THE INSPIRATION PLACE PODCAST
Leslie Goldman: I think that’s the biggest thing. Knowing that someone’s there, that’s going to say, did you accomplish that goal that you set is, for me at least, that’s way more powerful than than setting the goal myself. When you know there are people there who are going to ask you, it’s it gives you a little extra motivation.
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: You are rock stars and the world will know it now. So, Susan, since you spoke up first, why don’t you tell our listeners about how we became introduced, how you became introduced to my world and who you are and what you’re about.
Susan Lobb-Porter: Well, I think I became introduced to you via your podcast. I walk every day. I live in the woods, forest, and I walk my dog and I listen to podcasts, and I think yours just kind of came up on my feed and I went, oh, this is interesting. So then I started listening to it some more, and then I guess I must have signed up for something because I started getting emails from you.
Miriam Schulman: Lots of them.
Susan Lobb-Porter: Yeah. And then I took advantage of the boot camp you had, and I was not going to sign up for for the incubator because, you know, it was a couple thousand dollars and it’s like, I’m not going to do that. And I listened until the last day. And then I went, well, you know, that’s a painting. All I have to do is sell a painting. So I joined and I sold a painting, and here I am.
Miriam Schulman: For my listeners, I want you to know that these lovely artists are all part of the same accountability pod, and we ran a accountability pod challenge. So they meet every week on Thursdays. Is that right? That’s right. Every week on Thursdays at whatever time that is in your world, it’s 5:00 in New York. But are you guys all East coasters?
Susan Lobb-Porter: No. I’m California.
Miriam Schulman: Okay. So. Yeah, so but it’s the same day of the week, same time every week. I normally for these challenges, I say that everyone has to participate. Otherwise the pod is not able to be considered. Recently we changed the rules slightly. So that’s what happened with this. One is we said everyone who participates would be eligible, but we would still take that into consideration. So if only two people had submitted, that might not have worked out for you guys, but three was enough for me, so I’m very happy to have you guys. I really liked your pitch. I really liked what you talked about. You really thought about what was in it for the listeners. And that’s what makes a winning podcast pitch. It’s not how great your art is. It’s not why it’ll be fun for you. It’s not how much you even like my show. It’s what’s in it for my listeners. And as someone who’s a podcast listener, Susan, you seem to be aware of that. And one of the things I really liked about your group was that you said that my listeners needed to hear from artists that were also at your level, but you’ve been doing this for a while, Susan. Is that right?
Susan Lobb-Porter: Painting.
Miriam Schulman: Yeah, yeah.
Susan Lobb-Porter: I have my degree in art. I worked in commercial art as an illustrator and graphic designer, and then I turned to teaching. But as far as painting goes And being as a painter, that’s a whole nother ballgame.
Miriam Schulman: Fine artist.
Susan Lobb-Porter: Yeah.
Miriam Schulman: Fine artist living from just the sales of your fine art. Right. Okay. That’s.
Susan Lobb-Porter: That’s new. That’s relatively new.
Miriam Schulman: No, and I agree with that. I agree that listeners needed to hear from artists from all levels, because otherwise it’s very intimidating that they think that you have to be at a certain level before you can start, which then nobody ever starts. Leslie, I want to hear from you next. How did you come to this world and tell us a little bit more? I know about your art, but tell to the listeners can hear as well.
Leslie Goldman: So I started listening to the podcast, just like Susan and I got to. I didn’t do boot camp or anything. I was listening to the podcast for a while. I did get Artpreneur and read the book and then sort of realized that the book, even though everything was there that I wasn’t sure that I was self-motivated enough to do that on my own. And I was at a place in my career that I want to make a change, and decided to just go for it and jump into the incubator. My background in art has been kind of like a winding path, I guess you would say. So I did not major in art in college, because I didn’t think I’d be able to make a living from it and didn’t think my art was good enough. And then I landed in teaching art. I got a degree in art history, I taught art, and then I went back to school recently and got a MFA in art. And now I’m at a point where I feel like I’m, you know, more serious about myself as an artist. I wanted to be a painter. I’m not a painter. I am a papercut artist, so I cut paper and my art is based on organic forms, mostly plants and nature, and I am inspired by my walking practice and incorporate that into my artwork and my connection between my body and nature and and places that I travel through. So that’s where I am. And it’s been great so far. We just started it was, you know, the pitch was funny if I can just say one thing about it. We were having trouble because it was, you know, even earlier in our existence as a pod, when you put out that challenge and we were trying to think of how we could promote ourselves where we haven’t been doing it for very long. So it was an interesting challenge to think about that, what we had to offer.
