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For today's episode, some of our past guests share the creative “aha” moments that transformed both their work and careers. You’ll hear how structured projects and daily discipline can unlock unexpected growth, and why understanding value matters more than obsessing over color. Our guests reveal how real artistic voice emerges naturally over time, rather than from trying to “find a style.” They also discuss the power of painting from memory and imagination instead of copying reality. Finally, they explore mindset shifts—reframing commissions, embracing the process over the product, and using creativity in marketing—as key breakthroughs on their artistic journeys.

Episodes mentioned on this episode:

• 62 Aaron Schuerr
• 77 Aaron Westerberg
• 79 William Schneider
• 118 Shuang Li
• 129 Brian Bateman
• 137 Chris Krupinski
• 139 Jeff Legg
• 144 Christine Code
• 170 Kim Lordier

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For today's episode we sat down with abstract mixed media artist Nancy Crandall Phillips, who shares her artistic journey from ceramics and fiber arts to the richly layered encaustic and mixed media work she creates today. She explains how a deep interest in the chemistry of materials (acrylic vs. oil, wax, gold leaf, papers, texture paste) and an early education in composition and edges shaped her highly tactile, artifact-like surfaces. Nancy describes her iterative, experimental process, emphasizing cycles of excitement, frustration, destruction, and rescue, and how embracing “happy accidents” and letting materials behave on their own terms is central to her work. She also discusses the emotional side of being an artist, including taking breaks from painting, dealing with frustration, and building resilience and trust in the process. Nancy also talks about the practical realities of an art career—balancing freelance accounting work with painting, entering juried shows, joining art groups, and building relationships that lead to gallery representation and auctions. Nancy closes with advice for aspiring artists to persist, cultivate community, and actively create their own opportunities, and also invites listeners to explore her work on her website and Instagram.

Nancy's FASO site:

nancycrandallphillips.com

Nancy's Social Media:

instagram.com/nancycrandallphillips

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For today's episode, we sat down with Kim Lordier, a California-based pastel artist, mom, and former flight attendant whose deep love of nature and travel strongly influences her landscape work. She began drawing and painting animals as a child, started earning money from pet portraits as a teenager, and later experienced a major turning point in 2001 when she saw a plein air demonstration and committed to painting from life. Influenced by early California and American impressionists, Kim focuses on value, shape, and expressive color, and credits key workshops—especially learning notan and studying with mentors like Skip Whitcomb—for sharpening her compositional and color skills. She speaks candidly about her longstanding struggles with negative self-talk and imposter syndrome, and how learning to detach from the “preciousness” of finished paintings and embrace the process has been her biggest creative “aha” moment. On the business side, Kim emphasizes professionalism, honoring gallery relationships, and balancing what she loves to paint with what sells, while accepting that each artist’s journey and “ladder” is unique. She advises aspiring artists to trust their instincts, avoid unhealthy comparison, respect the people working behind the scenes in the art world, and remember there is always another canvas to paint. Finally she tells us all about her upcoming shows and workshops!

Kim's FASO site:

kimfancherlordier.com

Kim's Social Media:

instagram.com/klordierart/

facebook.com/kim.lordier

Bob Newhart's "Stop it!"

vimeo.com/97370236

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For today's episode compilation we explore how artists can reframe rejection as a normal, even necessary, part of a creative career rather than a verdict on their worth. Our past guests describe rejection as an ego blow that must be met with humility, a willingness to learn, and a long-term mindset of steady improvement. Several artists share stories of painful setbacks—unsold shows, declined gallery submissions, ignored emails—but explain how these experiences fueled their determination to work harder and get better. They emphasize building a “thick skin” while still remaining open to tough, honest critique, using feedback to refine both craft and professionalism. The conversation also highlights that rejection isn’t always about the artist’s shortcomings; sometimes the fit, timing, or other person’s vision just isn’t right yet. Throughout, our past guests stress perseverance, self-awareness, and staying committed to the work itself as the healthiest way to survive and grow from rejection. All of the episodes mentioned in this compilation are linked in our show notes.

