The Art Biz

Artist and tax advisor Hannah Cole knows firsthand how shame can poison an artist's relationship with money. When her dad's accountant asked "When are you gonna get a real job?" instead of helping her understand quarterly taxes, she experienced the dismissal that makes so many artists avoid financial conversations altogether.
In this episode, host Alyson Stanfield and Hannah explore why artists develop allergies to money talk and what it takes to build confidence with your numbers.
Hannah reveals:
Why "when are you gonna get a real job?" creates a lasting money allergy
How believing money corrupts prevents you from advocating for fair pay
Her ritual for making bookkeeping feel like self-care instead of dread
Why you must have a separate bank account for your art biz
What losing 20 years of art in a hurricane revealed about capitalism and grief
Connect with Hannah:
SunlightTax.com
The Sunlight Tax podcast
LinkedIn: Hannah Cole
Instagram: @sunlighttax
Tiktok: Sunlight Tax
Youtube: Sunlight Tax
 
Email me to discuss strategic consulting for your long-term career goals.
Think you'd make a good guest on The Art Biz? Read This
The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

Daniel Sipe and Karlë Woods didn't set out to start an arts organization. They just wanted to talk to artists during the pandemic. Four years later, Lights Out has produced 95 artist documentaries, thrown 18 popup exhibitions across Maine, and built a funding model that includes everything from $10 monthly donors to six-figure state contracts.
Their story, shared with host Alyson Stanfield, offers a masterclass in starting before you're ready, investing in what matters (yes, including marketing), and building something sustainable through collaboration rather than competition. They reveal:
Why a power outage became the best thing that could have happened at their first art show
The $800 investment that felt reckless at the time but proved essential to their credibility
How they turned what could be seen as competition into their superpower
The state contract that nearly bankrupted them before it saved them
The simplest way artists can support arts organizations in their communities
Read more, see images, find resources mentioned
 
Connect with Lights Out
Website
Videos on YouTube
Instagram
Email me to discuss strategic consulting for your long-term career goals.
 
Think you'd make a good guest on The Art Biz? Read This
The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

Damien Davis is a visual artist and writer who questions the art world's power structures from an artist's perspective. In this conversation with host Alyson Stanfield, he exposes the gatekeeping mechanisms—from application fees to institutional approval—that keep artists competing for artificially scarce opportunities instead of recognizing the abundance they could create together.
Damien reveals:
How learning business skills like grant writing and fundraising allowed him to stop waiting for gatekeepers and reclaim his studio practice
Why he defines a successful artist as simply someone who keeps making art, regardless of galleries or institutional validation
How barriers like application fees serve to keep artists competing for resources that should be abundant
Why people at the center of the art ecosystem benefit from keeping artists in perpetual competition with each other
How his writing exposes exploitation directly while his colorful sculptures draw viewers into uncomfortable conversations about erased histories
Read more, see images, find resources mentioned
Connect with Damien:
Website and Newsletter
Instagram
Hyperallergic Articles
 
Email me to discuss strategic consulting for your long-term career goals.
Think you'd make a good guest on The Art Biz? Read This
The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.

Host Alyson Stanfield reveals an uncomfortable truth in this solo episode: the problem isn't that you don't know enough. The real challenge is building the confidence to act on what you already know. After 23 years of teaching artists, Alyson has realized she's been contributing to information overwhelm when what artists actually need are practices that build steady confidence.
In this episode, you'll discover:
The five major confidence killers that derail your plans
Six practical confidence-building practices you can start today
Why your January plans typically fade by February
How to close the gap between planning and execution
The difference between accumulating knowledge and trusting yourself
HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 Alyson reflects on episode 251 and her realization about information overwhelm
01:00 The real problem isn't lack of knowledge—it's information overload
02:00 What typically happens to January plans by February
03:10 Three things that kill confidence: doubt, false beliefs, and comparison
04:10 How perfectionism is actually procrastination in disguise
05:30 The inner critic voices that keep you stuck
06:30 Learning from outside critics versus harsh feedback
07:20 Six practices for building steady confidence
13:00 The gap between planning and working your plan
14:30 Practice steady confidence this season
SUGGESTED ACTION
This week, start one confidence-building practice. Choose the one that resonates most: begin a daily wins list, create your "loved" file, write one affirmation, or commit to one self-care practice. You don't need to do all of them at once. Pick one and practice it consistently.
RELATED EPISODES
Beyond Information: Why Artists Need Frameworks (251)
What Your Failures Are Teaching You with Laura Petrovich-Cheney (96)
How to Be a More Confident Artist with Gwen Fox (24)
To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/steady-confidence
🔶 For the first time, Essentials is available as a single season option—four months focused entirely on building steady confidence. Running through April, you'll get weekly practices, community support, and access to all learning modules when you need them. The planning workshop gives you the plan. The season gives you the practices to meet your goals. Learn more: Essentials for Steady Confidence
The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.
HOW TO BE A GUEST
Think you have a story to share with other artists here on The Art Biz. Take the first step ~~~~> https://artbizsuccess.com/pitch-podcast/

host: Alyson Stanfield
In this coaching-style episode, host Alyson Stanfield coaches Ebony Iman Dallas through the challenges of building a sustainable public art career while navigating motherhood, a regional market, and the fear of rejection.
Ebony makes 90% of her income from public art but struggles with systems, marketing that highlights events instead of her work, and waiting for opportunities instead of creating them. If you've ever felt stretched between creative work and life responsibilities—or stuck in a local market—you'll recognize yourself here.
HIGHLIGHTS
01:30 Ebony's journey from advertising to opening the first art gallery in post-war Somaliland to full-time public art practice
06:10 How Ebony's income breaks down: 90% public art, 10% studio sales
08:30 Why she needs both institutional recognition and sales to spread her messages about Black Oklahoma history
16:30 Ebony admits she has no systems for tracking proposals and keeps everything in her head
21:10 Her graphic memoir Through Abahay's Eyes aims to clear her father's name and show healing is possible
30:20 The critical marketing shift: promote primarily—over events
33:10 Building a VIP list and postcard strategy to stay visible with the right people
40:50 Why fear of rejection keeps your dreams small
44:00 Weekly accountability check-ins take the emotion out and make it a numbers game
46:20 The three main takeaways: accountability structure, VIP postcard strategy, and intentional art-focused marketing
ACTION
Take one of these strategies and put it into action this week. Reach out to one curator or gallery director. Start your VIP list of people who should know about your work. Or schedule a weekly check-in with an accountability partner to share what you've applied for.
RELATED EPISODES
Remove Barriers to Buying Your Art (237)
How to Guarantee that People Remember You with Skip Hill (187)
Risk, Rejection, and Resilience with Christine Aaron (114)
To read more, see images, find resources mentioned, and leave a comment, visit https://artbizsuccess.com/shape-opportunities
⭐️ Connect with Ebony and see more of her art: https://ebonyimandallas.com
🔶 If you heard Ebony talk about keeping everything in her head and thought "that's me," join us for Own Your Year 2026, January 13-15. This three-day planning workshop will help you get it all out of your head and onto a plan that actually supports your goals. Registration closes January 12th at artbizsuccess.com/makeaplan.
🔶 If you're looking for more customized support beyond group workshops, I also work privately with a small number of artists each year. Learn more at artbizsuccess.com/consulting.
The Art Biz is recorded on the traditional land of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Ute tribes.
HOW TO BE A GUEST
Think you have a story to share with other artists here on The Art Biz. Take the first step ~~~~> https://artbizsuccess.com/pitch-podcast/