Episode 161: Why Perfecting Your Art First Is Stalling Your Career

If you think you have to perfect your art before you let yourself think about the business side, Jodie has news for you: that belief is not protecting your work, it's stalling it. In this episode, Jodie breaks down her 85% rule, the mindset hack she uses every time perfectionism tries to keep her work off the easel and out of the world.

Jodie shares the story of an artist whose technically flawless painting had nothing left in it because the energy and story got polished away, and the piece of her own early work that's so "cringeworthy" it lives in a closet, but sold anyway. She walks through why art, business, and mindset were never meant to be separate lanes you pick between, and why the artists who build real, sustainable careers work on all three at once.

In this episode:

• Why waiting for "perfect" is usually just stalling dressed up as responsibility

• The real difference between technically skilled work and work with a story

• Jodie's 85% rule for getting your art out into the world

• Why art, business, and mindset have to move together, not in sequence

Resources Mentioned

• The Artist Who Gets Paid, Jodie's 3-part workshop (August 20, 25, and 27): https://www.jodiekingart.com/artistseries

• Studio Elite Mastermind applications: https://www.jodiekingart.com/studioelite

• Episode 16: How to Get Out of the Fugly Stage of Art: https://jodieking.com/episode-16-how-to-get-out-of-the-fugly-stage-of-art/

• Episode 31: Artist's Money Mindset: What Do You Really Believe Is Possible?: https://jodieking.com/episode-31-artists-money-mindset-what-do-you-really-believe-is-possible/

• Episode 87: How Imposter Syndrome Is Holding You Back as an Artist: https://jodieking.com/episode-87-how-imposter-syndrome-is-holding-you-back-as-an-artist-what-to-do-about-it/

• Episode 113: From Hobby to Career: How Artists Go Pro: https://jodieking.com/episode-113-from-hobby-to-career-how-artists-go-pro/

• Episode 145: How Your Mindset Impacts Art Pricing: https://jodieking.com/episode-145-how-your-mindset-impacts-art-pricing-one-on-one-coaching-with-jennifer-cupp/

• Have a question for Jodie? Ask it here: https://forms.gle/hxrVu4oL4PVCKwZm6

• Watch this full episode on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMquJfuMsSg0fr46BRdia1cWd-81GThzF

If you loved this episode, subscribe so you never miss one, and if you have a guest suggestion or a question for Jodie, reach out anytime at amy@jodieking.com.

This episode is for educational purposes and reflects Jodie King's personal experience building her own art career. Results vary by artist. Nothing in this episode is a guarantee of income or sales.