Cohort Starts AUG 13 at 4 PM CST
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Cohort Starts AUG 13 at 4 PM CST ☆
The Durable Artist Blueprint 101
Join our live online cohort starting Aug 13 at 4 PM CST. Meet us live at 4 PM on Wednesdays and get anytime access to our course The Durable Artist Blueprint 101.
Own your artistic practice.
Turn limited time into creative momentum. And build a sustainable art career despite your busy life.
FOUNDING MEMBER SPECIAL: Save $300 on our premiere cohort
Are you ready to transform your art practice?
Do you have creative aspirations but feel overwhelmed by life's responsibilities? Perfect! This is everything you could possibly need to know about building a sustainable art practice while balancing a full life with family, career, and other commitments.
Have you tried maintaining a consistent art practice in the past but it never "stuck"? Let me give you my proven frameworks & strategies to make sure your next attempt is set up for success, no matter how busy your life is.
Do you currently make art but feel scattered, unfocused, and aren't seeing tangible progress? Chances are, you're just making a few mistakes (I made them too!) that are holding you back—and once you fix them, your art practice will become the most energizing part of your life.
If any of these sound familiar... then The Durable Artist Blueprint 101 was made for you!
Meet your instructor
Colin Matthes
Former overwhelmed artist turned focused creator. I once struggled to balance my art practice with family, teaching responsibilities, and a full-time job. After years of trial and error, I developed a system that allowed me to not only maintain my art practice but actually thrive creatively despite my limited time.
I'm the creator of Essential Knowledge, a drawing series that expanded from a small idea into a full-fledged body of work, precisely because I learned how to make my limitations work for me instead of against me.
Over the Past decade, I have:
Created and maintained a consistent art practice while balancing a full-time job, parenting, and other life responsibilities
Developed the Essential Knowledge drawing series that has grown to over 120 drawings despite having limited studio time
Transformed my scattered, inefficient studio practice into a focused and productive approach that works within strict time constraints
Own and operate Rectangle Studios LLC, my art studio business alongside my creative practice
Helped hundreds of artists implement frameworks to revitalize their creative practices
Distilled years of practical experience into actionable frameworks that have been tested and proven effective for artists at all stages
Our first cohort was five members = five 5 Star reviews
The Problems Every Artist with a Life Faces
Time Fragmentation: Your creative hours are constantly interrupted and divided by other responsibilities
Decision Fatigue: With limited energy, every creative choice feels overwhelming
Inconsistent Momentum: Start-stop cycles prevent you from building real progress
Mental Clutter: Life's noise drowns out your creative thinking space
Studio Limitations: Limited physical space for creating
Energy Depletion: By the time you get to your art, you're exhausted
Paralysis: The pressure to make every minute count leads to creative freeze
Identity Crisis: Struggling to maintain your artistic identity amid other life roles
Creative Isolation: Disconnection from artistic community due to busy schedule
Inefficient Methods: Using approaches that worked when you had unlimited time but fail under constraints
The 3 Biggest Mistakes Artists Make When Trying to Make Art Despite a Busy Life
Mistake #1: Spreading Yourself Too Thin
Many artists try to maintain too many directions at once. When you have all the time in the world, you naturally develop inefficiencies. Often these were learned in art school, and haven’t been questioned since. Now with limited time, this approach leads to frustration and mediocre results.
How we fix this: I'll show you how to identify your ONE thing - the focused approach that will allow you to compound your efforts and make meaningful progress even with limited time. This isn't about lowering your ambitions, but about channeling them more powerfully.
Mistake #2: Resisting Your Limitations
Artists often see their constraints as barriers rather than creative advantages. They wait for "perfect conditions" that never arrive, using limited time or space as an excuse rather than an opportunity for innovation.
How we fix this: In the Durable Artist Blueprint 101, you'll learn to embrace your limitations and transform them into your greatest creative assets. I'll show you how urgency creates focus, how constraints drive innovation, and how to make bold, confident decisions in your art practice.
Mistake #3: Overcomplicating Your Process
Some artists add unnecessary steps or complexity to their process because they think more equals better. In reality, this approach drains energy and time, making it nearly impossible to maintain momentum.
How we fix this: You'll learn my "ruthless elimination" system to strip your art practice down to its essential elements. This creates space and energy for what truly matters, allowing you to manufacture time and mental clarity for your most important work.
Everything Included in The Durable Artist Blueprint 101
Week 1: ONE — The Power of Doing One Thing ($400 value)
Identify your artistic "One Thing" that deserves your focused energy
Learn why multitasking destroys creativity and how single-tasking transforms your practice
Create your One Sentence Focus statement to guide all your creative decisions
Discover how to build exponential momentum through concentrated effort
Implementation Exercise: Define your artistic focus and create your guiding statement
Week 2: LIMITATIONS — Embrace Your Constraints ($400 value)
Transform your time, space, and energy constraints into creative advantages
Develop urgency as your superpower for decisive action
Learn to trust yourself and move fast with confidence
Build momentum that compounds over time
Implementation Exercise: Map your constraints and identify their hidden benefits
Week 3: ELIMINATE — Delete (Almost) Everything ($400 value)
Cut out the non-essentials from your artistic process
Apply the 80/20 rule to identify what truly moves your art practice forward
Redesign your approach to fit your current life realities
Create space for what matters by removing what doesn't
Implementation Exercise: Conduct your artistic elimination audit
Week 4: Basic Time Management for Artists ($400 value)
Learn practical techniques to protect your creative time
Identify and leverage "micro-moments" throughout your day
Implement the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize your creative tasks
Master the 3.21.0 email management system to reclaim mental space
Implementation Exercise: Create your personalized time management system
Week 5: Integration and Path Forward ($400 value)
Build and maintain creative momentum through systems integration
Create connections between all framework elements
Develop your 90-day action plan for artistic growth
Establish accountability partnerships within the community
Implementation Exercise: Design your customized OLE Framework roadmap
Week 6: One-on-One Planning Session ($500 value)
45-minute personalized planning session
Discuss your work and plan for the next three months
Put your plan in writing with expert guidance
Get personalized feedback on your implementation
Leave with a clear roadmap for your artistic practice
Bonuses
BONUS #1: The Maker/Manager Daily Planning System ($97 value)
My proprietary planning system specifically designed for artists balancing creative and administrative work. This daily worksheet has helped hundreds of artists reclaim hours of creative time each week and includes monthly and quarterly planning sections to keep you focused on what matters most.
