Beyond the Studio

If you’re new to the podcast, check out Beyond the Studio’s official trailer to get to know more about us and our mission.🎙️ And, would you do us a favor? Would you share it with your creative community if you think they’d find value in hearing more transparent conversations about the real work of being an artist? 🎧 You can hear the full trailer (including a list of our top episode recommendations to start with 🌟) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Re-introducing ourselves, since there are so many new people here! 😳🌟 We're Nicole Mueller @nicolemariemueller and Amanda Adams aka @closecallstudio , the co-hosts of Beyond the Studio: a podcast about the career paths of working contemporary artists. 🎙️⁠ ⁠ We both met in art school, and started Beyond the Studio in 2017 after feeling like there was a major gap in professional development for artists, and a lack of transparency in the art world. 🎨⁠ ⁠ The podcast features candid conversations with artists, makers, and art world professionals about their business practices, time management, financial planning, and how they're navigating the unique challenges of making a living, creatively. 💰⁠ ⁠ Our mission is to bring more generosity, transparency, and equity to the arts by sharing artists' stories openly and honestly. ⁠ ⁠ In the 4 (almost 5!) years since we started the podcast, we've each been able to take our artistic practices full-time and the podcast has been downloaded over 200k times—but we feel like we're just getting started! ⁠ ⁠ 🎧 Check out our trailer to learn more on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!⁠ ⁠ 📸 from our first "official podcast trip" in 2019 at Art World Conference in NYC!

If you're new here, welcome! ❤️ Beyond the Studio is a podcast about the career paths of working contemporary artists and makers. We believe in transparency, generosity, and the power of storytelling to transform the art world into one that's more equitable and artist-centered.⁠ ⁠ Last week we released a trailer along with our new "teaser" episode, for those that are new to the podcast! In it, we've included some episode recommendations to help get you started, and wanted to share them below: ⁠ ⁠ 📌 "Amy Whitaker talks Using Business as a Tool, Building Equity in the Arts, and Re-Inventing the Art Market"⁠ @theamywhit ⁠ ⁠ 📌 "Abdu Ali talks Self-Empowerment, Reclaiming Permission, and Staying Fluid to Support Community"⁠ @abdu__ali ⁠ ⁠ 📌 "Dexter Wimberly & Heather Bhandari talk Rebuilding the Infrastructure of the Art World, Expanding Definitions of Value, and the First Virtual Art World Conference" ⁠@dexterwimberly @hdb917 @artworldlearning ⁠ ⁠ 📌 "Amanda & Nicole talk Gratitude, Paying Off Debt, and Their Journeys Since Starting the Podcast" ⁠@closecallstudio @nicolemariemueller ⁠ ⁠ 📌 "Jessica Lee talks Legal Issues, Art Copyright, and the Art of Negotiation"⁠ @lawgirl21 ⁠ ⁠ 📌 "William Deresiewicz talks Art and Economics, the Rise and Fall of the Professional Artist, and the Influence of Big Tech"⁠ ⁠ You can find all of our episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts (and on our website, beyondthe.studio)!⁠ ⁠ 🎙️ For those longtime fans, did we miss any of your favorites? What episode(s) would you recommend to somebody new to the podcast? ⁠

“I used to believe that artists never retire…well that’s not true. Your body retires.” @sharonlouden from “Sharon Louden talks Longevity, Resiliency, and Being a Catalyst for Change” 🎙️ In our latest episode with @sharonlouden speaking with her about her book “Last Artist Standing: Living and Sustaining a Creative Life Over 50” led to a conversation about longevity, misperceptions about artists who continue creating work over 50, and the infrastructure needed to support artists throughout their lives. This is a necessary listen for anyone looking to build a long-term career in the arts. Artists in their 50s & 60s…what’s something you wish you would have known in your 20s & 30s, if you could impart any wisdom on your younger self? #beyondthestudio #livesustain #sharonlouden #creativecareer #artistinterviews

What does it really take to continue making art over a lifetime? ✍️ That’s what @sharonlouden explores in her latest book: “Last Artist Standing: Living and Sustaining a Creative Life Over 50” We’ve often cited Sharon and her book series on “Living and Sustaining a Creative Life” as one of the inspirations behind starting @beyondthestudio podcast, and continue to be inspired by her passion and fire for improving the lives and working conditions of artists. 🔥 We were honored to first interview her back in 2019 after the release of her second book, and are so excited to welcome Sharon back on the podcast to speak about longevity, resiliency, and being a catalyst for change. 💫✨ Listen to the full conversation wherever you find podcasts 🎙️ #beyondthestudio #livesustain #sharonlouden #artistinterviews #creativecareers

🎉🎙️ NEW EPISODE of Beyond the Studio feat. @sharonlouden is now LIVE! We first interviewed Sharon back in 2019 after the release of her second book, and are so excited to welcome her back on the podcast to speak about her third book “Last Artist Standing: Living and Sustaining a Creative Life Over 50” 📚 If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to continue making art over a lifetime, this episode illuminates what we can learn about longevity and the real needs of artists from late-career stages, the importance of intergenerational bridges, leading from a place of gratitude and generosity, and how community makes it possible to move with strength and resiliency. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at the link in our bio! 🎧 #artspodcast #beyondthestudio #sharonlouden #livesustain #lastartiststanding

