Creative LAB: Classes & Courses from Marta Spendowska
I made this space for people like you—sharp, curious, ambitious, and playful.
This is where all my courses, classes, and advice live.
From 2010–2014, I ran a design studio booked six months in advance called PolishLab. I’m bringing that name back for my creative LAB today — returning to my roots in design, development, and coding.
I’m an artist, but also a nerd (the useful kind).
I get tons of emails about the art business — tools, systems, how to actually make it work. This is the starting point.
Want to grow seriously as a watercolor artist? Join the list to hear when my private art club and courses open.
Ready now? Start with my Art Database for Artists — a practical, no-fluff system to track sales, licensing, and projects without monthly fees.
Because your art deserves structure and freedom. ♥︎
Classes / Courses
Dear Artist,
Are you ready to take control of your art business, simplify tracking your licensing deals, unravel the Excel chaos, and/or stop paying for expensive database tools you don’t even own?
Join me, and let’s create your very own personalized art management system—one that hands you *total* creative control, and gives pricey monthly fees the boot.
Notion Art Database for Artists
Sale price
$67.00
Regular price
$147.00
More to come...
Don't forget to join my Àrtletter at the bottom of this page.
Tête-à-tête
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION?
The Holy Grail question. The one everyone asks.
Here’s my advice: shut down the internet.
An overfed, overstimulated mind isn't fertile ground for inspiration; it’s a hamster on a Red Bull IV. You’ll churn, scroll, fidget—create very little.
You must learn the lost art of mental emptiness.
True inspiration doesn't usually come when you’re hunting it down. It comes when you’re bored enough to notice the light on the floor.
When you’re walking without a podcast.
When you’re sitting without swiping.
When you’re quiet enough for your own voice to sound interesting again.
Other meaningful components of a successful art business.
ATTITUDE. It doesn’t matter which foot hits the floor first in the morning—if you feel stuck, move. Literally. Go for a walk. Julia Cameron swears by it. Morning Pages might work too (I wouldn’t know, I’m still procrastinating on them). Sort yourself out however you can: pour a glass of wine (yes, really), talk to a friend (you can even email me!), have sex, or simply show up and work your way through it.
PERSISTENCE. If you want to be in the art business (key word: business), you have to treat it like one. And fair warning—it usually takes longer to build than a service-based business. I know because I once ran a thriving design studio with an eight-month waitlist. Talent matters, but persistence and a few smart growth strategies matter even more.
ART TOOLS. Make sure to sign up above to receive my TOOL PDF.I use Arches and Fantastico watercolor paper—yes, it's expensive, and yes, it can intimidate. But when I exhibited my Lost Genius Women series, only the best paper, mats, and frames would do. For quicker sketches and studies, I use Canson or Strathmore. As for brushes, I love natural hair but also work with Teklon synthetics—every brush has its own attitude, and you’ll have to get to know them before they truly work for you. Paint-wise, I reach for M. Graham and Winsor & Newton. Dick Blick has just about everything you could need online. Photoshop is my go-to digital tool for touch-ups and cleanups.
STYLE. Your style is already inside you. It's not invented; it's uncovered.
Once, a top illustrator emailed me back with brutal kindness: Take everything down except the watercolors.Within watercolor alone, there are a thousand different lives to live. Keep painting. Keep failing forward. Your style will emerge when you're too busy painting to overthink it.
DONATE. Only if it’s a full-bodied, enthusiastic YES.
COPYCATS.Celebrate other artists—but protect yourself, too. Copyright your work regularly. A quick tip: if someone’s copy could confuse a buyer about who created it, they’ve crossed the line.
PLAY. Work like you mean it. Play like you forgot you had a watch. Art demands seriousness and silliness in equal measure. Dance between the two.
WANT MORE?
I send honest, practical advice to artists through my newsletter—zero fluff, just real strategies and encouragement to fuel your creative career. If you’re building a life around art, you’ll want to be there.
Follow me, stay connected, and let’s grow something extraordinary together.
DROPBOX:
Dropbox keeps all your big files in one secure place, syncing across devices so you can access them anytime. Sharing is simple—send links to folders or files, collaborate, or keep locations private.
Why I love it: security, easy sharing, offline access, and your files pick up right where you left off.
As a Dropbox Partner, I use it constantly!
SHOPIFY:
After many years working with WordPress (since 2006), I found that running e-commerce there required ongoing maintenance, plugin management, and technical troubleshooting.
I moved to Shopify in 2017 and have found it to be a more stable, commerce-focused platform. When factoring in the costs of plugins, fixes, and upkeep on WordPress, Shopify’s pricing often balances out.
I value Shopify for its security, reliable infrastructure, store analytics, speed, and ease of day-to-day management.
As a Shopify Partner, it allows me to focus more on the business and less on technical maintenance.
BACKBLAZE:
I've been a devotee since 2013. Backblaze offers reliable, low-cost cloud backup for all your devices. My files go from local drives to external drives to the cloud—accessible anywhere, anytime.
Why I use it: security, peace of mind, unlimited devices, and no lost files.
As a Backblaze Partner, I sleep easily knowing everything’s safely backed up.
NOTION:
I have been an early Notion adopter who fell in love with this app in the first week of usage. I also teach how to use the NOTION app to build your Art Database, so that you don't have to pay monthly fees to online companies. Make sure to check it out.
GET YOUR NOTION →
HOSTGATOR:
If you're not ready to invest in Shopify, consider Hostgator as your hosting provider for your WordPress website.
GET YOUR HOSTING →
ART SUPPLIES:
DickBlick is our Mother & Father, amiright? What would we do without this extraordinary company?
Another place where I gathered my beloved supplies is my Amazon Store.
