(Transcription)

Artist, Gina

-So first of all tell us your name and what kind of artist you are.

– Yes, my name, is Gina and I am a and I am also an artist who draws the human nude figure.

– Okay, alright. And you’re a student in the making art, making money semester. An active one. So what has been the biggest thing you’ve learned from the semester so far?

– The biggest thing that I’ve learned from the semester so far is that artists have the ability and the power to become extremely successful. And when the components of becoming extremely successful is that we have at least I’ve learned to manage my time and focus better.

– Great. That’s huge. Would you recommend the semester to a friend or another artist and if so why?

– I would definitely recommend your course, your materials to a friend because you have you have taught things that aren’t aren’t in the standard curriculum in what you’d find in a college or university. It is it is, it shakes up the the old system of going to school getting good grades and hoping to find work for your to find by to find by your medium. And you teach your course materials are all about getting in touch with your feelings and finding and being able to connect to other people with what you truly believe in. And your also what your experiences are. Your life experiences. Tied in with how you, what you can offer to other people.

– So it’s hoping versus it’s planning versus hoping.

– Correct.

– And thinking about it is you can offer of value to others versus just yourself.

– Exactly. And you look out for the interests of your students. And this is definitely nothing that I’ve seen in the colleges and universities and all the professors that have taught me. It’s nothing that I’ve learned in the standard system.

– Good. Good. That’s music to my ears. What was one thing that you gained from the semester so far that might have surprised you? Or maybe you weren’t expecting.

– What is one thing that I’ve gained so far that I wasn’t expecting?

– Or that you learned?

– I wasn’t expecting to I was not this was the first time that I had to talk about uh living my death. I was not prepared for that and it was very enlightening and truly awesome I would say.

– Great. Yeah, well, none of us are getting out of here alive. It’s a fact, right?

– Exactly.

– So, we want to make the best and the most of whatever time we have left. And we don’t even know what that is. And when my experience has been that when you change your relationship to your own death it changes your relationship to how you live your life.

– Exactly. Exactly.

– Great. Okay. That’s fantastic. Is there anything else you’d like to say about the making art making money semester?

– Sure. I am now very acutely aware of how my minutes and my seconds the seconds of my life are spent. And I am very in touch with my emotions that I have. I’m more in control of what triggers certain emotions. And I know exactly, in your words, I know how to snap out of it.

– That’s awesome. Haha.

– Yes.

– That’s wonderful. Okay. That’s. Damn. That’s worth the price of admission just that, right? Just that.

– Exactly.

– Well you gained that because you did the work. The only reason you have these things to say is because you’ve actually I can tell you’re, I can tell you’ve done work. You have a lot more work to do.

– Yes.

– But, so what? You know. What else are you doing? Right? You could either do the work or go back to fixing your website again.

– Haha.

– Haha.

– Yeah. Oh my gosh. Yeah.

– I am guilty of that too. I totally understand. I am so glad that you posted that because that is so common. So many artists spend their time doing that busy work and it is the tail wagging the dog. No pun intended. It really really is. You’re not getting anywhere with that.

– And, and I felt like because of like, you know going through the university system I felt like I was I was attempting to do something right by fixing my bio and my artist statement like no, that’s not right that’s not right, it’s not right. And I was never settled. And that’s when something hit me and I felt like I needed to talk to you about this. Because I am I am going and I’m not climbing I’m not getting past a certain point that I want to get past. And I can’t, I couldn’t point out what exactly what that was.

– Right. Were you working on a bio and an artist statement that nobody reads anyway.

– Yeah.

– And that’s not the and even if they do that’s not the reason why they buy it, so. That’s fantastic. Well thanks again for taking the time out of your busy day and for being flexible with your schedule to take this time. And I just want to make sure that’s it’s absolutely cool with you if I use what we just talked about for promotional purposes.

– I have no problem with that.

– Okay, I just want to make sure, I always got to like ask permission.

– Yeah.

– So, I’ll just leave you on this note like, I have no plans to end the semester. So, once you even once you get your knowledge check once you have your one on one don’t just say okay I’m gone just you can stay in that Facebook group and you know, I have artists who I have been working with for freaking years and they still book consults and all that stuff. So, just remember it’s forever, you know. Building your business, it’s just forever.

– And, just one more thing I want to point out is that I have been thinking about your story for almost three years unfortunately. I heard about you maybe around 2013 and at that time, I couldn’t afford it. And I re-listened to your story so many times it inspired me so much and that’s why I called you. That’s why I had to book an appointment. I was convinced, like I want to get there because you have.

– Aw. Aw that makes me feel so good. Good. Well you will. If I have anything to do with it. Alright. Thank you so, so much. I’m so glad you joined us. And you’ve been making great contributions to the Facebook group and I just I can tell, you’re going to do well.