THE INSPIRATION PLACE PODCAST
Jen Lehner: You slip your little flier into a dozen or so of the right, because some of those magazines are so, so niche, right?
Miriam Schulman: Why didn’t you tell me this sooner? I’m going to go to Barnes and Noble today.
Jen Lehner: I just remembered it. But, like. Yeah, it just makes good sense for you to get your course or your book or whatever and stick them in these art magazines.
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: Welcome to the Inspiration Place podcast. I am so honored to have Jen Laner back in the studio so that we can Kvetch and Kvell of all things happening in the art world and the internet and whatever, whatever we feel like talking about. Because…
Jen Lehner: We can.
Miriam Schulman: Because we can. Because it’s our show.
Jen Lehner: That’s right.
Miriam Schulman: All right, my friend, who wants to start first?
Jen Lehner: You go.
Miriam Schulman: Okay, so I have a Kvetch combined with a Kvell type of thing. So I’ve been doing lots of research to back up. Like when I write my books. What I do is I just, like, will write down what I think, and then what I do is like, well, there’s got to be some article somewhere that will back this up. And then I go look for the research, like, that’s what I like. Okay, so I was using ChatGPT to do research. And if you’re watching this on YouTube you will see it. But if you’re not watching on YouTube, don’t worry because we will describe to you or read to you exactly what this robot said to me. I call ChatGPT a robot. The robots.
Jen Lehner: That’s accurate. It’s accurate.
Miriam Schulman: That it’s a robot?
Jen Lehner: Yeah.
Miriam Schulman: I have this thread on my ChatGPT to help me with research. I want to back up this claim, and it literally gives me this, like, long thesis thing with references and predictions, and it looks like it’s citing all these references. I was like, oh, this is great. Now give me a short paragraph acknowledging that the references you cited in one, two and three as above. Okay. And then the research for this. Okay. Then I say please give me the full references that I can add as footnotes to my paper. And here’s what it says. Since the references I provided Gartner 2023, OpenAI 2023 and MIT Technology Review 2024 were hypothetical.
Jen Lehner: Oh my God.
Miriam Schulman: And based on the context of your query, they do not refer to real public.
Jen Lehner: Holy cow.
Miriam Schulman: However, if you’re preparing a paper, here’s how you can format real references. And then it like took the things and formatted it for me. And I was like…
Jen Lehner: We’re in trouble.
Miriam Schulman: Okay. So I say to him, what do you mean? These were hypothetical. Did you make this data up?
Jen Lehner: Yes.
Miriam Schulman: And ChatGPT says yes. I used hypothetical references in my response to illustrate how you could present real research and predictions about AI in your writing. These were not based on actual studies, but were crafted to help guide the structure and content of your argument. I did not intend to mislead. Those citations were placeholders to demonstrate how research might support the points you’re making about the limitations and future of AI. If you’d like to use real research. I recommend you conducting specific searches. And it gave me three different things.
Jen Lehner: I’m glad that you brought this up, because people need to know because. Because when you do ask a question to get facts from ChatGPT. ChatGPT does present it as fact and it looks so real.
Miriam Schulman: Yes it does.
Jen Lehner: That’s when you go to PerplexitY.AI and also cross-reference it with, I would say perplexity is the best for for research.
Miriam Schulman: Is it? That’s good to know. I didn’t know that. All right, I’m gonna —
Jen Lehner: Because they will automatically. The thing about perplexity is they automatically give you real citations.
Miriam Schulman: Really? And that’s a paid subscription, right?
Jen Lehner: Yeah, I paid $20 a month, although I’m sure there’s a free version like…
Miriam Schulman: No, I need to do real research for my book. What my Kvell was going to say that I’m finding Google to be better now for doing that same kind of query where I say, give me a reference for this claim and then it will give you real stuff.
Jen Lehner: Yeah, because they’re incorporating AI into Google as well, so that makes sense. Um, good. Okay, good.
Miriam Schulman: Yeah. Okay. I don’t want to hog the mic, so I’ll switch it back to you, even though I have other things related to this.
Jen Lehner: Can I do one and a half Kvells?
Miriam Schulman: You can do whatever you want.
Jen Lehner: Okay. So I want to tell you what I did with my, um, smart glasses this week when I was in Miami. So I have Ray-Ban smart glasses. Highly, highly recommend. They do everything you can have them prescription, they’re transitional, so they can be sunglasses. Did already do my smart glasses on the show?
