How Can An Artist Gain More Self-Confidence?

How Can An Artist Gain More Self-Confidence?

(Transcription)

Artist, Leslie Cole, Nashville, Tennessee

QUESTION: Where are you based now?

Ann Rea: Okay, this is Ann Rea and Rebel Rea, coming to you live from San Francisco, California. And Leslie Cole coming to us from where?

Leslie Cole: Nashville, Tennessee.

Ann Rea: Nashville, Tennessee. Okay, so…

QUESTION: What was you biggest challenge as an artist?

Leslie Cole: Number one, I really didn’t feel like I was doing work-wise what was really inside me to do. There was a lack of confidence in my inside deep self.

QUESTION: What was your other challenge as an artist?

Leslie Cole: Yeah, I would have to say is probably focus.

Ann Rea: Focus.

Leslie Cole: Thinking oh, there are all these things I could try, but they felt external. I can’t exactly explain it. I wanted what I did to come from inside.

Ann Rea: So you weren’t self directed, is what I’m hearing.

Leslie Cole: Maybe, maybe. Well I would think oh I could try this, or this, or this, or this, but it wasn’t based on, yeah, it wasn’t based on my inside, my gut, my heart, my mind.

QUESTION: What results did Leslie gain?

Ann Rea: So Leslie wrote, “When I signed up for this program “I had on a scale of one to ten, self-confidence, “I had a one, and in terms of confidence in selling “I had a zero. “I thought I was phony, a fraud. “I sold no more than $2000 worth of art all together “in 10 years of painting. “Last year I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, “so I had to take a break from studying through the courses “while on chemo and from surgery.” And we’re glad that you are healing too, Leslie. It’s nice to see that. “Then I came to my why and what, “but I was more invigorated to paint “and my skill was improving.” Now that’s this really cool thing is that when you really understand why you’re creating, man you get so much more energy and motivation to actually create. But Leslie goes on to say that she decided to host a two day open house and promise 10% of the net profit to go to two different cancer organizations in exchange for their inviting people. Smart move, right away. “The two organizations were so glad “and very excited about coming. “It was a mixture of 8 out of 10 anxiety, “and fear 9 out of 10. “Excitement.” Those two things are linked close together. It’s a really you know, and she said, “That I kept saying no matter what happens, “I’ll learn something.” which is a great attitude. Exactly. Then she said, “Three paintings sold the first night, “but at the end of the night I was depressed “because I’d been trying to sell art.” Which I teach artists, don’t even bother. Selling art sucks.

Leslie Cole: Yes.

Ann Rea: Don’t try to sell yourself. Then she writes, “I had my mission posted on a sign, “but I didn’t talk about it. “People read it and said, Oh that’s great, so moving. “You should write a book or do something with this.”

Leslie Cole: I know,I know. They were so moved by it.

Ann Rea: Yes. What’s your product?

Leslie Cole: It is emotion which is movement. Emotion, movement, moving people.

Ann Rea: Right, right, exactly. So here’s the final thing Leslie wrote. “The next day I decided I was not “going to sell a single piece. “Just have fun, be surprised at who came, “laugh and joke, and feel happy when people who came, “who did come. “I still was too afraid to share my mission, “but within an hour I sold a piece “for the most I’ve ever charged. And by the end of the day, I made $3,400.00.” By the end of the day I was just joking and laughing “and people stayed past closing time “and stood in line to buy paintings. What the,” she didn’t fill that part in. “Then a woman came back this week “and bought another painting for $825.00. “She was tearing up about how much she loved it, “how it made her feel, yes, how it made her feel. “There’s nothing better than having a person “have a deeply positive emotional experience “in reaction to a piece of my art.” So the reason why Leslie shared this, is because she wanted to encourage the other students, to like, “This stuff works!” Right?

QUESTION: What did you realize about your “Why?

Leslie Cole: Yeah. Yep, yes. Oh this has been driving me all along.

Ann Rea: Thank you! So what do I say to my, all of my students who finally land on their why, which struggling and suffering is optional by the way. It can be very easy. There was plenty of students who just followed the directions and it’s easy. And they all say, “Oh my gosh, this was here all along.” Was that your experience?

Leslie Cole: Yeah, yeah. I think it was, it was layered over with self-limiting beliefs. Like I really had a lot of work to get through the self-limiting beliefs. But underneath that driver was there all along. And it is extremely strong.

QUESTION: What’s happened to your self-confidence?

Leslie Cole: I’m feeling extremely self-confident. Eight, nine, sometimes 10 out of 10 self-confident.

Ann Rea: You started with a one, right?

