14 Must-Follow Podcasts for Artists to Spark Your Creativity

Podcasts are a growing trend around the world. Unlike other forms of communication technology, podcasts are not just popular among the adult population.

The older population seems to be picking the trend up just as well as younger people. People like podcasts because they can listen to the audio at any time.

This is unlike older forms of audio media like radio. Also, you can select any subject you want to listen to and play it as a secondary activity when driving or cleaning the house.

As an artist, you will appreciate the large number of art podcasts available. Many of the hosts have found creative ways of differentiating their podcasts from others.

The podcasts cover different subjects related to art and culture. These topics include the history of art, the business of art, the advertising and selling of art products, and the interpretation of works of art.

Others simply cover trivia and fun rumours on art and famous artists.

Here are some of the best podcasts for artists:

1. The Lonely Palette

The Lonely Pallete is an art podcast that is meant to inspire interest in art.

As Tamar Avishai puts it, the podcast is meant for “not art” people. The podcast covers the history of art and some of the most interesting topics in a language and style that appeals to the general public.

She doesn’t use the complicated art lingo to describe the paintings and various art forms, but her descriptions and stories are engaging to say the least.

In her first episode, she was strolling through an art museum where she used to work, and she stopped a few people to ask them about the paintings in the museum.

Most of them couldn’t explain why they were in the museum and some dismissed her questions on the meanings of the painting, noting that they didn’t have any fancy words to describe the art forms.

Tamar has said that this is the attitude she aims at combating with her podcast: the notion that art is meant for the elite of society.

Tamar makes her podcasts fun by creating a sense of randomness and by dropping a few interesting facts here and there. You should listen to her podcasts if you want to grow your interest in art.

2. Artists Helping Artists

One challenge faced by many upcoming artists is in the selling of their paintings and art forms. It can take time for people to appreciate your style of art.

One thing which is certain is that people will pick up your style if you market your work properly. This is the main focus of the Artists Helping Artists podcast.

Here, you will learn some unconventional methods of marketing your work. The host of the podcast is Leslie Saeta, and she has worked as an artist for more than 30 years.

That puts her in the best position to offer advice on how to sell art online and offline.

Through this podcast, you will learn how to make the most out of social media and other platforms. Leslie also covers the basics of giclee painting and other forms of art.

3. A Piece of Work Podcast

A Piece of Work podcast is hosted by Abbi Jacobson from Broad City.

She aims at making contemporary and modern art approachable. On the podcast, you will be able to get answers to all the questions you were too afraid to ask.

Whether you are an amateur or a seasoned artist, you have a thousand questions on various forms of art, and Abbi is here to give you the most coherent answers.

In the podcasts, Abbi holds animated conversations with other artists, curators, and some of her friends. Some common guests in the podcast include Tavi Gevinson, Questlove, RuPaul, and Hannibal Buress.

In the podcast, Abbi along with her guests stroll through the Museum of Modern Art. It is clear that the most effective way to teach people about art is to show them the art forms as you discuss the works.

This is why Abby includes the works discussed on the website of the podcast. You will be able to look at the images as you listen to the discussions.

One thing you will love about the podcast is the fact that they use highly visual language to talk about the paintings.

4. ArtTactic

ArtTactic is a great place for you to learn about the best places for you to sell your art.

The podcast involves some veterans of the industry, including the founders and CEOs of some of the biggest online art marketplaces.

They definitely have better insight into the art market and could help you learn where you can sell your work. They also talk about the various marketing strategies and how to use them.

art-installation-museum
Image: Igor Miske at Unsplash

5. The Jealous Curator: Art for Your Ears

Have you ever wondered why your favourite artists seem to do certain things and what they do apart from working on their art?

With the Jealous Curator podcast, you will no longer need to wonder. The podcast invites some fairly successful contemporary artists, and they discuss their personal lives.

Basically, this podcast covers some interesting gossip on the lives of some interesting artists.

6. Bad at Sports

Bad at Sports was started in 2005 and it focuses on contemporary art. The podcast generally centres on the practices of people who are currently helping to shape the future of art.

These people include artists, curators, dealers, and critics.

The podcast features more than 20 principal collaborators, and it runs once every week.

They also work with numerous museums in the USA, including the Queens Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, and Open Engagement. They have also worked with many notable art publications.