Miriam Schulman: People know you hit the right notes. It was hitting the right notes without hitting the wrong notes. I think that’s what people need to know in terms of pitching is that basically each sentence’s job is to keep you reading. And if there’s a sentence that makes you want to stop reading, you’ve lost them. So when I get the sense that when I’m reading a pitch and it’s all about basically they want me to advertise them and there’s not anything in it for the listeners. Then, like, we could have lots of people come on and talk about how great their art is. That’s not interesting enough. So for this podcast, like maybe a different kind of podcast that might work, I don’t know. So yeah, you guys hit the right notes and you didn’t hit any wrong ones. So it was it was a combination of the two things. Kirsten, welcome to the show. Tell the listeners your journey to this moment in time.
Kerstin Stiller: Yeah. Hello. I think for me, it started all when I was searching online or I may have come across by accident something online that said, hey, make a living with your art. Here’s how you can do it. So I think I looked into a different person before that. And by searching, I also found you. And I think I’ve joined a few of your free workshops online. But then at that point I decided not to join. Like Susan said, yeah, it’s it’s a bigger chunk of money. So what I did then I decided, okay, I can I can buy the book Artpreneur. So I bought that and was reading through. And while reading through it, I was adding sticky notes on each page. And then when I was through, I realized, mm, this is probably not the right style. Working style for me. I probably have to read it again and make notes on the side. And since you also keep on saying yeah, it’s never the right time to start, you should just start. So I decided, okay, what the heck? I sign up for your course. So here I am.
Miriam Schulman: And Kirsten actually took the bigger step and joined the inner circle, which I’m very. We’re very happy to have you in there. You bring a nice, fresh energy to the group and you’re very supportive. So we appreciate that. Okay. So one of the things you guys promised is you would give us a little inside peek into how you guys formed your accountability pod. I mean, obviously, you guys picked just the day of the week and the time that worked for you. So like that, that was all taken care of by us at the The Inspiration Place is being part of the Artist Incubator program, but how have you made it work for you the best within your pod?
Susan Lobb-Porter: Just commit to being there.
Leslie Goldman: Yeah. It’s important. We’re each. Especially the three of us are there pretty much every week. I think I missed a couple because of my job, so I have a full time paid job that I do in addition to trying to sell my art, but otherwise. Yeah. And we, you know, we ask each other what our goals are. We help each other when there’s an obstacle and things we think, well, I don’t think I could do that. We try to support one another with suggestions of what’s worked for each of us. And then the following week, we’re there again to say, so did you do that? Did you do what you said you were going to do? I think that’s the biggest thing, knowing that someone’s there, that’s going to say, did you accomplish that goal that you set is, for me at least, that’s way more powerful than than Then setting the goal myself and being like, oh, well, you know, I had a lot of work this week and I’m going to take. I’ll just I’ll put it off till next week. But when you know, there are people there who are going to ask you. It’s it gives you a little extra motivation. So I think the pods is a huge part of the program to help people achieve the goals that they, they set. Even though like I said before, the book has all the information and the recordings are there if you join the program, but the pod is that extra little push to help you stay motivated.
Miriam Schulman: Hey artists, if you’re looking for clarity on your art career instead of consulting the Oracle for answers, why not sit down with me? Miriam Schulman I’m author of Artpreneur and I’m also host of the Inspiration Place podcast, and you can get a portfolio review. Because let’s be honest, when it comes to getting your art noticed by galleries, collectors or clients or interior designers, a little real world guidance goes a long way. Now here’s how it works. I’ll dive deep into your portfolio and give you professional, personalized feedback. Whether you need help curating the right selection of your work, knowing which art is marketable and which isn’t, or if you’re working on several different things, you don’t know which direction to go, improving how you present your pieces, aligning your portfolio with your ideal audience. Whatever it is that you need help with, you’ll walk away with actionable insights and clarity and a clear sense of direction. Think of this as your artist crystal ball. Think of this as your art career crystal ball. But better because every artist I’ve ever worked with has left their portfolio review session with fresh clarity, renewed confidence and excitement about the next steps. Your art deserves to be seen, so don’t leave your future up to chance. Book your portfolio review today at SchulmanArt.com. Slash Pro review because sometimes the guidance you need isn’t in the cards, it’s in the conversation. And now let’s get back to the show. Do you find yourself completing your tasks on the Thursday the day of the meeting?
