So did you create your workshop offer earlier this week?

If not, take 10 minutes right now to map it out.

And if you did — congratulations!

You’re excited but also nervous about what you just got yourself into…

… and that means you are 100% on the right track.

Now it’s time to fill your class with paying students.

And you’ll want to avoid these three super-common mistakes.

Mistake #1: Posting on Social Media First

Quick quiz:

When should you post your enrollment link on social media?

A. Right away — people should know about it so they can plan

B. Within minutes of announcing it to your email list

C. A few days beforehand — you’ll need time to create the perfect post

D. None of these

If you answered A or B, you’re not alone.

Of course you are excited to share the news!

If you picked C… well, you’re also not alone.

And you’re probably a perfectionist who wants to find the ideal image and words before you share anything.

But whether you chose A, B, or C,

you probably didn’t get many signups this way.

That’s because posting an offer to social media first is at best ineffective.

And at worst?

It can even turn people off from working with you.

Instead, our students follow a completely different strategy,

one that books seats before they ever share about it publicly.

Some even filled their first workshop completely this way…

…and then they announced on Instagram that the first round was already full.

Suddenly, they had a wait list of followers who wanted in for next time.

And THAT is the goal that brings you security: being in demand with a wait list.

Now, how do you know what to say?

Well, you’ll want to avoid…

Mistake #2: Being Too Direct

Nobody likes being sold to.

But a typical offer might read like this:

Hey there, Person Who Once Expressed Interest in My Work!

Hope this finds you well.

I’m writing because I’m launching a new workshop about XYZ.

It starts in two weeks and costs $200 plus materials.

Click here to sign up.

Thanks!

This is like running into someone who already thinks you’re cool,

but instead of asking about how they are doing,

you just hand them a flyer and dash off.

You want to build a relationship that rewards people in your inner circle.

To have a conversation, not make a sales pitch.

To get that person excited about this creative opportunity with you.

Lots of our students struggled with finding the right words at first.

So we created a few customizable scripts that gave them the confidence

to reach out and make genuine connections with their future students.

And best of all, no sleazy salesperson vibe.

Bottom line: When your mindset is about helping others,

you can learn the right words to offer value without feeling pushy at all.

Of course, once someone is interested, it’s not enough to just make the offer.

Mistake #3: Not Creating Exclusivity

Life gets busy.

Even someone who wants to work with you may forget to sign up in time.

So you’ve got to express why they need to act now.

If your workshop is something they can join anytime…

…you are competing with on-demand offers like Netflix or YouTube.

Good luck with that!

You need to bake into your offer two magical things: Urgency & Scarcity.

If they can join anytime… they will join “someday soon”… which means Never.

If you have no limit on students… your value drops to that of a free YouTube video.

You are giving them your time & attention — both are limited.

When you help people realize an opportunity is limited (and it really is!),

they have to make a decision — do it now, or wait much longer.

So, give them a reason to sign up now.

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One more success story for you:

Using the proven fill-in-the-blank scripts we share in our coaching program,

Canadian painter Melissa Baron filled two cohorts of her online watercolor workshop.

Now she has the flexibility to tap into this source of income anytime she wants.

Click here to hear Melissa talk about her experience.

Now that you know what NOT to do,

would you like our help to fill your classes quickly?

Or extra confidence by having a second set of eyes reviewing your offer & outreach messages before you put them out there?

Apply for a free clarity call to learn how we can help with your outreach strategy.

This month, we’re talking about sharing your art skills for a fee — better known as teaching — to give you an additional income stream as a professional artist.

If you caught our webinar at end of last year, this is part of the framework you saw about growing the business side of your art.

In the months ahead, we’ll go more in-depth on this framework, with more about:
   > growing an audience… to connect directly with people who will buy your work
   > creating partnerships… to share your art with even more people
   > finding gallery representation… so you can sell your most expensive pieces

If you’re curious about teaching art workshops, in person or online,
then you may be wondering…

“Why would someone pay to learn from me?”

Will people really pay money for what you have to offer?

Why wouldn’t they just learn for free from YouTube?

And there are SO MANY amazing teachers out there already.
So who are you to offer yet another art class?
Well…

There will always be someone a couple of steps ahead of you…
…and someone else a couple of steps behind you.

But the best person to teach those a couple steps behind?

It’s not the artist who’s in your eyes already at the top.

It’s you.

Because you can relate to their challenges.

You can share what you know about technique, materials, and even confidence.

