The Laura Horn Art Podcast

Have you ever wanted to paint a big canvas? Or maybe painting big is already your thing and you are hooked (I can definitely relate to that)! If you answered yes, stay tuned. I've just got back from teaching my process for painting a large-scale abstract over in Bali (woo hoo, how exciting is that) and I also have a new online class called Layer by Layer!   With painting big fresh on my mind, you can probably guess what we are talking about this week!  Join us as we chat about the new class and I share my top 10 tips for painting a big canvas.     RESOURCES MENTIONED Layer by Layer Online Class -  https://classes.laurahornart.com/p/layer-by-layer/  Join me over on Instagram @laurahornart

This week we are continuing our conversation about fear. Last week we tackled creative fears and this time we are diving into the business side of things. Top of our list is the fear of not making enough money. Why is it so hard to talk about money? Or more to the point be honest about money and how important it is?  It was only recently that Richie confided in me that he was seriously worried that he might have to go back to a regular full-time job. That maybe we were kidding ourselves with this whole creative couple concept. As it turned out my husband’s fear was the wake up call we needed to tackle one of our other fears - the fear of not being productive enough. We had to really look at whether that fear has showed up to teach us a few lessons and well, you’ve probably guessed but it had!  Finally we chat about the fear of not being professional enough and Richie reminds me yet again that I can actually call myself a professional artist. Saying I am artist is hard enough but now he has me saying I am a professional artist!  We hope by sharing our experiences of fear you will feel more empowered to not only talk about fear but also take positive action and ultimately become less fearful about fear itself!  RESOURCES MENTIONED Podcast Episode 36 - Facing Your Fears and Growing as an Artist (Part 1) Join me over on Instagram @laurahornart

What is your biggest fear as an artist? Is it not making enough money or maybe you are worried that you will never create work that you are truly proud of. Recently, I asked this question over on Instagram and let's just say the fears came flying in! So this week and next week (yep we are doing another 2 part series), we thought we'd tackle a few of them head on.  In today's episode you will hear us talk about … The fear of not being good enough (that all encompassing fear that we all have) The fear of being thought of as a fraud due to no formal training  The fear of not being taken seriously as an artist by friends or family Three big juicy fears that we've got a lot to say about. We'll be sharing our own experiences and the strategies that we use to keep going even when we feel scared and overwhelmed. We hope that at the end of this episode you feel encouraged, that you know that fear is normal and you also know that you get a say in how you respond to it! RESOURCES MENTIONED Podcast Episode 9 - The Fear of Not Being Good Enough Join me over on Instagram @laurahornart

Aside from making art, one of my favourite ways to while away a few hours is to work on my website. Yep I am a website geek. Give me all the colours, font combinations and cool little features. To be honest, I spend a bit too much time tweaking my website when I should be doing other things but this week I get to shamelessly talk websites!  Now I know there are artists that sell directly off Instagram or Etsy and that can work really well but I am a fan of having your own little bit of cyberspace. Since I got serious about my website, I have seen huge growth in my business. More art sales, more online class sign-ups, more workshop participants, more podcast downloads and so on.  The biggest change for me was when I started thinking of my website as the hub of the business, not just an add-on because I felt like I 'should' have a website. Now while I could talk for hours about the visual and tech side of a website, this episode is more about getting to the core of your website's purpose. The part that so often gets overlooked! So grab a cup of tea and settle in, I'm sharing my top 7 tips for a website that works!  You can find show notes for this episode at  https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/35    RESOURCES MENTIONED Podcast Episode 34 - Building Your Brand as an Artist Download your Free Branding Workbook Here! Join me over on Instagram @laurahornart

Branding! What's that got to do with being an artist? Well, in this day and age, it is often the difference between struggling or thriving as an artist. In other words, it's super important!   Successful artists have a strong sense of who they are and what they offer. This clarity and confidence is reflected in everything that they do. From how they put together an exhibition to the way they share their work online.   Building a brand is so much more than creating a logo, or setting up a website - your brand is the culmination of how people feel about you and what you bring to the world. It's emotional and powerful!  The more you understand your brand, the easier it is to connect with your ideal customers and ultimately grow your creative business.  In fact, I would go as far as to say that investing time and energy into branding has been the single most important business decision that I have made in the past 12 months.  Yep, I am BIG on BRANDING and I think you should be too! In fact, in this episode I am sharing 7 questions to help you build your brand as an artist.  And to make it easier for you, I have created a free workbook with the questions and plenty of space for you to put your answers.  DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE BRANDING WORKBOOK

Today is Part 2 in our conversation about cultivating a healthy creative practice. Last week we talked about the work that goes on outside of the studio. This week we are diving into the juicy art-making side of things.  In this episode we chat about ... Taking responsibility for your practice. Establishing rituals for starting and finishing. Using challenges and parameters to stretch your ideas further. Scheduling and batching work to make the most of your time. Using repetition to improve your skills. Accepting and valuing ALL of your work. We hope that you find the conversation interesting and that it gives you some ideas for your next studio session!!! RESOURCES MENTIONED Podcast Episode 30 - Tips for Organising Your Studio

How do you cultivate a healthy creative practice? It's a big topic, so big that we are devoting two episodes to it!  In Part 1 we are chatting about the creative magic that happens outside the studio. The work that you do that often doesn't feel like work but plays an important role in developing your artistic style. Whether you are visiting an exhibition, taking a hike or even browsing through local shops, one of the great things about being an artist is that we get to call it 'research'. So grab a cup of tea and get inspired. By the end of this podcast we hope that you have several ideas for how to bring more research into your arts practice. Next week we will be continuing this conversation and looking at the work that happens in the studio - the juicy art-making side of things. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss Part 2!

