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Hey friend, are you ready to pitch your artwork for art licensing? Then I have the thing for you. Presenting my brand new art licensing pitch Playbook. This free email course gives you everything you need to start pitching your artwork for licensing while leveraging your already awesome work into the next level of profitability and possibility. I'm going to teach you the five biggest mistakes that keep artists from crafting irresistible pitch emails, reaching out to their dream partners, pitching their work with confidence, gaining experience with collaborations, and building an art business that they love to run. So if you're ready to kickstart your art licensing business, visit artlicensingplaybook.com and I will send you my free 5 day email mini course. I can't wait for you to try it out.

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Bye. I went on there and I checked and someone was writing about me and they're like, oh my gosh, she's a horrible writer. Like I know she's not really a writer, she's an artist and showing off her house. But man, she is a horrible writer. And you know what? That stuck with me. There is this memory from whenever I was much younger and I hadn't even written on my vision board the goal of being an author where someone said something real crappy about me in my ability to write. And I am determined to redeem this and to be the best writer I can be. Wouldn't it be nice if your art business loved you back? Hi, I'm Stacy Bloomfield. After years of trial and error and late night doodling, I went from being a coffee shop manager to running a vibrant seven figure art business that I love. And now I'm on a mission to help more artists create an art business that they love too. So I invite you to find a cozy spot, pull out your favorite sketchbook and listen in. It's never too late to chase your creative dreams. Welcome to the Art Audience Podcast. Hi. Welcome back to another episode of the Art plus Audience Podcast. And today I am spilling a big juicy secret. I have two secrets I'll share. One today and maybe one in the next episode. But the first secret is one that if you're in my program, Leverage youe Art the Creative Powerhouse Society, you may already know that I've alluded to it, but I am about to hop on a plane literally in gosh, by the time you all hear this, I'll already be in Scotland. But I'm hopping on a plane in three or four hours and I'm on my way to Edinburgh, Scotland, because I am writing a book. I am writing a book for artists who want to start an art business. And I'm honestly just shocked this is happening. So I'll tell you about how this book came to be because so much of what happens in my life truly feels like it's, you know, not to be too woo woo, but like a manifestation of things I've wanted for years and then they come to pass when the time is right. So I'm writing a book called the Artist side Hustle. Many of you may know the title of this because one of my free mini courses that I've run for a couple of years is called the Artist side Hustle. But it turns out there's a lot of artists out there who want to learn how to start a business while working a full time job or only having a few hours a week to work on their craft. And so we're going to help artists build a career in the margins of their life with a book that's going to be released in November of 2025 with Hay House Publishing and distributed by Penguin Random House. Like, who the heck am I to be able to get to write this book and have it be in out in the world like a year from now? It kind of feels unbelievable because like I'm not the best writer in the world, but I'm very passionate about art and art business. So I guess I'll start at the beginning. So in 2028, I made a vision board. And on that vision board it said New York Times bestselling author. Even though I wasn't an author, I'm. I was barely a successful art business owner at that point. You know, I'd had success with Gingerbread, I wasn't teaching yet. I didn't have like a multi million million dollar business with my art. But I just had this dream that maybe someday I could be an author. So I don't know if this book is going to be a New York Times bestseller yet, but wouldn't that be wonderful? I'm sure my publishers would love that and I would too, but I'll go back. So I made that vision board and so many things on my vision board have come true. In fact, maybe I'll link to an image of that vision board for you all to see. Because I'm a huge believer in taking the time to visualize these big dreams, even if they don't make sense yet, and writing them down and creating that visual representation of them through like a collage or a vision board and then reevaluating those goals each and every year. Because I think that A vision board can serve as a compass for where, like, deep down in your heart, you want to end up. So I made this vision board, and then in 2020, I started helping other artists learn how to start their own art businesses. And my opportunities just keep opening up and opening up. So in 2020 also, I had my first book release with Andrews McNeil Publishing, and it was an illustrated gift book called Give yourself margin. And P.S. if you totally buy that book, I will be so happy and so will Anders McNeil, because I got that book deal in a really cool way. And I think I've covered it in one of my earlier podcast episodes. If not, I'll have to do that later and talk about it. But I had wanted for years to get into children's book publishing. I thought that would be my route, and I could not find a way forward. Eventually through, like, happenstance and honestly, some magical timing and all these things I can't even quantify, I got the chance to create a book with Andrews McMeal Publishing called Give Yourself Margin, which was based on my word of the year, I think in 2018. My phrase of the year, I think, was Give Yourself Margin. So that book