @jerabyarts on instagram

What if selling your art online could work for YOU?

After 21 years of building a successful art business online, I'm sharing the 5 key insights I wish I'd known from day one. If you're wondering whether it's really possible to sell your art online, this episode is for you.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why selling art is about so much more than just posting pretty pictures
• The one investment that will make or break your online art sales
• How to approach pricing from a place of confidence instead of guesswork
• Why showing up consistently matters more than getting likes or comments
• The simple strategy that prevents overwhelm when marketing your art
• Plus, my bonus insight about who's actually buying art online (hint: it might surprise you!)

I started with an email list of 8 people and no podcast listeners, but I believed it was possible and showed up consistently. That belief and consistency built the foundation for everything that followed.

Listen through the lens of "what if this works?" instead of doubt - because it really can work for you too.

Ready to create your plan? Join the Profitable Artist Planning Challenge starting June 16th at profitableartistchallenge.com

What if I told you that planning could actually be your creativity's best friend instead of its enemy?

In today's episode, I'm getting real about how my relationship with planning completely transformed - especially as a new mom navigating the biggest identity shift of my life. If you've ever resisted planning because it feels restrictive or anti-creative, this episode is for you.

I used to be that free-spirited creative who thought planning would kill my spontaneity and rob me of those magical moments of inspiration. I believed that "Artists" worked purely from flow, not structure. Sound familiar?

But here's what I've discovered: planning isn't the enemy of creativity - it's actually what creates MORE space for your creative flow to happen.

In this episode, I share:

• Why I used to resist planning with everything in my creative being (and the fears that held me back)
• How becoming a new mom made planning absolutely essential for my mental wellness
• Why "I don't have time to plan" is actually the biggest sign that you NEED to start planning
• How planning has become part of my creative practice and mental health routine
• The reframe that changed everything: planning as a container for freedom, not a restriction
• Practical tips for creatives who struggle with structure, including working with your natural energy rhythms

The truth is, when you have a framework to work within, you actually free up mental energy to focus on what matters most. Planning brings presence, peace, and perceptivity to your creative practice.

As I share in this episode, planning has literally become my best friend during one of the most challenging seasons of my life. It's not about perfection - it's about creating a practice that brings you back to yourself and helps you make progress on what truly matters.

If this episode inspires you, and you're ready to discover how planning can actually amplify your creativity while supporting your mental wellness, join me for the summertime session of the Profitable Artist Planning Challenge.

This is the perfect time to check in on what you set in motion at the beginning of the year, celebrate your progress, and create a sustainable plan for the second half of 2025. We'll go from big picture vision all the way down to your daily practices.

Join us starting June 16th at profitableartistchallenge.com - because the most successful artists aren't the ones who wait for inspiration to strike. They're the ones who create the conditions for creativity to flourish.

As this episode goes live, the new Creative Planner just arrived hot off the presses! It's undated for exactly this reason - so you can start fresh anytime. Grab yours at creativethursday.com before they sell out (they've sold out every edition so far!).

What if times of economic uncertainty could actually be opportunities for your art business to grow?

In today's episode, I share my 21 years of experience surviving (and thriving) through recessions, pandemics, and everything in between as a professional artist. If you've been wondering, "Is anyone still buying art right now?" - this episode is especially for you.

The answer is YES - people absolutely buy art in all economies! In fact, during challenging times, people crave the inspiration, joy, and perspective that only art can provide.

In this episode, I share:

• My personal story of how I pivoted during the 2008 recession to create my first online course when art sales dipped
• Why having multiple revenue streams is crucial for weathering economic storms (and how I quickly created new income during the pandemic)
• The importance of looking for opportunities rather than dwelling on negative news
• How research shows creativity impacts our mental and physical wellbeing, creating even MORE opportunity for artists
• A special invitation to our second annual Shiny Squirrel Summit

I've been running Creative Thursday for 21 years now, surviving both the 2008 recession and the pandemic by staying nimble and focused on possibility. When the world seems chaotic, I don't retreat - I lean in to find new ways to share my art and knowledge.

If this episode has you thinking about diversifying your creative income streams, you're in luck! Our second annual Shiny Squirrel Summit is happening soon, with 12 amazing expert speakers sharing exactly how they've created multiple revenue streams in their art businesses.

Join us for FREE at shinysquirrelsummit.com - it's going to be value-packed, inspiring, and exactly what you need to set your creative business up for sustainable success in ANY economy.

No goal setting necessary.

12 months from now how would you like to feel about your time spent in 2025?

What matters most to you that you want to prioritize and focus on?

My first podcast back after welcoming home Baby Shay!

Four weeks in as a parent with a newborn, and already so much new insight on time management, and even more passion for the power of planning that I can't wait to share.

In this episode I step you through the 3 ways I'm defining what matters most in 2025 - no pressure, no goal setting -just creating a clear path forward.

And if you'd like to feel lighter, get more clarity, and feel confident about where you're focusing first this year, I'm hosting my annual Profitable Artist Plan, a fun and inspiring week together to help you create your ideal plan for 2025,

We start this Monday, January 13!

Save your spot here

https://profitableartistchallenge.shinepages.com/

Big changes underway!

Tune into this episode to get all of the latest happening behind the scenes of Creative Thursday.

