Three hour meeting bundles start at $700.
Start on a new journey today.
Creative coaching
One-on-One Coaching
Serious Play’s one-on-one coaching helps you grow both creatively and professionally. Working directly with Ivan Barnett, you’ll receive tailored guidance to refine your vision, strengthen business skills, and build a financially sustainable career while fostering personal growth.
“Where people aren’t having any fun, they seldom produce great work.”
— David Ogilvey
Benefits for Creatives
Serious Play’s one-on-one creative coaching for artists provides a holistic approach. Ivan Barnett’s relationship with you is rooted in empathy, support, and a shared goal for your success. Barnett works to create a safe space for honest conversations and genuine growth.
Gallery Representation & Portfolio Reviews
Artists will develop out-of-the-box professional strategies to distinguish themselves in a crowded market. By refining their unique artistic voice and professional presence, they become more memorable to galleries and collectors.
Story Meaning & Concept Ideation
Artists seeking representation or exhibition opportunities can leverage their unique story to make a lasting impression. A compelling narrative can set them apart from hundreds of other artists vying for attention.
Branding & Identity Development
Instead of forcing a self-conscious “brand,” this approach helps artists uncover their authentic self and how to communicate it naturally. By exploring personal history and influences, artists can articulate a genuine narrative that resonates with collectors and galleries.
Curation & Innovative Exhibitions
Beyond prestige, these exhibitions can significantly improve an artist’s or gallery’s bottom line. When an event captures the imagination of collectors and art lovers, demand for the work increases.
Pricing Strategy & Market Analysis
Artists often struggle with pricing because it involves both emotional and logical considerations. This service helps navigate both aspects, ensuring prices reflect value while remaining attractive to buyers.
Mentoring & Professional Practices
Every artist has a unique journey, and this service ensures that guidance is customized to their specific needs, aspirations, and challenges. Artists receive individualized support that helps them stay true to their vision while also making informed career decisions.
Creative Coaching Services
Serious Play equips artists with tools to balance creativity and financial stability. Ivan Barnett offers guidance, support, and feedback across all disciplines to elevate your journey.
Gallery Representation & Portfolio Reviews
This is a critical skill of how to approach a new gallery to solicit representation, and help create high-impact connections to stay close to your existing gallery.
Story Meaning & Concept Ideation
This is core to my approach to help artists place more of their artwork in the hands of collectors and patrons. Use your creative life’s journey to unlock deeper meaning behind your process.
Branding & Identity Development
By listening carefully to you and your story, we dive deep to unearth your world to touch your clients at levels that will give you the competitive edge.
Curation & Innovative Exhibitions
Expand upon the “identity” development area as you prepare an exhibition. Set it light years apart to intrigue the public.
Pricing Strategy & Market Analysis
Don’t overlook the art “marketplace” by being out of touch with unfolding trends.
Mentoring & Professional Practices
How to operate a studio and how to communicate with the outside world can be overlooked. We take a walk together and ferret out areas that may be overlooked or even neglected.
Coaching Case StudY
This case study shows how Ivan Barnett collaborated with artist Claire Kahn to overcome challenges, achieve results, and create meaningful change. It highlights his ability to motivate, support, and transform creative careers and organizations.
Claire Kahn: A Carefully Curated Discovery
The incredible value of having a world exclusive of an artist’s works for a gallery shows how the artist’s pieces were leveraged for selling through multiple exhibitions. In this study, Ivan took an educated risk on Claire Kahn and promoted her as the second most profitable artist at Patina, driving people to come to the destination to only collect Kahn’s artworks from there.
Creative Coaching Testimonials
Ivan Barnett, former director of Patina Gallery, located in the competitive art scene of Santa Fe, New Mexico, found a way to stand out by creating unique experiences that go beyond traditional art openings. In collaboration with the Santa Fe Opera, he organized an event that blended art and opera, shifting the focus from selling art to engaging the community.
Pam Danziger, Speaker, Forbes Journalist, Market Researcher
Thank you, Ivan, for your vision, your book, your magic! Go, go, go!
Seth Godin, Author, Entrepreneur
We feel incredibly lucky to know extraordinary people like you. To celebrate our anniversary and show our gratitude, Peter and the Atelier Zobel team made a special pin just for you. Without your support, we couldn’t do what we love. Thank you Ivan for over 21 years of partnership, friendship, and inspiration. We are deeply grateful for the memories, special moments, and continued encouragement you’ve given us.
Peter Schmid, Goldsmith
I just read your highly informative KLIMT02 conversation and am highly impressed by your ability to compact a lot of disparate ideas into one absolutely clear and understandable dialogue. Well done!!!
William Harper, Artist, Jeweler, Master Goldsmith
