THE INSPIRATION PLACE PODCAST
Miriam Schulman: All right, artists, I almost didn’t make this video because when Benjamin Moore announced their color of the year, my first thought was, okay, and what exactly are artists supposed to do with that? But now that it’s March and I’ve had some time to digest it, this conversation finally matters.
Speaker 2: It’s The Inspiration Place podcast with artist Miriam Schulman. Welcome to the Inspiration Place podcast, an Art World insider podcast for artists by an artist, where each week we go behind the scenes to uncover the perspiration and inspiration behind the art. And now your host, Miriam Schulman.
Miriam Schulman: Hey there! I’m Miriam Schulman, your curator of inspiration, author of Artpreneur, founder of the Artist Incubator program. And this episode we’re talking about Benjamin Moore’s Color of the year because they aren’t telling artists what to make. It’s telling you how your work will be seen. This is about environmental contrast, value signaling and taste direction, not pigment choices. So here’s why I’m having this conversation now, even though it’s March. Benjamin Moore. They made their announcement sometime in the late fall. And most companies they make their announcements fall November. December. Latest January. But that’s the announcement season. That’s when the brands drop their headlines and everyone posts reaction content. But nothing actually changes yet. March is different because March is implementation season. This is when interior designers start specifying materials. This is when architects finalize finishes. This is when homeowners stop saving inspiration to their Pinterest boards and start hiring people. By March, people stop scrolling headlines and start making decisions. And this is the part that most artists miss. Us artists. We’re not decorators. You’re not leading the design conversation. But and this is a big but you’re responding to it. And by that I don’t mean you’re just responding to the design conversation. We’ve talked about this in the past. You’re responding to the cultural shifts that the decorators and architects are also responding to, and that’s why this matters. So this conversation doesn’t matter as much in January, but it matters now when the rooms your art will live in are actually being designed.
Miriam Schulman: Quick pause. Because if this conversation is already landing for you, there’s a bigger picture here. A lot of artists don’t struggle because their work isn’t good enough. They struggle because they don’t understand how buyers actually make decisions or how to position their work. So it sells consistently. That’s exactly what I teach in my free masterclass How to sell more Art without being Insta Famous. I’ll walk you through why your social media isn’t converting into sales. And no, I’m not going to tell you that you should be posting more. You’ll also learn how serious buyers really find artists and what exactly to focus on. If you want selling your work to feel calmer and more predictable. You can watch it for free. Go to SchulmanArt.com/sellmoreart if you’re ready to stop guessing and start understanding what actually moves art. That’s where to go. Here’s the big reframe. Benjamin Moore’s Color of the year is not a trend drop. It’s a cultural shift. This is not a palette directive. No one’s telling you what colors to paint with. And it’s definitely not a signal to repaint your studio work because a brand issued a press release. What this actually is, is a permission slip. It’s a context setter. It’s taste shorthand. And it’s structural, not seasonal. So what do I mean by that? This is not about novelty.
Miriam Schulman: It’s about restraint. It’s about creating environments calm enough for art to matter. So if you’ve been quietly wondering, do I need to change my work because of a trend announcement? The answer is no. You’re not being told what colors to use, you’re being told what kind of room your art is about to go live in. And once you understand that, everything about this conversation becomes a lot more relaxing. All right. Now here’s the part artists don’t usually hear. And don’t worry, it’s really good news. Warm. Charcoal, soft black off white. Remember, that was pantone’s color of the year. These aren’t colors you compete with. They’re contrast engines. Neutral environments do three very important things. First, they increase perceived value. When the room is quiet, the art reads as intentional, not decorative. Second, they increase focus. Your eye isn’t jumping around the space it lands where it’s supposed to land on your artwork. And third, they create gallery like framing, which is why this esthetic keeps showing up in museums, high end interiors and yes, in the homes of serious art collectors. So this is where things like quiet luxury comes in, or Scandinavian restraint, or organic luxury or museum logic. Do you see how this works? All of these three things share the same principle. Fewer distractions, stronger objects. And this is the line I really want you to hear. Neutral environments don’t compete with art.