One thing we’ve learned through sustaining a creative practice is that no two years look alike: Diversity = Resiliency (in nature, in society, and in personal finance!) 🌱 Every year we share our annual income + expense breakdowns as full-time working artists, on the podcast and through these visual charts. 📊 Here are @nicolemariemueller ’s 2025 charts. 🎨🏗️👷🏼‍♀️ We’re sharing the real numbers to go along with them over on our Substack (link in bio) and of course you can listen to the latest podcast episode “Amanda and Nicole talk Financial Reflections: 2025” for all the details! 🎧 #beyondthestudio #podcast #piecharts #workingartist #creativecareer

Every year we share our annual income + expense breakdowns as full-time creatives. ✍️ We’ve found that being completely transparent about our own journeys and how we’ve managed to sustain our creative practices year-over-year has helped demystify the practical aspects of pursuing a career in the arts and the choices that financially sustain us, for ourselves and for other artists. 📊 Here are @closecallstudio ’s 2025 charts. 🪡🧵🍄 We’re also sharing the real numbers over on our Substack (link in bio) and of course you can listen to the latest podcast episode “Amanda and Nicole talk Financial Reflections: 2025” for all the details! 🎙️ #beyondthestudio #podcast #piecharts #workingartist #creativecareer

Loved stumbling on this handwritten letter by Agnes Martin, listing every day job she’s ever had! ✍️ Our favorites include knowing she “managed cherry pickers” and worked “as a receptionist, in a hamburger stand…also raised rabbits and ducks.” It’s very much in the spirit of a recent workshop we gave with @newyorkacademyofart + @dexterwimberly , where we list “all the things we’ve done for money” (things outside of our artistic practice that have supported our artistic practice), including day jobs, freelance work, creative gigs, & more (you can now watch the full recording of our workshop “A Financial Roadmap for Artists” on their YouTube channel, linked in our bio). Although we hadn’t seen Agnes Martin’s list then, it only reinforces the ways artists have always had to creatively piece together a living in order to financially support their work, and what we aim to demystify on Beyond the Studio podcast. Thank you to @masoncurrey for sharing (you can see the original post on their Substack: “Agnes Martin’s handwritten list of every job she ever had”)! We’ll include the full list in the comments below, in case you have trouble reading her handwriting. Oh, and happy tax day to all who celebrate. 🥴😭

📊 The kinds of exchanges that don’t show up on an income + expense report but are an invaluable form of support in our lives. 🎧 Listen to “Financial Reflections: 2025” on Beyond the Studio podcast, where @closecallstudio & @nicolemariemueller share how we’re sustaining our creative practices as artists, shifting business models around changing economic times, managing cash flow around variable income, becoming an S-Corp, the dangers small business owners face against large online retailers, and the things that don’t show up on a spreadsheet but are essential for financial stability. #beyondthestudio #artspodcast #podcast #newepisodes #creativecareer

Our annual financial recap is here! 📈📊📉🎙️ Every year since 2023 we’ve opened up our personal finances to the world through the podcast in hopes of shedding light on the realities of making a living as an artist and an otherwise taboo, opaque subject in the arts. We’ve found that being completely transparent about our own journeys and how we’ve managed to sustain our creative practices year-over-year has helped demystify the practical aspects of pursuing a career in the arts and the choices that financially sustain us, for ourselves and for other artists. In this episode @closecallstudio & @nicolemariemueller will be recapping our 2025 finances, how we’re sustaining our creative practices as artists, shifting business models around changing economic times, managing cash flow around variable income, becoming an S-Corp, the dangers small business owners face against large online retailers, and the things that don’t show up on a spreadsheet but are essential for financial stability. 🎧 Listen to Beyond the Studio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack, or wherever you find podcasts!

✨✨A Financial Roadmap for Artists with Beyond The Studio✨✨Join us on Tuesday, March 31 at 6:30pm Eastern Time for an essential conversation focused on financial empowerment, one of the most crucial yet often overlooked aspects of building a sustainable art career. Moderated by New York Academy of Art Senior Critic Dexter Wimberly, this FREE, ONLINE event will feature Amanda Amanda and Nicole Mueller, hosts of the acclaimed Beyond The Studio podcast, who will share candid insights from their own experiences as working artists. Amanda and Nicole will present an in-depth discussion about the realities of maintaining an art practice, including transparent conversations about income streams, budgeting strategies, and the financial decisions that shape an artist’s career. Drawing from their extensive experience helping artists navigate the business side of their practice, they’ll provide practical frameworks for thinking about money, sustainability, and long-term career planning. This is a rare opportunity to hear two established artists speak openly about topics that are often considered taboo in art school settings, but are essential to your success as an artist. REGISTER FOR FREE VIA THE LINK IN MY BIO.✨✨✨or at nyaa.edu/lectures