Miriam Schulman: We did.
Jen Lehner: So let’s just say that I use them all the time. They come in handy. They’re just wonderful. But. So I was walking around Miami so hot. Oh my God, I just didn’t want to move an extra inch. I didn’t want to pull my phone out and open up the map. So I just looked at the skyline because I didn’t know which one. I kind of had lost my way back to the hotel, and I gave it the name of the hotel, and I was like, I looked at the skyline. That’s all I did. I didn’t touch my phone. I just said, hey, m e t a because that’s the the wake word. So hey, meta, which one of these is my hotel? And meta said it’s the tall blue one with the glass windows.
Miriam Schulman: What? How did it know?
Jen Lehner: Well, I named the hotel.
Miriam Schulman: Oh, which one is XYZ hotel? Right.
Jen Lehner: And then it said it’s the one. And. And it saw the skyline. So it saw what I saw is what I’m trying to say. And that comes in handy all the time like that. Like I’ll say, what am I looking at? Or, you know, yeah. What am I looking at? Or you could say, who is this artist or whatever? So that’s really cool. That’s the half of Kvell. The other one is I just freaked out because right before we went live, I went to check out shout out to Lu Burton who who told me about this. He’s like, have you checked out Google Notes LM so I had not. So I’m encouraging all our listeners to go check out Google Notes LM, it’s a note taking app combined with like the features of ChatGPT in that any content you upload to it, you can have a conversation with.
Jen Lehner: Okay. But what’s different is that based on the sources that you add, there’s this little button that says create an audio summary. So I clicked it and all I had uploaded was a deck with seven slides. And the slides were not informative. They were more they were like title slides, but it was the only thing I had handy at the moment. Again, I’m just experimenting, right? I hit it, it gives me a seven like minute 14 second audio of the slides and.
Miriam Schulman: Okay, wait, wait, I had an idea while you were just talking now. Mhm. But by the way listeners, she yelled at me for interrupting her too many times.
Jen Lehner: Not really yell though. Yelling is…
Miriam Schulman: Oh, you weren’t shouting,
Jen Lehner: But I scolded you, I did. I’m sorry about that. I’m sorry.
Miriam Schulman: Oh, no, I’m sorry for interrupting. I’m terrible. Okay, so I’m wondering if an artist could upload just the pictures of their art to this and what would happen? Can we do an experiment and find out?
Jen Lehner: Yes.
Miriam Schulman: Let’s upload my art.
Jen Lehner: Right. So I’m going to. Oh my God, it wants me to log in or continue with download only. Okay.
Miriam Schulman: Don’t you hate that? Like you’re you’re doing work and suddenly they’re sending you a text to your phone and your phone’s like in the next room because you’re trying to concentrate all of that, and you go, it’s a Kvetch that I wasn’t planning. And then you go to get your phone for the code, but by the time you get to the kitchen or wherever your phone is, you forgot that that’s why you’re going. And then you have a snack. Which is why I can’t zip my pants anymore.
Jen Lehner: That is so like a real thing that that is happened to every single person.
Miriam Schulman: And then like you bring your phone back and then it’s then you realize. Oh wait, it’s because I needed this code. But by then the code has expired.
Jen Lehner: Uh, that is so accurate.
Miriam Schulman: I’m trying to, like, make sure that we are entertaining while you’re looking for this stuff. This is going to be family portraits.
Jen Lehner: It says only the visible texts on the website will be imported at this moment, but we’ll see. We’re pioneers, so we’re just experimenting here.
Miriam Schulman: Okay, so I don’t know if there’s enough text on here. It’s like my portfolio. And if this is a total fail. Are we going to delete this whole section? No, because I think I told some good jokes in there.
Jen Lehner: Yeah. Are you kidding me? This thing comes up that says audio overview. And then notice it says two hosts English only. So this looks like deep dive conversations. So I’m going to click generate. I mean it’s a robot. And it’s got a lot to say about your stuff clearly. I hope this is as good as the other. Are you ready?
Miriam Schulman: All right. Yeah. I’m ready.
Notebook LM (female): Ever wish you could just, like, hit pause on life’s most precious moments? You know, those fleeting bits of family magic. Those ones that a camera can’t quite capture?
Notebook LM (male): Oh, absolutely. Like that mischievous glint in your child’s eye.
