Art + Audience, Ep. 33: How Georgia Norton Lodge Turned $35 House Sketches Into a Million-Dollar Art Business

Host: Stacie Bloomfield
Guest: Georgia Norton Lodge
Date: September 16, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into Georgia Norton Lodge’s unconventional journey from charging $35 for quick house portraits to building a million-dollar art business. Through a candid conversation with host Stacie Bloomfield, Georgia shares the risks, pivots, mindset shifts, and community-building strategies that enabled her to grow her art brand—and help others do the same. The pair unpack the myth of instant success, the messy reality of entrepreneurship, and why niching (for now) is powerful.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Georgia's Current World: Artist, Muralist, and Creative Mentor

• Location & Work (02:21): Georgia is based in Sydney, Australia, in the Inner West. She runs a design agency and "Secret Artist Business," a program teaching creatives to build profitable businesses.
• Black-and-White Murals (03:34): Georgia creates large, detailed black-and-white murals for high-profile clients and communities (Amazon Prime, Visit California, councils), always letting others do the coloring.

  "I get other people to color it in because, unlike you, Stacie, I'm terrified of color." — Georgia (04:22)

The Origin Story: The $35 House Drawing Side Hustle

• Book Cover Mishap (04:58, 05:22): Georgia’s freelance start was rocky—she didn't read the contract for her first book cover commission, panicked, and almost quit before her mother insisted she see it through.
• First House Drawn (05:35–07:02): While walking off her frustration, she sketched buildings from her neighborhood, then her mother's house. Her mother’s pride turned into word-of-mouth commissions and the birth of "Georgia Draws a House" via Instagram and a website.
• Side Hustle Grows (07:03–08:20): What started as moonlighting led to hundreds of commissions after a national newspaper featured her.

  “Meet the 20-something year old saving for a house by drawing yours. Great line.” — Georgia (08:13)
  “I got hundreds of orders and quit my job the next day.” — Georgia (08:29)

Transition To Full-Time And Launching Multiple Ventures

• Support and Soft Launch Agency (08:58): Georgia’s boss was aware and somewhat supportive, as she spun up “Soft Launch,” a design agency fueled by income from house drawings. The agency focuses on hospitality and gives young designers industry entry points.
• Mentoring Team Members (09:53): Georgia actively nurtures her team, encouraging side projects and independent growth.

  “Because I don't feel like the world should trap people… You have to be here forever. That doesn't make anyone want to stay.” — Georgia (10:18)

Pricing, Practice, and The "Charge What You're Worth" Myth

• Pricing Evolution (10:49–12:18):

  • Started selling house sketches for $35 AUD (approx. $25 USD) each, leading to mass practice and skill-building.
  • Over time, raised the price to $500 per drawing as demand and skill grew.

  “I’m quick at drawing… $35. They now sell for up to $500 each. I love it. And I started that way and I believe in starting that way because I have drawn thousand, maybe 10… It was a no brainer.” — Georgia (11:00)

• On Pricing Advice (12:55–14:03):

  • Skeptical of “charge your worth” advice; prefers a sustainable, scalable approach where artists build their brand and income gradually.

  “There's a toxic positivity issue on the Internet and there's like the starving artists theory feeding it…” — Georgia (12:56)

Building Audiences (For Two Different Businesses)

• Word of Mouth vs. Social Growth (14:30–15:21):
  • Soft Launch thrives on word-of-mouth and clear niching—no public persona required.
  • Georgia Draws a House is audience-driven and only succeeds with social proof and ongoing online engagement.
• Different Blueprints (15:21–16:18):
  • Not everyone needs to be public-facing—quiet, service-based business can bring steady income. But innovative art brands require visibility and audience building.

The Reality of Hard Work and Delayed Gratification

• Effort Required (16:18–17:30):
  • Georgia and Stacie agree on the necessity of showing up and putting in the work, regardless of whether it’s public-facing or behind the scenes.

  “All business is delayed gratification in a way.” — Stacie (17:18)

Building Success: First-Year Milestones and Privilege

• Leveraging Your Current Network (17:30–19:31):
  • Georgia’s design agency hit $150k in its first year, leveraging relationships and her pre-existing reputation.

  “Traditional businesses… can be quieter. But online, no roadmap businesses, I think you're gonna have to show up online. And also it's free until you're in the Facebook ad world. So what a privilege.” — Georgia (18:29)

Vulnerability, Authenticity, and Criticism

• Community Response to Success (21:26–23:48):
  • Stacie discusses the shift from support to criticism after her business scaled.
  • Georgia reports mostly supportive responses, attributing it to a strong, values-driven community and gradual, transparent growth.