BONUS #2: The PARA Method Organization System with Notion Template ($147 value)
A complete organization system that helps you manage your artistic projects, areas of responsibility, resources, and archives. Includes my customized Notion template that you can immediately implement to bring structure to your creative chaos.
BONUS #3: The Durable Artist Inventory System ($97 value)
A seamless way to organize and track your artwork efficiently, ensuring you never lose track of your work. This system has been refined through years of personal use and adapts to artists at any stage of their career.
BONUS #4: 90-Day Subscription to "Essential Knowledge with Colin Matthes" ($147 value)
Get inspired and stay motivated with access to my paid newsletter, where I share insights, techniques, and behind-the-scenes looks at my own artistic practice and how I navigate the challenges of creating while balancing life's demands.
The Durable Artist Blueprint 101 isn't just another course on creativity.
It's a complete system for transforming how you approach your art practice when life is full of other commitments.
This isn't about finding more hours in the day — it's about completely overhauling your approach to making art so that you can thrive within your limitations rather than fighting against them.
If you're ready to stop the cycle of inconsistency and frustration, to build real momentum in your art practice despite your busy life, this is your opportunity to make that change.
The enrollment period for this LIVE online cohort closes on July 30 at 3 PM. Don't miss your chance to transform your artistic practice now.
Total Value: $2,988
Regular Price: $697
Founding Member Rate: $397 (Limited Time Only)
Join now to lock in the Founding Member Rate before it disappears forever!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is there a Founding Member rate?
A: As this is the first public offering of The Durable Artist Blueprint 101, I'm offering a special Founding Member rate of $397 (regular price: $697) to reward early adopters. Future cohorts will be at the regular price, so this is a unique opportunity to get access at the lowest price this course will ever be offered.
Q: I'm really busy. How much time will I need to dedicate to this course?
A: The course is specifically designed for busy people! Each weekly module requires about 60-90 minutes to complete, and the implementation exercises can be integrated into your existing art practice. The whole point is to help you make progress despite limited time.
Q: I've tried other art courses before but couldn't stick with them. How is this different?
A: Most art courses focus on techniques or inspiration, assuming you have unlimited time and energy. The Durable Artist Blueprint addresses the core issues that prevent consistency: time fragmentation, decision fatigue, and inefficient approaches. We focus on systems and frameworks that work within real-life constraints. The live online cohort is especially effective for accountability and implementation—seeing others apply these frameworks in real-time dramatically increases your chances of sticking with it and making real progress.
Q: Is this a live online course or self-paced?
A: It's both! We meet live online every Tuesday at 4 PM Central Time starting Aug 13th, but if you can't attend the live sessions, you'll have full access to all recordings and course materials to work through at your own pace. The live cohort provides additional accountability and community, but the frameworks are just as effective when implemented on your own schedule.
Q: Will this work for my specific medium/art form?
A: Yes! The Durable Artist Blueprint is medium-agnostic. Whether you're a painter, sculptor, illustrator, photographer, designer, or any other type of visual artist, these frameworks apply universally to the process of creating within constraints.
Q: Do I have to attend live sessions at specific times?
A: While the live sessions offer the most interactive experience and real-time feedback, they're not mandatory. All sessions are recorded and made available within 24 hours, so you can watch them on your own schedule. In addition to the live session, all participants will receive the course materials we go through in the live sessions, that can be accessed at your convenience.
The only exception is the bonus one-on-one planning session, which we'll schedule at a time that works for you.
Q: How long will I have access to the course materials?
A: You'll have lifetime access to all course materials, including any future updates or improvements we make to the program.
Q: I'm just beginning my artistic journey. Is this too advanced for me?
A: Not at all! In fact, building these frameworks early in your artistic development will help you avoid years of frustration. The sooner you implement these systems, the more sustainable your practice will be.
Q: I'm an experienced artist, will this be too basic?
A: The Durable Artist Blueprint addresses the universal challenges of balancing art with life, regardless of experience level. Seasoned artists struggle with these challenges. The frameworks we teach will help you refine your approach and find new efficiencies in your practice.
My 14-Day, No-Questions-Asked Guarantee
I want your investment in The Durable Artist Blueprint 101 to be completely risk-free.
If you start going through the course and don't feel like you've received tremendous value, just send me an email within 14 days of your purchase, and I'll refund 100% of your money.
I'm confident that if you implement these frameworks, you'll see a transformation in how you approach your art practice – but I want you to feel secure in giving it a try.
Join our live online cohort starting Aug 13 at 4 PM CST. Meet us live at 4 PM on Wednesdays and get anytime access to our course The Durable Artist Blueprint 101.
