The Laura Horn Art Podcast

Today’s guest is mixed-media artist Janet Skates. What a beautiful human. As we chatted, it truly felt like I was having coffee with an old friend! If you are falling into comparison traps and being hard on yourself, I urge you to take a listen. Janet Skates talks about dealing with self-doubt, getting out of creative ruts and keeping social media in balance. There are also great tips about transitioning to being a full-time artist, using Instagram to grow your audience and getting started with art journaling. After you have listened to this conversation, you will feel like you have been given a big hug! Well, at least that’s how I felt. I hope you enjoy it. Find the show notes for this episode with all the links at https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/113 Find Janet on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/janetskatesart/ Find me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/laurahornart/ Sponsorships: off for this episode

The art is piling up, but now what? How do you get your work seen and sold? There are quite a few options - especially in the online space. You could use a print on demand service, join an online art gallery, create an Etsy shop or build your own website. All have their pros and cons but which option is right for you? This week we chat about the different ways you can sell your art online and how it depends on where you are in your art journey and how hands-on you want to be. We also talk about the role of social media in getting traffic to your art and the elements of a good product listing. If you are just getting started with selling your art, grab a cup of tea and get cosy. This 40-minute episode is a helpful guide to the many possibilities out there! Follow me on Instagram @laurahornart Find the show notes for this episode with all the links at https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/112 Get your free PDF - https://www.laurahornart.com/building-your-brand Get notified about the 2020 Black Friday Sale - www.laurahornart.com/newsletter

When it comes to the tech side of being an artist, there’s a lot to get your head around - website design, social media, video editing, email marketing … The list goes on! If you struggle with this or just need a bit of encouragement, you will love today’s guest. I am chatting with mixed media artist, Roben-Marie Smith. In this episode, Roben-Marie shares her story from the early days of recording online classes with a camcorder right through to the tech-based membership site she runs today. What I love about Roben-Marie’s approach is that she understands that artists would rather be making art than spending hours behind a screen. Her suggestions are practical, affordable and user friendly. And when it comes to art, Roben-Marie has a similar mindset using accessible supplies and loose intentions to maintain a consistent art practice. I hope that you enjoy the episode and that it encourages you to make the most of the technologies that we have available to us as artists! Find the show notes for this episode with all the links at https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/111 Join Roben-Marie's membership site, Maker's Tech U at https://www.makerstechu.com/join Find Roben-Marie on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/robenmarie/ Find me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/laurahornart/

Do you prefer to paint in a series or on one piece at a time? As many of you know, I sit in the more is merrier camp and love working on multiples. This week Richie and I chat about why I prefer this approach and how I go about it? What becomes clear, is that it isn’t exactly a step by step process - it’s much more higgledy-piggledy that that. Some collections are more accidental than you might think. And when it comes to naming a series, I could be a bit more original! We also chat about my love of writing notes and lists which leads to a possible new name for the podcast (well not really). Plus we talk about the power of rituals and our tendency to panic whenever we are creatively blocked. It’s another big episode. Oh and for anyone following along with our house move - there’s an update on that too! Follow me on Instagram @laurahornart Find the show notes for this episode with all the links at https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/110 Get your free PDF - https://www.laurahornart.com/unique-artistic-style Save 20% on Piece by Piece online class until the 19 November 2020 - https://classes.laurahornart.com/p/piece-by-piece/?coupon_code=20PBP

My guest today is abstract artist, Lesley Grainger. Lesley was born in Yorkshire, England and now resides in Orange County, California. Early in her career, she worked as a graphic designer and illustrator. In recent years her main focus and passion has been abstract painting. In our conversation, Lesley chats about how her abstract style has evolved and why it is important to her to paint freely and make the art that she truly wants to make. We also talk about what it was like to create her first online course, ‘Language of Abstract’. Lesley is kindly offering podcast listeners 15% off the class using the coupon code 57542.  Find the show notes for this episode with all the links at https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/109 Join Lesley's class, Language of Abstract https://coursecraft.net/courses/z93BW/splash Find Lesley on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lesleygrainger/ Find me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/laurahornart/

