An email list is one of the best and most reliable ways for artists to stay in touch with their audience. To maintain a strong community, it’s important to send out newsletters on a regular basis. But what to write about? Well, in this post, I’ve put together 40 newsletter ideas for artists that your subscribers will love to read! In fact, these ideas can help you create an entire mailing sequence—from getting to know you as the artist up to tips, giveaways, and subscriber features!
Newsletters are still kind of an insider tip among artists. Many artists use websites and social media to showcase and sell their art. But newsletters—not so many.
However, newsletters can make a real difference. Sending out regular emails can help artists build a direct connection with their audience, without depending on a capricious social media algorithm.
You can share your creative process and personal stories, keep your supporters up-to-date about upcoming exhibitions and new work. A well-crafted newsletter can even help you make sales.
In other words, newsletters can be powerful tools for growing a community and sustaining your creative business. You don’t want to miss out on that! ʕᴖᴥᴖʔ
In one of my recent posts, I already talked about how to start and build an email list.
In today’s article, I’ve put together the 40 best newsletter ideas for artists so you’ll never run out of inspiration to keep your subscribers posted!
Ready to keep those emails coming? Let’s get into it!
- Stay in touch!
Our Newsletter is packed with creative tips, free tutorials, art tool reviews, and looaads of inspiration!
Why do artists need a newsletter?
I already mentioned a couple of benefits of having an email list at the beginning of this post. But there are more.
Here’s a quick roundup of why artists should have a newsletter:
Full Ownership
Email allows you to directly communicate with your audience. There’s nothing in between—no social media algorithm, no ads, no competing posts. Your newsletter is something you fully own and that lands directly in the inbox of your subscribers!Personal Connection
Email makes it easier to build a personal connection with your readers. You can tell them personal stories—about your artist life, your work, and whatever else you want to share. That way, you can forge meaningful relationships and share your story with people who can truly relate to your journey.Higher Engagement
Emails are not only more likely to actually reach your audience (unlike social media posts), but they also tend to have better engagement. When you encourage your readers to engage with you, you are much more likely to get a response than on any other platform!Better Conversion
No matter what marketing expert you ask, they’ll all agree that email lists typically have the best conversion rates. Put simply, people who read your emails are way more likely to make a purchase than those who just visit your website—and even more so than your social media followers.Valuable Insights
Beyond building connections and making sales, an email list gives you useful analytics. For example, you can track things like open rates, clicks, and other subscriber behavior. In return, you can use this data to fine-tune your strategy and better meet the interests and needs of your audience.
…and by the way, if you don’t have a good newsletter platform yet, here are the 3 best email services that I recommend for artists:
3 best email list services for artists at a glance
- Why To Get
- Free to use up to 500 subscribers
- Free 30-day trial of premium features
- Why To Get
- Free to use up to 1,000 subscribers
- Free 30-day trial of premium features
- Why To Get
- Free to use up to 10,000 subscribers
- Free 14-day trial of premium features
What to write in an artist newsletter?
A newsletter is hands-down the best tool for artists to build a meaningful and long-lasting connection with their audience.
Unlike social media, you can reach people directly and personally—straight to their inbox. Sending out regular newsletters can help you stay top of mind and grow a supportive community of like-minded people who are all on a creative journey.
Newsletters also offer a space where you can tell your unique story and get your work in front of people who genuinely care. In fact, there are dozens of things you can write about in your newsletter as an artist! Promoting your art is just one out of many.
In the list below, I’ve put together the 40 best newsletter ideas for artists to keep your emails fresh and engaging—throughout your entire email sequence!
40 Best newsletter ideas for artists
1. Tell Your Story
My first newsletter idea for artists is to tell your own story of how you became an artist. Share some details about how it all began and how you grew into your current practice. Don’t forget to include some anecdotes and pivotal moments that happened along the way!
2. Your Creative Challenges
We all face hurdles on our journey. Sharing your creative challenges can help other artists overcome theirs. Challenges you could talk about, for example, include creative block, rejection, art anxiety, or art jealousy, and how you worked through them and managed to build a positive mindset.
Stay positive with daily affirmations!
3. Your Audience's Challenges
Your newsletter doesn’t always have to be about you. You can as well put the spotlight on your subscribers. For example, you can ask them about their biggest artistic challenges. If you have a huge list of subscribers and want to avoid getting hundreds of emails in response, you can create a Google form for people to fill in.
That way, it’s also easier for you to sort out what your audience struggles with the most—and probably create a helpful tutorial on your art blog to help them solve the problem!
→ 7 Reasons Every Artist Should Have A Blog [*Hint: Blogging Is Profitable*]
4. Your Sources of Inspiration
Inspiration is vital for us artists. Without inspiration, no art. That’s why it can be a good idea to share your sources of inspiration in your newsletter. You can generally speak about how you usually find inspiration for your work, or share a concrete situation of how you got inspired for a particular project.
