Are you falling for false opportunities for "exposure?"

(Transcription)

Artist, Deb Chaney
Coquitlam, British Columbia

What inspired you to make art? 

Deb Chaney (00:03):It started when I lost my son. So I, I had a baby that died after he was born. And I think going into art and, and starting to make it and sell it really gave me something to focus on that was positive. Yes. And, and so it was really like it was lifesaving in a lot of ways it really just kept me here in the world and kept me moving forward.

What was your biggest challenge as an artist?

Deb Chaney (00:25):
Hitting a ceiling of what I’ve accomplished in my career as an artist and knowing that there’s more available to me, but not knowing what I don’t know to get there.

What else was your biggest challenge as an artist?

Deb Chaney (00:38):
How to do sales in a way that was heartfelt and intelligent and create sales systems. I have a lot of studio visitors and I have a lot of connections and I was kind of doing it blindly, I didn’t have the foundation of a Why and a mission and I didn’t know I wanted or needed that. But what I wanted to do is figure out how am I gonna move forward and keep selling my work, but doing it in a way that’s really authentic coming from my truth. And I was working with another mentor before you who specializes in sales, but it was a crap shoot. She doesn’t, she wasn’t coming at it from the same angle that you were. And so as much as I was learning sales, I was, I guess what you would call sleazy sales techniques. And so I knew it wasn’t authentic for me, but I wanted to pour it. I’m like, whatever it takes. So in a nutshell, knowing how in a savvy way, move forward with my business and make sales, but in a very authentic integral way.

How did you approach sales before?

Deb Chaney (01:39):
I was doing every opportunity I could to get my work out and possibly sell it.

And there was no, um, there was no sense of like, this is who I’m headed for, this is who I want to connect with.

It was like whatever is out there let me just go for it.

Cause I want to somehow make this work. And you can imagine the time and energy and frustration, you get rejections and you spend a bunch of money, and you try this, and you’re just like I’m going to do whatever it takes. Right?

So that’s pre artists who thrive. And then I joined the program and I do course one and I started to understand about focus and I do course two, and I got really clear about my, Why.

I started to understand what’s underlying behind what I’m doing. And I started to realize, wow, I don’t really fit with everyone.

There’s a certain game plan. And so this is what is impetus where the power behind saying no. So when opportunities come, I have a baseline to say, Oh this really aligns with who I am, what my mission is and that really doesn’t and for, and then you’re going to get tested on of course when you change.

And so the first one was a gallery that I’ve been in touch with for a while and I have a lot of respect for her and her work and she invited me to a very exclusive show to make it work for a fund raising exhibition.

And so my ego was delighted and I was excited to connect with someone I really respected.

But it would have been a lot of money and time.

And you know, in this program we’re asked to keep track of how much we’re making and how much we’re saving.

And so on my spreadsheet, I said, I’m probably saving about $500 by saying no to this opportunity.

And it was challenging to say no, I wanted to do it like I used to want to do everything, but I realized that as a business, this is a really poor business decision for me to make because one, there’s no guarantee my art is going to sell exposure. Maybe? Maybe not? And it doesn’t mean she’s going to eventually represent me.

What else did you say no to?

Deb Chaney (03:47):
A program of a new company that’s formed that you’d actually posted with on the Facebook site with re with regards to 3D printing, you know, the company I’m referring to, I actually read all their fine print and I realized that if I signed with this company to print my art and 3d they will have all the rights.

Ann Rea (04:12):
And they burry that down deep. That should be on the home page, but it’s very way down deep. So good for you for reading the terms and conditions carefully.

Deb Chaney (04:24):
Yeah. So I, I decided to say no to putting any time or energy into applying for that. Um, that group, and again, this is a rewiring the way I operate and part of me is like, Oh God, like I’m not doing that.

But then I’m trusting I’m going into this new phase where I’m like, I’m clear on who I am and who my market is and who I’m serving and that’s not it.

generalpublic.art

Ann Rea (04:44):
Well, let’s circle back to this grab for your intellectual property, which I’m going to call bullshit on.

I think it’s very predatory and I think that it injures artists in ways they don’t yet realize. I can tell you a significant amount of my art sales come from reproductions.

If I had just surrendered that for the opportunity to, or maybe, which is I wouldn’t even call it an opportunity.

I think it’s an opportunity for them. I would have lost all that income. It’s ridiculous.

You have to protect your intellectual property. Your copyright is either it’s an existing financial asset or it can be one in the future.

So we’re going to be so careful with it and I’m so glad you busted them on this because it’s wrong. It’s really wrong.

Deb Chaney (05:41):
I love your passion Ann and that’s great.

Ann Rea (05:43):
Yeah, I’m just like, I just, I’m just not having it. I’m not having it. The link to, um, I will put the link to the company we’re referring to and shame on you. You got this PR campaign running that suggest that, Oh look how generous and look how benevolent this company’s being to artists. Bullshit.