Notebook LM (female): Yeah
Notebook LM (male): Like right before they erupt into giggles.
Notebook LM (female): Yes.
Notebook LM (male): Or the way, you know, maybe, like, the afternoon light just bathes.
Miriam Schulman: Pause. Hit pause.
Jen Lehner: Sales copy right here.
Miriam Schulman: I’m blown away already. But what the listeners need to hear is what we uploaded were all my portraits. I just want you guys to know that we uploaded from my website. We’ll put the link in the show notes to the page that we linked with it, and it was all family portraits. I’m already blown away. This is amazing because now it’s so easy for my artists to make like a video. You don’t have to talk. You don’t have to perform. You don’t have to be facing camera. You just have, like, showing your art with this voiceover. Okay. Keep playing. I am so impressed.
Notebook LM (male): Your family room and that Golden Globe.
Notebook LM (female): That’s exactly it. And that’s exactly what we’re diving into today.
Notebook LM (male): Okay.
Notebook LM (female): The world of SchulmanArt. We’re going to uncover how this artist takes those feelings, those memories, and transforms them into these timeless watercolor portraits.
Notebook LM (male): It’s amazing. What’s really fascinating here is the artist’s commitment to going beyond the surface. It’s not just about, you know, painting a picture, right? It’s about capturing, like, the essence of a family.
Notebook LM (female): Okay, so let’s unpack this whole essence idea. The website mentions something called get this “Remembered Impressions”. What does that even mean in the context of a portrait?
Notebook LM (male): That’s a fantastic question. And it really speaks to the artist’s, uh, unique process. Yeah. So instead of simply working from, like a reference photo, SchulmanArt emphasizes getting to know the subjects, like actually observing their interactions. And listening to the stories behind the chosen posts.
Jen Lehner: Okay, I Want to pause here and just say right off the bat…
Miriam Schulman: I’m dying. It’s so good. Like we’re only a minute in.
Jen Lehner: It would be so easy to take this dialog, put up your art like just slideshow fashion with this audio track over it. And that’s the featured video on an artist’s web page. And it can simply say a conversation about SchulmanArt. Oh my gosh. You want to hear a little more? Let’s see.
Notebook LM (female): Oh, so it’s almost like they’re weaving those stories into the very fabric of the painting. Precisely.
Notebook LM (male): Wow. The artist actually talks about capturing those, like, little details, those fleeting expressions that a camera might miss. Right. The way a child like tugs on their father’s sleeve. Or the shared glance between siblings, you know? It’s things that evoke a feeling, a memory.
Notebook LM (female): I’m starting to understand why people are saying that their work is, like, owned and cherished by parents.
Miriam Schulman: Pause. Okay, so the only thing I don’t like is that they gave me the pronoun they. Is that something that I’m able to edit?
Jen Lehner: No, this is like beta. So these are your choices. Change the playback speed, download it or delete it.
Miriam Schulman: Okay, so there’s no way I can edit the copy at all.
Jen Lehner: No.
Miriam Schulman: Okay. All right. Fine.
Jen Lehner: Yeah I mean and again we didn’t upload images. We just did a link to a page.
Miriam Schulman: I know I am so blown away and here’s okay I’m giving homework to my listeners.
Jen Lehner: Love it.
Miriam Schulman: This is homework okay. What is the name of this program again?
Jen Lehner: It’s notebook LM but it’s technically owned by Google. So go…
Miriam Schulman: And how much is a cost before we…
Jen Lehner: This is free.
Miriam Schulman: What?
Jen Lehner: Yeah, it’s free. At some point it’ll tell me like look at the bottom of the screen. Do you see where it says one source? And it’s sort of like a, um, like a progress bar. I bet you once you get up to so many sources, it’s like you gotta upgrade.
Miriam Schulman: Okay, so this is the homework for everybody here. It was super easy. All Jen did for those of you who are not watching this, is she just linked to a page on my website
Miriam Schulman: I want you to click on the link so that we can go to the website. Okay, Nico, take out this arguing section because it’s not funny.
Jen Lehner: It’s just because seriously, Miriam is just super grouchy.
Miriam Schulman: She’s very annoyed with me today. I’m not grouchy. You’re just not listening to me.
Jen Lehner: No, you’re grouchy.
Miriam Schulman: Maybe I am. I have to pee. Okay, just hold on. I’m pausing.
Jen Lehner: Go pee. Go pee.