There are so many reasons to run an in-person workshop. It's a wonderful way to connect with other artists, build your confidence, generate income and promote your brand. So how do you go about it?  From finding a space, to what to bring and how to plan, this week I am sharing all my tips.  You will also hear the story of how I built my confidence in this area over the past ten years through little steps of bravery. My hope is that you will realise that you can do this too. It doesn't have to be big and scary. All you need to do is start small and start now! RESOURCES MENTIONED Nature Inspired Art Workshop with Laura Horn in Adelaide, Australia - join the waiting list The Power of Community Podcast Episode 17 - listen here We Are Artists Bali Retreat with Laura Horn & Doulene Walker  - find out more

When you stop making art in your studio because the mess is giving you bad vibes, there’s a good chance it needs more than a tidy up!  That was the case for my studio and last weekend it got the treatment. We painted, cleaned, de-cluttered and re-organised the entire space! Join us this week as we share the ins and outs of what we did including all the nifty storage ideas that are helping us to make the most of what is a fairly small room.  And if you want to see what it looks like, head over to YouTube where you can see a video tour. You will also find links for the items we mentioned and a summary of all the tips! If you need a bit of motivation to reinvigorate your creative space, this is the episode for you!  You can find show notes for this episode at   https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/30  Join me over on Instagram @laurahornart

I am having an a-ha week. You know, one of those weeks when life serves you up some valuable lessons and you surprise yourself by paying attention. A few things that I have realised are: 1) De-cluttering is immensely satisfying (thank you Marie Kondo) 2) Weekends deserve protection 3) The best social media strategy is the one that feels healthy 4) Sometimes you don't need to chase shiny new things 5) Teaching teaches the teacher I also have not one but three podcast suggestions for your playlist. Art lovers can rejoice as the number and quality of art podcasts is on the rise!  There is no denying that this is a jam-packed podcast. In-fact it could have been several better-organised episodes but you know what it is? It's an honest conversation about creative life so I am going to let it be just that. Enjoy! RESOURCES MENTIONED Marie Kondo Episode 28, Three Questions to Find Your Focus Episode 25, 5 Instagram Strategies for 2019 Art Juice podcast with Alice Sheridan and Louise Fletcher Artist | Mother podcast with Kaylan Buteyn Do It For the Process podcast with Emily Jeffords Read my review of the three podcast recommendations here.

If you are anything like us you probably began the year with some big intentions. But what happens a month or two later? All too often, that feeling of excitement turns into overwhelm.  So what do you do? First of all, take a deep breath and clear your head. Then, when you are ready, it's time to get honest and take a good look at your creative business, art practice and personal life. If you don't know where to start, don't worry, we've got three questions to help you let go of what you can, park what you need and do what you love!

You have probably heard the phrase 'Done is Better than Perfect'. We use it all the time in our art business. It helps us to keep the momentum going and ultimately to get stuff done. But, and it is a big but. We also believe that putting in extra effort to make your work stand out from the crowd is super important.  So how do you know when to adopt done is better than perfect or when to go the extra mile? Tune in to find out how it goes down in our art business. From what tasks fit into each camp to who is the more annoying perfectionist, we really enjoyed this episode and hope you do too! RESOURCES MENTIONED Is Peter McKinnon Wrong by Jamie Windsor

It's been a busy week at LHA headquarters. Our latest online class, Abstract Adventuring, went live and we released our first ever limited edition prints. With two launches in one week, it was pretty clear what this podcast was going to be about. We are talking about LAUNCHING! I'll admit, over the past 12 months, we've really had to bring ourselves up to speed in this area. A launch isn't a step that you tag onto the end. It's a journey where you get to know your audience, build their trust and generate excitement about what it is you are creating. And when I say excitement, I mean full on happy dance (yay, it's launch day) excitement. So how do you do that?  Well, we have an idea or two and we are sharing them here in Episode 26! 

Part way through last year, my relationship with Instagram lost it's spark. After posting almost daily for several years, Instagram fatigue started to set in. I kept posting but I didn't have the same energy for it as before. It wasn't an altogether bad thing. I overhauled my website and poured my heart into creating online classes. In fact, many wonderful things happened. The problem was, when I wanted to rekindle my relationship with Instagram, it almost felt like the platform didn't love me back. My Instagram growth had come to a standstill.  While I wanted to blame Instagram, the truth was, I was behind with the times. Instagram had moved on and I hadn't kept up. Not one to give up, while I was on holidays last week (and not meant to be working) I attempted to woo the platform back. And while it is early days I am already seeing a change.  Want to know what I am focusing on? Join me this week as I share the 5 strategies I am using to grow my Instagram account in 2019.  You can find show notes for this episode at https://www.laurahornart.com/thepodcast/25 Join me over on Instagram @laurahornart

Not going to lie, the last few weeks have been hectic. Juggling school holidays while getting a new online class ready for launch has left me and my hubby feeling a little frazzled and also guilty. So this week we are taking a week off, well kind of. Work seems to follow us everywhere we go, but once this podcast is out into the world, we will be enjoying some much needed down-time. Lazy days to swim, walk and catch up on books and podcasts. On that note, join us this week as we share what we will be reading and listening to as we wind down on our Summer Holiday.  Find links to all the resources mentioned here.