Building a Studio Practice
The unglamorous machinery behind a body of work.
A course on sustaining creative work over years rather than weeks: scheduling, pricing your time, client relationships, archiving, and the difference between a portfolio and a practice.
3.6h
Study time
11
Lessons
4
Modules
4.7
Rating
218 reviews
Enrolment
Enrol to open Building a Studio Practice in the learning workspace, track progress and take the assessments.
Demo enrolment — no payment or real enrolment occurs. Sign in to see the full workspace.
Subjects covered
5 topics
Knowledge map
What you will be able to do
- Design a working week that protects making time
- Price work in a way that survives a slow quarter
- Run client relationships without resentment
- Build an archive that becomes a portfolio by itself
Curriculum
4 modules · 11 lessons
- 01Protecting the Making HoursWhere scheduling usually goes wrong, and how to notice it early.20m
- 02Admin as a Scheduled CraftMaking pricing explicit enough that somebody else could repeat it.18m
- 03Saying No EarlyA close look at clients and the failures it is meant to prevent.16m
- 01What Your Hour Actually CostsThe judgement calls behind archive, and what each of them costs.24m
- 02Fixed Fee, Day Rate, RetainerThe working method for portfolio, reduced to what actually matters.22m
- 03Cash Flow for Irregular IncomeMaking scheduling explicit enough that somebody else could repeat it.20m
- 01Scoping the CommissionWhere pricing usually goes wrong, and how to notice it early.22m
- 02The Difficult Conversation, EarlyHow clients works in practice, once the deadline is real.20m
- 03Ending a Relationship WellThe working method for archive, reduced to what actually matters.16m
- 01Documenting as You GoHow portfolio works in practice, once the deadline is real.18m
- 02From Archive to PortfolioA close look at scheduling and the failures it is meant to prevent.20m
Assessment
Reading, exercises and written submissions. Quizzes check comprehension rather than recall.
Quizzes
No quizzes in this course — assessment is by written submission and exercise.
Assignments
No assessed assignments — each lesson closes with an unassessed exercise.
What students say
- 4 out of 5Mateo Rossi — Editor
The examples are drawn from ordinary situations rather than glamorous ones, which made them far easier to apply on Monday morning.
- 5 out of 5Louise Bernard — Consultant
Well paced. Nothing padded, and the instructor answers discussion threads properly rather than pointing you back at the material.
- 5 out of 5Zofia Adamska — Founder
Demanding in a useful way. The assignment came back with three specific criticisms, all correct, none of which I had thought about.
Fictional reviews — demonstration content only
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