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Miriam Schulman: So those of you who are watching on YouTube there is copy on here. There are pictures on here. I don’t know if they’re able to see all the pictures or just the first one.
Jen Lehner: I don’t think it saw any pictures because when I put the link in there. It said it only takes the the copy, the text. So who knows? Who knows? I mean it is the almighty Google. So maybe it sees but it just is limited.
Miriam Schulman: Okay, so here’s the homework I’m giving our listeners. I want you to try this. I want you to create however length you want it to be. Create something, share it on Instagram and tag us. So I’m @SchulmanArt. S-C-H-U-L-M-A-N-A-R-T. And then tell us your handle on Instagram at Jen.
Jen Lehner: @Jen_Lehner.
Miriam Schulman: Okay, so I will be sharing those to my stories. I want to see who’s willing to play with this stuff. Let’s see what you can do with your art.
Jen Lehner: Let’s see it.
Miriam Schulman: Beautiful. Thank you for sharing that Jen. That was amazing.
Jen Lehner: Yeah, it’s going to be fun. Also, for those of us who are course creators. And the other thing that it allows you to create, in addition to that audio thing, there were buttons that allow you to create a study guide, a table of contents, a glossary. There were several other things that you could just press a button. And based on all the content that you put in there, so all of your resources. So like in the research that you’re doing right now, Miriam, for your book, you know, like you could put a link to a particular research article in there as a resource and it will combine all the things it’ll be. It’s so I can’t wait to play with it more. Okay.
Miriam Schulman: That’s amazing.
Jen Lehner: My Kvetch is really not that big a deal. And it’s getting better, I would say, but I really can’t stand it. When you make an appointment with usually it’s like either the dentist or maybe it’s a contractor of some sort, like for your home. And then they call you and leave you a message and tell you that you need to call them back to confirm your appointment. And I’m like, first of all, the assumption is if you don’t call back to confirm the appointment, they’re going to cancel it. It drives me. It drives me insane.
Jen Lehner: It is 2024. We have a lot of things that we can use text messaging, you know, like all sorts of automations. Like, please don’t call me and please, God forbid, don’t make me call you back. If we’re if we’re going to do this at all, I’m okay with the text message.
Miriam Schulman: Right… with the C to confirm. And I want to tell you that every single introvert in my audience is like nodding their head yes, because I know they have phone-phobia. Yeah, it just gets worse all the time and it creates a chore. It creates a chore. It’s like what?
Jen Lehner: Anyway, it is a chore. That’s it. That’s my only Kvetch.
Miriam Schulman: All right. I have a Kvell. Oh, okay. So I subscribed to the Art Newspaper, which there’s also a podcast that goes along with it, if you like british voices. A really good podcast.
Jen Lehner: Love them. Love British voices.
Miriam Schulman: Okay, so this is, just so you can see.
Jen Lehner: I can’t see.
Miriam Schulman: I will read it to you. Where is the big museum blockbuster on AI. So it says even the science themed PST exhibitions opening in Los Angeles. By the way, I did not know what PST Art exhibitions are either. For those who don’t know. So don’t feel bad. Getty puts out these science technology based exhibits, but what they’re saying is that even though these are science themed exhibits, they don’t focus on AI at all, and it’s a big missed opportunity. So this is neither like a Kvetch or a Kvell, really. I just like the content of the article that we’re going to discuss. That’s allowed, right?
Jen Lehner: Yeah, that’s—of course we will allow the show.
Miriam Schulman: So. Right. Okay. So they said there are a lot of the features on like environmental issues like fire management, water ecology, but they don’t focus on technological issues such as the impact of the internet or AI on human creativity. And that is a topic I’m fascinated by. They also in this article, this is something that we talked about when we talked about TikTok a few months ago, says, where are the big museum exhibitions focusing on the way that smartphones are rewiring our brains and algorithmic social media is undermining democracy. Exactly what you talked about. And this is a British based publication, just I think it’s sponsored by Christie’s. Where is the blockbuster on how generative AI is changing our culture, if not yet our consciousness? These are like very interesting questions and very what this article says is artists are not afraid of these issues. And then it lists a bunch of artists who are working with these ideas, but it criticizes museums. So this is what it says that most art museums just have not caught up. They lack the knowledge and confidence to take on these hard core topics, and that when artists do do technologically based exhibits, they said the artist has to deliver all the hardware software programmers to train the staff in how to operate everything. Oh my God. Yeah. So I guess this is a Kvetch, isn’t it?
