Episode 70 Gratitude List for the Artist As 2020 comes to an end I am reflecting as an artist all that I have learned. I cannot throw the baby out with the bath water by complain about what went wrong this year. I think a lot of stuff still went right because of the situation 2020 put me in. As an artist, we have a job to give perspective to others…

Episode 69 Interview with EDM Artist Alex Bochel Sometimes the only way to follow your dreams is to jump in with both feet. Alex Bochel is an EDM artist from Washington DC that left his computer science degree behind to pursue his passion in music. In Alex’s words , “There was no backup plan.” It takes a different skill set to be the product. There…

Episode 68 How to navigate a Toxic work Environment I received a test message from a listener. He asked me to do an episode on the unhealthy work environment that tattoo shops can have. Here is his text: “Here’s an idea for a topic: How to navigate toxic work environment in a tattoo shop. Egos, drugs, booze, general bad attitudes in tatt shops” The…

Episode 67 Steps to a Creative Workflow There is nothing worse than being inspired to art but not being able to art. I can not count how many times I would see something on YouTube that would make me want to draw. I happed to often and it was so frustrating. I was so stoked to create something but after I set up my drawing table, nothing. Nothing h…

Episode 66 Know your Client Churn You have spent so much time and effort into getting clients. Now it is time to keep them. It takes more time energy and money to build a client base than it does to retain those clients that are already doing business with you. Customer churn is one of the most important metrics for a growing business to evaluate. …

Episode 65 Tattoo Education Most fields that require a license to operate also require some form of continuous education. The benefit to this is not only for the practitioner’s sake but it raises the industry standards as well. In the tattoo industry, formal education is frowned upon. From time to time a tattoo school will open with the intent to t…

Episode 64 I Quit. I Quit Drinking and my Art got Better A decade ago I made the change to quit drinking. The act of drinking had become a way of life for so long that I do not remember too many things that didn’t involve having beers. When I was 35, I woke up and quit. A lot of stuff got better. The craziest part was how focused my mind got. I was…

Episode 63 There is a fine line between a foot in the door and a foot in the ass. Making the leap to self-employment has some hidden obstacles that will arise. Those who are not ready to grow will fail. The number one enemy people face when they go out on their own is themselves. These five traits will never be mastered and are constantly evolving.…

Bastards of Art | Episode 62 Good Artist Borrow and Great Artist Steal. How and when to use reference. No one starts off their art career being the most original and profound artist on the planet. It just doesn't work that way. While you are learning your craft it is crucial to observe how those who came before you problem solved. In fact since we …

Bastards of Art | Episode 61 Darwin Vs Einstein The creative person is one of two different creative types: Charles Darwin was a great experimental innovator, who spent decades accumulating evidence on evolution and its mechanisms, and made his greatest contributions late in his career. Albert Einstein was a great conceptual innovator, who made dis…

Bastards of Art | Episode 60 I have five ideas to get you out of your comfort zone. There is a whole world of art out there and you not need to stick to the safe areas. So for a minute, ignore your Instagram and consider doing something different today. 1. Make a fake company. Create a motto and a start a design line Create shirts Make flyers Make …

Bastards of Art | Episode 59 Three Personalities As you become more of the product and bridge the gap between Art and Business, it is helpful to take on a new perspective. Reading book the E-Myth helped me to see myself as three personalities: Entrepreneur The ability to see the future. Manager The ability to work in the present time. Technician Th…

“Your greatest strength begets your greatest weakness.” William Shakespeare As an artist we have projects we would like to complete. Sometimes is for pure joy and other time it’s for profit. Usually it is a mix of both. It is said that our greatest strength is our greatest weakness. When maximize our artistic super powers instead of just optimizing…

Hello I’m back! After a year of chasing dreams and smashing fears, I am back to recording. I don’t record podcasts if it feels like I am just going through the motions. So from time to time, I take a break. I have gathered so much experience from the last year that I finally feel like I can podcast again! I have a schedule to get these up every Mon…

Itunes – Soundcloud – Contact – YouTube – Stitcher Who you know! Matt Hodel and Chris Boyle discuss in this podcast how who you know can help give you clout. Having a bit of clout does not hurt your worth. Name dropping is not the answer, but getting your art in the right hand so other people name drop you is key. Also there is a really long tangen…

First Impression In this episode we follow up on “What are you worth?” This question has no direct answer but what to consider is a the elements that go into that question. Episode 54 covers an overview of the subject but in this episode we discuss the impression you give to your future clients and customers. Are you chronically late and in disarra…

“How much should I charge for my work?” The answers will vary and nobody can give you a clear cut answer. There is a way to narrow down your current worth. You must take into account a few variables: What impression do you leave? Who can vouch for you? What do you do thats different or unique? What achievements have you earned? Episode 54 discuss t…

Burnout. Their is a guilt that arises when doing something you love starts to feel like a grind. If you are working in a creative art field, you are probably in a service industry. The service industry is very repetitive and this causes burnout. Chris Boyle and Matt Hodel discuss how they have dealt with their personal burnouts in the industry.