came to be. But it released in 2020, which, as we all know, was a pandemic year, which meant that that book did not get the love I wish it had gotten. I had planned on doing a big book release at the time. I had hoped to really do a good job marketing that book and getting my followers to purchase it, but unfortunately, I'm going to be really honest here. It still hasn't earned back its advance. Ah, is that bad to say? Current publishers don't hold this against me. I've already told you all about this. But that first book I created and I drew and I wrote it was a magical book. So good it just never found the audience that it needed in order to be what's considered, like, a real big success. And that was a bit of a blow to my ego. I'm not going to lie. I. I didn't understand how I could have, you know, so much passion going into this project and still not be able to convert people to buy the book. So all that is to say is, two or three years later, I had this idea to create an art business book for creatives because I had really realized I had a knack for helping people figure out the hard things and find their path forward as a creative and build a business. And, you know, I have helped over a hundred thousand artists through my free programs, and I've taught over 4,000 artists in my course, leverage your art. And so many of you have been my students. Right. So a little over a year ago, I had reapproached someone in the industry about maybe putting up an art business book. I just had this passion in my gut. I was like, I gotta do this. And I was told, unfortunately, it'd be really hard for someone like me to sell another book because Give yourself Margin had not been a huge success. And honestly, that deflated my balloon for a little bit. I remember calling my sister after being so excited about this idea and then having this conversation with someone in publishing and then calling Angie, my sister, and being like, oh, my gosh. They said that it's not going to happen with me because that one gift book did not kill it. And it's going to be hard for anyone to want to publish a book of mine. And I was really, really sad. But you know me, I feel my feelings. I get sad, and then I just find the new thing and I keep moving forward. But then something really cool happened. So I was in Scotland two summers ago, fulfilling all these 2018 vision board dreams and goals. And I was sitting in a coffee shop called the Milkman, and I was journaling, and I had been listening to a book by Brendan Bruchard. And I opened my inbox and there was an email from Jeff Walker talking about his masterminds. So I, on a whim, just replied to that email and I said, tell me about your masterminds. There's a point to all this, I swear. It's how all the dots connect. Okay? And then how I get to write a book. So someone on Jeff's team responded and asked me some questions, and I went through this process of being interviewed to see if I could be part of this high level business group. It's called Plat plus, and it's a group that Jeff Walker runs for entrepreneurs, not just artists. So I went out on a limb in Scotland two summers ago and I sent this email to them, and by the time I got back home from Scotland, I had interviewed with them and they'd accepted me into this group and this program. And I was so excited. And then I met someone who happened to have released a book with a publisher they love called Hay House. Hay House does so many amazing projects with online educators, books for women, spiritual work. And I'd only heard wonderful things about Hay House and how they like to work with their authors. And this new friend of mine that I met in Jeff's world was like, hey, have you written a book yet? And I said, well. And I told them the story I just told you. And she said, well, I think I should introduce you to someone I know at Hay House, the head of acquisitions. I think that you should at least, like, send them an email or something. And so I said, absolutely. If you could do an introductory email for me, I think that would be wonderful. So she did an introductory email. And then one weekend in one weekend, I was like, I think that I have to create a book proposal and send it to them right now. And so my husband was gone that weekend doing something, and by the time he came back, I said, hey, honey, I wrote a whole book proposal, and I'm going to send it to Hay House. See, I just feel like it needs to be today. Now, I'm kind of known as making quick decisions in my family and being a little bit impulsive, but usually because I am so in tune with, like, my. My gut and knowing what's right for me, and I try not to ignore my gut. So what was funny is the book proposal I created wasn't even for the book I wanted to write. It was something that I already had kind of fleshed out, an annual planning book, essentially, that I could put into a proposal pretty quickly. And I sent that off to them, the head of acquisitions at Hay House. And then what was really amazing is I got an email back about wanting to do a call with me just to discuss things. And I was like, oh, my gosh, I can't believe I'm going to have a call with someone at Hay House. And so, long story short, the person who I was on the call with had already known who I was. In fact, they had been a member of my Gingiva Tea Town Club, which is like, what in the world? Like, what a small world that they actually knew me. And they said when my proposal came in on their desk, they were so excited because they actually knew who I was. And I said, what are the odds of that, right? So we started talking, and I won't go over things that I shouldn't go over. But during this discussion, the woman on the other end of the call said, you know, and I think this book that you proposed is not the book I would want you to write. And I looked at her and I said, actually, that's not the book I want to write either. She goes, it's not? I said, nope, it's not. I said, I just