24 Kelly Eden

46 Hillary Scott

60 Gladys Roldan-de-Moras

63 Noah Buchanan

76 Chris Navarro

87 Johanna Spinks

101 Joseph Gyurcsak

121 Paul Batch

140 Donald Yatomi

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For today's episode we sat down with Stacey Peterson, a Colorado landscape painter and former chemical engineer. Stacey discusses her lifelong love of art, early influences from her creative mother and inspiring high school teachers, and how she eventually transitioned from engineering to full-time painting. She explains how problem-solving skills and professionalism from engineering transferred directly into her art career and helped her manage the business side of being a self-employed artist. Stacey shares major artistic influences, including the Canadian Group of Seven, California impressionists, and several contemporary landscape painters, as well as the pivotal mentorship with Jay Moore that encouraged her to paint what she truly loves—the outdoors. She describes her attraction to strong light effects and color in the landscape, her process of narrowing each painting to a single primary idea, and the different roles plein air studies and studio work play in her practice. On the business side, she emphasizes relying heavily on strong gallery relationships, staying active on social media for visibility and connection, and the long-term networking value of juried shows, while advising artists to keep putting in the hours since that allows one to develop a recognizable personal style. Stacey also talks about teaching, recovering from a serious leg injury while keeping up her practice with acrylic gouache studies, and shares her current focus on restocking galleries and her upcoming participation in Plein Air Painters of America and Oil Painters of America shows.

Stacey's FASO site:

staceypeterson.com/

Stacey's Social Media:

instagram.com/staceypetersonart/

facebook.com/staceypetersonart/

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For today's episode, we sat down with Stephanie Marzella, a painter living in Charleston, South Carolina, with a preference for painting intimate landscapes that pull the viewer into the scene as well as big sky landscapes that provide an escape to peace and tranquility. Stephanie discusses her artistic journey, emphasizing discipline and perseverance. She tells us how she transitioned from textile design to oil painting, and how she was influenced by the American tonalists. Stephanie highlights the importance of having a cohesive body of work, having the courage to paint what you want, and suggests making strategic moves if possible; In her case, she moved to Charleston for better artistic opportunities. She shares her experiences with social media, galleries, and the challenges of being an artist, including financial struggles and the need for a supportive environment. She stresses the significance of emotional connection in her work and the joy of seeing her paintings evoke strong reactions in viewers and discusses her spiritual approach to painting, emphasizing the emotional connection between her work and the viewer, which she believes completes the artistic process. Finally, Stephanie lists her current and upcoming exhibitions, including shows at Reinhardt Fine Art, Ballards Fine Art, and the Southeastern Wildlife Expo.

Stephanie's FASO site:

stephaniemarzella.com/

Stephanie's Social Media:

instagram.com/stephaniemarzella/

facebook.com/stephanie.marzella.5

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For today's episode, we sat down with Miriam Schulman, a New York–based artist, author of the book Artpreneur, and host of The Inspiration Place podcast. Miriam left a Wall Street career after 9/11 and has since built a long-term, sustainable art business while coaching other artists on marketing and mindset. She explains how sales training at a gym gave her the “aha” moment that sales skills are transferable and can be used to successfully sell art. A core theme of her book Artpreneur is choosing to believe you are an artist, claiming that identity early and confidently rather than waiting for external permission. Miriam identifies common mistakes artists make, especially underpricing their work and assuming “cheaper is easier to sell,” arguing instead that higher prices signal trust, quality, and a better collector experience. She strongly advocates for email marketing over social media, detailing why email vastly outperforms Instagram in engagement and how artists should collect addresses and email weekly in a personal, story‑driven way. Finally, she recommends LinkedIn and YouTube (used thoughtfully and collector‑focused) as better long‑term platforms than Instagram, and closes by urging artists to “keep marching forward,” taking consistent steps rather than freezing in fear or blaming external circumstances.

