Embracing the Abundance Mindset: Thriving as an Artist
By Sergio Gomez
Years ago, I stumbled upon a concept that completely transformed my artistic journey: the scarcity vs. abundance mentality. It opened my eyes to two distinct mindsets that artists can adopt, each with its own profound impact on our creative lives.
The Scarcity Mindset: Fear and Isolation
In the world of art, the scarcity mindset can be all too familiar. It's the belief that everyone is out to steal from us, that we must guard our knowledge and connections at all costs. We may even think that others should go through the same struggles we did, fearing that someone might surpass us on this artistic voyage. It's a mindset rooted in fear, isolation, and a constant need to protect what's ours.
The Abundance Mindset: Sharing and Collaboration
But then, there's the alternative—the abundance mentality. This is the mindset I wholeheartedly embrace. Instead of hoarding our knowledge and experiences, we believe in sharing them generously. We understand that when we lift...
Embracing Rejection: A Personal Journey for Artists
By Sergio Gomez
It's Okay to Feel Sad
When that rejection letter lands in our inbox or the news of another missed opportunity reaches our ears, it's okay to feel sad. It's okay to acknowledge the disappointment, the frustration, and even a sense of loss. After all, we're human, and our art is an extension of ourselves. It's natural to invest our hopes and dreams in the opportunities we pursue.
Don't Dwell, Rise Above
But here's the secret: while it's okay to feel those emotions, we shouldn't dwell in that space for too long. We must rise above the initial sting of rejection and reclaim our artistic power. Remember, one rejection does not define our worth or the quality of our work. It's merely a detour on our journey—a chance to grow, learn, and evolve.
My Personal Experience
As an artist, curator, and entrepreneur, I've encountered more rejections than I care to remember. Yet, I don't keep track of them, nor do I hold resentment towards those who have said "no" to...
Should I? You Must! Pricing Your Art in a Global Market.
By Drew Harris
If there is one piece of advice I can offer, is to remove the word “should” from our vocabulary as artists, particularly when it comes to valuating our work, past, present and future.
The Challenge of Finding the Right Balance
Far too often, I hear artists lamenting on the fact their work is under-valuated, or in some cases, over-valuated and not selling. Finding a perfect balance is never easy as it is often dependent on market indicators such as regional, national or international economics, and often, dare I suggest, it’s based on trends in the market, so if you are not trending, it doesn’t mean you “should or shouldn’t” charge more or less, but remain consistent as trends tend to be cyclical and less stable. Your pricing however, must remain stable, growing as you grow as an artist.
Maintaining Stability in a Fluctuating Market
As the art buying market fluctuates, our work, even when correctly valuated may seem as...
The Psychology Behind Why Artists Struggle with Pricing Art
By Sergio Gomez
Listen to Sergio in the Podcast
Read Sergio's Blog Post
Today we're diving deep into the psychological challenges we face when pricing our art. I can tell you, from my own experience, that pricing artwork can be a challenging and often uncomfortable task for many artists.
Emotional Attachment to Our Work
First and foremost, it's essential to understand that our artworks are not just products; they're deeply personal expressions of ourselves. Each piece is a part of us, infused with our ideas, emotions, and hours of hard work. This emotional connection makes it challenging to assign a monetary value to our creations.
Take one of my abstract figurative paintings, for instance. It's not just paint on canvas to me. It's an exploration of life cycles and personal experiences. How do you put a price on something so intimate? This is a struggle many artists face.
Fear of Rejection or Devaluation
Another factor at play is our fear of rejection or devaluation. We fear...
Embracing the Rollercoaster Ride of Creativity: A Message for Artists
By Sergio Gomez
Pull up a chair, grab your favorite sketchbook, and let's have a heart-to-heart conversation about something we all know too well: the ups and downs of being a creative soul. If I had a dollar for every bad studio day, I would be rich. I know, right? It's like we're all part of this secret club where creativity can sometimes be a wild rollercoaster ride.
When Inspiration Takes a Rain Check
We've all experienced it. That moment when we eagerly step into our sacred creative spaces, ready to dive into our art, only to find our minds drawing a complete blank. It's frustrating and disheartening, especially after completing a new series or a commissioned project, or returning from a rejuvenating vacation. And sometimes, it strikes when our thoughts are scattered all over the place. It's as if the creative "magic" has vanished, leaving us questioning our abilities.
The Comparison Trap
To make matters more challenging, we live in a world where social media bombards us...