Leslie Goldman: Wednesdays, maybe. Yeah, that’s what I thought. Hey, but they get done, right? Yeah, right.
Miriam Schulman: Do you have a time keeper? How do you make sure that everybody gets the same amount of time.
Susan Lobb-Porter: We have a timekeeper, but sometimes she forgets to do it. But last week, Kirsten did it with the little numbers on the screen and that was very effective. So and sometimes we give up some of our time or take more time because of the way the conversation is going, but it seems to work out. No one seems to be upset about it.
Miriam Schulman: Nobody’s hogging the mic. You guys have worked it out so that it’s.
Susan Lobb-Porter: I think so, yeah.
Kerstin Stiller: Yes.
Miriam Schulman: Because I know that can be an issue sometimes with a group of people. You know, the group dynamics. When I’m not in the pod with you, you know, Kirsten knows like inside the inner circle, I take on that role to make sure nobody’s hogging the mic. And at the same time, like you said, Susan, sometimes a conversation needs to be completed. You can’t just stop because the time is up. Sometimes what you’re talking about benefits everybody and it deserves more attention.
Susan Lobb-Porter: Yeah, we’ve also extended ourselves outside of the pod. Like when I was writing my welcome sequence, these guys got to see it first. You know, I put them on the email list. They got it. They made some good suggestions that I implemented. So we carry on a little bit outside of the actual pod. Not a whole lot.
Miriam Schulman: How do you how do you communicate outside of the pod?
Susan Lobb-Porter: Email.
Miriam Schulman: Okay. I know some pods use like a text thread or Instagram or something else, or WhatsApp or whatever it is that they want to do.
Susan Lobb-Porter: Well, email has worked so far and we haven’t done it a whole lot, but yeah. But when someone has something going on that they want to figure out before Thursday. They’ll send it in.
Miriam Schulman: What do you think? And this is a question for each of you. What do you think has been your biggest accomplishment? That you can thank either the incubator or the pods for helping you accomplish the pod?
Susan Lobb-Porter: Well, no, because the incubator. I go in the incubator and I watch videos like I watched the video on how to pitch. Right.
Miriam Schulman: But the question is, what did you accomplish because of one or the other?
Leslie Goldman: So I would say just having an email list at all for me was big. It was something I because I’d been listening to the podcast, so I knew I got to do that some some day I would have done it. But having the extra support of the of the pod and the extra videos as well, and the incubator, I finally actually have an email list and sent out an email, so that was a big hurdle for me.
Miriam Schulman: Congratulations.
Leslie Goldman: Thank you.
Miriam Schulman: What about you, Susan? What was the one thing that you feel that you accomplished because of being in this group?
Susan Lobb-Porter: I would say email as well. I had a list, but it’s bigger now. I added about 70 new people and that’s without really trying hard. And next month I’m going to start pushing to add more with the lead magnet and then having a welcome sequence. I didn’t have much of a welcome sequence before, so now I have a welcome sequence.
Leslie Goldman: I’ll get there someday.
Miriam Schulman: How about you, Kirsten? What was the one thing that you feel that you’ve accomplished as a result of this group?
Kerstin Stiller: What actually was a good help from Susan is maybe not a big thing, but she said to me, like, yeah, art is a luxury item. And that kind of helped me to also change my mindset. So I appreciate her being, let’s say, the senior person in our team in.
Susan Lobb-Porter: More ways than one.
Kerstin Stiller: Not as a bad thing. But yeah, so she can give good advice. Also like for setting up my table at the holiday market. That was good.
Miriam Schulman: And that was your first market right. Did you how did the the group support you with that?
Kerstin Stiller: So yeah Susan advised me to put chocolate there or chocolate always works.
Miriam Schulman: So I did right. Yes. Even if what happens is then the other vendors come over and then they buy your stuff.
Leslie Goldman: Yeah.
