09/05/2026
. I was looking through old material recently and found this post from three years ago. It still feels worth sharing, partly because the “now” has evolved again since I wrote it, but also because it captures something important about where The Artists Business Lounge came from.
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Then and Now: Back in late 2007 I decided to launch an artists supporting artists community, to help artists (myself included) with the business of being artists. I had also recently welcomed my baby boy and needed a way to connect with artists other than openings.
And so TLF (The Littlest Forum) an online community was born.
I invited artists I knew and asked them to invite artists they knew but I always kept it relatively small (100 artists max).
It was a clunky beast - I had to post instructions on how to upload an image and video could only be linked to not uploaded!!
But it was well loved, full of helpful information, discussions and, for some, collaborations and friendships that endure to this day.
Of course technology is way easier now and my son turns 16 this year, so things evolve.
I have continued to learn and support and the artist community and program I have built inside 'the lounge' is more sophisticated.
It's a business with coaching, online courses, videos, events etc. But it is also a community.
Learning, community and connection are still important, for introverts and extroverts, for people who are in remote places or have other reasons to not leave the home or studio, and people who love being able to chat without getting out of their jim jams (PJs)
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Reading this back now, I can see how much of the philosophy behind The Artists Business Lounge was already there.
The technology has changed. The resources are stronger. The program is more structured. But the heart of it is the same.
Artists need good information, thoughtful support, serious conversation, and connection with other artists who understand what it means to keep making, showing, learning and building a sustainable art career.
That is still the work.
some of the artists from TLF have joined me in the lounge and some have been guest experts on certain topics