Embracing Your Self-Worth as an Artist: Pricing Your Art
By Sergio Gomez
As artists, we all know the struggle of putting a price tag on our creations. It's one of the most challenging aspects of our journey. How do we determine the value of the art we've poured our heart and soul into? At first glance, the idea seems ridiculous. But let me assure you, my fellow artists, we've all experienced this dilemma at the start of our art careers.
The Constant Questions
As we grow and mature in our artistic endeavors, the same questions continue to haunt us. When should we raise our prices? How should we charge now compared to a year or two ago? These questions are valid, and they reflect our desire to navigate the art market with confidence and fairness.
Starting with Self-Worth
Today, I want to discuss a vital starting point in this pricing conundrum: self-worth. Step one is to believe wholeheartedly that what we offer as artists holds tremendous value. It's time to silence those nagging voices of doubt and truly embrace the fact that our...
Reigniting Your Creative Spark: Reclaiming Inspiration and Overcoming Burnout
Listen to the podcast or read the article below by Dr. Yanina Gomez
For artists, the journey of creation is often fueled by passion and a desire to share their unique visions with the world. However, amidst the pursuit of their artistic endeavors, burnout can creep in, dimming the creative spark and hindering the joy of creation. To prevent burnout from overshadowing your artistic journey, it is essential to implement strategies that nurture your well-being and reignite your inspiration.
In this blog post, I'm sharing 2 practical tips to help you avoid burnout and two tips to help you overcome burnout so that you can reclaim your creativity, and rediscover the joy in your artistic pursuits. Let's start with 2 tips for avoiding burnout.
Tip 1: Prioritize Self-Care and Mindful Restoration
As an artist, I bet you often push yourself relentlessly, dedicating countless hours to perfecting your skills. Many artists do! However, neglecting...
The Artistic Journey: Documenting and Organizing Your Creative Legacy
Today, I want to talk about something that's close to my heart and an essential aspect of our creative lives: documenting and organizing our artistic journey. It's like they say, "If you do not document it, it's like it never happened." So let's dive in and explore how we can make the most of the incredible technology available to us and ensure our work leaves a lasting impact.
Embrace the Digital Age
Living in this day and age, we have a remarkable advantage—technology that fits right in the palm of our hands. Gone are the days of waiting anxiously for our 35mm camera slides to develop. We now have the power to capture, preserve, and share our artistic process effortlessly.
Documenting: More than Just Moments
Documenting our creative journey goes beyond capturing mere moments. It's about gathering valuable information and insights about ourselves and our work for the future. By documenting our process, we create a visual diary that helps us reflect on our growth, techniques,...
Marybeth Rothman on Finding Her Voice and Conquering Social Media
Join host Sergio Gomez in an inspiring conversation with artist Marybeth Rothman on The Artist Next Level Podcast. Discover how Marybeth found her artistic style, conquered fears about marketing and social media, and gain insights into her upcoming solo exhibition. Explore her use of vintage photographs as inspiration for her captivating mixed media artworks. Don't miss this episode packed with artistic wisdom and inspiration from a Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery, Semifinalist in the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition 2022.
Highlights:
- Uncovering your unique artistic style
- Conquering fear and embracing marketing
- Using vintage photographs as creative inspiration
- Marybeth's upcoming solo exhibition
Tune in to The Artist Next Level Podcast with Sergio Gomez and special guest Marybeth Rothman for an engaging conversation that will elevate your art career!
Marybeth's website: https://www.marybethrothman.com/
Embrace Your Artistic Dreams: Grant Yourself Permission to Soar
By Sergio Gomez
A Personal Story of Pursuing a Dream
Let me share a little personal story with you. Back in 2019, when I had just begun my gallery and studio journey in the vibrant city of Chicago, I started having this wild dream. I couldn't stop thinking about curating a massive national show that would put me in the map in the art word. But oh boy, the doubts flooded my mind like a torrential downpour!
Voices in my head whispered all sorts of discouraging thoughts: "You're still a newbie, not enough experience!", "Who even knows you? You're practically invisible!", "Connections? Ha! You don't have them." And let's be honest, those voices had a point. I had every reason to believe that pursuing such a dream was a long shot.
Giving Myself Permission
But you know what? I decided to do something radical. I granted myself the permission to chase after that dream, against all odds. I said, "Why not give it a shot?" And boy, was I in for a surprise!
Fast forward to January 2010,...