The Artist Next Level Podcast with Sergio Gomez

• Collectors may forget the details of your technique, but they remember your story. In this episode, Sergio Gomez explains why the story behind a body of work does more to sell art than the way it was made, and how you can start telling yours with confidence.
• You'll learn a simple three-part way to tell that story: why you made the work, how you made it, and what it means. Sergio also shares where your story belongs, including your labels, your website, and studio visits. He draws on examples from his own series to show how it sounds in practice.
• If you're an artist who wants collectors to connect with your work, this is a practical place to begin. Ready to build a sustainable art business with coaching, community, and clear next steps? Join the Art NXT Level program at https://www.theartistnextlevel.com.

Art school taught you to paint, but nobody taught you how to get paid. In this episode, Sergio Gomez explains why so many artists stay stuck: no one to ask, no plan, and no one checking in. Then he gives you a simple business class built on the CANVAS Method, six principles for turning your art into a business that sustains itself.

C is Costs: know what it costs to make and run your art. A is Aim: set your number. N is Net profit: know what you keep. V is Value: price with a formula, not a feeling. A is Audience: your collectors are your customers. S is Sustain: build a business that lasts. Along the way you'll hear how to turn your monthly number into sales, compare what you keep through a gallery versus selling from your studio, and set up a simple money system. Grab a pen and notebook, because there is a lot to write down. Hosted by Sergio Gomez, artist and coach, Art NXT Level.

Ready to build a sustainable art business with coaching, community, and clear next steps? Join the Art NXT Level program at https://www.theartistnextlevel.com.

Thinking about leaving your day job to make art full time? You don't have to quit first. You have to shift first. In this episode, Sergio Gomez shares how he went from seven years in marketing and advertising, then thirteen as a tenured professor, to a full-time art career in 2018.

It wasn't luck or one big sale. It was three shifts. First, mindset: use the 3-Question Reframe to change the story you tell yourself. Second, studio practice: swap multitasking for time-blocking, build a seven-hour weekly studio schedule (about 350 hours a year), and set three weekly goals with deadlines and accountability. Third, relationship-first marketing: art moves through people, so build trust with collectors, artists, galleries and friends with simple habits, including five meaningful conversations a day.

Grab a pen and paper, because each shift comes with a practical exercise you can do today. Ideal for artists balancing a job, a studio and a bigger dream. Hosted by Sergio Gomez, artist and coach, Art NXT Level. Ready to build a sustainable art business with coaching, community, and clear next steps? Join the Art NXT Level program at https://www.theartistnextlevel.com.

What are wealthy collectors actually doing in 2026, and how can you be ready? Sergio Gomez walks through the Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2026, which covers 3,100 collectors in 10 countries. Global art sales reached $59.6 billion in 2025, and 39% of collectors plan to buy in the next year. You'll hear that 69% bought directly from an artist, 40% commissioned a work, and 59% bought at least one piece under $10,000.

We cover how Instagram now drives sales, why 72% research an artist before buying, and why collectors are playing it safer with newer names. We also look at the demand for originals, women collectors leading discovery, the value of in-person events, and why every generation is buying. Sergio closes with five practical ways to get positioned: make buying direct easy, build proof, be ready for research, price with confidence, and meet collectors in person. Hosted by Sergio Gomez, artist and coach, Art NXT Level.

Download the Collector Ready PDF: https://www.theartistnextlevel.com/collectors-trend-2026

Ready to build a sustainable art business with coaching, community, and clear next steps? Join the Art NXT Level program at https://www.theartistnextlevel.com.

Are collectors still buying art in 2026? Yes. And more of them are buying directly from artists.

In Episode 408, artist, curator, gallery owner and art business coach Sergio Gomez breaks down the Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2026, the annual report on art collectors worldwide by Dr. Clare McAndrew and Arts Economics. Based on a survey of about 3,100 collectors in 10 countries, Sergio shares the 10 collector trends every artist needs to know going into 2026 and 2027, and what each one means for your art career.

