What you’ll get

I speak to artists and creatives about overcoming perfectionism, harnessing their intuition in their creative process, strategies for building their skill and developing their unique artist voice.

I also talk about the 4 artist archetypes I’ve uncovered in my community and how artist archetypes can inform artistic practice.

Personal stories in the service of others

I am known for my generosity when it comes to sharing both my time and the content I create. People also appreciate my ability to be direct in a non-threatening way. I’m not about fluff.

I want the people I serve to walk away with actionable strategies and the confidence to move forward with their goals.

Action-taking advice peppered with personal storytelling

Choose one of these topics or let’s discuss a more tailored-to-your community conversation:

3 Huge Roadblocks to Finding Your Artistic Style (And How to Overcome Them)

In this conversation, I discuss the truths about finding or developing artist voice. It’s much simpler (and harder) than many think!

The Truth about Perfectionism (and How 15 Minutes can Transform Your Art)

In this conversation, we cover the sneaky ways perfectionism holds artists back from making their best art. I share a personal story of letting go of my perfectionism and how it led to my work being exhibited at The Smithsonian. We then discuss how artists can apply these lessons to their own lives as creatives.

The Truth About Building Art Skill

In this conversation, we discuss the biggest myth holding artists back from making their best art. We then cover the 5 foundational skills to improve any and all of your art.

How to use Your Artist Archetype to Make Better Art

In this conversation, I define and explain each of the 4 Artist Archetypes. We then explore specific strategies and resources for each archetype. The purpose of using artist archetypes is to help artists aim for and reach individual artistic goals.

A bit about me

Attending the Sheikha Manal Young Artist Award (I was a finalist!) in Dubai

The community

I am an artist and art educator who helps artists refine their skill and develop their unique artist voice. I do this within my community of several thousand called Artist Strong, a website averaging over 500 visits a day.

My own art is influenced by living outside of the US for nearly 13 years, living in places like Dubai, UAE, Muscat, Oman and Ottawa, Canada. I now live in Spring, Texas and enjoy portraiture that celebrates and uplifts women.

The art

In my early 20s I was part of a touring exhibition of artists whose work was exhibited at both The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as well as The Smithsonian. My work has been exhibited across the US and Canada as well as in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and in Muscat, Oman.

My most recent series is called Anonymous Women. This mixed media artwork is inspired by portraits of women cabbies from the 1940s. I work in acrylic and other materials such as gold leaf and embroidery.

I choose actual gold leaf as a way to literally speak of their value and worth. Embroidery is another way to give these women time. It’s a means to honor them and speak to the irony of being documented by a photographer but not worthy enough of documenting their names.

I work with traditionally decorative or ”female” materials as another means to celebrate these unknown, unsung women.

One of these works was selected as a finalist in a North American-wide competition and exhibited at Centre Phi in Montreal.

The education

I studied Art and Art History at Colgate University as well as completed a masters in Educational Leadership with The George Washington University. I’ve taught art to all ages, from elementary school through to adulthood.

I’m currently an examiner for the International Baccalaureate Organization and I’ve been a juror for art exhibitions in Canada.

The why

Before my work was exhibited, I didn’t think my work was important or valuable (or even really “art”) until I had a gallery showing. These negative misconceptions are part of what motivates me to serve other artists today. Our world is better when we all celebrate and embrace our desire to be creative.

Previous Conversations

Topics and examples of both podcasts and written features include:

The Not-Starving Artist Podcast – How a dangerous health experience helped me find my voice

Angie Noll of the Not Starving Artist Podcast asked me to share how a life-threatening health problem and letting go to “just make art” helped me find the voice I now share in my art today.

Beating Perfectionism AND Growing a Community

In the Creative Life Podcast with Joanna Pieters, we discuss how I’ve managed to cultivate a thriving, caring online community of artists who work side by side to grow, learn and discover.

Information to Inform Future Decisions

In this interview with Neil Ball I talk about the importance of failure as both an artist and art entrepreneur: “those have been moments when I have had real growth and seen up levels in my personal and business life.”

The Curator’s Salon – Anonymous Woman Series and A Solo Exhibition

In this episode of The Curator’s Salon with Gita Joshi, we talk about my current body of art and working towards my solo exhibition at the end of 2019.

Why perfectionism is poison and how the myth of talent holds you back

In this episode I share actionable steps we can take to release our need for perfection, how to let go of the myth of talent, and how to trust your intuition when creating your work.

Official bios (right-click & save-as to download photo)

HowtobeanartistLong Form Bio:

Carrie Brummer is an artist and art educator who helps artists refine their skill and develop their unique artist voice within her community Artist Strong.

Carrie’s own art is influenced by living outside of the US for nearly 13 years, living in places like Dubai, UAE, Muscat, Oman and Ottawa, Canada. She now lives in Spring, Texas and enjoys portraiture that celebrates women.

Carrie Brummer studied Art and Art History at Colgate University as well as completed a masters in Educational Leadership with The George Washington University.

Carrie was trained in IB Visual Arts and is currently an examiner for both the art history extended essays and IB Art. She’s led workshops on incorporating the arts into regular classroom curricula as well as won teaching grants in both the United States and Dubai for different artist projects. She’s taught art to all ages, from elementary school through to adulthood.  

In her early 20s Carrie Brummer was part of a touring exhibition of artists whose work was exhibited at both The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as well as The Smithsonian. She has also placed as a finalist in the Sheikha Manal Young Artist Award and the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series. Her work has been exhibited across the US, in eastern Canada, as well as in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Muscat, Oman.

Before this, Carrie didn’t think her work was important or valuable (or even really “art”) until she had a gallery showing. These negative misconceptions are part of what motivates her work with other artists today through online courses, a 6 month 1-1 program and her thriving online community.

You can build your skill and develop your voice today by visiting www.artiststrong.com.

Short Form Bio: 

Carrie Brummer is a visual artist, and has had work displayed in The Smithsonian and The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Trained as an artist and professional educator, she taught for years around the world before creating Artist Strong, an online artists’ community and school. She now runs courses and a 1-1 program, as well as a thriving online community. Build your skill and develop your unique artist voice at www.artiststrong.com.

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