THE INSPIRATION PLACE PODCAST
Miriam Schulman: Your art is meant to impact others and not hoard for yourself. The creation is for you, but the artwork is not necessarily for you. It’s for others.
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: Have you ever finished an artwork and looked at it and thought, well, I can’t sell this one. It’s too special. Too important. I put too much time into it. Or maybe you’ve had the opposite thought, like, I need to sell something right now. Anything right now. And you ended up like slashing prices just to make a quick sale. Or this is another common thing. Do you have, like, all this old artwork that you don’t really even, not even sure you like anymore, and you’re so much better now, or your style is evolved, but you’re trying to figure out how to move it, how to get rid of it. You’re not alone. Every artist has faced this internal tug of war between attachment to their art and fear. Fear, confidence. Scarcity, patience and panic. And today, we’re talking about the psychological barriers behind pricing and selling and letting go. So we’re going to unpack why you could be overpricing your art, your favorites, and what that really means. We’re going to talk about how your impatience leads to underpricing or underselling or sabotaging targeting sales that desperate selling. And also we’re going to talk about how shifting your mindset can help you sell more art with confidence, without fear, without regret, without second guessing yourself. So grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and let’s unpack the emotional side of selling your art. Because trust me, you’re not stuck. You just need to reframe the way you see your own success and the way you think about your future success.
Miriam Schulman: So let me start by sharing with you a true story. All the stories in this podcast episode are true stories, but I’ve changed the names. I’ve changed the kind of art that these people create just to protect my clients. So first we’re going to talk about Greg. Greg had a more passive, textured, abstract piece that sat in a studio for two years. Now, this was a painting that he did that got him through his mother passing away. So every time he looked at it, he would see different things. There was emotions in every single layer. And when a collector offered to buy it, he hesitated. What if he never made anything this powerful again? Or worse, what if selling this artwork meant losing a piece of his grief and his healing? So instead of setting a fair price for the artwork that was in line with where his other artworks were selling, he put a price tag on it so high that no one was going to buy it. Now, many artists do this pricing based on an emotional attachment and fear rather than the true value of their art. I’m not saying they should do it. I’m saying this happens. This is tied into scarcity mindset, impatience, and also fear of letting go. So today we’re going to explore these psychological barriers and how they might be limiting your success. Emotional attachment to artwork. And fear of letting go.
Miriam Schulman: So now let’s talk about Brenda. Brenda created a giant, lifelike metal goat sculpture that became part of her daily life. It was sat in her studio. She was a metal sculpture artist. But this goat, she would whisper to it whenever she was overwhelmed. Imagining this goat carrying her worries away like it was a literal scapegoat that she had inside her studio. However, when a serious collector showed interest, Brenda panicked. She told herself that she would consider the offer, but honestly, she could not bear the thought of that sculpture leaving her space, so she sabotaged the sale. She didn’t follow up. She didn’t return the collector’s call. Now, many artists view their best works as too precious to sell, which can lead to either, as we discussed, either overpricing the art as it was with Greg, or with Brenda simply refusing to let it go. The fear of running out of good ideas drives this attachment. So let’s reframe this. What you need to consider is that your best work is not behind you. It’s ahead of you. By the way, that is why I’m never afraid to share stuff on the podcast. I don’t hoard my best ideas for the Artist Incubator or for my books. I share everything because I have an abundance mindset that I still have good work ahead of me. My best ideas are still yet to come. There’s more of where that came from and the same thing is true with your art.
Miriam Schulman: I do know that feeling though. I remember early on when I used to paint and I had very limited time to do it, so sometimes I would even do it like in front of the TV and right in front of the TV I’m talking about in front of Sesame Street. Like, my kids were watching TV and I was painting, so I wasn’t fully involved consciously in the art process, and I would look up and be like, Holy cow, where did this come from? So it made me feel detached from the process, and that kind of led to me not believing that I could really pull that out of myself again. Like like there was some sort of divine hand at work, some divine intervention that made that artwork. I mean, it was me who made it, but my conscious brain was turned off and my subconscious brain turned on. So I do get that feeling. But you got to know that, yeah, you have great artwork. It’s all ahead of you. And by the way, we’re going to be using that word art loosely. I know not everyone who listened to this podcast is a visual artist. It could be your best. Writing is ahead of you. It could be your best. Coaching is ahead of you. Your best work is still ahead of you. So selling your art today, whatever that is, frees up space.
