Paddy Johnson

Bye.

You're listening to the Art Problems Podcast, episode 109.

I'm your host, Patty Johnson.

This is the podcast where we talk about how to get more shows, grants, and residencies.

And before we jump in, I want to let you know about a free info session I'm hosting this Wednesday, February 25th at 7 p.m.

Eastern Standard Time called How to Become a Biennial Artist.

We're going to talk about what it actually takes to get into these major exhibitions and

and how to build the kind of career that gets you noticed.

You can register at the link in the show notes.

Today, I'm talking with Yuko Oda, a Boston-based artist who joined Network just over a year ago, feeling like she'd been treading water for decades.

Despite graduating from RISD in 2000 and working professionally for 23 years, she felt confused about her trajectory, overwhelmed by saying yes to everything, and uncertain about how to turn opportunities into meaningful career progress.

And my guess is that a lot of you may relate to some of this.

So what changed for Yuko?

Well, in just over a year, Yuko sold her first major piece directly to a collector, secured a three-piece commission for a downtown Boston high-rise, exhibited in Rome, and found a rhythm line

lets her balance her teaching with her ambitious studio goals.

We talk about overcoming the hesitation to invest in yourself, how accountability groups helped her navigate everything from invoices to artist consultant splits, why the second time through goal-setting workshops,

is when it all clicks and what it feels like to finally know where you are and where you're going, instead of like you're just sort of floating without any control in a bubble.

This is what momentum looks like.

So let's dive in.

Yuko, welcome to the show.