Art + Business + Murals

This episode is a little different, and a very personal one.

After unexpectedly spending time in hospital and needing to step away from my business for several weeks, I found myself reflecting on something important:

What actually makes a creative business sustainable?

In this episode, I share what happened during my time away, why I disappeared for a month, and the eight business systems I had built over time that allowed my business to keep moving while I focused on healing and recovery.

We talk about:

• Building financial stability with emergency savings
• Creating passive income through digital products and online workshops
• The importance of trust, consistency, and strong client relationships
• Why systems and organisation matter in a creative business
• Diversifying income streams
• Understanding your own capacity and avoiding overcommitment
• Building a business that supports your life, not consumes it

This episode is an honest reflection on burnout, sustainability,rest, and what it really means to build a creative business that can support you through difficult seasons.

And as this is Episode 100, it also marks the end of this seasonof the podcast as I take a short winter break to rest and recover fully.

Thank you for being here and supporting Art + Business + Murals over the past 100 episodes. I am incredibly grateful for this community.

The upcoming events and links that I mentioned in this episode:

Sign up to my mailing list for upcoming competitions, coachingpackages and events:
https://www.sculleydesign.com

The 31 May Business of Art Community Bank Sunshine Coast x Sarah Sculley FREE workshop: https://bankingthatbenefits.com.au/

The Intro to Stencils Workshop and Art + Business Workshop in my Nambour Studio in July – more info and tickets can be found here: https://www.sculleydesign.com/workshops

Open Studios Sunshine Coast information can be found here: https://openstudiossunshinecoast.com.au/

Open Studios Gympie: https://www.gympie.qld.gov.au/Community/Arts-and-Culture/Studio-Trails

Open Studios Noosa: https://noosaopenstudios.com.au/

———

Thank you so much for tuning into the Art +Business + Murals Podcast

If you’d like to say ‘hi’ to me, or if you have any podcasttopic ideas or artists you’d like me to interview, please email: [email protected]

Please follow along:

 Instagram // https://www.instagram.com/sculleydesign/

 Facebook // https://www.facebook.com/sculleydesign

 You Tube // https://www.youtube.com/@SarahSculley/videos

 Website // https://www.sculleydesign.com
Feel free to give this podcast a star rating and ‘follow’ so you are notified when new episodes come out each Monday. Please share it with any creatives in your life.

Have you ever felt jealous of another artist on social media?

That sinking feeling when you see someone else's success, opportunities, or growth and suddenly start questioning your own path.

In this honest and personal episode, I talk about something many artists feel but rarely admit. Jealousy, comparison, and the fear of being left behind.

I share my own recent experiences with feeling threatened by other artists online, and how I worked through those feelings instead of ignoring them or feeling ashamed.

In this episode, I talk about:

• Why jealousy is a normal human emotion, especially in creative industries 
• How social media amplifies comparison and insecurity 
• The hidden message behind jealous feelings 
• Practical strategies to shift jealousy into motivation and growth 
• How to stay focused on your own path instead of someone else's timeline 

If you have ever compared yourself to another artist and felt discouraged, this episode will help you reframe those feelings and use them as fuel for your own progress.

There is room for your work, your voice, and your success.

———

Thank you so much for tuning into the Art + Business + Murals Podcast

If you’d like to say ‘hi’ to me, or if you have any podcast topic ideas or artists you’d like me to interview, please email: [email protected]

Please follow along:

 Instagram // https://www.instagram.com/sculleydesign/

 Facebook // https://www.facebook.com/sculleydesign

 You Tube // https://www.youtube.com/@SarahSculley/videos

 Website // https://www.sculleydesign.com
Feel free to give this podcast a star rating and ‘follow’ so you are notified when new episodes come out each Monday. Please share it with any creatives in your life.

If you are posting your artwork, improving your skills, and still not getting commission enquiries, this episode is for you.

One of the most common frustrations I hear from artists is:
"Why am I not getting any commissions?"

And the truth is, it is rarely about talent.

In this episode, I break down the real reasons artists struggle to get commissioned work and what you can do to change that. We talk about how to move away from guessing and hoping, and instead build a clear offer that solves a real problem for a specific audience.

Inside this episode, I cover:

·       Why finding a problem to solve is the foundation of getting commissions

·       How to refine your offering so people clearly understand what you do

·       The importance of finding a niche and standing out in a crowded market

·       How to market directly to your target audience instead of using a spray and pray approach

·       How customer service and communication impact whether people hire you

·       Why momentum matters and how to build it over time

If you feel like you are working hard but not seeing results, this episode will help you step back, reassess, and make practical changes that lead to more consistent enquiries.