Miriam Schulman: It could be freeing up space physically in your studio, but it’s also freeing up space mentally because when you let it go into the world, you’re able to create more art. You’re freeing up that mental space in order to make that next artwork that could be your next masterpiece. So here is the key insight that I want you to take with you. What if your art is meant to impact others and not hoard for yourself? The creation is for you, but the artwork is not necessarily for you. The artwork is for others. Now, Brenda did realize that her goat sculpture could help someone else in the same way that it served her. All right, my friend, real talk. If you’ve ever struggled to price with confidence, you’re not alone. Maybe you’ve underpriced your art. Thinking if I make it more affordable, somebody will buy it. Or maybe you put a price tag like an outrageous price tag on your favorite art, not because you thought it would sell at that price, but because you were afraid to let it go. I see this all the time, both with artists inside my incubator and my Artpreneur boot camp. Pricing is not just about the numbers. It’s not just about the numbers on the price tag. It’s about self-worth. It’s about fear, and it’s about mindset. So if you’re stuck in a cycle of self-doubt, second guessing, or maybe you’re in a sales drought, you do not have to figure this out alone in Artpreneur boot camp.
Miriam Schulman: I’ll walk you through the exact steps to gain clarity and focus and commitment to pricing your art for profit, not through fear, so that you can attract collectors who happily pay what your work is worth. And the marketing strategies you need to get your art seen and sold without feeling pushy or desperate. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start selling with confidence, join me. Come to SchulmanArt.com/BOOTCAMP. We kick off at the end of April and trust me, you do not want to miss this. Okay, and now let’s get back to the show.
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Miriam Schulman: Psychological barriers to pricing. So next I want to tell you about Sandra. So Sandra spent weeks perfecting this vibrant floral felted artwork. So it’s not it wasn’t a painting. It was like a felted embroidered piece. And she was convinced this was her best work. But when it came time to price it, she set the number low just enough to cover her materials. I’m still new, she thought. What if no one thinks it’s worth more? And by the way, I do see this also with some of the jewelry artists, people who are worried that their jewelry is too high because maybe they’re using gold, real gold or gemstones and the cost of materials have gone up. And this was also true of this felted artist. She felt like the cost of her materials had gone up.
Miriam Schulman: And so she was afraid to price really for her time. Well, in Sandra’s case, it sold instantly. And yes, the buyer did tell her that they would have happily paid double and that the truth is, they probably would have paid a lot more than double. And sometimes buyers aren’t going to tell you that underpricing is often a sign of self-doubt. The fear of rejection leads artists and not just artists, also entrepreneurs of all sorts to price too low. They believe that affordability, which I’m going to put in air quotes because that’s different for everybody. I have people who cannot afford my my paperback book. Affordability makes sales easier. It doesn’t. Cheaper isn’t always easier to sell. That’s something that I do talk about inside the Artpreneur bootcamp. I would love for you to join me in there and we’ll go deeper. Dive into that. Now, on the flip side, over pricing to avoid selling because you have fears around success or fears around failure or fears around letting go, it’s just another form of fear. So underpricing and overpricing are both forms of fear, just like in Brenda’s Goats story. So here’s the key insight for you if you aren’t pricing with confidence. You’re pricing with fear. So ask yourself, what price would you feel proud to receive? Start there. Impatience and the urge to put art on sale. All right. So now we’re going to talk about Brian. Brian was in a slow season, no sales for three months.
