“I’m Embarrassed to Share My Website.”

It’s probably the sentence I hear most often when artists first come to see me.

It usually comes after we’ve been talking for a while. They’ll show me their work, tell me about the shows they’ve been in, the commissions they’ve completed, or the new direction their artwork has taken. Then they’ll pull up their website, pause for a second, and say, “Honestly, I’m embarrassed to share it.”

After working alongside hundreds of artists at Western Avenue Studios, I’ve realized this feeling is incredibly common.

The interesting thing is that it rarely has anything to do with the quality of their artwork. More often than not, their work has grown tremendously over the years. The problem is that their website hasn’t grown with it.

Your Website Is Frozen in Time

Most artists don’t intentionally neglect their website.

Life simply gets in the way.

You’re creating new work, preparing for exhibitions, spending weekends at art markets, fulfilling commissions, and trying to keep your business moving forward. Learning a website platform or redesigning your portfolio always seems like something you’ll get around to later.

Before you know it, several years have passed.

Your work has improved. Your style has evolved. You’ve created dozens of new pieces that aren’t even on your website anymore. Maybe you’ve changed mediums, started teaching workshops, or begun exhibiting in new places. But your website still represents the artist you were years ago.

Eventually it reaches a point where it no longer feels like you.

When someone asks if you have a website, you hesitate before sharing the link. Sometimes you tell people to just look at your Instagram instead because it feels more current.

I’ve seen that happen more times than I can count.

The Website Usually Isn’t the Real Problem

Over the years, I’ve realized that the website itself usually isn’t what’s holding people back.

It’s the feeling that the project has become too big.

Technology changes quickly. Website builders are constantly introducing new features, online stores become more complicated, and suddenly something that seemed manageable years ago feels overwhelming.

Most artists aren’t avoiding their website because they don’t care about it. They’re avoiding it because they have an entire life and business to run. When you’re already juggling commissions, shows, family, and making new work, rebuilding a website can feel impossible to squeeze in.

So it gets pushed to next month.

Then next season.

Eventually it becomes something you don’t even want to think about anymore.

I’ve Seen the Relief Firsthand

One artist I worked with was a local jewelry maker named Tara.

She had built her own website years earlier and, at the time, it worked well for her. But as her business grew, so did her inventory. She had created so many new pieces that adding everything to the site felt overwhelming. On top of that, she knew the photography needed to be updated and the design no longer reflected where she was as an artist.

The longer she waited, the bigger the project became in her mind.

After we finished the redesign, the biggest change wasn’t the website itself.

It was her reaction.

She was relieved.

She was excited.

She couldn’t wait to start showing people her website again because it finally represented the quality of the work she had spent years creating.

That’s one of my favorite parts of what I do. I enjoy building websites, but I enjoy seeing that weight lifted off someone’s shoulders even more.

Trust Is Usually the Turning Point

Something else I’ve noticed is that people rarely move forward because they suddenly have more time or more money.

More often, they move forward because they’ve found someone they trust.

Being based at Western Avenue Studios has been one of the biggest advantages for me because I spend every day surrounded by working artists. Most of the people I work with hear about me through another artist, and by the time we sit down together, they’re looking for someone who understands their vision—not just someone who knows how to build a website.

That’s why I like meeting in person whenever I can.

Before we ever talk about layouts or colors, I want to understand the work itself. I want to know what you’re making, where you hope your art takes you, and how you want people to feel when they visit your website.

Every artist has a different story, and I think their website should reflect that.

You Don’t Need the Best Website on the Internet

One thing I’ve learned from working with artists is that very few people are chasing the flashiest website.

What they really want is a website they’re proud to share.

They want to hand someone a business card without feeling self-conscious. They want galleries, collectors, and customers to see work that reflects who they are today—not who they were five or ten years ago.

That’s a much more meaningful goal than simply having a beautiful website.

If This Sounds Familiar

If you’ve been putting off your website because the whole project feels overwhelming, you’re certainly not alone.

If you want to update it yourself, I’m always happy to point people toward resources or help them think through one problem at a time. Sometimes breaking a big project into smaller pieces is enough to get the momentum going again.

If you’d rather spend your time making art, there’s nothing wrong with asking for help either. A professional can save you months of frustration and help you move forward much faster by building a website that reflects where your work is today.

However you decide to approach it, don’t let an outdated website stop you from sharing work you’re proud of.

You’ve already put in the hard work of becoming a better artist.

Your website should tell that story too.