In fact, the largest audience for art workshops online?

They’re beginners who want more guidance than they can get from a free tutorial.

And you don’t have to create some complex curriculum.

Just get started.

“I get so nervous speaking for an audience / on camera”

Have you ever shown a friend how to make something?
If so, then you already know what you’re doing.

Your students won’t care what you look like or how you sound.
They just want to learn from your approach to creating.

And don’t worry, this isn’t a TED talk.
You won’t be onstage in front of hundreds of people.
You’ll be in the comfort of your own studio.
And if you’re teaching online, you’ll also be in a virtual room, side by side with a handful of friendly art lovers.

Try practicing with a friend beforehand, or even invite them to the class.

“But I don’t know how to work all the tech stuff.”

So many course platforms. It’s overwhelming.
You could spend weeks comparing them, and even longer learning to use them.
But why overthink it?

> Do you have a smartphone or laptop with a camera?
> Have you ever used Zoom?
> Is your Internet connection good enough for an hour or two of video streaming?

>> Then you have everything you need to teach art online.

You don’t need to buy fancy equipment.
It’s nice if you can use a laptop to capture the lesson and also a smartphone for close-ups of your hands.
But if that’s a challenge, don’t let it stop you!

Keep it super simple. Just focus on what you want to teach.
You can upgrade the tech part later if you need to.

To recap:

If you want some more predictable art-related income, teaching may work for you.

Yes, there are students who will pay to learn from you.
No, you don’t need complicated software or new equipment.
And — there are lots of ways to get past being camera-shy.

If any of this has held you back from teaching…
Why wait any longer?

What if this month, you earned $3,000 from leading art workshops?

Oil painter Sally Strand did exactly that in her very first month of teaching online.

Here is Sally telling her story:

And that was just her first month of many.

She emailed our team last week:

“Thanks again for your valuable help. I have a solid waitlist for on online workshops, thanks to you!”

Your turn — let us know what you create!

And, if you want more guidance and support in launching your workshops?

Apply here for a clarity call this week, the first step to working with our team.

We’re a few days into the new year, and I have a question for you.

Will this year be different?

Because when it comes to your art career, if you’re not already getting results like:

• Jo, who went from zero to four figures by offering original artwork to her small email list — in just 2 months

• Melissa, who has no art degree but filled two online workshops to teach her art skills – earning $3,000

• Steve, who found new gallery representation during the pandemic, after a different gallery cancelled their show

… then you have two choices.

You can keep doing what you did last year.

But if that didn’t work (or it’s frustratingly slow)…

You can commit to learning from experienced mentors.

Something a little magical will happen when you choose this option.

Your confidence will grow quickly as you start to implement what you learn.

You’ll gain new sources of predictable income.

Your work will reach more people.

And all of these positive changes may ultimately boost your creativity.

(Book a clarity call now if you know you’re ready…)

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But right below, we’re going to share on a high level…

The 5 Steps to Transforming Your Art Business in 2021

It’s still up to you. Will you commit to applying them?

Let’s dive in:

1. Give a professional impression

To succeed in today’s art world, you need a solid foundation online:

A professional website, email list, and social media feed

Pro tip: Focus on just one of these until it’s done.

2. Share your art skills for a fee

Myth: Selling your work is the main way to earn money as an artist.

Fact: Most artists bring in only 1/3 of their money this way.

You can create a predictable monthly income another way: by sharing what you know.

It’s never been easier to teach art online, to anyone from anywhere.

3. Grow an audience of art buyers to get sales directly

It is not enough just to put your work out there and hope it will be noticed.

And a huge email list or social media following is not mandatory.

The key: Build genuine relationships with the people who like what you create.

And make tactful offers for them to own your originals.

Pay special attention to anyone who has bought your work in the past.

They’re the most likely to buy from you again.

(Also: You don’t need any “art world” connections to sell directly to collectors!)

4. Create partnerships to sell your work through other people’s audiences

Here’s where you can save hours of effort and quite a bit of money.

Instead of spending ages perfecting your website or social media feed…

Instead of sinking cash into Facebook ads for your work…

Find an established audience, where people who might like your art tend to hang out.

Write to the person in charge and offer to share your story.

They introduce you. You share your work.

And their audience becomes your audience.

5. Sell expensive artworks by getting gallery representation

You might think you need an impressive CV to catch a gallery’s attention.

Or, wait — are galleries even important these days, given COVID-19?

Well, good news on both fronts.

The only things galleries care about are your work and how it sells.

