How can you sell art during physical isolation?

(Transcription)

What is your mission as an artist?

Michelle Thompson (00:04):
My mission is I believe people need to believe. They need to believe in their truth and perseverance to set themselves free. No, they matter and have some faith doing that. I love it. And uh, do we need that mission now more than ever. Yes. First of all, I want to tell you how very proud of you I am because you didn’t sit on your hands and you didn’t retreat in fear. You busted a move. I had a big art show coming up a week ago, Saturday. It was canceled two days prior as usually in art show. I do very well at and knowing what was coming down the pike, I was praying it was not going to be canceled because I kinda need that money. But um, it did get canceled and I was like, Oh, now what?

What did you do?

Michelle Thompson (00:59):
Well this is what I have available. I had Facebook, Instagram available. So let’s do a painting in a day. I’m stuck home for four weeks. Let’s do a painting a day and post it with the price, a little story to go with it. This is my seventh day of posting. Two of those paintings are spoken for and will be delivered when this is done and one commissioned. You got a commission too? Yup. Yup.

Do you what you can with what you have now.

Ann Rea (01:29):
You know, you could’ve just like cried in your beer about your art show being canceled. Right. That was an option.

Michelle Thompson (01:38):
It wasn’t an option.

Ann Rea (01:39):
It was an option and it would be an understandable option, but really not a very healthy option or a profitable option.

What can you do now?

Ann Rea (01:49):
So this is an excellent time to work on your business at your fine art enterprise versus in your business, right? Yeah. Those are two very different sets of activities. Work with what you have, where you are now. Now where are you going to be? Hope to be, work with what you have with what you have now. Right. And that’s what you did. You like I’ve got Facebook, I’ve got Instagram, I’ve got an internet connection, I got some paint.

Move through your feelings.

Ann Rea (02:23):
I think it was important for you to go ahead and have a pity party about having that disappointment. Cause I think, well shit, it’s disappointing, right? And so you got to feel your emotions but, and you have to feel them to get past them. If you don’t acknowledge them, then they’re going to get stuck.

Artists need support.

Michelle Thompson (02:42):
Someone very close to me in that swirl in they’re no understanding how to kick himself out of it. So I’m thankful for this group of grounded thinkers.

Ann Rea (02:54):
You want to join a very smart and savvy community. You want to join the Making Art Making Money program because you’re, you’re going to get people like Michelle who will, you know, has started to figure this stuff out. Tomorrow I’m in an interview musician who is getting gigs via zoom.

What’s going to happen?

Ann Rea (03:19):
It’s sometimes though when we’re in a painful situation or an uncomfortable situation, we have this illusion that it’s going to last forever but it’s not gonna last forever, um, art galleries probably not going to do real well. What is going to happen? Artists like Michelle who now understand that relationships equal revenue and that she can use resources available to her, they’re going to do really well.

Will you need an artist statement?

Ann Rea (03:49):
Do you have an artist statement now anymore?

Michelle Thompson (03:53):
No, not really. It’s so weird when people are like, send me your artist’s statement. And like, um,

Ann Rea (04:01):
You know what if they ask for your artists when just send them your damn mission and just call it.

Michelle Thompson (04:08):
That’s what I do. I like, here’s my mission. I Curran Joe. There’s like, Oh, you didn’t have no clue.

Ann Rea (04:18):
So for those of you who enrolled in my program, I, if you haven’t noticed, I freaking hate artist’s statements because they’re so self-involved an cringe-worthy. And the reason why being self-involved doesn’t work when you’re trying to sell things is because no one pays you for you being self-involved. They only pay you because you create clear value, and you inspire them or you create meaning for them. And that’s the only reason you’re going to get paid as an artist. And that means not everyone is going to pay you because you’re not going to create meaning and you’re not willing to, inspire emotion in everybody. You’re going to just do that for your target market, your tribe. So, um, if you’re under this weird spell that you have to appeal to everyone, you’re not going to do that. It’s not going to happen.

What is art?

Ann Rea (05:12):
Art is in the eye of the beholder everybody. Those are our critics. Can Yammer on as long as they want. It’s not gonna matter.

What do you think of art critics?

Michelle Thompson (05:25):
I don’t really care what you think. You’ve got to be kidding. So then take your course. And I’m like I love it. I mean every time I look at them charcoal drawing like yeah, It’s a damn good piece and he was just one person. What matters is the people that do like it and do want it and the people I’m servicing and who I need to get to. And that’s what matters is getting in front of those people and the referrals was is a huge one. I don’t know why I never thought to ask for referrals.

Ann Rea (06:02):
And you’re not alone.

Why do referrals matter?

Ann Rea (06:08):
Referral sales are something that a lot of artists don’t take advantage of and sometimes can’t take advantage of. Referrals on average, and this is a broad average, will generate over 80% more sales where you get to keep 100% of the money. So just really sit with that math for a second and, and think about how your world would change if you had 80% more sales where you kept 100% of the money and those sales are easy, they’re authentic, they’re already warmed up, it’s natural, it’s organic. But if you work with an art gallery, not going to happen because they’re not going to let you have your your collector’s contact information, even though it’s often illegal in many States in the United States anyway.

How did your new mindset help you?

Michelle Thompson (06:59):
You know what, it helped me actually not go into the rut feel sorry for myself. It helped me stay above that in the, and just always be thinking about how I can help people still with what I have available. And, and, I refer to in one of the courses it talks about knowing what your resources are and know what you have available to work with. And I refer to that a lot because I have to.

How did you sell your art in isolation?

Michelle Thompson (07:36):
I posted the picture. I posted it in the Instagram where it dumps into my business, Facebook. And you also posted on my personal page, so it’s going in three spots. And so in one spot on Instagram was where I got one message and one spot on my regular Facebook page. I believe this where I got it, where the person said, I want this. How can I get this? So then I private messaged them and we discussed the parameters of how and when and, and then basically I’ll deliver it because they’re in my area.

Should other artists apply to enroll?

Michelle Thompson (08:23):
Don’t wait. I waited for five years.

Ann Rea (08:31):
Think about how much money you could have made in that five years. Oh well.

Michelle Thompson (08:35):
So make a decision. That’s why my thing is make a decision. Don’t be indecisive. Go for it. And uh, what you get out of this program is just more than the money itself. So in the group, like, so to put this in a perspective. My one year was done in July and I re-signed up for this year and I’m so glad to be a part of this right now because of what’s going on outside of us that’s larger than us and this community of artists and people to connect with has been just awesome. Keeping everything in perspective and grounded and just really it’s been awesome.

Ann Rea (09:25):
That’s awesome.

Michelle Thompson (09:27):
It really is. Yeah. I just, I could hug you.

Ann Rea (09:32):
Here’s a virtual hug.