Artist Coaching - Become a successful artist with the guidance of an expert.
The best way to learn how to navigate the art world is from someone who’s experienced it themselves. From finding clarity to building your artist career and expanding your network, I am here for you. Together, we will build a clear action plan for your career, so you can finally be taken seriously as a professional creative.
Join the unique 1:1 coaching programme exclusively for visual artists created by the art curator, Vanessa Souli.
I help emerging art creators become professional full-time artists.
Bringing 7+ years of experience in the art world as a professional curator and arts manager, I give you all the guidance you need to create a successful art strategy. Leveraging my academic background in writing, curating and marketing, I will help you position yourself for the ideal target audiences. A mix of theoretical knowledge with applicable exercises and business know-how will help you design your individual creative path and gain the recognition your work deserves.
From curator to artist, let's hack the rules of the art game. Together.
The A-to-Z Artist Coaching Programme is your entry point to the art scene. It is the only 1-1 live training for visual artists of all media who want to achieve professionalism,
visibility and career clarity.
5 MYTHS OF BEING AN ARTIST
FREE PDF DOWNLOAD
Not sure where to start in the art world?
Boost your career with expert guidance.
Live
Yes. you read that right. We meet once a week per Zoom to cover all the content. Just the two of us.
Custom
Every weekly session is a mixture of theory and personalised application of the content to your case.
Intensive
Ca. 5 hours per week are needed for a take-home training task after every session.
In 10 sessions over 10 weeks, you will gain a holistic understanding of the art world, the social and unwritten rules of professional artists as well as proven real-life techniques to create your own 'art world' where you can thrive.
Plot twist: Not the way you think it's done!
The
Curator-Artist
Approach
Maybe you still wonder:
what is the difference between this programme and others?
The massive difference is that while other programmes are taught by artists or traditional coaches (mostly studied psychologists or counsellors) who might not have experience in the art scene, THIS programme takes as its base the curatorial expertise. This means that together, we discuss the quality of your work, its power to transport your creative message and the steps that are needed to thrive in a competitive art world. This gives you the advantage of touching base with someone who has been choosing works for exhibitions for the past 7 years!
7+
years of experience in the arts as a free curator for art institutions and galleries
25+
curated exhibitions and projects in Germany, France, the Netherlands and beyond
250+
emerging and established artists who have participated in my projects
30+
online formats and showrooms resulting in sales and press coverage
What will you learn?
10 modules - 10 sessions - 10 weeks
20 hours intensive coaching
1 powerful meditation
Module 1
Introduction: Setting Goals and Understanding Priorities
Module 3
The Artworld Specials: Preparing
a Mindset around your Career
Module 5
Online Presence: Getting More Attention from Experts
Module 7
Curating: Developing Exhibition Concepts with Relevance
Module 9
Galleries: Getting Gallery Representation
Module 2
Branding Strategy: Building your Special Portfolio & Statement
Module 4
Networking: Finding & Developing the Right Audience
Module 6
Digital Marketing: Social Media & Storytelling
Module 8
Public Relations: Media Contact & Press work
Module 10
Digital Sales: Online Galleries & Showrooms
+ Bonus Release Meditation 👍
And that's only the beginning...
There is so much extra value in this programme!
100% of artists report seeing a big shift in their perspective already during the first 3 modules.
100% of the artists I coach start creating dramatic change in their career after ca. 4 sessions.
92% of my clients have participated in my curated shows in the first months of our collaboration.
Messy portfolio?
Unclear strategy?
No time for Instagram?
Let's solve these issues with holistic coaching.
Based on your personality and type of art, we define your goals for the future. Together, we lay more focus on the modules that are more relevant to you and your work's ambitions. If you complete the assigned tasks within the 10-week time frame, you should expect to have clarity and direction about your creative path as well as a website, a professional portfolio and a statement by the end of the programme.
This programme is perfect if you:
-
identify as a visual artist at any stage of your career
-
have been doing art for years but now is the time to professionalise
-
have been trying to promote your art and haven't brought about satisfactory results
-
don't quite know where to start in the art world
-
are frustrated over the lack of visibility for your work
-
are not sure how to meet the right people who can bring you forward
-
are hesitant to name a price or promote your work
-
don't know which gallery, space or buyer type would be ideal for you
-
are tired of doing hope marketing and following hear-say advice
-
are willing to invest 3-5 hours of work every week for 10 weeks
How does it work?