7. ArtCurious

Many people find art history boring, and that is why the ArtCurious podcast was created.

This podcast discusses some of the most interesting stories in art history.

The hosts also bring up some stories that may have been rumours and discuss them in the most intriguing way.

Jeniffer Dasal, the host of the podcast, is truly a gifted storyteller. She will take you deep into the fascinating world of art.

She bypasses many of the stereotypes of art history, including the long lectures with serious tones.

Instead, she is concise and alive. At the end of each episode, you will be hungry for more information and will definitely open a new tab to google more related facts.

8. Beyond the Studio

You may be familiar with the works of your favourite contemporary artists, but do you know the kinds of lives they lead?

Or how they are sustaining themselves and their loved ones. The podcast features interesting conversations about the lives of these artists.

They will discuss their business practices, money management methods, time management practices, and financial planning.

It is clear that earning money as an artist can be challenging, and these veterans can help you learn how to navigate these challenges in creative ways.

Besides learning how to make a living as an artist, these podcasts will entertain you with out-of-the-box ideas to make money.

By listening to these stories, you will be more empowered to live your life as an artist without fear of going hungry on any day.

9. Raw Materials

Raw Materials is a podcast from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA).

The podcast covers some important subjects relating to culture and art. Each season is dedicated to a specific subject.

Also, a different podcaster-in-residence is invited every season to offer their perspective on the topic being discussed.

The artists and thinkers are invited from all parts of the world, and this is one reason why you will find the different views interesting.

10. The College Arts Association

The College Arts Association also has its art podcasts.

The association has been helping artists grow professionally for over a century, so you can rest assured that they have some useful content on their podcast.

The podcast is not specifically meant to cover any specific art topic. Sometimes, they will discuss the finances of an artist, and at other times, they will go in-depth on work-life balance in an artist’s life. The podcast is simply meant to boost your personal development as an artist.

college-art-installation
Image: Unsplash

11. Art Heroes Radio Podcast

This podcast is hosted by John T. Unger. As a child, people often thought he was joking when he said he wanted to become an artist.

Today, he is a famous artist and designer, and through his podcast, he aims at showing other people that you can make a living as an artist.

The podcast will inspire you to create art and sell it through various channels online and offline.

John interviews many successful artists who have been able to make money by selling art.

Since they have been through all the failures and challenges of the business, they are at a good position to teach you what works and what does not.

12. Art Biz Success

Art Biz Success is another useful podcast for all aspiring artists. The podcast was started by Alyson Stanfield, and she covers many topics that can inspire new artists to pursue their dreams.

She frequently invites established and financially successful artists for interviews. In these interviews, you will get practical tips to help you succeed in your journey as an artist.

The good thing about this podcast is that it offers tips straight from artists who have experienced the struggles of trying to rise to success in the industry.

In addition to the podcast, you should make a point of following Alyson’s art business blog, which goes by the same name as the podcast.

On the blog and podcast, you will learn how to manage your expectations and develop multiple income streams as an artist.

13. The Abundant Artist

This podcast was previously known as the Creative Insurgence, and it is hosted by Cory Huff.

Long-time fans of the podcast and the host already know that Cory’s main goal is to dispell the myth that artists are poor.

This misleading myth has made many people abandon their passion and talent for other careers which are seen to be more prestigious and more capable of attracting higher financial gain.

On the podcast, many different artists discuss some methods of ensuring you succeed financially as an artist.

Besides sharing some practical methods of marketing and selling art, the hosts and guests will give you examples of people who applied the tips to succeed in the industry.

14. Art Detective

Have you ever looked at an old work of art and wondered what inspired the artist? What kind of life did they lead that influenced them to create such kinds of art? What was the attitude towards art at the time?

The Art Detective podcast examines different works of art through the centuries and helps us analyse history by looking at various paintings and works of art.

The host works with experts to make sure they come up with historically accurate conclusions. The Art Detective podcasts last for 20 minutes.

Conclusion

It can be challenging to create a list of the best podcasts for artists since many new ones pop up every day. The fourteen podcasts listed above are currently the best ones, and they serve various purposes.

You can choose to follow the podcast that covers your interests. Although many other podcasts can serve as secondary activities, art audios might require a higher level of concentration.

In some cases, you will have to open the website of the podcast to view the image or work of art that is being discussed.

Feature Image: Unsplash