Dear ,

Welcome to our new monthly email series, Inside the Art Brand Alliance. It’s designed to help you see the ABA from a member’s perspective. 

Each month, we’ll feature two views of the ABA—examples of what we’re discussing and the way we discuss it.

• “Dip into the ABA Well” is a report on an existing event replay, including the member conversation that developed around the event.

• “Invitation” is a description of an upcoming event. 

Why this? Why now?

It’s been six years since we launched the ABA. Every month, our events and ongoing discussions enrich our incredible library of resources. We’re amassing a deep well of information, spanning the huge range of topics that are interesting and relevant to entrepreneurial artists like you. 

We know you’re genuinely curious about membership. We also know the annual fee is a commitment and an investment. It’s very reasonable to want to see inside, to “try before you buy.”

On the flip side, the privacy of our network helps foster trust, which leads to the honest questions, nuanced conversations, and real-world examples our members provide to one another—the secret sauce of this amazing community! 

This newsletter is designed to help bridge the gap. We’ll uphold that invaluable member trust, while making it easier for you to imagine yourself inside the ABA, and to assess whether we’re a good fit for your professional goals and aspirations. I’m glad you’re here.

Dip into the ABA Well 💦 Surface Design Portfolio Reviews

To kick things off, we have a report from a recent ABA portfolio review session. (It was our second so far, and we plan to offer them at least once per year going forward.)

Five members volunteered their portfolios, and two experienced member-reviewers guided the conversation. What stood out immediately was how quickly the room settled into a warm, generous, grounded exchange. There was no posturing, and no pretending there’s one “correct” way to do this.

A guiding question

Each review began with the same simple but powerful question: What is this portfolio meant to do for you right now?

All feedback flowed from there.

What the discussion revealed

As we moved from one portfolio to the next, the reviewers returned to shared themes—clarity, ease of navigation, and impact—while tailoring their suggestions to each artist’s goals and body of work. They talked about visual hierarchy, letting the artwork do more of the talking, and making it effortless for an art director to understand who you are within seconds.

Members openly named where they felt stuck. Some worried they were over-segmenting their work. Others wondered if they needed more structure, or less. Some questioned whether they were holding onto work that no longer served them. More often than not, the invitation was to simplify, and to trust that their work already held more cohesion than they realized.

There was a lot of permission-giving in the room. Permission to mix personal and client work. Permission to treat a portfolio as a living document. Permission to lead with “hero” pieces instead of explaining everything all at once.

The bigger takeaway

What came through most clearly was this: what works for one artist may not work for another. And that’s part of what makes this community so supportive—even when it’s not your portfolio on the screen, you walk away hearing questions you didn’t know to ask yet, and ideas you’ll carry into your next revision.

These reviews are part of our annual “3Ps” series, which focuses on three essential pillars of illustration and surface design businesses:

• Portfolio / building, organizing, and refining your work over time

• Pitching / developing a repeatable, goal-aligned outreach practice

• Pricing / approaching compensation professionally and confidently

As with all ABA events, replays are available to members anytime.

Invitation 🎟️ Let’s Talk Pricing!

On Wednesday, February 18th, ABA member Jill Labieniec hosts another of her popular Let’s talk pricing! sessions—the third of our “3Ps” events this year. 

Members are invited to informally share:

• A project they’ve worked on

• The approximate time it took

• What they were paid

From there, Jill will lead a candid, practical discussion covering topics like:

• setting appropriate rates

• royalties vs. flat fees

• how (and when) to ask for more

• whether “industry standard” pricing actually exists

• negotiating non-monetary benefits

In the ABA, we believe in open money talk. We also believe that pricing formulas are often not in your best interest. That’s why we ground thoughtful conversation with real experiences, shared numbers, and mutual support to keep strengthening our pricing game. 

As always, Jill will kick things off with two examples: one that paid well (and why), and one that… didn’t. :)

If you’d like to bring your own questions, examples, or perspectives to the table, we’d love to have you! All ABA events are open to all members at no additional charge. Simply join the ABA today and you’ll be able to RSVP for this February 18 event, along with all future events over the life of your membership!

If now isn't the right time...

That’s absolutely okay. You’re always welcome to:

• stay tuned for next month’s Inside the Art Brand Alliance newsletter

• reply with questions you’d like me to address in future emails

• join whenever the timing feels right

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back next month with another installment!

Warm regards,

Betsy

Betsy Cordes

Founder/Director Art Brand Alliance

betsy@artbrandalliance.com

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