The Art Marketing Podcast

The most powerful skill you can learn in 2026 isn't Photoshop or marketing — it's typing what you want into a chatbot. Here's how to actually make AI work for your art business.
Most artists get garbage results from AI because they skip one critical step: context. In this episode, I break down exactly how to create context files that turn generic AI into your personal assistant — plus a prompt that lets AI interview you to build the file automatically.
In this episode:
Why AI gives you garbage answers (it's blind, not dumb)
The 15 context files every artist should consider building
The meta move: using AI to create your context files
Where to save them in ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini
The habit that changes everything
The "Interview Me" Prompt — copy and paste this into any AI:
I want to create a context document about my art business that I can use with AI tools. Interview me by asking one question at a time. Cover these areas: Who I am as an artist (background, medium, style). Who my customers are (demographics, where they find me, budget). What I sell (products, price points, bestsellers). How I talk and write (voice, tone, words I use). My business goals for this year. After the interview, compile everything into a clean document I can save and reuse. Ask me one question at a time and wait for my answer.
Context files to consider:
Artist Bio — your story, background, philosophy
Customer Avatar — who buys, demographics, budget
Product Lineup — what you sell, prices, sizes
Brand Voice — how you write, words you use or avoid
Tech Stack — computers, printers, software, OS
Collector List — past buyers, what they bought, notes
Show Calendar — art fairs, festivals, deadlines
Pricing Strategy — how you price, margins, why
Marketing Channels — where you show up, what works
FAQ Doc — questions people always ask
Vendor List — framers, printers, suppliers
Studio Setup — physical space, equipment
Art Style Guide — medium, techniques, subjects
Business Goals — revenue targets, 1yr/5yr vision
Competition Notes — who else, how you're different
Where to save your context files:
ChatGPT Projects: chatgpt.com — New Project — Upload files
Claude Projects: claude.ai/projects — New Project — Add to knowledge base
Gemini Gems: gemini.google.com — Explore Gems — New Gem
Related episodes:
Context is King: Stop Having First Dates with ChatGPT Every Time (2025)

INTRO
It's January. Everyone's planning. But most artists are tracking the wrong numbers—followers, likes, email subscribers, website traffic. In this episode, we cut through the noise and focus on the ONE metric that actually predicts everything else in your art business: new customers acquired per year.
We'll cover:
Why this single number matters more than anything else
The "lineup problem" that keeps most artists stuck at 7-8 customers per year
The 10x challenge: compete against your 2025 self, not other artists
The compounding math that turns 70 customers into 1,500+ over 10 years
Why "tending the garden" is the marketing shift you need to make
A copy-paste AI prompt to build your entire 2026 plan in minutes
THE PROMPT
Copy and paste this into Art Helper, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Grok:
I'm an artist planning my 2026 business growth. Help me create a customer acquisition plan. Here's my data from 2025: - Number of NEW customers acquired: [X] - My current product lineup: [list what you sell - wall art, prints, cards, originals, etc.] - Average price points: [list your price ranges] - How I currently get customers: [social media, art fairs, gallery, website, etc.] Based on the 10x framework: 1. Calculate my 2026 goal (10x my 2025 customers) 2. Break it down into monthly targets 3. Identify gaps in my lineup that could help me acquire more customers at different price points 4. Suggest 3-5 specific actions I can take each month to hit my target 5. Create a simple tracking system I can use Keep it practical and specific to my art business. I want to treat this like a real business, not a hobby. SOURCES
Statistics cited in this episode:
Repeat customers generate 300% more revenue than first-time buyers — Gorgias/MobiLoud
Only 27% of first-time buyers ever return — RevolutionParts/MobiLoud
75% of purchases happen within 24 hours of discovery — Nielsen Norman Group/Guiding Metrics
After 12 days, 90% of your conversion window is gone — Guiding Metrics
70% of online carts are abandoned, 80-90% never return — Baymard Institute (50-study average)
Increasing customer retention by 5% increases profits by 25-95% — Bain & Company/Harvard Business Review
Repeat customers account for 48% of all ecommerce transactions — SalesLion

In 2026, everything is fake — fake content, fake influencers, fake engagement. But here's what's always been true: story is what takes "not selling" to "selling." Van Gogh died unknown with 900 paintings worth nothing. Frida Kahlo was overshadowed by Diego Rivera for decades. The Impressionists were literally mocked. Same artwork. Different story. In this episode, we look at what changed — and how you can apply the same framework to your art in the age of AI.
Links Mentioned:
Lulu Meservey's "Standing Out in 2026"
The woman who turned Van Gogh from worthless to $10 billion

Northern California oil painter Terry Sauve joins the Art Marketing Podcast to share how she's crushing it in what many are calling a tough economic year. Terry breaks down her path to a record-breaking $276,000 in 
  sales — including $28,000 from her website alone and $23,000 in print sales. She talks about starting over at 29 after her mom said "I always thought you'd be an artist," training at the Academy of Art in San Francisco
  with masters like Brian Blood and Craig Nelson, and the slow-and-steady grind that replaced her decade-long wait to "be discovered." Terry gets real about selling $25 matted prints that brought tears to collectors'
  eyes, saying yes to more shows during uncertain times, and why the path to success isn't a meteoric rise — it's doing "the next right thing" over and over again.
  ---
  Links Mentioned
  - https://superwhisper.com/ — AI-powered voice-to-text for Mac & iPhone. Offline, private, and works anywhere you type.
  - https://willowvoice.com/ — Voice dictation that actually works. Speak naturally, auto-formats text, removes filler words.
  - https://www.instagram.com/terry_sauve/ — Follow Terry's luminous landscape paintings
  - https://www.terrysauve.com/ — Terry's official website with originals and prints

In this episode, we sit down with the creative powerhouse couple Jency and Aaron Hogan, who've built a thriving art business from their Louisiana home. Discover how these two artists balance their individual creative practices while supporting each other's artistic journeys. From Jency's vibrant mixed media paintings that explore themes of mental health and personal growth, to Aaron's stunning wildlife photography captured across the country, learn how they've created a sustainable creative life together.


Connect with The Hogans:
🎨 Jency Hogan (Mixed Media Artist)
Instagram: @jencyghogan
Linktree: linktr.ee/jencyghogan
📸 Aaron Hogan (Wildlife Photographer)
Instagram: @eyewanderphoto
🛍️ Shop Their Art:
Website: hoganart.shop