Helpful tips when Talking to a client for commissioned work: Inform the new client on how you operate. Understand that your client has no idea what they want. Be detailed. Get on the same page as your client. Don’t move forward until you have an agreement. Have an approvals process. Itunes – Soundcloud – Contact – YouTube – Stitcher…

Invention in Art. Whether it is technique or style, stretching the boundaries of your art career will reach out while you find your voice. Struggling to be original for the sake of just being different may not always equal success. Our last two podcast (episode 49 and 50) discuss Imitation and Innovation. In this episode we discuss Invention. Are y…

Innovation. After social learning from imitation becomes futile, innovation starts to develop. As an artist you will start to problem solve with personality. You ability to confidently find new answers for common problems will shine on you almost intuitively. Using the building block you learned from watching others your next step is innovation Mat…

Imitation What is the difference between imitation and mimicking? When an artist copies someone else work, they have no interest in the intent of the original artist. They just want to to steal some glory. When you imitate art work, you are studying the original art. The process of dissecting someone else’s process in order to understand the soluti…

Sensory, Perception, Reasoning It is these 3 steps that challenge the viewer to understand what they are seeing. Our eyes bring us information without prejudice. What we perceive from our eyes is not straight forward. What we perceive from what we have seen should not be trusted. It is the second part of the cognitive which is reasoning that helps …

Holy Moly! It is 2018 and you have already stopped making time for your projects? Don’t stop now! you have it in you to do great things. Matt Hodel is here to pick you up. Listen to Episode 46 and immediately revisit the promises you made to yourself. Itunes – Soundcloud – Contact – YouTube – Stitcher…

Hello! I am very excited to introduce my friend Haram. I meet Haram last summer and she introduced herself as a person interested in learning tattooing. It didn’t take much to convince me that she had the aptitude and commitment required for a true apprenticeship. Please take a listen to this special Bastards of Art Episode where you can meet Haram…

Happy New Year! 2018 brings us a clean slate to keep building on what we have accomplished. Living in a world of art, I hear the words “do something different” quite bit. This is mentally hard to accomplish and there is a simple reason why. Logic + Data + Emotions In this podcast, I discuss how a new idea lacks the data to study as a predictor of o…

Everything you do does not suck, even though it can feel that way. Having an adjustable plan of attack and destination will keep you from hanging out in the float. Write a mission statement of who you are and what you want to do with art. Now that you have a path, start your journey! Critique yourself often but be gently but firm in your observatio…

“Marks or shapes can happen spontaneously as we explore with tools, media, or substances for pictorial, textural, or sculptural effects and, in the process, decide on what is beautiful or exciting without consciously knowing how and why. We may pour in feelings and emotions during the process, resulting in a kind of artistic expression that reflect…

New workflow can be awkward and painful. If you don’t mix it up with some newness in your life, you will repeat the same thing for infinity. I don’t think this is helpful to a long career. No-one wants to look up after 20 years and wonder why everything looks the same. Trying something new can really suck. The reward comes when you push though and …

Plan for the unexpected. They say success is opportunity meeting preperation. (Or something like that) I recently filmed a commercial. What impressed me was how prepared the crew was onset. They had the day planned to the minute. The were ready to move and grove but even with their high expectations, the crew also rolled with the unexpected surpris…

Get Loud! Matt answers some questions about moving to a new market in a different city. It is always scary to get a fresh start in a new town. Matt’s advice is to get loud! Start an Art Show! Get in the local publications. Meet everyone on your new circle. Do not sheepishly enter a new world and wait for someone to invite you to the party. Through …

Understanding Money. As artists we work with abstract thinking. We see the world slightly different. When it comes to money, we have a hard time understanding the abstract nature of a dollar. What is it worth? What does it represent? Why can’t I keep more? Most people say “Time is Money”. In this podcast, Matt Hodel explains why we should really be…

A joke is only funny if the other person laughs. Drawing for others is how most artists are going to make a living. Removing yourself from your art and listening to the client is important. Helping someone to tell story with visual literacy is fun. In this episode, Matt talks about being confronted with the need for structure and understanding when…