Get your free first chapter here!

schulmanart.com/believe/

Order Artpreneur here:

artpreneurbook.com

The Inspiration Place Podcast:

schulmanart.com/podcast/

Episodes mentioned:

• The Inspiration Place Episode 342: How She Sells Art on YouTube ft. Aramis Hamer
• The Inspiration Place Episode 357: The Artist's Guide to Growing on Patreon ft. Aramis Hamer

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For today's episode, we sat down with Cindy Baron, a Rhode Island-based painter, with mastery in both watercolor and oil paints in her gorgeous landscape art. Cindy shares how she identifies first as a mother and grandmother, and then as an artist. She emphasizes that passion and continual growth are the foundations of her creative life. She explains her methodical, problem-solving approach to painting, how she embraces mistakes as essential teachers, and even uses dancing and exercise in front of her works to resolve artistic decisions. Cindy reveals deeply personal health struggles, and describes how her easel, brushes, and paints became the lifeline that carried her through pain, and how for her "art is best medicine". On the professional side, Cindy offers business and marketing advice for artists—staying professional online, regularly creating new work, building relationships with galleries, and using shows, magazines, and social media strategically. She closes by urging aspiring artists not to procrastinate, to “just do it” despite fear of failure, and mentions her upcoming solo show, workshops, travels, and that her in-progress book, The Guilt Box, will further share her story.

Cindy's FASO site:

cindybaron.com

Cindy's Social Media:

facebook.com/cindy.baron.5

instagram.com/cindybaronart/

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On today's episode we sat down with Sandra Duran Wilson, an abstract painter, sculptor, author, and scientist based in Santa Fe. Sandra discusses how her dual upbringing among scientists and artists, plus early plein air experiences with her great aunt, shaped her experimental, curiosity-driven approach to art. She explains that creating is “like breathing” and that her artistic voice emerged over thousands of paintings, influenced by her background in cognitive science and early fascination with cellular structures seen through a microscope. She also discusses how intention, story, and lived experience transform craft into art, emphasizing that story can be conveyed through color, texture, layers, and emotion rather than literal representation. Sandra describes her book Awakening Your Creative Soul and related “soul spark” exercises as a manual for weekly play and experimentation, rooted partly in her years working with people in addiction and trauma recovery. Sandra also gives us tips about quieting the inner critic, using strategies like “muting” it, keeping a playful side canvas, working quickly with timers, and embracing imperfection and surrender—especially for perfectionist oriented artists. Sandra also shares how she built a career as a full-time artist through outdoor shows, teaching, writing, and relationships with collectors. Finally, Sandra highlights her upcoming Ireland workshop and a long-term installation project wrapping burned trees in painted canvases to respond to climate-change-driven wildfires.

Sandra's FASO site:

sandraduranwilson.com

Sandra's Social Media:

instagram.com/sandraduranwilson/

facebook.com/sandraduranwilsonartist

Sandra's YouTube Channel:

youtube.com/sandraduranwilson

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For our first episode of the year, we sat down with Romona Youngquist, an artist who describes herself as a lifelong “country girl” and homebody whose deepest desire has always been to paint the rural surroundings she loves, often within a 20-mile radius of her home. She recalls recognizing her calling as an artist as early as age four or five, and later feeling that oil paint was her true medium after experimenting with watercolor and acrylics in college. She also tells us about how throughout her life she held a series of unconventional jobs, but always returned to nostalgic rural landscapes, eventually realizing she could not keep a “normal” job and had to make art her livelihood. Romona explains that her paintings are driven by intuition, memory, and emotion rather than strict realism: she chases a very specific feeling in the light and design of a scene, mixing plein air sketches, photos, and childhood memories of Oklahoma’s skies and trees. She also talks about the tension between nostalgia and change, seeing herself partly as a visual historian preserving vanishing farmsteads, gardens, and rural spaces, and notes how her work has evolved toward more layering and a desire for greater simplification and abstraction. Romona offers advice to aspiring artists; she stresses building a large, solid body of work, considering financial stability, and accepting that painting is an ongoing, often difficult process where doubt never fully disappears, but commitment to one’s vision is essential. Finally, Romona tells us about her upcoming shows!

Romona's FASO site:

romonayoungquist.com

Romona's Instagram:

instagram.com/rlyoungquist/