Miriam Schulman: They elevate it. Now, let me say this very clearly. This does not mean that your art needs to become neutral. You do not need to drain the color out of your artwork, and you do not need to pivot your style, and you don’t need to tone it down. It’s the environment that is doing the restraining so that your art doesn’t have to. All right. Now there’s another layer here that’s easy to miss, but it definitely matters. Pantone’s color of the year for 2026 is Cloud Dancer, which is essentially an off white. And Benjamin Moore went the other direction with warm charcoal. So at first glance it can look like wait a minute, that’s a contradiction. These are opposites. Like, the design world couldn’t make up its mind. But really, they’re not talking about the same thing. Pantone tends to live in the world of product, fashion and surface. And it’s about what you wear, what you touch and moves quietly. Benjamin Moore speaking more to architecture, environment and permanence. In other words, walls, rooms, spaces people live in for years. However, when you zoom out, this isn’t mixed messaging at all. It’s not a contradiction. That one went light and the other went dark. It’s a signal that restraint is a through line and also high contrast. So listen, it’s calm instead of noise, permanence instead of novelty and fewer, better choices. And that is the heart of organic luxury.
Miriam Schulman: Whether it’s a white that breathes or charcoal that grounds the room. The message is actually the same. Create a quiet container so the meaningful things inside it can stand out. And for artists, that’s a very good environment to be selling into, because your art is going to fit into most of those environments. Now, before I walk you through what to do with this, I want to zoom out for a second. What we’ve been talking about in this episode contrast. Environment. Value. This is the same lens I use when I help artists sell more work without burning themselves out on content or trends. If you want a clear, grounded way to turn interest into actual sales, I have a free masterclass that lays out the exact system that I teach my clients. It’s called how to sell more art without being Insta famous, and you’ll learn how buyers actually discover and decide to buy art, why most artists are focusing on the wrong things, and what to prioritize. If you want selling to feel simpler and more strategic, and you can watch it over at SchulmanArt.com/sellmoreart. Now let’s talk about what you should actually do with all of this. Nothing dramatic. You’re not rebranding. You are not changing your website. Don’t go into a palette panic. No. Maybe I need to pivot my work. You don’t have to do any of these.
Miriam Schulman: Here’s three things that I want you to take away. First of all, stop guessing your palette. Your work does not need updating because of this announcement. The room around it is what’s changing. If you’ve been wondering whether your colors are suddenly wrong, they’re not. They’re about to have a better backdrop. Second, I want you to lean into contrast in how you present your art. Now, that might show up in your website mockups or in your studio photos, or how your work is installed in exhibitions or even something as small as your Instagram backgrounds. When the environment quiets down, your work is going to stand out more. And that’s good. That is very good. And the third thing, understand this as a selling advantage. Neutral environments make it easier for buyers to imagine putting the art in their home. They can see your work living in their space. Your art becomes the emotional object in a calm room. Not one more thing competing for attention. And this is the line that I want you to remember. This trend helps your art sell without you changing a thing. You don’t need to chase it. You just need to understand what kind of room your work is walking into. So I want to make this very practical and I want to hear from you. Which of these are you going to try first, a change your palette. Hopefully not.
Miriam Schulman: Hopefully you’re going to stop second guessing your palette. B upgrade your presentation for more contrast website, photos, Instagram or C use this as a selling advantage and start talking about how your work lives in a calm space. So comment below A, B, or C, and if you comment B, tell me where you’re going to apply it. Website, studio photos or social media. Because I read these comments and I want ideas for future episodes too. All right, I want to leave you with this. This video is still going to be relevant in June and September and next year. Also because this trend is not going anywhere so fast. And it’s not even really about trends. It’s about the taste shift. When you understand the environment your art lives in, you’re going to stop chasing relevance and you’ll start holding value. And that’s where confidence comes in. That’s where longevity in your art career comes in. And that’s the position that you want to be creating from. Okay. So next week we’re going to be focusing on the only three Pinterest trends that matter for artists so that you know what to do about them. So if you like today’s episode, make sure you hit the subscribe button and and hit the like so that you can get notified as soon as that episode drops. I’ll see you the same time, same place next week, and until then, stay inspired. Bye for now.
Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to the Inspiration Place podcast. Connect with us on Facebook at facebook.com/SchulmanArt, on Instagram at @SchulmanArt, and of course, on SchulmanArt.com.
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