5. Insights into Your Work-in-Progress
Work-in-progress (WiP) shots display the different stages of creation. They are a great way to visualize how your artwork evolved—from start to finish. First of all, your WiPs prove that your art is actually handmade (and not AI-generated, which increases its worth).
Secondly, revealing your creative process is also an excellent occasion for new artists to learn from you—and therefore stay subscribed to your newsletter!
6. Behind-the-Scenes
Another newsletter idea is to offer exclusive insights into everything that is going on “behind the scenes.” This can be peeks at your creative process, looks into your studio, at your doodles and sketches, and everything else that is usually not shared with the public.
7. New Artwork
Naturally, your newsletter is the perfect place to showcase your latest creations and offer exclusive previews, meaning your subscribers get to see your newest pieces before anyone else—and also have the opportunity to purchase your original works before anyone else!
8. Exhibition Announcements
Just like new artwork, you can keep your newsletter readers updated about exhibitions, shows, art fairs, and other events you are participating in. Let them know when and where the event is taking place, which of your works will be on display, and whether you’ll be there in person, so they can come and meet you there. (•ᴗ•)
→ How To Make Money As An Artist *OFFLINE* [7 Real World Examples]
9. Exclusive Previews for Subscribers
Exclusive previews offer your subscribers sneak peeks of new art collections before releasing them publicly. This gives collectors an incentive to sign up for your newsletter, because they have the chance to see and buy your work before anyone else!
10. Art Tutorials
Art tutorials can be tips or short how-to guides that teach your audience simple art techniques and creative methods they can try themselves. Instead of selling them like people would do on sites like Patreon, you give them away for free to your subscribers. That’s definitely an incentive to sign up for your mailing list!
11. Art Supply Reviews
Let your subscribers know about your favorite art supplies. Tell them what materials you are using and why you like them. This can be combined with an affiliate recommendation where you’ll earn a small commission when subscribers click your link and buy something!
12. Limited-Time Offers
Limited-time offers are another newsletter idea for artists. This can be special discounts, exclusive releases, or other deals that are available only for a short period of time.
13. Q&A Sessions
Q&A sessions are a way for your subscribers to get to know you better. They can ask questions and you’d answer the most frequently asked ones. This creates engagement and builds a sense of community.
14. Your Favorite Artist Quotes
Many artists love quotes. Are you one of them? If so, you can share your favorite artists quotes in your newsletter! This can be quotes that boost creativity or resonate with you on a personal level.
Stay inspired all year long!
15. Art Challenges
Art challenges are meant to ignite creativity. This can be anything from daily sketching for the next 30 days or creating a themed artwork. Invite subscribers to participate and share their results.
16. Creative Block Tips
Creative block is a major concern for many of us artists. That’s why tips to overcome such slumps definitely mustn’t be missing on this list of newsletter ideas for artists. Let your subscribers know what you do to overcome such periods—I’m sure what works for you will also help other artists feel motivated again!
17. Artist Interviews
This is a fantastic engagement booster: interview fellow creatives and feature those interviews in your newsletter! This also provides fresh perspectives and inspiration for your readers when they learn how other artists deal with creative block and other challenges they face along the way.
18. Subscriber Art Features
Likewise, you can feature the work of your subscribers in your newsletter or include links to artist features on your website. It helps fellow creatives get the word out about their art. In return, other artists might give you a shoutout on their space!
19. Polls & Surveys
Polls and survey collect feedback from your audience about any topic that may be of interest to your art community. You can ask them about things like their artist struggles, what art tutorial they want to see next, or what content they want to read about on your website.
20. Your Favorite Art Books
Books are a great source for learning and inspiration. If you have a number of art-related books that you’ve found particularly inspirational or resourceful, you can share them in your newsletter!
21. Collaboration Announcements
If you have an exciting project with other artists—or a brand, for that matter—you can announce it in your newsletter. Alternatively, you could also use the reach of your email list to look for collaborators to work on a joint project. The good thing is that it works both ways. (•ᴗ•)
22. Sketchbook Sneak Peeks
Nobody is perfect, and art doesn’t have to be perfect either. To help take the pressure off fellow creatives, it can be a good idea to show some of your raw sketches or unfinished works in your newsletter. This can inspire and teach new artists how you go about creating art—and that not everything works out for you at the first go!
→ Perfectionism In Art: How To Stop Being An Art Perfectionist
23. Discounts & Giveaways
Some popular newsletter ideas for artists are discounts and giveaways that you offer exclusively for your subscribers. Such deals are fun to host and reward your audience for their engagement.
24. Art & Mental Health
If you’ve found that art supports your mental well-being or has helped you heal from traumata, you can speak about it in your newsletter! Once tried, many people find that art has positive effects on their mental health.