Miriam Schulman: That’s what happens to me. Usually it’s like, oh, okay. And what’s this? Yeah. One other thing that I wanted to make sure we talked about is, in addition to the group pitch that you had sent in. You each had individual pitches. Hey, artists, if you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and finally see results in your art business, let me tell you. Success starts with action. Not just hoping or waiting for the perfect moment. And that’s exactly what I want to help you with right now. You can sign up for a portfolio review with me Miriam Schulman, author of Artpreneur and host of The Inspiration Place Podcast. This is your opportunity to get personalized, actionable feedback on your artwork, pricing, and overall strategy. You’ll walk away with clear next steps to take your art career to the next level. And here’s the best part if you decide to upgrade and join my Artist Incubator program, the investment you make in the portfolio review will be applied as a credit towards your membership. That means that you can get started now without hesitation and feel confident that you’re making the right choice for your future. So head on over to SchulmanArt.com Forward Slash Pro Review to book your portfolio review today. Take the first step toward building your art business. Again, that’s SchulmanArt.com slash pro review. And now let’s get back to the show. So in addition to the group pitch, you each submitted individual pitches and each of your individual pitches were very strong. I remember Kirsten was talking about how she could share how her immigrant experience informs her as an artist. Leslie talked about how her walking practice informs her as an artist, which you’ve already touched upon. And Susan, I seem to remember it was a little bit about your seniority, which Kirsten has just touched upon as well, which is what reminded me. So do you remember what it was that you had put in that pitch?
Susan Lobb-Porter: Yeah, there’s a lot of older people now retired, who are getting into art, who come back to art because maybe they were, you know, when I graduated from school, so many of my friends did not go on in art. I always maintained either commercial art or something. I maintain some foot in that door. A lot of them are coming back to it, and then they go, okay, what am I going to do with all this stuff? Or they need to start a second career financially, I’m kind of in a combination of all those things. I, you know, I’m in my 70s and it’s about time I start making some damn good money with my paintings. So and teaching. So that’s what I’m doing. And I’m super motivated because there’s a time limit out here, you know.
Miriam Schulman: Yeah. And we do have members in their 80s just.
Susan Lobb-Porter: So good because I’ll be up there someday. Yeah.
Miriam Schulman: My mom has a very healthy attitude towards aging, and both my grandmothers who have my grandmothers have both passed, but they they both did as well. And when my mom turns 60, my grandmother said to her, well, you have at least 30 good years ahead of you. What are you going to do with your life? And I had another client also by the name of Susan. I guess that’s a popular name for your generation, am I wrong? In the.
Susan Lobb-Porter: 50s? Yes. The girls were all named Susan and Linda.
Miriam Schulman: Okay. We’re all laughing because we have many friends named Linda in their 70s. And relatives. Is that correct? Okay. Linda and Lynn. So. And Karen. Yeah. All right. Anyway, so Susan Cohn, she always said to me, well, I live by the philosophy. And she was 76 when she went through my program. She said, I live by the philosophy. I’m going to live till I’m 120. So 70 is just the beginning of that.
Susan Lobb-Porter: That’s right.
Miriam Schulman: I like to live by the the duality of I could live to be 120 or I could die next year. I don’t know what it’s going to be. And that’s why I always live my life as fully as possible. So I love that you had written about that. There are a lot, as you said, people who are I mean, that’s that’s one of the largest generations right now, is the people who are both on the older end of generation X as well as baby boomers. It’s that transition from their main career into either a retirement, career or semi-retirement, or that third act, as Jane Fonda would say.
Susan Lobb-Porter: So I want to keep on going. I don’t see slowing down. I mean, we recently sold our house and we’re building a new one up in Washington. And when I say we, I mean, my husband is doing a lot of the building, and it’s like, we’re not going to sit on our butts and watch the world go by.
Miriam Schulman: Yeah. Okay. All right. And also, there were three women in their 80s at the most recent Whitney Biennale. So again, very good company. All right. So, Leslie, tell us a little bit more about your walking practice.
Leslie Goldman: So I walk almost every day. If the weather is really bad, I won’t. And sometimes, you know, stuff happens and I can’t make time for it. But pretty much every day I walk around wherever I am in the neighborhood, I don’t go for hikes so much as just walking around. And I think that there is nature everywhere. You don’t have to travel someplace special to connect with nature. Sometimes it’s in our homes when we don’t want it to be. But it’s it’s everywhere. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. So. And it inspires me. I just I love seeing the change in the seasons. I live in New England, so there’s definitely seasonal changes that happen. And I notice the changes as I’m walking around the neighborhood or the neighborhoods, whether I’m at work or I’m at home and I translate the forms into my art and it makes me feel connected to the world, it makes me feel connected to my community. It definitely is a mood lifter. It’s good for your body. It’s good for pretty much everything, I would say. And there was a period of time when I wasn’t able to walk so much because of physical pain. So I am always very grateful that I now can can do that without, well, with minimal minimal issues. So that’s also a component of why walking is so important to me, because, I mean, I could walk, but I couldn’t go very far without being in pain. So being able to do that now is awesome. And I like to celebrate that with my artwork.
