What do you think about artist coaching? Even hearing the term has, from time to time, made me vomit a little bit in my mouth. The really funny part about that is I actually do a little coaching myself. I consider myself more of a mentor though. Honestly, I don't really like the term "coaching," and I think it's because of the many negative associations tied to it in our influencer dominated culture where everyone seems to be a coach of something. In many cases, it's like the blind leading the blind, but let's talk about it.
The Criticisms I Often Hear:
These people haven't done the things they claim to have done.
These people sell coaching programs because they couldn't actually succeed in selling their art or being an artist.
Everything has a paywall.
These people are trying to make a quick buck and can't actually fulfill anything they are promising.
These people have never actually accomplished anything to make them an authority on the subject.
Most of these people came from money or a trust fund. They didn't actually build or do anything.
The programs don't work, or even make a difference.
The Evaluation:
In many cases, I think a lot of the above may be true for many of the options out there. There are trust fund babies being fueled by mommy and daddy that want to convince you they built their success from the ground up. There are people telling straight up lies to convince you of their success, taking your money, and building their platform off the back of that. There are artists that straight up don't give an F about you, but will try to sell you a program under the guise that they do, and can help you make six figures a month. I call BS. In 2026, it is easier than ever to be deceived or to straight up pretend to be something you are not. We live in the era of scams, and most of them seem to be targeted at artists.
Am I Any Different And Why Do I Do It:
Maybe I'm different...but maybe I'm not. The truth is, one of the reasons I do a little coaching is because the art market has been rough. I won't deny that. It is a good way to supplement, and one thing I often recommend to artists is supplementing your resources and building sustainability. It's a smart approach. Before I started coaching though, I made sure I had both knowledge and real world experience, decades of it. I have sold over a million dollars in art. I am currently working with I think 8 galleries across the country. I have work in the collections of businesses and celebrities around the world. I have exhibited at Miami Art Week. I had a pretty extensive resume...before I set it on fire in 2020 when the world really started to burn. That's a story for another time.
More important than my successes or glory highlights above though, are my failures, and I have far more of them. Unlike many of these pretenders, one of the key things I share with artists are my struggles and my failures. Those are actually as valuable, if not more valuable, than my successes. My true key to success, and I'm giving it to you free right here, is my refusal to give up. I get back up time and time again. I find creative solutions. I adapt. I don't look for some magic formula from a coach or some external source. I put in the work because in my heart and soul, I know this isn't just my passion, it's my purpose. That's something you can't teach people. I do share the stories though in the hopes of helping others avoid the pitfalls.
Coaching was something I kinda just added on because I was already teaching and doing artist support, and I was giving it away for free. In fact, I still do, and I always will. I give that milk away for free because F the corporate farm. I have hundreds of free support videos on just about every topic. You may need to do some digging to find the topic you want, but it's out there. My coaching is more so for artists looking for personalized attention. I also only do my sessions by the hour, so no longterm commitment. If you want an hour, you book an hour. As a coach, it's important to me that I always put the art first. Otherwise, I really don't feel like I should be in a position to guide people. Coaching full time is absolutely not something I want to do...EVER.
I really just wanted to talk about coaching in general here. I'm not trying to sell anyone on me and my program. I'm also not saying every coach is bad. I'm saying do your research...on all of them, even me. If you're interested in working with me, you can reach out. This is what I want to leave you with though. One of my biggest issues is that many of these programs say they know exactly what you should do. They don't. As a coach, I am never trying to convince you of MY way or THE way. My goal is to help you find A way, and ultimately YOUR way. This is your journey. If you feel one of these coaching can help you, go for it. If you feel I can help you, check out all my free stuff on my platforms first. If you want more, I'm around, usually up to something.
Find me everywhere HERE