Jen Lehner: Yeah. Well, no, but but it’s but it’s also like. It’s informative. It’s informative. Now where was this published? This isn’t the art newspaper. So I know that you do a lot for your Alexa briefings. The art newspaper. Also has an app where you get the same articles in the app form, and I’m subscribed to both. And for artists listening, you really should. I’m not going to shit on anybody. I think it’s a great source. Let’s just put it that way. So I have the app, I listen to the podcast and I read the newspaper and I subscribe to all of them. And there are a lot of AI articles in.
Jen Lehner: Yeah, I love that they’re talking about that. I mean, my gosh, it’s just so disruptive to every part of our life truly.
Miriam Schulman: Yeah, but I love the way that it says, you know, artists are not afraid to tackle the hard issues. Yeah. I mean, throughout history.
Miriam Schulman: Yeah. One of the people who were released in that swap recently, remember we swapped prisoners with Russia. Mhm. One of them was an artist who was doing political art. She was one of the prisoners released. Yeah. I didn’t prepare for this.
Jen Lehner: You know, I want to hear more. I want to hear more. I was just thinking about that the other day, because they alluded to one of the people who was released, and I was like, I want to hear from all of them. I want to hear about their experience as a captive and then their experience now that they’re back in the real world.
Jen Lehner: I’ve always been fascinated by it.
Miriam Schulman: Well, it was interesting because she was saying when they first were taken out of the prison, they like, put a hood over their face and she thought she was going to be shot.
Jen Lehner: Oh my God.
Miriam Schulman: Yeah, it was really scary. I want to see if I can pull that up on my app so we can discuss that one if you want to.
Jen Lehner: Yeah, yeah.
Miriam Schulman: Oh, here it is. Okay. The stuff is fascinating. I’m just going to tell you the first headline that just got scrawled on this app. Okay. This is my Kvell, by the way. This app. There we go. Former Trump adviser and Russian state TV commentator charged with money laundering through art and antiques. See, this is the kind of stuff I get. It’s, like, so fascinating. Okay if I can find the prisoner swap. Here we go. Okay, so this is an article from August 1st, and I’m going to butcher her last name, but her name is Sasha Skochilenko, who was arrested in 2022 for an art intervention opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was freed along with Wall Street Journal writer Evan Jurkovic and 15 others. So that’s all in the app and in the artist newspaper. That’s all I’m going to say about it.
Jen Lehner: Okay, thanks.
Miriam Schulman: Okay. Do we have any other Kvells and Kvetches we need to discuss?
Jen Lehner: Well, then we won’t have any material for next time.
Miriam Schulman: No, there’s always material for that.
Jen Lehner: Is that not the truth? Yeah. Um, I think I’m good.
Miriam Schulman: Okay. I did send my book proposal to my agent on Monday. That’s the Kvell I have.
Jen Lehner: Congratulations.
Miriam Schulman: Yeah. I mean, it still has typos in it and everything, but. And then she’ll shop it out. Yeah, I still have to fix it. We’re absolutely going to try to publish with Harpercollins because. Oh, I have another Kvell, actually. So I told you a while back that we went into second printing. We’re going to go into third printing.
Jen Lehner: Oh that’s huge.
Miriam Schulman: It is huge.
Jen Lehner: Well, of course Harpercollins is going to want.
Miriam Schulman: Yeah. So they said they’re down to 1000 paperbacks in their storage, and we’re selling at the rate of 200 copies a month. But in October, I’m having several huge publicity hits happening. One is I’m speaking to the Alumni Learning Consortium, which has like millions of members. And then I’m also going to be featured in this new magazine that’s put out by USA Today called Creative Women. So there’s going to be like, that’s hitting the newsstands. And I want to say there’s one more thing, but I forget what it is.
Jen Lehner: Would you ever buy advertising on that pod? Like that podcast?
Miriam Schulman: The Art newspaper?
Jen Lehner: Yeah.
Miriam Schulman: They don’t have anything on the podcast because it’s sponsored by Christie. They don’t have any other advertising. But yeah, I could probably take out advertising inside that magazine. I have taken, I have taken out print ads, by the way.
Jen Lehner: I believe in print ads. Absolutely. And especially for artists.
