Artist Selling In Europe During COVID 19​

Artist Selling In Europe During COVID 19

(Transcription)

Artist, Angie Smith, Europe

Angie Smith (00:00):
Definitely my confidence. Definitely that’s my big win was my confidence. I was always very shy which is just my interpretation of insecurity in reality. So being in the program, I, you know, a little bit of the story I was saying then I was out, then I was in, then I was out. But nonetheless, when I had my exhibition a year ago, it was like I was a completely different person. And I was only in course two finishing it and starting number three. So in that little amount of time or whatever, I could go through the course. It really helped me a lot to clean out a lot of things in my life and that, believe it or not gave me a lot of confidence, actually eight courses in the program. So Angie only did two of eight and experienced some, some serious benefit from it.

Angie Smith (00:57):
Yes, that was absolutely correct. Yes. This is so wonderful to hear. This makes sense. Okay. All right, good. I’m glad I’m doing this. This is like, it really resonated with when I was, you know, that you had to declutter and put things in order and everything. I also translated that into my life as well in my personal life, you know, and all of those things about influences, et cetera, et cetera. So they went on that one. I was not selling, I was having conversations with the people that were interested. I have 10 pieces, my pieces are quite big. So I had 10 pieces overall and I sold half of them. If I would have been probably further in the program, probably things would have been different. But I was working with what I had at the time. Basically I applied what I was learning in the second course and basically leading conversations, having conversations with the people, nothing about the art, really nothing.

Angie Smith (02:02):
It was very little people would have questions, which is normal, but the conversations were more into personal issues. How I dealt with certain things in my life and just a genuine interest with people on having a conversation and how to go about it. And that was, that was actually one of the biggest things that I’ve learned. One of the collectors that I had at the time now wants a second piece. He just got up his home made, so he wants to have a second piece. He bought a huge piece of mine and now he was to have a second one for his new house. So I am in touch with him. He wants to have a conversation on through face time on Sunday and don’t forget, I have to manage the conversation in German as well. It’s not only in English, but I have to manage the language of doing this whole process in a, in a language that is certainly not my own because I’m originally from Mexico, so I have Spanish, English, and German.

Ann Rea (03:06):
How do you get, how do you keep all of that in your brain?

Angie Smith (03:11):
It’s not easy, but I did try. I did came across without reading any notes or anything to share my mission in my, what in those three languages. And it felt right. It felt like came from the heart. He actually without me asking, he actually referred me to his company because they have corporate art. Whatever it is that they do in that thing. And he actually gave my name, gave my website. He was so wonderful. And so he believed in it so much that he actually made it by himself.

Ann Rea (03:49):
Had you not gone through course two really start to understand your mission, you wouldn’t have ignited his emotion and his belief and his trust.

Ann Rea (04:02):
Right.

Ann Rea (04:02):
And you wouldn’t. So referrals can come from a direct ask from a referral, but they can also, just because you do something that makes people feel, that will ignite, they want, they want to then support you. This is not about selling yourself, you guys. It’s not about selling yourself. It’s not about selling your art. You even said earlier during your exhibition where you sold half of your paintings, you were lucky you weren’t really talking a whole lot about your art. You’re talking about your inspiration and you were listening more than you were talking.

Angie Smith (04:38):
Absolutely. Absolutely. And the thing that I was surprised with with with my collectors, with all of them, they issue of price never came up ever. No, it doesn’t. Typically the tag and that was that and transactions were easy and smooth. I never had any bad interaction, so everything. That also gave me a lot of confidence to say, okay, you know what? I can do this.

Ann Rea (05:05):
To be clear what it’s, you know, it’s April 8th and you’re securing it. You’re in the process of securing another big commission.

Angie Smith (05:13):
Correct.

Ann Rea (05:14):
Okay, so people are selling art right now. I know that it’s a very uncertain time. I know people feel upset, but there are people who are selling art. I just want you to know that. If You’re working with an art gallery that art gallery is going to keep you as far away as they can from the collectors because they don’t want you getting in the middle. They don’t want you taking a piece of the pie. So if you’re working with an art gallery, I’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news is a lot of art galleries are going to close. Okay. That’s just, they’re already, they’re closed right now and they’re going to close. If you’re one of my students, you’re going to know how to sell your art yourself and you’re going to get to keep a hundred percent of the money.

