The following is from the Stop The Starving Artist newsletter - "heART and Business."
Every week you'll get a little bit of "H.E.A.R.T." to help you grow your art business.
Highlight đź’ˇ
(A key creative business insight I'm currently seeing.)
Are stories more powerful than art? I think so. Or, at the very least... art is MUCH more powerful with stories.
Let me give you an example.
The other day, I got a text from a friend of mine who's getting back into photography. Here's a synopsis of how that text exchange went.
Him: "Hey dude... is this photo good?" (Sends a picture of an approx. 8-year-old girl sitting alone on one side of a karate studio, observing her out-of-focus classmates on the other side of the room.)
Me: (Looks at the photo. I don't think much of it, tbh. It's a great photo, but not something I felt like was 'fresh' - if that makes sense.) "Yeah... I think it's good! It makes me excited to see what your 'thing' becomes in photography. Like, what it is that you shoot consistently that's your voice?"
Him: "I already know what my thing is. I love landscapes, and candid shots of the people-watching variety. Part of the reason I love this photo is that this kid was taking nothing from anyone that night. You see her mussed hair and the karate belt that's no longer on. I saw this moment as the kid giving no excuses, watching everyone she'd go against. Knowing that she'd be giving everything she had every time."
And then he said the line...
Him: "But, that's why I asked if it was good. I know the story... you don't."
See, I think he wanted the image to stand alone. And, as a "good" photo, it did. He's improved vastly as he's gotten back into doing photography.
But, once I KNEW the story... the image BECAME the story... and it became a much more engaging image. He was present when he took the photo. He knew the energy. He felt what he felt BECAUSE of what he saw, and now that he told me, I could see it too.
It was an engaging photo because it was a good story.
This month inside my paid community, we're doing a workshop on storytelling, so over the next few weeks, I'm gonna share a few things with you that we're working on as a group that you can use as well.
Why? Because stories take your images (your art) from good to great. Stories turn your boring life into something people connect with. Stories create connection, engagement, and trust.
The more people connect with YOU as the artist, the more likely they are to buy YOUR art (instead of someone else's), and stories do a lot of the heavy lifting.
In today's "Execute" section, I'm going to give you some prompts to help you mine for stories you can tell, and then in next week's newsletter, we'll shape those stories into something that gets and keeps attention.
Execute âś…
(Your action items...)
Let's mine for some stories you can tell.
Grab a notebook or open a doc. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Answer as many of these prompts as you can. Please don't overthink it, just write what comes to mind. The goal isn't perfect stories... It's finding the raw material you'll shape next week.
Prompt 1: The "I Used to Be" Story What did you do before this? What job, life, or version of yourself did you leave behind? What made you walk away from it?
Prompt 2: The "Almost Quit" Story When did you almost give up on art entirely? What was happening in your life? What made you keep going anyway? (Spoiler: everyone connects with struggle more than success.)
Prompt 3: The "Something I Believe That Most People Don't" Story What's an unpopular opinion you hold? Something you believe strongly that goes against the grain? (Could be about work, life, parenting, success, literally anything.)
Prompt 4: The "Behind This Piece" Story Pick ONE piece you've made recently. What was happening in your life when you made it? Not just what you were trying to create—what were you going through?
Prompt 5: The "Thing I Do That Nobody Sees" Story What's a weird habit, routine, or quirk you have that nobody knows about? What do you do when no one's watching? (Bonus points if it relates to your creative process.)
Prompt 6: The "My Weirdest Inspiration" Story What's the strangest place or thing that's ever inspired your work? The more specific and weird, the better.
Don't edit. Don't judge. Just write. Some of these will connect to your art, some won't—that's the point. Next week, we'll turn these into stories that make people feel like they know YOU, which is what actually makes them want to buy your art.
Awareness đź‘€
(The current things you need to know about social media, the creator economy, and running an online business.)
Why Selling Your Own Work Online Isn't Just Smart—It's Essential Right Now
Based on this article, the traditional gallery system is in a tough spot. Young and emerging artists represented by galleries are seeing the worst market outlook in years, with the "middle market" (where most emerging gallery artists would be) completely frozen.
Galleries are playing it safe, only betting on artists with decades of museum shows and institutional backing. Meanwhile, guess what segment is actually growing? The accessible price tier—works under $50,000—where YOUR pricing lives. Buyers at your price point increased their confidence from 44% to 61% in just one year. They have money. They're buying. They're just being more selective about where and how.
Here's the thing: building your own online sales isn't about giving up on galleries—it's about not putting your career on hold waiting for them. When you grow your brand, prove you can sell your work, and build an audience on your own terms, two things happen: (1) you make money NOW, and (2) you become exactly the kind of artist galleries want to work with. You're not choosing between gallery representation and independence—you're making yourself undeniable to both buyers AND gatekeepers.
If you want to read more about where I got this information and drew my opinions, feel free to check out this article.
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Reflect 🤔
(Question to sit with this week.)
What stories do you already know about your work (or yourself) that you haven't told anyone yet? Why?
Thrive 🔥
(This week in this community.)
In a recent community meeting, Nancy shared a profound journey of rediscovery. A portrait photographer in her sixties, she's spent years moving nomadically, struggling to find consistency. But recently something shifted. Through her work, she discovered a new mission that's really lighting her up... showing women over 50 that their voices can change everything. She had some internal doubts whisper that she shouldn't speak up, but she responded with fierce clarity: "You don't know me anymore." And in just three weeks, she's registered five out of eight spots for her 13-week course, proving that when we align with our true mission, momentum follows.
This is why I do the work I do... and why I focus SO HEAVILY on knowing your WHY (or your mission) - because when you know this, and you present it, the art isn't what you're selling anymore... it's the idea.
And that idea can take all kinds of shapes... from a course, to a community, to ... well... a piece of art!
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