How Artists Sell Art Without a SINGLE Salesy Post | Miriam Schulman

Learn how to sell art online without feeling salesy from Miriam Schulman, author of Artpreneur. Discover proven marketing strategies for artists, how to sell art on email, and why traditional business advice doesn't work for creative entrepreneurs selling art online.

About Miriam Schulman

Miriam Schulman is the author of Artpreneur: The Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Sustainable Living from Your Creativity and host of The Inspiration Place podcast. After leaving Wall Street post-9/11, she built a thriving art business and now teaches artists how to market and sell their work authentically.

Connect with Miriam Schulman

• Website: https://schulmanart.com
• Free AI Tool - Artpreneur Daily Altar: https://schulmanart.com/altar
• Book: Artpreneur https://amzn.to/47Z7ECW
• Podcast: The Inspiration Place - https://www.schulmanart.com/podcast/ 
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/schulmanart 

What This Episode Is About

In this episode, Miriam Schulman shares her journey from Wall Street analyst to successful artist making a sustainable living from her creativity. She breaks down the specific challenges artists face when marketing their work and provides actionable strategies to sell art online authentically.

Key Takeaways

• Artists need different marketing strategies than other businesses because generic advice doesn't address their unique challenges
• The FOMO email strategy: Show what you just sold to create desire without being pushy
• Understanding the belief triad: Customers evaluate their self-worth, not just your art's value
• Some buyers actually want the most expensive option (Veblen goods) as a signal of quality and status
• Building an employee-first business with clear boundaries creates sustainability
• AI tools like ChatGPT can help organize your thinking, but human creativity remains irreplaceable

Episode Highlights

• 0:00 - Introduction: Why marketing rules don't apply to artists 
• 2:30 - From Wall Street analyst to full-time artist 
• 5:15 - The 9/11 pivot: Choosing values over money 
• 8:45 - Gen X strengths in business and fear-based decisions 
• 12:10 - Email marketing for artists: The FOMO strategy 
• 15:20 - Understanding buyer psychology when selling art 
• 18:30 - The belief triad: Self-worth, product value, customer worth 
• 22:15 - Overcoming objections: "It's too expensive" and beyond 
• 26:40 - Why popular art sells faster: Social proof in action 
• 29:35 - Veblen goods: Some buyers want the most expensive option 
• 32:50 - Building an employee-first business with boundaries 
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