What if you didn’t need galleries or perfect timing to build a successful art career?

In this episode of The Professional Artist Podcast, mixed media artist Dayo Johnson is featured by the Professional Artist Association (https://professionalartist.com/join), the world’s fastest-growing global community for committed fine artists.

For over 30 years, Dayo has built a sustainable career outside the traditional gallery system… through festivals, commissions, and direct relationships with collectors.

Starting with $50 booths and small local shows, she steadily grew her audience, income, and opportunities through consistency.

Rather than waiting for recognition, Dayo focused on showing up turning each sale into momentum for the next opportunity.

In this episode, Dayo breaks down how she turned small art shows into a full-time income, how commissions became a reliable part of her business, and the unconventional way she funds future shows through her collectors.

“ Even during times, when it feels like it's not working, continue on, keep going because there's going to be something that breaks through that allows you to do what you want to do.”

— Dayo Johnson

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction
02:16 Wild Child with Sunflowers: Story and Origin of a Piece
05:47 Before Painting: Career Transition from Vocal Performance to Visual Art
08:39 Turning Art into Livelihood: $50 Shows and Keeping Going
10:10 Translating Music into Visual Art (Venus de Milo)
12:13 Vulnerability in Selling Art and Advice to Artists
13:49 Building the Business Over Time: Festivals First, Galleries Later
15:10 What Sustains an Art Career: Shows vs. Commissions Timing
16:29 Commission Approach, Volume, and Managing Big Assignments
18:26 Unconventional Funding: Collectives Program for Show Season
24:08 Commission Freedom and Creative Direction in a Door Piece
25:40 Staying Grounded and Avoiding Burnout Through Love of the Craft

Connect with Dayo

Website: https://www.dayoart.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dayoart

Learn more about The Professional Artist Association:

Mentoring:

Apply to join 99 artists for unlimited 1:1 Coaching & Mentoring to grow your art income:

https://professionalartist.com/apply

Membership:

Join 1,000+ committed artists around the world for less than $1, £ or € a day: https://professionalartist.com/join

Free Letter:

Join 50,000+ artists getting Free advice & inspiration every week:

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/professionalartistaccelerator

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with another artist and leave us a review. We read every single one.

What does success actually mean for an artist?

In this episode of The Professional Artist Podcast, contemporary figurative painter Alyssa Monks is featured by the Professional Artist Association (https://professionalartist.com/join), the world’s fastest-growing global community for committed fine artists.

Alyssa is internationally known for her emotionally charged paintings that push the boundaries of traditional realism while exploring the psychological complexity of being human.

Alyssa shares why she resists the pressure to manufacture a perfectly cohesive body of work, how intuition guides her studio decisions, and how her definition of success evolved away from external validation and toward a practice built around honesty in the work.

This episode offers a candid look at what it means to build a career that protects your artistic integrit… and why redefining success may be the most important decision an artist makes.

“If that's what you're doing it for, for the recognition the metrics that are outside of our control, It can be something that could hold you back“— Alyssa Monks

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction
02:04 Exploring Vulnerability in Art
04:50 The Journey of a Self-Portrait
08:29 The Impact of Grieving on Artistic Practice
10:57 Intuitive vs. Structured Creation
13:45 Redefining Success in Art
16:58 The Role of Community in Artistry
20:35 Finding Inspiration from Friends and Peers
23:18 Coping with Creative Blocks
26:01 Hope as a Fundamental Ingredient in Art
28:22 The Importance of Personal Connection to Work

Connect with Alyssa

Website: https://www.alyssamonks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyssamonks/

Learn more about The Professional Artist Association:

Mentoring:

Apply to join 99 artists for unlimited 1:1 Coaching & Mentoring to grow your art income:

https://professionalartist.com/apply

Membership:

Join 1,000+ committed artists around the world for less than $1, £ or € a day: https://professionalartist.com/join

Free Letter:

Join 50,000+ artists getting Free advice & inspiration every week:

https://professionalartist.com/podcast/#join-free-artist-letter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/professionalartistaccelerator

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with another artist and leave us a review. We read every single one.

What does it take to turn deeply personal artwork into major professional opportunities?

In this episode of The Professional Artist Podcast, artist Charles Clary is featured by the Professional Artist Association (https://professionalartist.com/join), the world’s fastest-growing global community for committed fine artists.

Charles is known for his intricate paper installations built from layered paper, drywall, and found materials.

His work transforms themes of grief and healing into immersive sculptural environments.

Over time, that distinctive visual language led to commissions from organizations including Google, Amazon, and the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas.

These opportunities didn’t appear overnight. They grew from years of refining his craft, building professional relationships, and learning how to present his work clearly when large-scale opportunities arose.

In this episode, Charles shares how personal expression became the foundation for major commissions, how he approaches corporate collaborations, and why professionalism matters when institutions come calling.

"Be ready for it, don't jump into the deep end until you're ready to swim. It took a good development of the work to get to those commissions” — Charles Clary

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
02:12 Transformation of Personal Trauma into Art
05:04 The Role of Childhood Experiences
08:18 The Shift from Music to Art
10:51 Discovering the Use of Paper in Art
13:21 The Evolution of Artistic Style
16:46 Corporate Commissions: Insights and Experiences
20:44 How to Maximize Opportunities
23:33 The Importance of Professionalism
25:28 Navigating Rejection and Acceptance
28:09 The Memento Morididdle Series
30:54 Key Takeaways for Aspiring Artists

Connect with Charles
Website: https://charlesclary.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlesclary

Learn more about The Professional Artist Association:

Mentoring:
Apply to join 99 artists for unlimited 1:1 Coaching & Mentoring to grow your art income:
https://professionalartist.com/apply

Membership:
Join 1,000+ committed artists around the world for less than $1, £ or € a day: https://professionalartist.com/join

Free Letter:
Join 50,000+ artists getting Free advice & inspiration every week:
https://professionalartist.com/podcast/#join-free-artist-letter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/professionalartistaccelerator

If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with another artist and leave us a review. We read every single one.