Miriam Schulman: Yeah. So for artists listening, I know I have artists listening who do surface pattern and licensing things, and if you teach that, definitely put an ad into one of those publications. I did that over the summer, and I got a lot of leads from. I advertised my book on one of these. I forget which magazine it was, unfortunately. I can’t say which one it was.
Jen Lehner: Well, but it’s a good tip to do print.
Miriam Schulman: It’s just got to be strategic. I mean, it’s it’s too expensive for you to advertise in the New York Times. So look in your what is your local niche magazine? The kind that they put for free at the Dermatologist’s office. So women who are going to get Botox, they pick it up and they see your art. That’s where you want to be advertising.
Jen Lehner: And you know what I have heard people do, and I did this, but I can’t remember what I did it for. But anyway, uh, printed postcard or whatever. And you go to Barnes and Noble and all the bookstores, and you go to where the magazines are, and you slip your, you slip your little flier into a dozen or so of the right. Because some of those magazines are so, so niche. Right. Like horse hair magazines.
Miriam Schulman: Why didn’t you tell me this sooner? I’m going to go to Barnes and Noble today.
Jen Lehner: I just remembered it. But, like, yeah, it just makes good sense for you to get your course or your book or whatever and stick them in these art magazines. Just be careful because, like, you know what? The manager to come tap you on your shoulder.
Jen Lehner: I’m sure they don’t want you doing that. I mean, I’m sure that it is technically not allowed, but like, it is easy to do and nobody’s hurt by it.
Miriam Schulman: So in other words, when you go to the Dermatologist’s office and you do whatever, you put your postcard in all the magazines that are lying on the coffee table.
Jen Lehner: Oh, yeah. I didn’t think about that. That’s great. Yes. Although, you know how many people are picking up magazines in the in the doctor’s office anymore?
Miriam Schulman: Every single one.
Jen Lehner: They’re looking at their phones. And I think the doctor’s offices are. Now that you mention it, I’m thinking in my last two appointments, I don’t recall seeing I. That used to be a pleasure. That would. That’s when I would read my people magazine, you know.
Miriam Schulman: No, no, no, no, I think people still do it.
Jen Lehner: Okay, well, let’s all look and see and report, right?
Miriam Schulman: You know what? Listeners, let me know.
Jen Lehner: Homework number two.
Miriam Schulman: Yeah, yeah. Homework number two. Send me a DM or an email or put a comment underneath this? Do you still read magazines? And next time you go to some doctor dentist appointment. Are there magazines in there? And look around the lobby, the waiting room and tell me if people are reading them or if they’re all looking at their phones. All right, when we return, we’ll have one more Kvell. But first, I used the LM notebook from Google to create this snippet for you of my first book from Artpreneur. Enjoy.
Notebook LM (male): Okay, so do you ever get totally obsessed with something as a kid? Like, really obsessed. For me, it was magic tricks. Like, I’m talking hours, practicing card tricks, making handkerchiefs disappear. My poor parents, right? But I remember my uncle, pretty serious guy, watching one of my little shows, and he says, you’ve got a real knack for this kid, and it wasn’t even about becoming the next David Copperfield or anything. It was just that someone recognized that spark. You know, that feeling, someone sees that in you that can be really powerful and it’s actually really connected to what we’re diving into today. Chapter one of Artpreneur by Miriam Schulman all about tapping into that creative fire and turning it into a real business.
Notebook LM (female): It’s amazing how these little things, when we’re young, can stick with us, right? That one bit of encouragement, it can stay with you for years.
Notebook LM (male): Totally. And Schulman starts the chapter with this great story that shows this perfectly. Picture this Atlanta classroom, fourth grade, sweltering hot. She’s sweating it out.
Notebook LM (female): Oh, I can imagine that humidity. Right.
Notebook LM (male): So the teacher is holding up this piece of green felt and asks, does anyone know what this is? Mm. Schulman doesn’t even hesitate. Yells out an eighth! Now, in her head, she’s thinking like an eighth of a pie, you know. Yeah. Perfect slice. A true artist’s eye for detail, but everyone starts giggling because, of course, the teacher meant a fraction.
Notebook LM (female): Oh, that classic kid logic. Totally wrong. And totally right at the same time.
