Planning A Year’s Worth of Artwork with Dawn Williams Boyd (#72)

Taking charge of your art business isn’t only about bookkeeping,
inventory and promoting your art effectively. Taking charge of your
art business is about assuming 100% responsibility for your actions
— all of your actions, especially in your studio. We all want to
increase our productivity and creativity in this new year, and my
guest today has mastered the art of doing exactly that by planning
ahead.

Dawn Williams Boyd makes figurative textile paintings that reveal
stories—not always pretty ones—about the American experience.
Dawn’s work has an unapologetic socially activist message that
speaks volumes about the Black experience and this country’s
politics.


In today’s social and political climate, there aren’t enough
hours in the day for Dawn to convey all of the messages she wants
to share in her art. She has to carefully plan the body of work
she is going to make throughout the year. She takes charge of her
production for the entire year.


In our conversation, Dawn and I discuss her process for plotting
out which pieces she will make each year. We also talk about why
now is not the time to make art that matches the couch,
conversations she wants people to have around her work, and how
she makes the valuable connections that are helping her reach her
most ambitious goals.


 


Highlights




Dawn Williams Boyd responds to her daughter’s statement that
she is a righteous badass. (3:45)




Art that represents the effect of the history of the United
States on the African American community, created by an
African American woman. (6:14)




What interested Dawn most in her Art History class is
reflected in her own work. (9:30)




Dawn reflects on the big plans that she had for exhibiting
her work in 2020. (12:47)




The good things that can happen when you have nowhere to go
and no one to see your work. (16:06)




“The List” and how it influences Dawn’s productivity and
creativity every year. (18:02)




Now is not the time to make art that matches the couch. Dawn
explains the opportunity of artists to use their voice to
influence others. (21:32)




A look inside Dawn’s notebook, including the details,
fabrics, facts and titles that drive her work. (26:15)




Questions that Dawn asks herself in the planning stage of
each new piece. (31:10)




The criteria that guides Dawn’s ability to set goals and plan
her work out a year in advance. (34:10)




Dawn reflects on her 2020 goals, the pieces that she actually
created and how she is constantly preparing for what is
coming next. (36:50)




What kind of conversations does Dawn want people to have
around her work? (43:50)




Understanding the worldwide problems that are depicted in the
imagery in Dawn’s piece, All Through the Night: America’s
Homeless. (48:03)




The overarching business and career goals that guide Dawn’s
work every single day. (53:10)




How can an ambitious artist ensure that their art is being
viewed by the right people? (57:08)




A peek into all that is in store for Dawn in 2021. (59:00)




 


Mentioned




Dawn Williams Boyd




Faith Ringgold




Tulsa Race Massacre




 


Resources




Photos and full show notes




Art Career Success System




Art Biz Success Community




Art Biz Success Planning Sessions




Intro and outro music by Wildermiss




 


About My Guest


Artist Dawn Williams Boyd makes figurative textile paintings that
reveal stories—not always pretty ones—about the American
experience. Her latest series, The Trump Era, specifically
focuses on xenophobia and immigration, but her work has also
explored feminine sexuality, the Black American experience, as
well as forgotten moments from American history.