There's a moment when you realize that everything you've learned about creating has to be unlearned when it comes to sharing.
My TEDx talk is officially live, and I'm feeling all the things at once.
Pride, because I said what needed to be said. Vulnerability, because now it's out there in the world, imperfect and real. Gratitude, because I got to stand on a stage and advocate for something I believe in deeply: that artists deserve to know how to build sustainable careers, not just beautiful work.
The talk isn't flawless. There were some minor audio issues, and this was my first-ever rehearsed presentation on a stage that big. As self-conscious as I am about those imperfections, I'm also learning something important about the difference between perfection and authenticity.
"The Things They Don't Teach You in Art School" became my title because it's the conversation I wish someone had started with me fifteen years ago. Art school taught me how to mix paint, how to see light, how to critique and conceptualize. But nobody taught me how to think about my creative work as a business. Nobody explained that diversification isn't selling out—it's survival.
Here's what I learned the hard way: succeeding as an artist isn't just about mastering techniques. It's about understanding that your art is only as powerful as your ability to get it in front of the people who need to see it.
That means diversifying what you offer—commissions and prints, yes, but also products, workshops, experiences that extend your vision into different parts of people's lives. It means investing in personal branding and marketing, not because you want to be famous, but because you want your work to have impact.
Most importantly, it means leveraging your unique style and story. The thing that makes you different isn't a liability—it's your greatest asset. But only if you're brave enough to own it, amplify it, and build a business around it.
I spent years thinking that caring about the business side somehow cheapened the art. What I discovered is the opposite: when you treat your creativity as both passion and entrepreneurship, you create sustainable paths that keep you making work instead of burning out in a studio apartment, wondering why talent isn't enough.
The artists I know who are thriving aren't necessarily the most technically skilled. They're the ones who figured out how to repurpose their art into different channels—online, at events, through merchandise, via collaborations. They're the ones who proactively seek opportunities instead of waiting to be discovered.
Standing on that TEDx stage, looking out at an audience full of people who might never set foot in a gallery, I realized something profound: this is what advocacy looks like. Not just making art, but making the case for why art matters, why artists deserve to make a living, why creativity is essential infrastructure for a functioning society.
The talk covers territory that feels revolutionary and obvious at the same time. Revolutionary because we're still fighting the myth of the starving artist. Obvious because every other profession teaches business skills alongside craft skills. Why should art be different?
I hope this resonates with anyone navigating the path of an arts education or creative career. I hope it inspires and maybe even shifts a perspective or two. Because here's what I really want: more artists on stages, more creative voices in boardrooms, more people who understand that art isn't luxury—it's necessity.
The vulnerability of putting yourself out there never gets easier, but it gets more important. Every time an artist shares their process, their struggles, their solutions, we normalize the idea that creativity is work worth supporting, worth paying for, worth building a life around.
If you're reading this and you're an artist—or you love one—I'd be grateful if you gave the talk a watch. Even more grateful if you shared it. Not because I need the views, but because the message needs to travel farther than my voice can carry it.
The things they don't teach you in art school aren't secrets. They're just conversations we haven't been having loudly enough, publicly enough, proudly enough.
Let's change that. Let's get more artists on stages.
Watch Stefanie's TEDx talk "The Things They Don't Teach You in Art School" - link in stories and bio. Stefanie Bales is an award-winning fine artist, muralist, and owner of Stefanie Bales Fine Art—San Diego's "Best Art Gallery" three years running. When she's not creating surreal dreamscapes or collaborating with brands like Societea, she's advocating for sustainable creative careers and raising two sons who remind her daily that the best art happens when you're not trying to make art at all. Learn more at stefaniebales.com