→ Art And Mental Health: How Does Visual Art Affect The Brain?
25. Goals & Reflections
Setting a number of short-term and long-term goals can help us come closer to our creative dreams. Your newsletter is a perfect channel to talk about those goals. Reflect on your past and future objectives, the progress you’ve made, and the lessons you’ve learned. Don’t forget to celebrate your achievements, because they mark important stages on your artistic journey!
26. Your Daily Creative Routine
What do you do on a daily basis to keep your creativity alive? Do you have a specific ritual that you perform every time before you start making art? Share your personal habits in your newsletter—this can be a great source of inspiration for your readers!
→ Self-Care For Artists: 8 Good Habits Every Creative Should Adopt
27. Throwback Pieces
None of us was born a master. We all started out small, and our first creations probably all looked more than awkward. At least mine did. However, it can be fun to look back at your old works and show your readers how it all began. Include one of your early pieces in your newsletter and say a couple of words about it.
28. Creative Workspace Tips
Our environment is an important factor for our productivity. That’s why offering some tips for setting up an efficient and inspiring workspace can be a good idea for your newsletter. You can also take your subscribers on a virtual tour through your own studio, showing them where and how you create.
29. Art Myths Debunked
There are lots of myths about artists. Even artists themselves still tend to believe in some common misconceptions. Write about your experiences with popular misunderstandings about being an artist and help debunking some common art myths!
30. Healthy Habits for Artists
What do you do to stay healthy as an artist? Share some of your habits and routines that help you maintain your artistic spark, whether it’s long walks in nature, reading books, or setting creative prompts for yourself.
31. Time Management Hacks
Our lives can get busy at times and it might be hard for us to find the time for making art. If you know some time management hacks that work for you, share them in your newsletter! Give an example how you balance art-making with your other daily commitments—your practical tips can definitely help other creatives!
32. Mistakes & Lessons Learned
Nobody is perfect and we are all making mistakes. Artists should embrace mistakes because they are a natural part of the process. Nevertheless, you can use your newsletter to reflect on mistakes you’ve made and the important lessons they taught you.
→ Why Art Doesn’t Have To Be Perfect & Artists Should Embrace Mistakes
33. Future Creative Dreams
Each of us is at a unique point of our creative path, and many people are curious about your future aspirations. Share your dreams with your subscribers, reflect on your goals, your recent achievements, and where you want your journey to take you.
34. Your Art Pricing Strategy
Many artists are not sure how to price their artwork. If you’ve found a pricing strategy that works for you, you can share it with your readers to give them an idea how to go about pricing their pieces.
35. Art Commissions
Many artists take commissions—it’s fun and it’s a way to make a side income. If you’ve done some interesting commission work, you can feature some custom pieces in your newsletter. Share a bit of the background story (for whom did you create the piece?) or explain how you price your commissions—which is equally important as pricing artwork.
→ TOP 6 Tips On How Much To Charge For Digital Art Commissions
36. Success Stories
Whenever you’ve achieved some kind of success, big or small, celebrate it with your community! This can be a milestone like a solo exhibition, a spot in a group show, a magazine feature, but also a success story of a client that you’ve coached.
37. Your Creative Playlist
Music can be a great source of inspiration. Most of the time when I’m creating art, I listen to music. What about you? A newsletter is a great way to share your favorite songs that keep you motivated while creating.
38. Subscriber-Only Downloads
Treat your subscribers with exclusive perks—after all, they have trusted you with their email address! Subscriber-only downloads can be anything downloadable, such as high-resolution images of your art, mobile wallpapers, printables, PDF guides, and any other virtual file.
39. Contests & Prizes
Contests and prizes encourage engagement. You can invite subscribers to take part in creative contests where they can win free art or other exclusive products—or maybe a free consultation session!
40. A Day in Your Artist Life
Let your subscribers know what a typical day in your life looks like. You can start with your morning routine, speak about your creative sessions, and also mention business tasks—in case you’re running your own art business!
→ How To Start A Digital Art Business (+ FREE Art Business Startup Checklist)
All newsletter services for artists in a nutshell
| Email Provider | Free Plan | More Info |
|---|---|---|
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up to 500 subscribers | Visit AWeber's Website |
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up to 1,000 subscribers | Visit MailerLite's Website |
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up to 10,000 subscribers | Visit ConvertKit's Website |
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up to 2,000 subscribers | Visit Brevo's Website |
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no free plan | Visit Constant Contact's Website |
To learn more about these services, read the full review of the best email marketing platforms for artists.
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This was my roundup of the 40 best newsletter ideas for artists! Let me know what you are writing about in your emails. I’d love to hear from you! Make sure to sign up for my email list so you don’t miss out on new blog posts and other cool stuff. ♥
