Running a Business Archives | Miss Mustard Seed

Running a Business

Antiques

A return to Lucketts Spring Market

Quickly, I wanted to highlight that today (April 28) is the last day to join Pup Club Prints as a founding member and receive the beautiful German Shorthaired Pointer fine art print. Pup Club Prints is a fine-art snail-mail print club for animal, art, and analog lovers. It’s just $10/month for a quality 5 x 7 giclee fine art print, and you can cancel at any time. As an inaugural member, you’ll also be entered to win an original 8 x 10 oil painting (commission) from me. You can sign up and learn more HERE. When I moved back to the mid-Atlantic region in 2022, one of the most frequently asked questions was, “Are you going to sell at Lucketts again?” (If you’re new here, you can head down the Lucketts rabbit hole HERE.) I was so excited to be close enough to participate in some form or fashion,

April 28, 2026 5 Comments

Art

the business of art vs. the art of art

There is an anecdote about Vincent Van Gogh that I’ve heard and even repeated myself. Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime. It’s often used as an encouragement to struggling artists. If his work, which was so unique, brilliant, and beautiful, wasn’t appreciated, then you’re in good company if you find yourself in the same boat. I’ve shared in my Four Things posts over the past few weeks that I’ve been reading THIS BOOK on the life of Vincent Van Gogh. It’s a massive book, and it’s taking me forever to get through the audiobook, even though I’m listening to it on walks and at the easel. I still have over 25 hours left. But I’ve been taking notes and thinking a lot about Van Gogh as I’ve been listening to the story pieced together from records left by the family chronicler, people who knew him well, and

April 20, 2026 10 Comments

Running a Business

the non-art parts of selling art

When I use the word “art”, I am referring to art in the broader sense – something that is made by human hands. My art has changed over the years from painting murals on walls to painting furniture to painting on panels with all sorts of other artistic endeavors and experiments mixed in. So, when I’m writing about the non-art part of making and selling art, I’m referring to both my art and yours, whatever your art may be. Even if you make things for your own enjoyment, as gifts for others, there are non-art parts to making art. Buying materials, tidying up your work area, maintaining your tools… If you do it as a business, as I do, there are even more non-art parts to both making and selling. I spent most of last week on tasks related to making and selling art away from the easel. Since I

January 28, 2026 4 Comments

Running a Business

solving the problem of the changing online landscape

A couple of weeks ago, I shared a review of my business for the start of 2026. You can read that HERE if you’re interested in getting into the nuts and bolts of a creative business. One section I skipped was Solving Problems, so I could share about it in a separate post. If you’re puzzling through some of your own in a creative business, you can find the Solving Problems Worksheet HERE. I thought it was important to share my perspective on problems in my creative business first, though. When I’m referring to problems, I’m not necessarily talking about something negative, but about something that poses a challenge. Sometimes the challenge stems from rapid growth, new projects, exciting changes, and other positive events. Sometimes the problems are of my own making – I said yes to too many things, or I’m trying to implement too many ideas at one

January 20, 2026 26 Comments

my business story

A review of my business for 2026

As I’ve been taking some time to plan for the new year, I decided to revisit the Creative Retreat Guide for Business Owners that I created a few years ago. I based it on questions I asked myself as I reassessed my own business during a time of upheaval, as well as those I asked clients during one-on-one coaching for creative business owners. I honestly didn’t know how effective it would be, since I wrote it myself, but my past self really came through, asking questions my present self really needed to answer. While working on it, I decided I would share most of my responses here on the blog. I regularly receive questions about the ins and outs of my business, so I thought this might answer some questions or offer insight into what I’m working through and considering. The guide is long and thorough, so I’m just sharing

January 7, 2026 10 Comments

a slice of life

straddling creative fences | creative business

In my creative work, I’ve often straddled fences. One foot in refinishing furniture and another in writing a book. One foot in managing a paint brand, while the other is in freelance articles and photography. I have always enjoyed the flexibility and stimulation that comes with hopping from one side of the fence to the other. I have also learned over the years that one creative endeavor often speaks to another. I get writing ideas when I’m working in the garden. I find new color combinations for decorating when I’m mixing my oil paints. There is a beneficial symbiotic relationship that develops between two seemingly unrelated activities. Most of the time, I feel at home bouncing around from one thing to another. But there are some seasons where it feels chaotic and overwhelming. It all becomes a bit too much to juggle, because there are only so many hours in

December 17, 2025 13 Comments

Running a Business

when creative work is about just showing up

Most days, creative work is pretty easy for me. It has always been the kind of work where I’m most at home, most in my element, so I don’t have to drag myself to write or paint, take pictures, or make things. Most of the time, I run to them with eagerness. That being said, I do have lackluster days when I just go through the motions. Today is one of those days. So, I thought I would write about it and share how I show up anyway. I woke up at 3:45 in the morning and couldn’t get back to sleep, so my contacts are sticky from my eyes being heavy and tired. It’s gray outside, which only adds to the desire to get back in bed, watch a movie, and maybe take a nap. I know I’m not at my best, so I’m going to focus on two

September 10, 2025 7 Comments

a slice of life

How I plan my days…

I’m often asked how I plan out my days to balance work, home, life, and creativity and, over the years, I’ve written posts about what I’m doing in that particular season of life. As I grow (and yes, age) and as my business evolves, so does the way I plan my days. There were many years I operated by the fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants method. I had two small kids, my business had grown exponentially, and I was just trying to keep it all going. That method and pace were unsustainable, though, and I felt the need to make a substantial change when I moved to Minnesota in 2017. I decided to stop refinishing and upholstering furniture as the primary part of my business and shifted my focus to sharing about our home renovations, fine art, and writing. This shift gave me more time to think, plan, and approach my business and life

February 19, 2025 9 Comments

I’m Marian, a painter, writer, and lover of all things creative. From art and antiques to home projects and everyday life, I share my journey in hopes of inspiring you to embrace your own creativity and make beauty in the spaces you live.

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