Ann Rea (06:03):
And if and when, as you cultivate referrals, that can generate on average 80% more sales where you keep a hundred percent of the money. And I think it’s just so much more enriching the fact that you have connections with these people and they’re inviting you over and they’re doing the work for you by giving referrals. That’s the benefit. No one can sell your art better than you, but you have to stop trying to sell yourself and selling your art and really serving a mission that’s greater than yourself and providing clear value above and beyond the art in service to that mission. And it doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be simple and elegant.

Angie Smith (06:48):
For many years I was looking for answers everywhere outside. I’m originally, like I said, I’m originally from Mexico and I ended up in Europe. I had to put an ocean in between because of family issues, severe family issues. And I always thought that all the answers were outside of myself or in, in wrong places when reality, I realized that all the answers are inside right here inside of all of us. Um, we just need to be aware and have the courage to open our heart. I was diagnosed with an immunological disease and I didn’t understand why I got it. I wasn’t sure why. And you know, I ended up through the whole stages of victim and “Oh my God, why me?” And this and that. And I realized with time, cause I was reading a lot about the condition. I was really digging into it, and I realized that no therapy, no event, no book, no psychotherapy, no any kind of therapy outside would actually help me heal what is the problem inside. So I was always putting all my attention outside, outside, outside, and I went through all, obviously all kinds of addictions as well at some point. And that was just making me feel a very shitty person and destroying everything that I’ve created. Being here was I was replicating exactly the same thing that I was running away from. So I decided to put an end to that. And again, all these answers, everything that I was craving, everything that I was looking for was actually

Ann Rea (08:33):
Was there a moment when you decided to put an end to it?

Angie Smith (08:37):
I was — I had a huge argument with very close with my husband and things just started to come out in that precise moment. I decided I cannot keep going on feeling on like this. I need to change. And I love him so much that I would not allow myself to destroy the one person in my life that I cherish and love the most, which is him. So for me, it was a clear indication that if I would not change myself, then everything will be ruined. And I didn’t want to have that in my life anymore. So I took the strength and the courage to really open up and let myself feel worthy of the good things and not just focus on the negative. And the bad things and all those things that are just, you know, pull us away from our truth, our own realities.

Ann Rea (09:34):
This is so powerful.

Angie Smith (09:36):
Thank you for, for.

Ann Rea (09:39):
What a gift for you to share your mission with us and for with other artists and show other artists that there is another way to sell your art. And I think it relates to your mission. Like if you keep waiting for someone else to come discover you, if you keep waiting for someone else to take care of all the business and marketing mumbo jumbo, you’re going to be waiting for your entire life. You need to understand in order to get paid in this world and this life, you have to provide value and it has to be clear value. And it can’t be this abstract, weird artist statement that they make you write in art school or they make you write in an art gallery. It has to be from the heart. There’s nothing. Everything Angie conveyed to us was her soul’s truth truth.

Ann Rea (10:27):
We can tell who she is, what she stands for, and what she stands against. And if you didn’t feel that man, and you’re not human, that was amazing. Wow so beautiful. Yes, absolutely. Yes. Muchos Gracious.

Angie Smith (10:43):
Margaret Johnson says “I’ve taken the course and it’s well worth it. I made my back the money I spent so quickly and it had, it all has to do with your why. What is your mission? I’m here just for the wonderful reminders.” Well, welcome back Margaret. So one question I have for you, Angie is if someone was like sitting on the fence and they weren’t sure about applying to enroll in this program. What would you honestly say to them?

Angie Smith (11:07):
Oh, that’s a no brainer. Absolutely. Just don’t overthink. We have a tendency to overthink what is good for us. And we are always hesitant, but you just need to do things. In reality, we never threw things that are hard. We never do things that are challenging. And we always have these excuse of saying, “Oh, you know, I’ll do it later.” It’s not the right time. It’s never the right time. You’ve never gonna do it later. You’re never — if you don’t challenge yourself now in this lifetime, then when it’s just a waste of time really. And one of the things that actually I grew up down is a mission is in my life that is worth dedicating to. And that even if I don’t know how, and that is something that just, just go for it. And then you just, again, you just have to be open and let things come in.

Angie Smith (11:58):
Not that they’re, that we will be passive, but you do have to take action, take the steps, get out of the way, and just remain focused and focus on the things that are good for you and for the others. Provide a service to the world. This is what we are here for. And this is one of the quotes that you always, um, mentioned. Uh, or actually it was Maya Angelou that said, uh, tell, people will forget what you say. People will forget what, what you give, but, or something like this, but they will never forget how you make them feel as correct and absolutely, it’s a no brainer. For sure.

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