The Professional Artist Podcast Interview

I recently had a conversation with The Professional Artist Podcast, which you can click here to watch on YouTube:

In this episode of The Professional Artist Podcast, artist and muralist Pepa Ivanoff @pepallama is featured by the Professional Artist Association (https://professionalartist.com/join), the world's fastest-growing global community for committed fine artists.

Originally from Australia and now based in Costa Rica, Pepa has built an international career completing 346 murals around the world in just nine years. Along the way, she learned that treating art like a profession also means understanding exactly what your work costs to create and being willing to charge accordingly.

In this episode, Pepa shares how undercharging led her to resent projects she should have enjoyed, what changed when she calculated the true costs behind her work, and why knowing your value helps you identify which clients and opportunities are actually worth pursuing. “If you're serious about being an artist, being compensated financially for that is something that you need to get really comfortable with.” — Pepa Ivanoff

Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:38 Entre Palmeras - A Studio Canvas 03:17 From Surfboards to Murals - How It All Started 04:48 Questioning the Myth That Art Isn't a Real Career 07:25 Financial Freedom on Your Own Terms 09:15 Saying No More Than Yes - Evolving the Commission Practice 11:15 The Bird of Paradise Mural - A Repeat Client 12:09 Having the Money Conversation Early 15:25 Getting Comfortable with the Money Conversation 16:47 How She Discovered She Was Undercharging 18:39 The Pilates Studio Mural - A Client Who Became a Friend 19:29 The Starving Artist Myth 20:36 Final Advice