had this gut feeling that I needed to get something in front of you as quickly as possible. And so she agreed that the book she wanted me to develop was the book I wanted to develop, which was a book on art business for people who are working in the margins of life, based off of my mini course, which has been like a huge success, called the Artist side Hustle. And so she said, how quickly can you put together the proposal for the book that we actually want you to write? And I said, dagnabbit, I'll do it in three weeks and you tell me if I need to do it sooner. So I hustled my little butt off and I got that book proposal sent in. And I'll tell you, I had, in a different part of my life, been dealing with something really, really hard at the time, like, really difficult. One of the hardest things I've ever had to deal with in my business. And I was with my sister who works with me at GingerBR, the product side. And we had actually gone away on a trip together, a sister trip, to kind of recharge our batteries. And I was in a hotel room with her, and I was really mopey and sad. Like, really, really sad. It was a low point for me. And I got an email with a book offer from Hay House offering me the chance to write this book and share it with the world and help creatives hopefully find the ways forward to give themselves margin in their life in order to start their own art businesses. And now it's all coming full circle because I am flying back to Scotland and I'm spending almost three weeks there working on my book. Now, I'm not going to lie, I'm on a tight time schedule, which is why I'm having to leave so I can be completely focused. My kids are like, mom, why can't you write the book here? But the truth is, I get really distracted when it comes to, like, being home. In my environment, I'm not the fastest writer. I'm fast at making art, I'm fast about talking about art. But having me write is just. It's a little painstaking. But I want it to be a great book because I want it to help people and I want to be able to share my heart for how I view our roles as creatives in this world. And I want to meet people where they're at. And so I'm giving it my all for three weeks in Scotland, going back, probably I'll go back to the milkman if there's seats available, and work on my book. And I'm going to be cozy in the winter where the days are short in Edinburgh. But the inspiration is everywhere and hopefully whenever I come back, my book will have a nice healthy first draft available. Because I have to have this done by February. So in closing, I'm writing a book called the Artist side Hustle that I have to finish by February. And it will be released by Hay House, distributed through Penguin Random House, which is just bananas. Fulfilling a dream. Hopefully that will come true. Or maybe this book will be a hit. Maybe it will have a huge impact on our creative industry. Maybe it will be a New York Times bestseller. I don't know. But I learned enough in my 38 years to realize that like, just never put the lid on something. Never like lessen the possibility of what could happen. So I'm just going to cross my fingers and toes that it's going to have a bigger impact than I can even imagine. And I'm hoping that whenever it's available for pre order that you will be there to help me make this a success. Because the truth is, books become a success based off of their pre order numbers in that first week release. Like, that's it. It's kind of crazy, but I have a lot of people in my world who I think will show up for me when this book releases and we can make a huge impact. And honestly, maybe that little vision board goal of being a New York Times bestseller will come true. Maybe not. Maybe it'll be something different. But I'm just so honored and thrilled to get to have this opportunity to write. I'll say that a long time ago, I was featured on a blog. Before Gingerbrew was anything, it was a home decorating blog. And I did like a little tour of my house and I was so excited to be featured on it. But back then when blogs did features, there was this horrible site called get off my Internet, Go Me that would always write snarky things about people who have these kind of blogs. And I being a glutton for punishment. I remember when my feature went live, I was like, I wonder if anyone's writing about it on Go me. So like a fool, I went on there and I checked and someone was writing about me and they're like, oh my gosh, she's a horrible writer. Like, I know she's not really a writer, she's an artist and showing off her house. But man, she is a horrible writer. And you know what? That stuck with me. My husband then and there said, stop Googling yourself. And I haven't since then. I don't look for myself online. I have no idea what people are saying about me anymore. But there is this memory from whenever I was much younger and I hadn't even written on my vision board the goal of being an author where someone said something real crappy about me and my ability to write. And I am determined to redeem this and to be the best writer I can be and to hopefully share what I know with confidence and joy. And maybe, just maybe, even if that one person who didn't like my writing all these years ago doesn't find this book helpful, maybe there will be hundreds of thousands of creatives who do find it helpful. Because whenever you're where you're supposed to be doing the work you're supposed to be doing, I think doors open. And I think this is an amazing door that's open for me, and I take this so seriously, and I'm so honored. So thank you to Hay House for believing in me. And thank you to you all for listening and celebrating secret number one that I'm revealing today. And come back for the next episode where I think it'll be time to reveal secret number two. And it's a big one. All right, I am about to go hop on my plane, so I better let you go. I'm Stacy Bloomfield, and have a great day and I'll talk to you later. Bye.