01
Free
Intro
Call
In a 40-minute call, we discuss all the specific aspirations, goals and problems you are currently facing in your career.
02
Define
Career
Goals
After we have specified your exact career goals and wishes, we decide whether the programme is right for you and where to focus.
03
Set up
10-week
Plan
Once we have agreed on the collaboration, we discuss the time and day of our weekly sessions. Punctuality is a requirement.
How do our
sessions
look like?
Frequently asked questions
-
How did the A-Z Artist Programme come to life?For 7 years, I have been working with and consulting artists. Having seen similar problems always surfacing up in artists' careers and understanding their roots and complications, I have decided to put all these issues in one holistic, career coaching that answers all questions. I think that a holistic approach is essential because an artist's existence is an ecosystem of factors that influence each other and one can barely exist without the other (e.g. professional exhibition concepts without a professional portfolio). In 2020, I launched the Programme with great success.
-
Will this work in my country?The things we will learn are not location-specific so you can apply them no matter where your working base ist.
-
How do I join the A-Z Coaching Programme?The selection process is curated to make sure that only the most determined artists are admitted. Schedule a call by clicking on any button of the website, and if this is a fit, you will receive more information on payment method and appointment scheduling from the coach directly.
-
What kind of artists join the programme?The programme is exclusively designed for visual artists. Normally my clients are between 30-45, mostly women at different stages of their creative careers. Generally, following types of artists are more common in my programme: - People who are actively doing art and want to pursue it professionally and seriously - People who used to do art and had a pause and now want to take the professional path - People who want to quit their day job and go artist full-time - Professional artists who want to find more clarity, direction and visibility in their career
-
What is the A-Z Artist Coaching Programme?The A-Z Artist Coaching Programme is a live, 1-1 holistic career mentoring programme for visual artists who want to professionalise themselves and create visibility for their work. It is suitable for painters, sculptors, and interdisciplinary visual artists. There are 10 modules that cover 10 essential topics of a professional career. It was developed by arts manager and curator Vanessa Souli in 2020.
-
What is the Coaching Programme not?The programme is NOT suitable for those currently navigating the idea of becoming artists but have not created art before. For the programme to work, we need to have some work we can work with.
-
How does the programme take place?The whole programme takes place in Zoom on 1-1 appointments with coach and curator Vanessa Souli. The duration of the programme is 10 weeks, with a 2-hour session taking place every week.
-
What is required of me?Once accepted in the coaching programme, you have to plan 5 hours of your time per week for post-session assignments and reflection on the content. The content is very intensive, so devoting some time to complete the tasks is essential to get the most out of it. Another very important aspect of the programme is to show up punctually and to not cancel sessions UNLESS it's very important. Keeping the weekly rhythm and sticking to the plan is essential for a good collaboration and the learning process.
-
How much do I invest in my career?To get all the value of the 10 modules, plus individual coaching and support, you only have to invest the amount of 1.399,00€ once. The payment can be in one or two instalments and can follow in different methods. We can arrange that when we meet for our first call.
Artist Consultation from Berlin : My story
I am Vanessa Souli, curator, arts manager and writer based in Berlin.
My career started in early 2015 when I started volunteering for museums and art festivals in Greece.
My professionalisation in the arts went on in 2017 when I got my MA in Art Studies with a specialisation in Curating from the Maastricht University of the Netherlands. A second MSc in Digital Marketing from West London University in 2022 consolidated my ambition to accompany my projects in the digital realm through innovative digital formats and online sales strategies.
The experience from 25+ curated shows, the close collaboration with 200+ artists, the countless curatorial tours and artist talks, the partnership with galleries and art spaces as well as the work in established institutions gave me a solid stepping ground and network in the arts. My passion for writing and the regular contribution of essays to magazines and artist publications further fuels my ambition for effective communication in the digital and physical realm.
All this experience and knowledge is distilled in the mentoring I offer to artists.
Contact me
I am looking forward to hearing from you!