Sergio has followed this report for about 10 years. He reads it as an artist and as a gallery owner, and he turns the data into simple actions you can take this week, whether you sell at $200 or $20,000.

In this episode, you'll learn the 10 collector trends:

• Collectors buy directly from artists: Why direct sales are growing, how collectors find artists in studios and on Instagram, and how to make it easy to buy from you.
• Commissions are a real opportunity: How to make commissions an official offer, what to put on a commission page, and why a starting price helps.
• Collectors buy at real-world prices: How to price with confidence using small, medium and signature pieces, and why to raise prices steadily as demand grows.
• Instagram sells art: What to include in every post (title, medium, size), why to show work in a room, and how to add a clear call to action.
• Collectors want proof: Why many collectors are cautious about newly discovered artists, and how testimonials, shows, press and consistency build trust.
• Collectors do their homework: How to be easy to look up, from Google and AI search to an updated bio, art statement, CV and your story in plain words.
• Uniqueness wins: Why to lead with originals, share your process, and tell why each piece is one of a kind.
• Women collectors lead discovery: How to build relationships, host events and follow up personally.
• In-person still matters: Why open studios, art fairs and local events close the sale that online starts, especially in the age of AI images.
• Every generation is buying: Why painting is still a top medium, and why you should ask your buyers how they find and buy art.

Also in this episode:

• The 5 ways to position yourself as an artist right now: make it easy to buy direct, build proof, be ready for research, price with confidence, and meet collectors in person
• Why first-time buyers can become second-time buyers and, over time, collectors
• How to sell art online and in person without waiting for permission from a gallery

Resources:

• Free guide: the Collector Ready Guide with all 10 trends, the key numbers, what each means for you, and a checklist: [add link]
• Instagram Made Simple for Artists 50+, a course for artists who say Instagram is not for them: [add link]
• Join the Art NXT Level Academy, with weekly live Q&A, a private artist community and coaching: theartistnextlevel.com

Subscribe to The Artist Next Level Podcast on Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review to help more artists find the show.

Hosted by Sergio Gomez, co-founder of Art NXT Level. Learn more at theartistnextlevel.com.

Get the Free PDF mentioned in the episode: https://www.theartistnextlevel.com/collectors-trend-2026

What happens when you spend decades putting your art dreams on hold?

In this episode of The Artist Next Level, I sit down with artist Rene Griffith to talk about her journey from growing up believing that art was something she couldn't pursue, to eventually moving across the country and building the art career she always knew was inside her.

Rene shares how travel continues to influence her abstract work, why she thinks abstract art can be experienced much like music, and how she approaches marketing as a way of connecting people with her art rather than simply trying to sell it.

We also talk about something every artist needs to hear: you don't have unlimited time and energy. Renee shares why setting clear goals, taking action, and learning to say no to opportunities that don't move your career forward can make all the difference.

If you've ever thought you're too old, too late, not good enough with technology, or simply don't know where to start, Renee's story is a powerful reminder that you can still pursue the artist you were meant to become.

Rene Griffith's Contact Information

Website: https://www.renegriffithart.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rene.griffith/

If Instagram feels overwhelming, confusing, or like a full-time job you never signed up for… this conversation is for you.

In this live Q&A for artists 50+, we talked about what actually matters when it comes to using Instagram to grow your audience and promote your art.

We covered: • The 3 posts every artist should consider pinning • Reels vs. posts—and what each one is really good for • Why carousel posts are worth testing • When boosting a post makes sense (and when it doesn't) • How often you really need to post • Sharing sold artwork without making your feed feel like a sales catalog • Cross-promoting between multiple accounts • Why comment pods can hurt more than they help • How to connect your Reels and create a content series • And how to build a posting rhythm you can actually sustain

The goal isn't to spend more time on Instagram.

It's to use the time you already have more strategically.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation and start making Instagram work FOR your art—not the other way around.