Miriam Schulman: Beautiful. Every step with gratitude. I love it. Absolutely.
Miriam Schulman: Okay. And Kirsten, tell us about your journey from Germany to Virginia. Always. Or was there other stops along the way?
Kerstin Stiller: 18.5 years. I’m in Virginia. So when I came to the US, I had found like Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. So there, there they have a working travel program. So I contacted them and it was clear for me I can work there. So I booked a ticket. I had my luggage and I left here in Williamsburg, Virginia with nothing more than that and started working low level job for the first year. And then the second year was a low level job and, you know, slowly worked my way up, if you will. And it was not always easy. I had my ups and downs. I have been sometimes really close where I thought maybe go back to Germany, but I my path here has always been in Virginia. So I basically started, yeah, started from nothing, worked my way up and when I was at the level where I could afford it, I came back to art.
Miriam Schulman: And you have a twin sister. Does she live here or in Germany still?
Kerstin Stiller: Well, she is in Germany. All my family is in Germany.
Miriam Schulman: So you’re here on your own. It’s so wonderful how you connect your immigrant experience inside your art. I really admire the way you talk about your love of science fiction and other worlds. And so the United States is clearly such a different world from your home that you’re able to make those connections through your art. Before we go, I have two last questions for each of you. And of course, we want to be able to check out your art. So starting with Susan. Susan Porter, tell us where we can find your art.
Susan Lobb-Porter: You can find me at my website SL porter.com and Facebook would be SL Porter Fine Art.
Miriam Schulman: Okay. We’re going to make sure that all your links are linked up in the show. Notes. Leslie, where can we see your beautiful art?
Leslie Goldman: The best place to find my work is on Instagram right now at L Schulman Art 109, because there are lots of Leslie Goldmans who make art so L Schulman Art 109 on Instagram.
Miriam Schulman: Yeah, my niece tried to make a Schulman Art account. That’s like really? It was like whatever it was J. Schulman Art or it was like, you can do better. Kirsten I don’t think she listens. None of my family listens. That’s why I can talk about them. Kirsten, where’s the best place to see your art?
Kerstin Stiller: My website, which is Art.com surveillance, is my last name backwards. And my Instagram handle is the same art.
Miriam Schulman: Beautiful. Okay. And for those who are thinking about joining the Artist Incubator, what would you tell them, Susan?
Susan Lobb-Porter: I would tell them, if they are serious about doing something with their art, to do it. I’ve been spinning my wheels for a long time, and now I feel like I’ve got direction and focus and the motivation to do it.
Miriam Schulman: Leslie, how about you? What would you tell somebody who’s thinking about joining the incubator?
Leslie Goldman: I would say that there’s a lot available on the incubator. So you’re, you know, it might feel like a big investment, but you get a lot of value for your investment. There’s a lot of support. There are a lot of ways to access that support, so it’s definitely worth it.
Miriam Schulman: Okay. And how about you, Kirsten?
Kerstin Stiller: Yeah. It’s possible. You can learn on your own pace so you can access all the videos and tutorials, whatever you need at your own time. If you’re fast, you can run through. If you need a break, you can take a break. And the. The groups, the parts. I feel like there are huge. Uh, yeah. It’s a huge thing. It’s. It’s actually better than I’ve talked about it. I get more out of it than what I’ve talked in the beginning.
Miriam Schulman: Yeah. Fantastic. Do you guys have any last words for our listeners watchers? However, they’re consuming this before we call this whatever we’re calling this complete, starting with Susan.
Susan Lobb-Porter: I would say the pods are so valuable. The accountability factor is so valuable. The library that you have is so valuable. All the videos and the the resources. I just think it’s a very good investment.
Leslie Goldman: Leslie, I will just say ditto.
Leslie Goldman: Okay, great. Yeah. I mean, there’s just there’s a lot available and it’s a great program. You can learn at your own pace. There’s support in all different forms, and I have no regrets.
Miriam Schulman: Okay and Kirsten, do you have any last words before we call this episode complete?
Kerstin Stiller: Yes. You do.
Kerstin Stiller: Ditto.
Miriam Schulman: Ditto.
Miriam Schulman: Yes.
Miriam Schulman: Yes, yes. All right, my friends, thank you so much for joining me here today. I’ll see you the same place, same time 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/schulmanart, on Instagram @schulmanart and of course, on SchulmanArt.com.
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