Ep. 23: From $1 Paintings to Full-Time Artist: Emily Jeffords on Pricing, Burnout & Creative Freedom

In this episode, Stacie is joined by fine artist and educator Emily Jeffords for a deep, transparent conversation about building an art career that honors both creativity and sustainability. Emily shares her journey from selling her first paintings for just a dollar to creating a thriving business centered on fine art and artist mentorship. Together, they explore the emotional and practical realities of showing up authentically online, navigating burnout, and learning how to align personal values with business decisions.

Today on Art + Audience:

• Emily’s early pricing model missteps: Hear how her unorthodox approach shaped her understanding of value and pricing.

• Starting small: Emily explains why having a tiny audience at the beginning is actually a gift, offering creative freedom and space to find your true voice.

• Voice over volume: Discover why developing a clear, authentic message matters more than chasing followers and how the algorithm often rewards that clarity.

• Surviving burnout: Emily opens up about the personal cost of success, including a health crisis and divorce, and the steps she took to rebuild from the inside out.

• Content strategy for creatives: Learn Emily’s method for defining core content pillars, making it easier to share consistently and with purpose online.

• Reclaiming creativity through pleasure: Why embracing joy, play, and new experiences is essential for long-term creative and emotional sustainability.

• Reinvention and resilience: Stacie and Emily share how they’ve redefined their brands after major life and business changes and what they’ve learned in the process.

 

Connect with Emily Jeffords:

• Instagram: @emily_jeffords

• Website: emilyjeffords.com | emilyjeffordslearn.com

• The Creative Stability Workbook: how to sell your art in any market and season

• The EJS (free) Resource Library: all of our top recommended resources for creatives 

Connect with Stacie Bloomfield:

• Subscribe, Rate and Review: Art + Audience Podcast

• Website: staciebloomfield.com | leverageyourart.com

• Instagram: @gingiber | @leverageyourart 

• Facebook: @ShopGingiber

• Pinterest: pinterest.com/gingiber

• Leverage Your Art: Stacie’s signature course, opening again this August 2025.

• Got questions? Call the Art + Audience Podcast hotline: [phone]