You do not need to be everywhere.
You need to be visible in the right places to the right people.

Want support building your art business?

Inside my Creative Business Group Coaching Program, you will find practical tools including marketing plans, commission contracts, pricing tools, and planning systems designed specifically for artists.

Mentioned in this podacast:

Blog post to go with this episode.

———

Thank you so much for tuning into the Art + Business + Murals Podcast

If you’d like to say ‘hi’ to me, or if you have any podcast topic ideas or artists you’d like me to interview, please email: [email protected]

Please follow along:

 Instagram // https://www.instagram.com/sculleydesign/

 Facebook // https://www.facebook.com/sculleydesign

 You Tube // https://www.youtube.com/@SarahSculley/videos

 Website // https://www.sculleydesign.com
Feel free to give this podcast a star rating and ‘follow’ so you are notified when new episodes come out each Monday. Please share it with any creatives in your life.

Today’s episode is a little different from my usual conversationsabout art, business and murals.

In this episode, I’m sharing a very personal story about my recent experience with perimenopause and being diagnosed with ADHD and ASD as an adult woman.

Over the past few years I’ve been navigating changes in my energy, focus, nervous system and mental health, while still running a creative business and raising a family. Through this process I’ve been learning more about how hormonal changes, neurodivergence and burnout can intersect for many women in midlife.

In this episode I talk about:

• My personal experience leading up to diagnosis
• Why so many women are diagnosed later in life
• Some confronting statistics around women’s mental health in midlife
• The tools and habits that have helped stabilise my nervous system
• Ways to educate and advocate for yourself if you’re experiencing similar challenges

If any part of this conversation resonates with you, pleaseremember you’re not alone, and support is available.

Mentioned in this podacast:

A downloadable peri-menopause symptom tracker

The Rage against the Vagine Podcast

The Dr Louise Newson Podcast

The Neurodivergent Woman Podcast

———

Thank you so much for tuning into the Art +Business + Murals Podcast

If you’d like to say ‘hi’ to me, or if you have any podcasttopic ideas or artists you’d like me to interview, please email: [email protected]

Please follow along:

 Instagram // https://www.instagram.com/sculleydesign/

 Facebook // https://www.facebook.com/sculleydesign

 You Tube // https://www.youtube.com/@SarahSculley/videos

 Website // https://www.sculleydesign.com
Feel free to give this podcast a star ratingand ‘follow’ so you are notified when new episodes come out each Monday. Please share it with any creatives in your life.

Pricing is one of the most common and most emotional struggles in building a sustainable art business. In this episode, I walk you through a practical pricing framework you can actually use. We cover income goals, calculating real costs, paying yourself properly, adding profit, and setting boundaries around commissions, prints and workshops.

If you have ever wondered whether you are charging too much or not enough, this episode will help you stop guessing and start pricing with clarity and confidence.

To join the Group Coaching Program for FREE, use the discount code: FIRSTMONTHFREE

When you sign up to Group Coaching here.

———

Thank you so much for tuning into the Art + Business + Murals Podcast

If you’d like to say ‘hi’ to me, or if you have any podcast topic ideas or artists you’d like me to interview, please email: [email protected]

Please follow along:

 Instagram // https://www.instagram.com/sculleydesign/

 Facebook // https://www.facebook.com/sculleydesign

 You Tube // https://www.youtube.com/@SarahSculley/videos

 Website // https://www.sculleydesign.com
Feel free to give this podcast a star rating and ‘follow’ so you are notified when new episodes come out each Monday. Please share it with any creatives in your life.

You love creating art… but how do you turn that passion into aprofitable, sustainable business?

In this episode, I’m sharing the key foundations that help artistsmove from “making work” to building a real creative business that supports them financially and personally.

We cover:

• The mindset shift that helps you start treating your art like a business
• Why a professional online presence matters more than ever
• How to get clear on what you actually sell (and how people can buy it)
• Pricing your work for profit, not just for sales
• The business skills every artist can learn (even if numbers and marketing feel overwhelming)

If you’ve been dreaming of leaving your day job, selling your work more consistently, or simply feeling more confident in the business side of being an artist, this episode is for you.

And stay listening until the very end — I have a special surpriseannouncement about my Group Coaching Program, including a free month of support launching this March.

The blog post that accompanies this episode is here.

To join the Group Coaching Program for FREE, use the discountcode: FIRSTMONTHFREE

When you sign up to Group Coaching here.