And, you can sell both directly to collectors and through a gallery.

So it’s still worth finding gallery representation, especially for your most expensive works.

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“But I just want to make art. I’d rather not deal with the business part.”

We hear you. You’re a super-busy creator who has plenty going on already.

To grow as a professional artist, you’ll need to master some business basics.

If you have enough time, you can sort that out on your own for free.

But if business was like climbing a mountain, you’d want the shortest path to the top.

You’ve already got your view-from-the-top map — the 5-step plan above.

However, you’ll still need to find all the footholds as you ascend.

Want your own personal guide team for 2021? Apply for a clarity call with us.

If we’re a good fit for working together:

• You’ll always know your next step. We’ll design a custom roadmap for your goals, with a timeline that works for you.

• All your questions will be answered! Well, at least the ones for the business side of your art. 🙂 You’ll have 1×1 access to your personal artist coach by email (expert advice within 24 hours).

• Expertise on tap. About once a week, you’ll also get help with your greatest challenges, through the coaching calls with our team of experts.

So, will this year be different for your art career?

Cheers to a prosperous year!

Have you ever worked so hard on your art that your health suffered?

Maybe you’ve pushed yourself for a deadline (like holiday shipping dates!).

Or maybe it’s just who you are — you have to get every last detail perfect.

This is what happened to one of our students a few years ago.

“I had no idea that it is possible to get seriously injured from painting, until it happened to me…”
In mid-2017, portrait artist Solly Solomon was enjoying 10-hour days in her studio, engrossed in her newest work.

With the tiniest brushstrokes, she began painting the next section — dozens of tiny sequins in lifelike detail.

She had no idea that she would be unable to finish this painting for another 2 years.

What started as occasional pain now flared intensely as she perfected every line and reflection.

She thought her hand would be OK after a day or two. It always had been before.

But this time, it wasn’t.

Her doctor diagnosed a repetitive-strain injury called tendonitis.

And Solly found herself sidelined from her art. For months.

The inflammation in her wrist was so intense, she couldn’t even brush her teeth with her painting hand.

“It was completely devastating, and I wish I had known then just how important it is to take care of your body and have regular breaks.”
Solly tried everything: ice packs, anti-inflammatory meds, pain-relieving gels, ultrasound therapy, TENS machine (nerve stimulation) therapy, acupuncture…

But the most crucial element in her healing was simply this:

Not doing anything.

Rest.

Time off.

Even though all she wanted to do was go back to painting.

But her body demanded healing.

So she had to listen. There was no other option.

After several months off, Solly returned to sketching for short sessions.

Just 20 minutes at a time, with long rest breaks.

Even though she couldn’t paint the way she wanted to, she looked for creative ways to keep making art.

She taught herself to draw and paint left-handed.

She played with making monoprints.

And she returned very gently to painting, starting with abstracts instead of her usual photorealistic style.

A year after her diagnosis, Solly completed a new work — based on the MRI scans of her wrist.

The toll of her injury hit in invisible ways as well. Who was she if she couldn’t create the work she wanted to?

Making art from the experience helped her to process emotionally.

And in September 2018, Solly returned to the painting that led to her original injury.

She wore a brace to support her wrist.

Her brush handles had foam wraps so she could hold them with less effort.

It was a bit like learning to paint while wearing heavy winter gloves.

But she did it — and another year later, she completed the painting.You Have No Idea of the Gift You Once Gave Me – oil on canvas, 48″ x 30″Solly has a message for visual artists everywhere:
“Working those extra few hours is really not worth it if it takes you out of action for months, or even years…. This isn’t an injury that I have recovered from. It’s one I live with every day.
“I would implore fellow artists to look after themselves and take regular breaks when working. My injury was totally preventable, and this type of injury can happen to anyone.”
Your body is one of the most important assets in your art business.

What if you started treating it with the same care you’d give to your most expensive art tool?

Sometimes it is the negative space that makes a painting work.

And sometimes as an artist, it becomes essential to do nothing at all.

As I mentioned last week, there is no “balance”
— only the creative act of “balancing”.

So, it’s important to spend time making art…

…but not so much that your health suffers.

It’s important to spend time building the business & career side…

…without sacrificing your most creative hours of the day.

And, it’s important to make time for yourself and your family…

… without feeling guilty about not doing more for your art or your business.

So if you find yourself caught up in the December holiday rush,

or just feeling especially anxious —

take a minute to pause, breathe deeply, and focus on the moment.