I love too many things! How will I ever find my art style? Sound familiar? Well, you are not alone. This week we answer a listener question and tackle this dilemma. It brings up many lines of thought from whether you need a style at all right through to the practical steps you can take to find one. We also look at the factors that can influence your style choices. Things like space, time, personality, profitability and my favourite - pure passion! Plus we’ve put together a great list of tips from artists that we’ve interviewed on the podcast. If you have been grappling with your art style, you won’t want to miss this one! Follow me on Instagram @laurahornart Find the show notes for this episode with all the links at https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/108 Get your free PDF - https://www.laurahornart.com/unique-artistic-style

Carrie Schmitt is back on the podcast and this time we are chatting about what it is like to write an art book.  I’ve always wanted to write a book but it always ends up in the too-hard basket! The process seems daunting and I worry about how I would fit it in with all the other aspects of running an art business.  It was wonderful to chat with Carrie about this as Carrie is a full-time artist, instructor and author. She sells original paintings, teaches online and in-person workshops, licenses her art with various companies and always has a few books on the go.  Her latest book, The Story of Every Flower, is a celebration of her 10-year journey as an artist. In our conversation, Carrie takes us behind the scenes. You’ll hear about what inspired the book, the rituals and routines that have helped Carrie to create it, why she chose to self-publish and how she is approaching the marketing and distribution of the book. If you have ever thought about writing a book, I encourage you to take a listen!  Find the show notes for this episode with all the links at https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/107 Order Carrie's book, The Story of Every Flower https://www.carrieschmittdesign.com/the-story-of-every-flower/ Find Carrie on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/carrieschmitt/ Find me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/laurahornart/

We’re back! Over the past 6 weeks, we’ve been busy getting our house ready for sale and preparing to move. It’s been a crazy time full of mixed emotions. One thing that Richie and I didn’t realise, was just how much stress we’ve been holding on to. In this episode, Richie shares his fears of not being able to sell our home after being burned before in the global financial crisis. Meanwhile, I talk about pulling back from social media, getting off the content creation hamster wheel and finding comfort in my sketchbooks. We hope you enjoy the conversation! Follow me on Instagram @laurahornart Find the show notes for this episode with all the links at https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/106 Get your free PDF - https://www.laurahornart.com/improve-your-painting Save 20% on Watercolour Explorations online class until the 19 October 2020 - https://classes.laurahornart.com/p/watercolour-explorations/?coupon_code=WE2020

Why is it so hard to take a break? For the past few weeks, Richie and I have been debating the idea of taking a break from the podcast. It’s brought up a lot of fear in both of us. Will it be detrimental to our business? Are we letting down our listeners? What happened to being consistent? It took a bit of time but eventually, we let go of our fears and focused in on the positives. More energy! New ideas! Fresh enthusiasm! With that in mind, we agreed to take September off to relax and go slow. The thing is I am not all that good at relaxing. Richie - yes. Me, not so much. With a bit of free time on my hands, I decided to go look at some houses. You can guess what happened next. Yep, offer in and accepted! We are moving house and now more than ever we need to take that break!! So with that in mind, we are doing it. This will be our last episode until the 7 October 2020. We hope you enjoy it and that it encourages you to let go of the shoulds and take those breaks when you need them! Follow me on Instagram @laurahornart Find the show notes for this episode with all the links at https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/105 Save 20% on Braver Things online class until the 19 September 2020 - https://classes.laurahornart.com/p/braver-things/?coupon_code=BRAVER20