———

Thank you so much for tuning into the Art + Business + Murals Podcast

If you’d like to say ‘hi’ to me, or if you have any podcasttopic ideas or artists you’d like me to interview, please email: [email protected]

Please follow along:

 Instagram // https://www.instagram.com/sculleydesign/

 Facebook // https://www.facebook.com/sculleydesign

 You Tube // https://www.youtube.com/@SarahSculley/videos

 Website // https://www.sculleydesign.com
Feel free to give this podcast a star rating and ‘follow’ so you are notified when new episodes come out each Monday. Please share it with any creatives in your life.

Creativity isn’t something you either have or don’t have, it’s something that responds to the conditions you create around it.

In this episode, I’m sharing five gentle, practical daily habits that support your creativity, especially during busy or low-energy seasons. These aren’t productivity hacks or rigid routines. They’re small, sustainable practices that help you show up consistently without burning out.

We’ll talk about:

• building simple creative routines your body can recognise
• setting yourself up for easier starts
• the importance of play (without monetising everything)
• using “10 minutes of power” to overcome resistance
• and why protecting your energy matters more than productivity

If you’ve been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected from your creativity, this episode is a reminder that you don’t need to do more, you just need to create better conditions.

Choose one habit. Start there.

———

Thank you so much for tuning into the Art + Business + Murals Podcast

If you’d like to say ‘hi’ to me, or if you have any podcast topic ideas or artists you’d like me to interview, please email: [email protected]

Please follow along:

 Instagram // https://www.instagram.com/sculleydesign/

 Facebook // https://www.facebook.com/sculleydesign

 You Tube // https://www.youtube.com/@SarahSculley/videos

 Website // https://www.sculleydesign.com
Feel free to give this podcast a star rating and ‘follow’ so you are notified when new episodes come out each Monday. Please share it with any creatives in your life.

Motivation gets talked about a lot in the creative world, but it’s often framed as something we need to push harder for. In this short episode, I slow things down and ask a gentler question: what actually motivates you?

I share some honest reflections on motivation, creative energy, and why pressure, guilt and comparison don’t tend to work long term. This episode is an invitation to reconnect with your own reasons for showing up to your art and business, especially when things feel hard or messy.

If you’ve been feeling a little flat, stuck, or questioning your momentum, this one’s for you.

———

Thank you so much for tuning into the Art + Business + Murals Podcast

If you’d like to say ‘hi’ to me, or if you have any podcast topic ideas or artists you’d like me to interview, please email: [email protected]

Please follow along:

 Instagram // https://www.instagram.com/sculleydesign/

 Facebook // https://www.facebook.com/sculleydesign

 You Tube // https://www.youtube.com/@SarahSculley/videos

 Website // https://www.sculleydesign.com
Feel free to give this podcast a star rating and ‘follow’ so you are notified when new episodes come out each Monday. Please share it with any creatives in your life.

In this episode, I share how I am setting myself up to start 2026 feeling organised, motivated and ready to take on the year. I talk through the simple habits I am putting in place, how I am planning my goals without overwhelming myself and the small systems that help me feel calm and in control. If you want to begin the year feeling focused and prepared, this short episode will help you ease into 2026 with clarity and confidence.

Free content calendar here.

———

Thank you so much for tuning into the Art + Business + Murals Podcast

If you’d like to say ‘hi’ to me, or if you have any podcast topic ideas or artists you’d like me to interview, please email: [email protected]

Please follow along:

 Instagram // https://www.instagram.com/sculleydesign/

 Facebook // https://www.facebook.com/sculleydesign

 You Tube // https://www.youtube.com/@SarahSculley/videos

 Website // https://www.sculleydesign.com
Feel free to give this podcast a star rating and ‘follow’ so you are notified when new episodes come out each Monday. Please share it with any creatives in your life.

In this episode, I sit down and honestly unpack my biggest wins and the moments that completely fell apart in 2025. I share what worked, what definitely did not, and the lessons I am taking with me into 2026. If you want a realistic look behind the scenes of an artist and creative business owner, this episode is for you. No sugar-coating, just real reflection and useful insights to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

———

Thank you so much for tuning into the Art + Business + Murals Podcast

If you’d like to say ‘hi’ to me, or if you have any podcast topic ideas or artists you’d like me to interview, please email: [email protected]

Please follow along:

 Instagram // https://www.instagram.com/sculleydesign/

 Facebook // https://www.facebook.com/sculleydesign

 You Tube // https://www.youtube.com/@SarahSculley/videos

 Website // https://www.sculleydesign.com
Feel free to give this podcast a star rating and ‘follow’ so you are notified when new episodes come out each Monday. Please share it with any creatives in your life.