Get the course Instagram Made Simple for Artists 50+ at: https://www.theartistnextlevel.com/insta50

Let's talk about the topic most artists would rather avoid: MONEY.

You can be an incredible artist and still struggle financially if you don't understand the business side of your career.

In this week's episode of the Artist Next Level Podcast, I'm joined by Amber Reusch, CPA, entrepreneur, working artist, and founder of Dots & Digits Accounting.

We dive into some of the biggest financial mistakes Amber sees artists making today. But here's the big takeaway:

Understanding your numbers isn't about restriction. It's about freedom.

When you know what your art business actually costs, what you're earning, where your money is going, and what you need to charge, you can make better decisions—and build a career that actually supports the life you want.

🎧 Listen to the new episode of Artist Next Level and let's stop being afraid of the money side of being an artist.

Your art deserves a sustainable business behind it.

Episode Links: Instagram, TikTok: @dotsanddigitsaccounting Website: https://www.dotsanddigitsaccounting.com

Creative Growth Summit: https://creative-growth-summit.peachs.co/a/sergio-gomez

What happens when you give yourself permission to reinvent your life after 40?

In this inspiring conversation, Sergio Gomez sits down with photographer and artist Penny Fraser, creator of the Forty Over Forty Project, a five-year cultural legacy project documenting the stories of more than 150 women over the age of 40.

Penny shares how leaving a career in law and reconnecting with her creative side led her to a project that became much bigger than photography. Through intimate interviews, conceptual portraits, magazines, exhibitions, and community events, she is creating a living archive of women's stories—celebrating their resilience, transformation, accomplishments, and dreams.

Together, Sergio and Penny talk about reinvention, confidence, storytelling, resilience, community, and legacy—and what artists can learn from creating opportunities not only for themselves, but for others.

Penny also shares the lessons she has learned from listening to hundreds of women, the challenges of building a meaningful creative project from the ground up, and what happens when an artist stops waiting for opportunities and becomes an opportunity maker.

If you've ever wondered whether it's too late to start something new, this conversation is a powerful reminder: your next chapter may be the beginning of your most meaningful work.

Visit 40 Over 40 online: https://www.pennyfraserphotography.com

Instagram: @PennyFraserPhotography

Hosted by Sergio Gomez | Artist Next Level Podcast

In this episode of the Artist Next Level Podcast, Sergio Gomez introduces his simple yet powerful Three-Step Art Marketing Framework—a practical system artists can use to organize their social media marketing, create meaningful content, and attract the right audience.

Sergio breaks down the three essential stages of the framework: building awareness, building trust, and making the offer. He explains how artists can use these principles to structure their weekly content, strengthen connections with collectors and followers, and market their work with greater confidence and consistency.

Whether you're overwhelmed by social media or simply looking for a clearer marketing strategy, this episode provides an easy-to-remember roadmap that can simplify your marketing efforts and help you turn attention into engagement—and engagement into sales.

What if creating a marketing plan for your next exhibition, open studio, or collection launch could take minutes instead of days?

In this episode, I introduce a brand-new free tool designed specifically for artists: The Ultimate Marketing Calendar AI Prompt Generator.

This tool walks you through a few simple questions about your upcoming event, exhibition, or artwork release. Then it automatically builds a powerful AI prompt based on my proven marketing framework, complete with the same strategies and planning methods I use with artists every day.

Simply copy the generated prompt into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or your favorite AI platform, and instantly receive a customized marketing calendar tailored to your goals, audience, and artistic voice.

No generic templates. No robotic content. Just a personalized marketing plan designed around your work.

Best of all, it's completely free with no strings attached.

In this episode, I'll show you exactly how the tool works, why it produces better results than standard AI prompts, and how you can start using it today to create your most effective marketing campaign yet.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by marketing or unsure what to post, when to promote, or how to build momentum around your next event, this episode is for you.