Notebook LM (male): Exactly. But here’s the best part. After class, the teacher pulls Schulman aside and Schulman is thinking, oh no, here comes detention for shouting out! But instead the teacher asks her to design the class jack o lantern for Halloween. You see that eighth outburst? It showed something the teacher saw, passed the wrong answer, and saw how Schulman understood shapes, recognized her as an artist.
Notebook LM (female): And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? The power of belief, not just in ourselves, but having other people believe in us too. They see our potential even when we don’t.
Notebook LM (male): It’s like giving yourself permission to own that identity, you know? Artist, entrepreneur, whatever it is, let’s be real. They’re always going to be people, voices in your head, even telling you you’re not trying to squash that creative spark. But Shulman is really saying anyone can be an artist, but to be an Artpreneur, that takes a certain mindset and certain skills.
Notebook LM (female): So it’s like she’s saying, okay, you’ve got the creativity down, but now you need that business side too. That’s where her five core elements come in. Production. Pricing. Prospecting. Promotion.
Notebook LM (male): Hold on. I’m taking notes here. Production. Pricing. Prospecting. Promotion. What was the last one?
Notebook LM (female): And the one that gets us all. Even those of us who love a good spreadsheet. Productivity.
Notebook LM (male): Production. Pricing, prospecting, promotion and productivity. I got it. It’s like the five pillars of like, creative empire building or something, right?
Notebook LM (female): And it’s interesting how many artists I know they might be incredible at the actual creating the production, but ask them to put a price tag on it. Forget it.
Notebook LM (female): Oh my gosh, tell me about it. I have this friend. Amazing photographer. Right? Captures these landscapes and they’re just breathtaking, you know. But if you even mention selling them, she clams up like she’ll offer to give them away for free before she’ll actually put a price on her work.
Notebook LM (male): It’s like this mental block or something, you know? And Shulman talks about this, how it’s not about being a master of every single aspect of the business. It’s more about knowing your strengths and just as importantly, knowing where you might need some help.
Notebook LM (female): Oh, 100%. Like recognizing where you shine and where you might need to bring in the the cavalry, so to speak. Exactly. And she makes this point that that’s often the stumbling block for a lot of artists. They pour their heart and soul into their work, which is amazing. But then they hit a wall when it comes to things like, well, you know, actually asking for money for it. Or maybe they’re fantastic at promoting themselves online, but then the logistics of shipping or, you know, actually managing the business side, that’s where things fall apart. Totally.
Notebook LM (male): It’s like they get so focused on one piece of the puzzle that the rest of the picture gets blurry.
Notebook LM (female): Right. It’s about finding that balance. You don’t have to be good at everything, but you do need to be aware of those blind spots.
Notebook LM (male): And speaking of blind spots, I really appreciate how Shulman tackles the mental game, too. Like all those doubts and insecurities that can creep in.
Notebook LM (female): Oh yeah, those limiting beliefs, right? Yeah, they can really hold us back for sure.
Notebook LM (male): She calls out a few that I think a lot of us have struggled with at some point. Like for me, that whole I’m not good enough thing. It’s so easy to fall into that trap, especially with social media. You see everyone else’s highlight reels, and it’s easy to feel like you’re not measuring up.
Notebook LM (female): It’s the worst. That comparison game could be so toxic.
Notebook LM (male): Tell me about it. But I will say it was helpful to see that Shulman actually addresses this head on. Like she even calls out that big one, the one that I think keeps so many people from even trying.
Notebook LM (female): You mean no one’s going to pay for this?
Notebook LM (male): Yes. That fear that your art isn’t valuable, that no one will want to buy it. It’s like this instant dream crusher.
Notebook LM (female): It’s so ingrained in our culture to, you know, that whole starving artist trope.
Notebook LM (male): Totally. But the thing is, Shulman doesn’t just say like, oh, just think positive and it’ll all work out. Like, she actually gives you practical exercises, ways to actually change those thought.
Notebook LM (female): Patterns, which is so important, right? Because those negative beliefs can be so deeply rooted.
Notebook LM (male): And then there’s her own story, which is like a masterclass in overcoming those doubts. This woman went from Wall Street to becoming a full time artist, author, online educator. Talk about a major life pivot.
Notebook LM (female): Seriously, it’s like something out of a movie. Trading in the suit and tie for a paintbrush, right?
Notebook LM (male): But it really shows you it’s possible you can create a life that’s actually aligned with your passions, and.
Notebook LM (female): Her success just makes her message even more powerful because she’s living proof that it can be done.
