Your Art Matters

Have you ever paused to consider the messages hidden in your own art? Every piece we create has something to teach us—not just about the world, but about ourselves. In this episode, we'll explore how the act of creating is both an expression and a mirror, showing us feelings, questions, and truths we might not even realise we carry. I call this send and receive.

Some of my art is just about making, I don't reflection it - it's a tool. Yet, the more I create the more I have learned how to reflect over the years and really listen to what my art has to say. It reveals parts of myself I hadn't noticed. Through this process I have learned to love all parts of my art making and creativity as it's who I am. I have also learned more about myself from taking time to 'receive' read and listen to my art.

YOUR ART MATTERS BOOK I go into more depth in the Your Art Matters book, where I give you access to tasks to help with this process. If you haven't seen the book yet, you can learn more here:

yourartmatters.com

If you have read the book, I would love to hear how you have found it by leaving a review on Amazon or posting on social media with the hashtag #yambook

Do you have an Instagram account? Do your followers see your posts? Are you finding it hard to grow your following?

If you want to learn our top Instagram tips, this week's podcast is for you!

Every month, we invite a guest expert into our members' area. This month, we had the pleasure of featuring Instagram expert Emily Masterson.

Emily, who works for Meta, shared incredible insights on how to make the most of the platform.

With just a few small tweaks, you can create a big impact on Instagram.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Hooks
• Analytics
• Re-using content
• How keywords are now replacing hashtags

The whole lesson from Emily is inside our members' Hub. If you are a member, click here:

>> ACCESS LESSON

NOT A MEMBER?

You can access our Hub today! Not only will you unlock the full Instagram lessons but you will unlock amazing resources that help you make, show and sell art. We also have a 24/7 Virtual Art Studio you can drop into any time!

>> BECOME A MEMBER TODAY

Have you ever been rejected?

It can be tough hearing no after no after no.

Imagine being rejected 9 years in a row! This is what happened to the amazing artist Lloyd Lewis. He was rejected year after year when applying to be on Portrait Artist of The Year! Then, in the 10th application, he was accepted.

We are going live on Monday to talk with Lloyd about this incredible journey of repeatedly applying and what it was like being on the show.

We will dive into why he was so persistent, what he's learnt from the rejections and experience, plus what's next!

You can watch Lloyd on Portrait Artist Of The Year series 11, episode 1 on Sky Arts or Now TV.

You can learn more about Lloyd Lewis here:

https://www.instagram.com/lloydlewisartist

https://www.youtube.com/c/LloydLewisArtist

To see the submitted artwork that was accepted in Portrait Artist Of The Year, click here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0BiQeGIJHB/?hl=en&img_index=1

Have you ever imagined a life where paying your bills is easy? Where you walk into your solo show with confidence, sell 80% of your work, and have people knocking on your door to feature you? Or maybe you picture a life where you simply feel comfortable in your own skin, creating art that resonates with others…

But then, you shoot down the dream because you realize you're "not qualified enough," "not consistent enough," or "not confident enough." Maybe you even find yourself thinking, that life is for others, not for me.

Well, you're not alone. Many of us in this community feel exactly the same way—and it's completely normal.

But we don't want you to hold yourself back when there's another question you could ask: Why not me? Why not look at all the reasons it is possible?

Part of that shift is learning to feel your dream instead of just seeing it.

I love having these conversations because this kind of thinking turned my life around—from a dark place of despair to a life filled with fulfillment and excitement for what I do.

So, here's today's episode—enjoy!

I was doing an exercise with my 7 Keys students this week, where we challenged ourselves to ask, "What will life look like when I hit my big money goal, or 10x my dream?"

I made a list of what I would be, do, and have, and it was amazing to see all the ways I would live my life. This got me thinking—why am I not doing this now?

Yes, a lot of it comes down to money. But, sometimes we have a perception that we need money, time, or resources to make something happen, and a dream turns into a 10-year plan, when in fact, we can make it happen today! Or at least, we can start taking small baby steps now.

The point is not to delay and wait for a day that may never come.

That's exactly what I'm talking about in today's episode.

I was driving down the motorway/highway at 70 miles per hour on my way to the Lake District in the UK, along with hundreds of other drivers all driving at the same pace - wondering how on earth we all got to this point.

If we stop to think about it, it's a speed that is pretty dangerous. You're in a metal box, moving faster than our bodies were ever designed to go. Yet, most of us do this daily without a second thought. We become so used to it that our perception of danger fades away. This is a perfect example of tolerance. The first time you drove on the highway, it probably felt intimidating, right? But with time, you adjusted. Your tolerance level for that speed increased, and what once seemed risky is now just another part of how we commute.

I then had a conversation with a friend about buying a second home. It was interesting to hear the tolerance levels as she spoke of all the many reasons why buying a second home would be problematic and difficult.

This is what I talk about in today's episode, how you can notice your tolerance levels and start increasing them.

Have you ever felt guilty as you are not making art on a regular basis? or, you didn't post on social media for a while? Or, that you were doing so well with reading a book every week, and now you have stopped??

I think this pressure to be consistent all the time can put enormous pressure on us. Actually, I have huge periods where I am inconsistent, and it's great!

I talk about why in today's episode.

Summer found us a few years ago at a time when she wasn't sure why she just couldn't seem to sell her art.

She loved creating, that wasn't an issue - but she was forever finding it difficult to make money doing what she loved.

We are celebrating hard as just a few months Summer made the leap to full-time selling artist and makes more money now than when she was employed full time!!!

She has built an incredible life, making money from what she loves.

Summer took part in our 7 Keys program and that's when she started to break through blocks and learn the next steps she needed take.

Guess what, she doesn't stick to the same subject matter either !! She paints all sorts of things - listen in to find out how she is able to do this.

Despite all the crazy set backs, and she had a lot of those !! Listen to the full story now!

Click here to learn more about of 7 Keys to Make Art A Living course:

>> LEARN MORE ABOUT 7 KEYS HERE

What does it mean to make a living from art? Does it mean pay the bills? Does it mean it has to come only from art sales?

This is what I talk about in today's episode.

• What making art a living means
• Whether you can make art a living
• The different ways you can make money and impact from your art

If you want my step-by-step framework so you can learn how to make art your living, I am running a free workshop from September 2 to September 9.

Here are the details:

>> ACCESS FREE WORKSHOP

My book Your Art Matters hit the number one best-seller list within 12 hours of releasing it!

Firstly, thank you if you were one of the people who bought it - you helped make this happen!!

I have been asked, how did you do it?

If you are launching a book, selling art, or having an artwork in a public space that took a lot of work and you want people to know about it, then you need people.

Fact.

People are everything.

I built a strong village of people around me during the whole book writing and marketing process.

Now, I did create some fun activities during the launch of the book with prizes and made it fun - but ultimately, this only worked as there were a group of people who believed in me.

This is where it all starts - growing your village.

I talk about this in today's episode, and we will be doing this together in my next FREE workshop: Make Art Your Living which starts on 2nd September.

>> SIGN UP FOR FREE EVENT