Get access HERE: https://www.theartistnextlevel.com/aitool

Margaret Johnson had been carrying a vision for 25 years — large-scale botanical paintings that brought together her childhood love of nature, her training at the Denver Botanic Gardens, and her roots as an expressive, intuitive painter. This episode is the story of how that vision finally came to life in Emergence, her solo exhibition at the Cannon Center Art Gallery in Boulder, Colorado, curated through the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art.

We talk about what it really takes to say yes to the biggest show of your career — including how Margaret worked through her inner critic, built a month-by-month studio schedule, and used a strategic marketing plan that included personal invitations to key contacts in the art world. One of those personal invitations led directly to a new opportunity to place her work. That story alone is worth the listen.

We also go deep on what it means to work with a curator who helps you see the threads in your own work across 25 years, the unexpected connection to Georgia O'Keeffe that began at a childhood dinner party, and what the studio feels like after everything goes on the wall.

If you have an exhibition coming up — or you're dreaming about one — this conversation will give you both the practical roadmap and the emotional permission to go for it.

Episode 400. It's hard to believe, but here we are.

This milestone episode was recorded live aboard the Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady during the Cruise for Creatives 2026 — and it is one of the most meaningful episodes I have ever made.

Instead of a solo reflection or a single interview, I went around the ship and asked the artists who joined us one simple but powerful question: What is the power of art to you?

Each artist answered independently. No group circle, no shared answers in advance. And what came back was a beautiful tapestry of perspectives from painters, photographers, a physician, a psychologist, a children's book author, a wellness coach, and artists from Florida, Canada, the Bahamas, Illinois, and Massachusetts.

In this episode you will hear from Barbara Gerdemann, Shirley Williams, Francine Sweet, Dr. Kevin Bethel, Keith Davidson, Mary Davidson, Richard Hershberger, and Dr. Yanina Gomez — each sharing what the power of art means to them personally.

I also share two stories from my own life that shaped how I understand this question: the stick figure drawings I made in a church in Mexico City as a little boy, and the moment early in my career when a young woman stood in front of one of my paintings and quietly began to cry — because it reminded her of the last time she saw her father.

That moment changed me as an artist. It may change how you see your work too.

I also share exciting news about the Cruise for Creatives 2027 — now reimagined as a full Residency Experience at Sea running March 13–21, 2027. If you have ever wanted to step away from the studio, clear your head, and discover your next big thing surrounded by a community of serious artists, this is for you. Learn more and book your cabin at cruiseforCreatives.com.

Thank you for being here for 400 episodes. If this podcast has meant something to you, the greatest gift you can give me is a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more artists find this show.

See you at the next level.

Are you working hard on your art but still feel invisible?

In today's crowded and fast-changing art world, getting noticed isn't just about making great work. With AI, social media noise, and endless opportunities (and scams), many artists feel overwhelmed and unsure where to focus.

In this episode, I share a simple 3-step plan to increase your visibility as an artist in 2026—without the overwhelm.

You'll learn how to:

• Clarify your message so people actually connect with your work • Choose the right visibility pathway instead of chasing everything • Build a clear opportunity blueprint to move your art career forward

Because the truth is—waiting to be discovered is no longer a strategy.

If you want your work to be seen by the right people and create real opportunities, this episode will help you get focused and take action.

Are you an artist over 40 who feels exhausted by Instagram? You are not alone. There is a myth that to succeed on social media in 2026, you need to be 20 years old, point at floating text, and dance to trending audio. That is not true. And frankly, it's not dignified for a serious artist with a studio practice. In this video, I'm breaking down the "No-Nonsense" Instagram strategy specifically for mature artists.

We are moving away from the "Influencer" mindset (chasing likes and virality) and moving toward the "Connector" mindset (building relationships and sales). You don't need a million followers. You need the right followers.

🔥 NEW COURSE: Instagram for Artists Over 50 If you are tired of guessing where to click or feeling overwhelmed by the technology, I have created a step-by-step roadmap just for you. No jargon. No stress. Just a clear path to visibility.