Lead the Eye Making the eye go where you want it to go in a composition is a huge part of visual story telling. How your optic nerve and your brain work together is very clever. Understanding that relation ship is how we can get the viewer to read our images. In this episode of the Bastards of Art, Matt talks about this amazing process. Itunes – So…

Don’t Wait for Permission What are you waiting for? An Invitation from the Art World? It is up to you to put yourself out there. Don’t be afraid. You don’t need someone to tell you you are ready. Itunes – Soundcloud – Contact – YouTube – StitcherAv Matt Hodel presents: The Bastards of Art

Mix It UP!!! Getting stuck with your progression can make art feel like a task. Creating art should be an adventure. Exploring different mediums is a great way to push though a developmental block. By trying art mediums outside your comfort zone, you will be forced to see art differently. Enjoy Matt Hodel’s Monday morning monologue where he discuss…

Sharing is Caring. “There was a Farmer who grew excellent corn. Every year he won the award for the best grown corn. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. “How can you afford to share your best seed corn w…

Unless you are try to be an elusive artist like the infamous Banksy, you need a web page. In this episode, Matt gives a basic overview of where to go to get started! Itunes – Soundcloud – Contact – YouTube – StitcherAv Matt Hodel presents: The Bastards of Art

Anxiety and the Artist Sometimes I think I should have named this podcast “The Anxious Artist” This title would have been more appropriate and reached out to a lot more people. While I don’t think artists have more anxiety than the average human, I do feel that the effects on a creative brain are amplified. In this episode I explain what an anxiety…

Where is your Signal Line? Stop beating yourself up and and stop under valuing your worth. This character trait that artist share may be the biggest flaw that holds us back. You are worth a lot more than you think. So stop thinking. When you are in competition with others, you get bitter. When you are in competition with yourself you get better. In…

Waiting for Inspiration Building habits and routines will help you to find inspiration. It really is amazing what a little bit of scheduling does for your productivity. In this episode, Matt Hodel shares tips on how to get motivated and be ready to strike! It is time to feel good and good about today! Itunes – Soundcloud – Contact – YouTube – Stitc…

Another confessional style Podcast from Matt Hodel. In this podcast episode, Matt discusses his ideas for a St. Louis Tattoo Artist Meetup. Its the Why, What and How of bring like minded people together. Itunes – Soundcloud – Contact – YouTube – StitcherAv Matt Hodel presents: The Bastards of Art

Learning to Tattoo Recently I have been hanging out with Haram. She wants to learn how to tattoo. But first she must understand what it is she is asking for. Matt Hodel Itunes – Soundcloud – Contact – YouTube – Stitcher [contact-form]Av Matt Hodel presents: The Bastards of Art

I’m Back!! Bastards of Art is ready to start a new chapter. In the up coming months, the BOA will continue to release new episodes and new formats! This is the beginning of the next step in expanding the Bastards of ART. In this Episode: Matt explains a way to break down large goals into measurable tasks. Itunes – Soundcloud – Contact – YouTube – S…

The Lost Episode As the Bastards of Art movement moves forward Episodes 23 and 24 never made it to the editing station. Jon and I spent 6 months working on this project to get it off the ground. Our goal was 20 episodes. We actually made it past that. Jon is moving on to work on new projects and he will still pop on the show when we can nail him do…

The Lost Episode As the Bastards of Art movement moves forward Episodes 23 and 24 never made it to the editing station. Jon and I spent 6 months working on this project to get it off the ground. Our goal was 20 episodes. We actually made it past that. Jon is moving on to work on new projects and he will still pop on the show when we can nail him do…

Are you an Artist? Jon and Jonathan and Matt Hodel Take the Test! Are we artists? Itunes – Soundcloud – Contact – YouTube – StitcherAv Matt Hodel presents: The Bastards of Art

Complete your Projects It is the 11th hour and you are very stressed. There is a deadline and it is coming quick. How did you get here? What lead up to this very stressful and very avoidable conflict of time? An honest assessment can bring up a few key points that should have been addressed in the genesis of your project. Decide to Finish Make a Pl…

Direction Being an Artist is a calling. Somedays it is more of an obsession than a pursuit. The question is, what do you wanna do with your artistic gift? Like all gifts, its a shame to shove it in the corner and ignore it. You must learn how to appreciate what you have been given. How do you release your art back into the world? It this Episode of…

The SketchBook The spearhead of our ego. The Sketchbook is an uncomfortable little book that hold our “could be’s” and “would have been’s”. Truthfully, it is rare to see a sketch book filled form cover to cover in perfected art. A sketch book is just what it is, a book for sketching. Sketch: a rough or unfinished drawing or painting, often made to …