You’re ripping them off and that’s wrong.

Why do artists need to get paid for their art?

Ann Rea (06:09):
And for me in particular, so I’m a single mom and I support my daughter being an artist. I’m a full time artist and I actually do work with a number of other companies that make reproductions of my work and that comes in and pays my car payment or it pays my utilities bill. It’s really supporting me.

So if I were to sign with one company that has exclusive rights, I would actually lose viable income that I’m living on. It’s really, again, it’s really like down to the wire for me to make intelligent decisions.

Just say “NO.”

Deb Chaney (06:42):
What happened after, and this is how we connected on the Facebook page, was I said no to that opportunity and I was approached and I don’t even know, I think there’s an energetic shift that goes on with taking artists of thrive. Oh absolutely. It’s the tribe.

There’s so much that goes on within us. If we really go into the work, and I mean not, not necessarily doing anything different on the outside, but opportunity after opportunity keeps coming in and they’re finding me everywhere. Instagram, this, that.

So what happened after what words was a company approached me, they’re based here in Vancouver, Canada where I am and they just said, you know, we’ve been following you for for awhile and Instagram, we really think your work is a fit. We’re three D printing operation.

We’d like to give you a full copy, like you will keep all the rights to your work.

We want to give you five reproductions.

We want to give you a percentage of all the sales and we’d like to meet with you and discuss the possibility of collaboration.

Over 85% of all sales come by way of referrals.

Ann Rea (07:44):
For you to get the contact information of the collectors who buy that 3D work.

Deb Chaney (07:52):
Wow. Okay. I never thought of asking for that.

Ann Rea (07:54):
Well now the reason why is because 85% over 85% of our sales come by way of referrals. Yeah. So, and I would just explain that to them.

Say, look, I’m a single mom. I make my, I am making my living as an artist and so when my work sells, those referrals are really important to me.

And so I want to talk to you about how, you know, we’re going to talk about collaboration. That’s, you know, make sure that that’s part of the conversation about collaboration. You will save a ton of money just the.

Deb Chaney (08:28):
I am so grateful for that piece of mentorship. My goodness. Thank you.

I actually wouldn’t have thought of that.

Getting referrals is easy. Just ask.

Deb Chaney (08:36):
I work with another company and they reproduce my artwork for restaurants and hotels all over North America.

And what they do when they, they give me a PO is they actually tell me the hotel or the outfit where my reproduction is going.

And they just do that out of generosity because they really care about the artist. So it’s so exciting to know where the work is going.

Ann Rea (08:59):
So you go back there and sell them other stuff too. Yeah. I never worried about.

Ann Rea (09:04):
What you could do is send them a personal thank you note to whoever purchased it.

Find if you can get the name and say, I want to thank you so much for your hotel becoming one of my collectors and I want you to give you my website because if you’d like more pieces or if you’re interested in these other things, then um, I just want to make myself available to you. That’s, that’ll generate sales.

Deb Chaney (09:29):
Wow. Ann you are amazing. I honestly didn’t even consider that and I always send thank you know, it’s my collectors, but most of the collectors that I work with is on an individual basis. This collaboration is new. It never occurred to me to do this.

Ann Rea (09:44):
Somebody in that organization, that hotel who made the decision and just say, I’d like their name cause I can send them a thank you note.

Deb Chaney (09:52):
Brilliant. Oh my gosh. Yes.

Ann Rea (09:53):
And you know it’s, it’s and who doesn’t like a handwritten thank you note.

Deb Chaney (10:00):
I usually put in a photo of me and my daughter because I just say without your support I can’t do what I do.

Ann Rea (10:06):
So good. do that too. Make them cry and watch them buy Deb.

Should other artists apply?

Deb Chaney (10:15):
You know, take a really good inventory of where you’re at and if that’s where you want to stay in your life, that’s your choice.

But if you’re not happy with the results that you’re getting and where you’re at, and you can look at yourself in the mirror and know that you don’t know what you don’t know, then be open to something that’s going to show you and open doors and teach you things that you didn’t even know you didn’t know.

And then you can start creating your dreams.

Cause this is the thing, it’s usually everything we desire is out of our comfort zone.

And it’s usually things we aren’t aware of even yet. And you’re gonna, you’re gonna get more than you ever imagined in terms of connections and knowledge and momentum from. So it’s a positive thing.

It’s not like I’m asking you to, you know, harm yourself or jump off a cliff. This is, this is a happy opportunity that you’re a privileged to partake in while Ann is offering this, for goodness sakes.

You know, if we were in person, I will give you a hug, and I would say thank you for doing your piece to change the world. It’s absolutely revolutionary course and program.

And that’s coming from my heart. This is, it’s this really changing the world.

Ann Rea (11:30):
Aw, thank you.