👉 Join the Instagram Made Simple for Artists Course Here: https://www.theartistnextlevel.com/insta50

The 2025 Artsy.net Buyer Trends Report is out, and the data reveals a massive shift in what art collectors are actually buying right now. In this video, I break down the key trends you need to know and explain exactly how to prepare your art business strategy for success in 2026.

As an artist and gallery owner for over 20 years, I've seen market shifts come and go, but the current move toward specific formats and aesthetics represents a huge opportunity for independent artists who are paying attention. We'll cover the rise of 'Mini Art,' the new color palette collectors love, and why domestic themes are selling fast.

In this video, you will learn:

🎨 What art collectors are searching for right now (and paying for!)

📈 How to translate art market data into actionable steps for your studio practice

🖼️ Why the "Small Works" trend might be your biggest opportunity for Q1 2026 sales

💼 My professional take on how these trends impact marketing for artists

📝 Adjustments you should make to your 2026 art business plan immediately

If you want to sell more art and build a sustainable career, understanding these buyer behaviors is critical. Stop guessing what collectors want and start using the data to your advantage!

Is it too late to be an artist? If you are considering starting an art career at 50, 60, or beyond, the answer is a resounding NO—but you can't follow the same rules as a 20-year-old.

In this podcast, I break down the specific roadmap for the midlife artist who wants to turn a passion into a professional, income-generating business without wasting time. Starting a second career as an artist comes with unique advantages, but also specific challenges regarding time management and marketing. We will move past the fear of "being too late" and focus on actionable art business tips that leverage your life experience.

In this podcast, we cover:

🎨 The 3 specific paths for building an art career later in life

🎨 How to perform a "Time Audit" to find studio time amidst adult responsibilities

🎨 The "90-Day Rule" to build a portfolio that actually helps you sell art

🎨 Much more It is never too late to build the creative life you want.

Let's get to work! 🚀 READY TO LEVEL UP?

Join the Art NXT Level Coaching Program: https://www.theartistnextlevel.com/

In this episode with Victoria Fry, CEO and founder of Visionary Art Collective, we talk about how to maintain a sustainable and focused art practice throughout the year. We cover the following topics:

• How morning routines and grounding practices create a buffer against overwhelm, and why they need to be personal, flexible, and enjoyable
• Navigating distraction, digital fatigue, and the constant pull away from creative work in a screen-driven culture
• The power of intentional boundaries, including Sergio's "add and subtract" rule for protecting time and energy
• Reframing success through self-reflection, accountability, and aligning daily choices with the highest version of yourself

Learn more about Victoria Fry at: https://www.visionaryartcollective.com/

The 2025 Artsy.net Buyer Trends Report is out, and the data reveals a massive shift in what art collectors are actually buying right now. In this video, I break down the key trends you need to know and explain exactly how to prepare your art business strategy for success in 2026.

As an artist and gallery owner for over 20 years, I've seen market shifts come and go, but the current move toward specific formats and aesthetics represents a huge opportunity for independent artists who are paying attention. We'll cover the rise of 'Mini Art,' the new color palette collectors love, and why domestic themes are selling fast.

In this video, you will learn:

What art collectors are searching for right now (and paying for!)

How to translate art market data into actionable steps for your studio practice

Why the "Small Works" trend might be your biggest opportunity for Q1 2026 sales

My professional take on how these trends impact marketing for artists

Adjustments you should make to your 2026 art business plan immediately

👉 Join the Art NXT Level Coaching Program: https://www.theartistnextlevel.com/

Is your art career based on a plan or just hope? Most artists struggle financially because they treat their business like a lottery ticket—hoping to get "discovered" rather than building a predictable system. In this video, I'm cutting through the noise and giving you the exact 1-Page Art Business Plan I use with my coaching clients.

This isn't a 50-page boring document you'll never read. This is a simple, actionable roadmap to help you predict your income, diversify your revenue streams, and focus on what actually moves the needle in 2026.

Stop guessing and start building a sustainable career today.

JOIN THE ART NXT LEVEL PROGRAM: https://www.theartistnextlevel.com/