It’s taken over 100 episodes but I’ve finally convinced Richie to sit down and tell his side of the story. If you are new around here - Richie is my husband and the co-host of this podcast. He is also an incredible boxing coach and photographer/videographer. In this conversation, Richie talks about how he got started with photography, dealing with imposter syndrome and what it’s been like to join the Laura Horn Art Business. This includes a very honest discussion about how Richie has changed his approach to masculinity and become more involved in our family life. One thing that comes through in this episode is how dedicated Richie is to encouraging others to pursue their passions. Whether he is coaching elite fighters or helping me out of a painting funk, Richie is the ultimate creative encourager!! Find the show notes for this episode with all the links at https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/104

In today’s podcast, I’m chatting with Richie about my favourite art techniques and how refocusing on the process can kickstart your creativity. This leads to some interesting lines of thought. Is leaf stamping sophisticated? Do I need a social media break? Should I have gone down that YouTube rabbit hole? You’ll have to tune in to find out more. What I can say is that it is a relaxed and fun conversation about returning to creativity after a break and getting back to what you truly love. Find the show notes for this episode with all the links at https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/103 Save 20% on Abstract Landscapes until the 19 August 2020 - https://classes.laurahornart.com/p/abstractlandscapes/?coupon_code=AL20

This week we have a special episode. We are going back and revisiting the very first artist interviews that I ever did. So that means you’ll be hearing from Andrea Soos, Ange Miller and Wendy Solganik. What Richie and I decided to do was to take a listen to these episodes and find our favourite parts which was actually incredibly hard because there are so many good bits! But we have chosen a few snippets and we are sharing them in the one episode today. We hope that they will inspire you and encourage you to listen or re-listen to the episodes to hear more. Find the show notes for this episode with all the links at https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/102 Find Andrea, Ange and Wendy on Instagram @andreasoosart @angemillerart @willa.wanders Save 20% on Abstract Landscapes until the 19 August 2020 - https://classes.laurahornart.com/p/abstractlandscapes/?coupon_code=AL20

It’s easy to get caught up chasing quick wins and instant gratification but what if you slowed down and took purposeful action towards your long term plans? Where would you be in one year, two years or five years? What projects could you bring to fruition? A book, an exhibition, a podcast, an online course, a creative network … There are so many possibilities but every single one requires consistent action over a long period of time. This week we chat about our own experiences with playing the long game including how we stay motivated and on task. We also chat about the harder parts and why sometimes you just have to bake cookies! We hope you enjoy the episode and it encourages you to stay the path and keep working towards your creative goals!  Follow me on Instagram @laurahornart Find the show notes for this episode with all the links at https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/101 Save 20% on Abstract Landscapes until the 19 August 2020 - https://classes.laurahornart.com/p/abstractlandscapes/?coupon_code=AL20

This one is a bit special. Our 100th podcast episode! To honour the occasion we are chatting about the ins and outs of running a podcast! If you are curious about what goes on behind the scenes you will love this episode plus there’s plenty of healthy banter and laughs along the way. One thing we have learned is to not take ourselves too seriously. A few things we talk about in this episode are: who does what, whether we ever argue, how much time it takes us each week and what our hopes are for the podcast’s future. We also have some tips for anyone thinking about starting a podcast.  Finally, a big thank to our listeners for all your support and encouragement for the first 100 episodes! Here’s to 100 more! Follow me on Instagram @laurahornart Find the show notes for this episode with all the links at https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/100 Save 20% on Abstract Landscapes until the 19 August 2020 - https://classes.laurahornart.com/p/abstractlandscapes/?coupon_code=AL20

Sometimes being an artist is hard. This week, in my first solo episode, I talk about the ups and downs of creative life and share a message of support to artists that are feeling discouraged or weary. It’s a short episode but it’s enough. In many ways, this sentiment sums up what this episode is all about. Being gentler with yourself, letting go of the endless quest for more and trusting in your own creative path. I hope you find comfort and encouragement in the episode. Find the show notes for this episode including a transcript of the message at https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/99 Find me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/laurahornart/ Join the Modern Mixed Media Ecourse - https://classes.laurahornart.com/p/modern-mixed-media/. Registration closes on the 19 July 2020.