A "Direct Pep Talk", this is a transparent share on

• what it takes to build a Creative Business online today, and have lasting success as a Professional Artist
• how to choose the right support to grow your business from courses, to memberships to coaches
• plus I step you through how I prioritize and make big decisions about the direction we're taking after 20 years in business

This is also a time-sensitive invite ending TONIGHT @ 11:59 pm PDT, the last + only chance to get Creative Business Coaching + Consulting support from me this year before the baby comes!

Join us in The Red Dot Society

https://thereddotsociety.com/

What qualities do Creatives have in common that make adding a membership model to their business a perfect fit?

We'll tell you! In today's episode I'm joined by my friend and Mentor of 5 years and Membership Expert Stu McLaren to talk about the wild success Artists are seeing in the membership space.

And by success we mean, growing 7 figure memberships in just a few years, while inspiring art and creativity, and creative business skills for thousands of people across the globe.

It's inspiring, to say the least, to see this rapid growth of PROSPERITY and THRIVING in an industry that was once known for its starving, struggling mentality.

Days of the Starving Artist are gone as Creative Business owners today, myself included are changing the narrative forever more.

It turns out there is one single quality many of us share that makes Artists especially successful at starting, building, and running memberships.

In today's episode, we share

• what that one quality is among others that makes Artists perfectly suited to add a membership to their revenue streams
• how many different kinds of creative memberships there are with very specific skills being taught
• how to know if starting a membership might be something you want to do
• what owning a membership, not 1 but now 2! has done for me both personally and professionally

If this episode has thinking about what it might be like to start a membership or you have one going already but don't know how to grow it effectively, you're in luck because Stu's free workshop is happening now:

How to Turn What You Already Know, Love, and Do into a Profitable Business

Just click here to join the workshop for free

Get excited! welcome to another favorite edition of Artist Success Stories.

In this episode I'm joined by three of our Alumni; Heather Harrington, Joanna Smith, and Marissa Parsons sharing

• how they first decided to follow their passion
• what's helped them find and keep the courage to pursue the professional Artist life
• how they show up with consistency
• the value of self-discovery + authenticity in the art-selling process
• the benefits of personalized mentorship
• the significance of community and support in building an art business
• why it's so important to celebrate accomplishments and stay grateful for the process
• and the transformative effects of choosing to join us in Artful Selling

Hip Hip Hooray! It's here! Only Open Once a Year!

Doors to Artful Selling are OPEN starting now through Tuesday, January 23 @ 11:59 pm PST

🎨 Transform Your Art Business:

Craft your Art Sales + Marketing Plan for 2024 and beyond. Make more art, sell more art, and turn your dreams into reality.

💡 Get Clarity and Achieve Your Dreams:

This time, it's about follow-through! Having a Sales and Marketing Plan is the most effective way to confidently and consistently sell to your Ideal Collectors online. Let's build a thriving business that supports a life you love.

📆 Your 12-Month Product Launch Plan:

Know what you're creating, when you're launching it, and how to price it for PROFIT.

📱 Create Your Social Media Plan:

Unlock the secrets to impactful social media strategies.

📧 Create Your Email Marketing Plan:

Learn the art of email marketing for successful art promotion.

🌟 Ready to Make Selling Your Art Easy?

We can't wait to welcome you!

Join us!

https://artfulselling.com/

You can find all things

Heather Harrington @lifeandwhim on instagram

Joanna Smith @joanna.smith.5876 on facebook

Marissa Parsons @marissaparsonsstudio on instagram

Spontaneous creation or being prepared ahead of time with your content? which do you prefer?

Continuing on with our series, part 3, of answering your Time Management questions; I'm opening this episode with a few more social media creation tips, specifically for video, while also sharing more tools to help you get and stay organized with your assets, marketing plan and project management.

• what and when I record behind the scenes to use in my social media marketing
• app recommendations for video editing
• my favorite project management tools and how I use them specifically for my social media planning

Yay! it's almost go time!

We start Monday, January 15

Join the Profitable Artist Planning Challenge + Coaching Week

Join the Artful Selling Waitlist

Be honest: how's your 2024 Social Media plan looking?

Are you feeling ready with a big picture strategy in place, or are you reading this thinking, Marisa what are you talking about "ready", I barely know what to post tomorrow let alone the rest of 2024

Would you like to feel more prepared when it comes to your marketing?

What if this is the year you could change the hamster wheel approach of: overwhelm + procrastinate = now I feel behind so why bother with any sort of plan at all ~

to breathing easier because you feel clear and excited about what you're creating and sharing with the wonderful people who can't wait to see (and collect) what you're working on.

On this first Creative Thursday of the new year, the energy of clarity that comes with a clean slate is on your side which is why I'm excited to welcome you to part 2 of the Time Management series where I'm continuing to answer your questions and sharing tips on how to organize your social media content so that you're not constantly trying to figure out "what to post" and wondering whether what you post will actually help you reach your people and grow your Art business.

When I find myself getting overloaded by a long list of to dos, a simple practice of physical and/or digital organization is the best place to start to catch my breath and clear my head.

With that approach in mind let's get into some practical tips to help you get organized.

In this episode, I share:

• what tools and apps I use to organize and back-up my assets
• how I organize my photos and social media images so that they're easy to find
• what apps I use to enhance and elevate my photography

It's getting close now...let's kick off the new year, with an inspiring planning session together.

We start Monday, January 15

Join the Profitable Artist Planning Challenge + Coaching Week

Join the Artful Selling Waitlist