Miriam Schulman: And then that’s why the fear set in. What if people are forgetting me? So he panicked, and he slashed his prices by 50%. Running a fire sale, a starving artist sale. And he did get some quick cash. He did sell some pieces, but he lost out because one of them would have sold for a lot more than the three. And he also conditioned his audience to wait for discounts. He could have probably sold less pieces at a much higher price. So impatience can also lead to self-sabotage. Again that patients. That’s a mindset thing. Some artists assume that discounting will boost sales. But not only can it undermine long term pricing power, but as I said earlier, sometimes cheaper isn’t even easier to sell. I’ve had experiences personally where I’ve raised prices and it sold more. A slow sales period does not mean failure, and it does not mean that your prices are too high. It’s part of the cycle of business. So let’s break this down into that key insight. Sales are going to ebb and flow. If you track your sales year over year over year, you’re going to see there are certain periods where you do so more and some periods where you sell less for some business people, some artists, some business owners. That’s going to be in the November, December, it’s going to be high sales. But you know what? Some artists find they have their best selling season in January when people are nesting, when they are stuck indoors because it’s cold outside and that can be a high season of sales.
Miriam Schulman: Some people find that they have better sales in the summer. It all depends. So it all comes with a season and a cycle. It’s just like the weather. So key insight. Sales ebb and flow. Trust that they’ll pick up again rather than rushing into scarcity based decisions. Here’s your reframe. Instead of putting your art on sale, focus on increasing your visibility. Email your list. Pitch to a gallery. Reconnect with past collectors. Mindset shifts to help you sell with confidence. Okay, so now we’re going to talk about Julie. Julie used to think that pricing was just about math. And anyone who has read my book or been through any of my trainings or been a long time listener of the podcast, you know, I talk about how linear pricing for 2D art is better than exponential pricing or square inch or square foot pricing, square inch pricing. Basically, you’re multiplying three things times each other, which is a cube, which means it’s exponential pricing. So linear pricing will give you a more gradual increase of price. However, it’s not always just about math. Julie was somebody who used to think pricing was about math. But being in the incubator and through the coaching, both with me and also Sean Roney, who’s our mindset coach, She realized it was about her self-worth and she started shifting her beliefs.
Miriam Schulman: So she started saying these types of statements to herself. And you can write this down because these are affirmations that really could help you. My art is valuable and I don’t have to apologize for my prices. And collectors see value in my work beyond time and materials. Pricing with confidence attracts the right buyers. Okay, so here are your key takeaways. Selling your best work is not about losing it. It’s about making space for more. And pricing should come from a place of confidence, not fear. Being impatient with your success is going to lead to reactionary decisions. You need to trust the process and trust the long game. All right, my friend, here’s my challenge for you this week. I want you to pick one thing. If you’re an artist, pick one piece of art that you’ve been hesitant to sell or you’ve been hesitant to price, ask yourself, am I holding on to this because I’m afraid I won’t create something this good again? Then price it from a place of confidence. If you’re feeling bold, share your pricing breakthrough with me on Instagram or inside our community if you’re part of the incubator. I love hearing your stories and if this episode resonated with you, do me a favor. Screenshot it. Share it on your Instagram Stories. Tag me, I’m at Schulman Art and let’s help more artists break free from fear based pricing and sell their art with joy and confidence.
Miriam Schulman: Oh, and before you go, if you’re serious about making consistent, confident sales. I’ve got something special for you. All right, listen up, my friend. If you’re tired of throwing your art into the void, hoping someone magically finds it, it’s time for a new approach. My Artpreneur boot camp is happening live at the end of April, and this is your chance to get a step by step roadmap for selling your art with confidence. No more second guessing what to post, what to email, how to market yourself. No more underpricing out of fear, and no more waiting for collectors to magically stumble across your work. During this boot camp, I’ll teach you the exact strategies that have helped my students and clients sell their work at higher prices, attract their dream collectors, and build thriving, profitable art businesses. But here’s the catch this is a live experience, and if you miss it, you miss it. So don’t wait. Go to SchulmanArt.com/BOOTCAMP and grab your spot before we kick off. And if you really want to get some attention with me, as well as some additional pricing strategies, you’re not going to want to miss the VIP session. Go to SchulmanArt.com/VIP. That’s the best way to get my help. All right, my friend, thank you so much for joining me here today. I’ll see you the same time, same place next week. Until next time, 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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