Notebook LM (male): Absolutely. Yeah. And you know what I found really interesting? She talks a lot about the importance of building an email list. And I’ll be honest, at first I was like, really? Email? Isn’t that a little old school, especially in.
Notebook LM (female): The age of social media, right. It seems like everyone’s focused on going viral, right?
Notebook LM (male): But she makes this really compelling case for why email is still so crucial. Basically, it comes down to owning your audience. Like with social media, you’re kind of at the mercy of the algorithm. But with email, you have a direct line to the people who actually care about your work.
Notebook LM (female): It makes sense when you think about it that way. You’re not just shouting into the void and hoping for the best. You’re building a community. Exactly.
Notebook LM (male): And she talks about how when she first started out, she was so caught up in chasing followers and likes.
Notebook LM (female): Oh, I think we’ve all been there.
Notebook LM (male): Oh for sure. But she realized that it wasn’t until she shifted her focus from just getting numbers to actually nurturing those real connections that her business really took off.
Notebook LM (female): It’s about quality over quantity, isn’t it? Building relationships with people who genuinely resonate with you and your work?
Notebook LM (male): Totally. And that actually reminds me of something else she said about those early days. Yeah. And you know what I really like about this book? It’s not just about getting inspired, it’s about what you actually do with it. Like Shulman lays out all these steps you can take, it doesn’t feel out of reach at all.
Notebook LM (female): I totally agree. It feels like she’s right there with you every step of the way. Like she’s saying, I’ve been there, I get it, and here’s how to do it. It’s like that.
Notebook LM (male): Saying, right? The hardest part is starting.
Notebook LM (female): Yeah.
Notebook LM (male): But for a lot of us, that fear, that’s exactly what those limiting beliefs do to us.
Notebook LM (female): So true. And I think what I find so inspiring about Shulman’s message, it’s not just for painters and sculptors, you know, this whole idea of bringing your passion and making it into a business, it could be anything writing, music, cooking, even coding.
Notebook LM (male): It’s about owning what you’re good at and figuring out how to share it with people in a way that feels right for you, but also an important that lets you keep doing it.
Notebook LM (female): Exactly. And on that note, you know, it’s important to remember that building a successful business, it takes time. It’s not like you snap your fingers and suddenly you’re rolling in it. It takes showing up every day, putting in the work and being open to learning as you go. It’s like that.
Notebook LM (male): Saying, how do you eat an elephant? Yeah, half one bite at a time. Which reminds me, remember Schulman’s story Wall Street to watercolors proves it’s never too late to change, no matter what point you’re at in your life.
Notebook LM (female): That’s so true. Embrace the journey. Write all the ups and downs, the unexpected detours. Trust that every step you take, even the missteps they’re leading you where you need to be.
Notebook LM (male): So as you dig into Artpreneur. I want you to think about this. What’s one limiting belief that’s been holding you back? And what’s one tiny act? Just one little step that you can take today to start breaking free from that. Remember, even those amazing masterpieces, they all start with a single brushstroke. This has been the deep dive. Thanks for listening.
Miriam Schulman: Now let’s get back to the show. Did you notice I’m in a better mood since I peed?
Jen Lehner: I did notice, yes.
Miriam Schulman: Oh, did you ever use the thing on your phone where you hold it over a foreign language and it will translate it for you?
Jen Lehner: No, I’m going to do it right now.
Miriam Schulman: Oh, my gosh, I do that for Hebrew.
Jen Lehner: Hola. Como estas? On here.
Miriam Schulman: You use I think it’s the Google Translate. But then you use the camera.
Jen Lehner: Do you go to Google or use. Oh I see. Gotcha. Google. Oh translate right here. Oh my God, it worked. It said hi, how are you?
Miriam Schulman: Isn’t it cool?
Jen Lehner: Yeah that’s amazing.
Miriam Schulman: It’s really cool.
Jen Lehner: Thank you.
Miriam Schulman: Another unexpected Kvell. See, I told you we never run out of things to say.
Jen Lehner: Life is full of Kvells.
Miriam Schulman: So rich. All right, my friends, thank you so much for being with me here today.
Jen Lehner: Thanks, Miriam.
Miriam Schulman: We’ll see you on the podcast. The Inspiration Place. Not Jen, but me. Same time, same place next week. 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, slash Schulman Art on Instagram at Schulman Art and of course, on SchulmanArt.com.
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