Key Tactics for Scaling to a Million-Dollar Business

• Pivoting During Tough Times (27:35–28:39):

  • Surviving Covid: pivoted from B2B restaurant projects to workshops for the public and corporate clients

  “Pivot your butt off.” — Georgia (28:38)

• Hiring & Automation (28:58–32:26):

  • Building a capable team is critical for freeing founders to work in their “zone of genius.”
  • Automate routine processes (e.g., use ManyChat for Instagram DMs—handled 77% of her responses).
  • Shifted from house portraits to scalable online programs as a new revenue stream.

• Niching Down & Simplifying Offers (32:26–34:36):

  • Clear, singular service (“secret menu” for Soft Launch) lowers decision fatigue for both buyer and seller.

  “If you're only trying to sell one thing, you only have to talk about one thing.” — Georgia (34:36)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Early Struggles:

  "I didn't read the contract... And I freaked out. I had a tantrum and I stormed out of my mum's house." — Georgia (05:22)

• On Growth from Humble Beginnings:

  "I got hundreds of orders and quit my job the next day." — Georgia (08:29)

• On Pricing:

  "Everyone says, charge your worth, charge your worth, but I'm not sure if I totally agree... I started at $35 a pop." — Georgia (10:49)

• On Quiet Versus Front-Facing Businesses:

  "Soft Launch... is a word of mouth business... That business makes 600k, it's fine..." — Georgia (14:31) "Georgia Draws a House... that's all about building an audience." — Georgia (15:21)

• On Entrepreneurship and Privilege:

  "It is a privilege to be a creative. It's not for everyone. If you have even the ability to enroll in someone's program to learn that, that is a privilege." — Georgia (19:26)

• On Growing Beyond House Drawings:

  "I couldn't draw any more houses... I need to switch that, ditch it and build something else... I gave myself one year." — Georgia (29:13)

• On Impact and Teaching:

  "And my impact is far greater. My students lives are changed." — Georgia (31:23)

• On Niching:

  "Niche for now, not forever." — Georgia (34:36)

• On Creating Your Own Path:

  "Everyone, you know, not everything has to become a business idea. Like things can just be fabulous because you enjoy them." — Georgia (40:02)

• On Business Realities:

  "The only wrong way, I think, is being so afraid to do anything that you do nothing..." — Georgia (41:28)

Segment Timestamps

• Georgia’s Beginnings & First “Uh-Oh” (00:28, 05:22)
• Introduction to Current Ventures and Teaching (02:21–03:34)
• The Evolution from $35 Sketches to Global Muralist (04:58–08:20)
• Quitting Employment & Soft Launch Agency (08:58–10:18)
• Pricing Progression & Why Not to ‘Charge What You’re Worth’ (10:49–14:03)
• Audience Building Strategies – Two Blueprints (14:30–16:18)
• Business is Hard Work, Delayed Gratification (16:18–17:30)
• First Year Financials, The Role of Network & Privilege (17:30–19:31)
• Real Talk: Hard Work, Authenticity, and Handling Criticism (21:26–23:48)
• Scaling Tactics: Pivot, Build Team, Automate, Educate, Niche (27:35–34:36)
• The Power and Flexibility of Niching (34:36–36:31)
• Entrepreneurship Isn’t for Everyone—and That’s Good (36:31–41:28)
• Final Reflections and Community, Authenticity, Permission to Change (41:28–43:39)
• Where to Find Georgia Online (43:30)

Takeaways for Aspiring Artists & Creative Entrepreneurs

• Start small to skill up and prove demand, then gradually raise prices.
• You don’t need to quit your day job immediately; moonlighting is powerful.
• Don’t get trapped by “charge your worth” if you want to build a sustainable, scalable business.
• There are different growth strategies—public-facing audience-building or quiet, high-ticket service entrepreneurship.
• Pivot quickly, hire thoughtfully, automate ruthlessly, and teach if you want to scale.
• Niche for now, not forever—focusing your brand creates clarity and calm while you grow.
• Don’t be afraid to show your messy beginnings; vulnerability builds community and trust.
• Creative business ownership is a privilege—and isn’t mandatory for fulfillment. There’s no shame in keeping art as a passion.

Resources & Where to Find Georgia

• Instagram: @georgiadrawsahouse — “That’s my house. Find me there.” (43:30)

“If you have grit and determination and you have a good idea, do give it a go. ... If you don’t have that curiosity as well, that’s okay. I just don’t want people to feel shame… things can just be fabulous because you enjoy them.” — Georgia (42:15, 40:02)

End of Summary