Leslie Cole: Yeah, started with a one. And also I think this, coming to the why, as I was going through the breast cancer treatment and I was just down and out. I had lots of time to think. Is this really what I’m about, is this really what I’m about, ’cause it’s gotta be, I’ve gotta be about something that is now really me. If I’m gonna live through this, this is gonna be me. And so that is, that is how I feel. When you interviewed me on the phone, that very day I was, I had been asked by a guy who runs the clinic to be the medical director. The number one medical director of the whole recovery clinic. And to be the owner. He wanted me, to be the big head honcho. And I said, I’ve gotta have this interview with you. On the phone, you, my voice was so weak. You said, “It’s okay, “it’s okay, you don’t have to be anxious.” You could hear it on the phone. And it’s interesting because even though I was, I had a confidence in the medical stuff, like I could have done it, I could have taken it. I had no confidence in me. And there is no way to sell or paint art without me.

QUESTION: What is Leslie’s mission?

Leslie Cole: Nothing more important than love, than believing the truth that you are loved, that you are capable of being loved. And I stand against all the that the darkness and the lies would try to convince you of. That is a mission worth pursuing.

Ann Rea: Damn.

Leslie Cole: Anywhere I go, anything I do, that’s what I’m gonna be doing.

Ann Rea: Oh my God, I’m so proud of you. I’m so proud of you. I’m so proud of all of my students, but man I just like this is what the reason I do this. ‘Cause I want you to, know how powerful you are and how powerful art is.

Leslie Cole: Yes, yes right there, how powerful. And I thought I’ve gotta say that I feel empowered. I thought that before we started, I thought I need to tell you that I feel empowered.

QUESTION: Why must an artist sell their art?

Ann Rea: Can only complete your mission if you get paid for your art, because if they don’t pay you they don’t value it, they don’t receive the message or the meaning that the art gives. It’s all connected.

Leslie Cole: Yes, yes, yes.

Ann Rea: And that’s why you can’t discount your art. That’s why. And that’s why you have to learn how to have guided, authentic, inspiring conversations like you did during this event to your target market, instead of wasting your damn time with sleazy sales tactics that are manipulative and don’t damn well work anyway, and make you feel icky anyway. There is a way to sell art that you can be proud of that comes from a place of complete truth, your soul’s truth and integrity. And that’s what you’re doing.

Leslie Cole: Yes, yeah. Soul’s truth and integrity, exactly.

QUESTION: How did your remember to share your mission?

Leslie Cole: Well it was two things. Reflecting on being depressed, why am I so depressed, I sold three paintings tonight, why am I so depressed?

Ann Rea: Yeah, what’s your damn problem?

Leslie Cole: Yeah, what’s wrong, I thought that’s what you wanted to do to sell three paintings? And then the second thing was, I sent a message to one of my study partners, Deborah Haynes Nelson. I sent her a message. And she said, “Oh my gosh, let’s talk tomorrow “before your study session.” She got up early I got, I mean not before my study session before the open house.

Ann Rea: Before the event.

Leslie Cole: Yeah, before the event. She got up early in the morning. We had a face-to-face study time for an hour, she went over the four agreements with me, she said, “You can trust yourself. “You do not have to sell, this is okay.” And just hearing her reassurance and the four agreements and just kind of coming down out of, Oh, I realized, I’ve been selling. This is what selling is like. I hate it, totally. 100%.

Ann Rea: It is awful.

Leslie Cole: And it’s not something I do in medicine ever. And so here I was going, “Here’s an expensive painting. “Oh what do I, I hate this.” And so then the next day, forget it. “No I’m not gonna, just go look at the paintings, “if you have any questions, “hey you want something to drink? “Oh my goodness, well what are you doin’ here?” And so just the fun of it. Man, not selling a single painting.

Ann Rea: But you wound up selling a bunch of paintings.

Leslie Cole: I know. Like I ended up selling almost 20.

QUESTION: Should other artists apply?

Leslie Cole: I would say if you’re considering applying, it is probably because you have not gotten to that place of meaning and purpose and that place that you need, you know what you need, you know where you need to go, so I would say this course is so helpful in that. And also I’ll just have to throw in the whole George Pratt, Code to Joy, I was introduced to that through this course. And it has changed my life, it’s totally changed the direction of my life, too. That the self-limiting beliefs coming off, the whole energy medicine works. So, I would say–

Ann Rea: And you’re a physician, so right?

Leslie Cole: Oh yeah, I’m a physician! Not only that, I’m an addiction physician. And so this is the first time I’d ever heard of this stuff and it works better than counseling. It works better than a hundred things, it works so much better.

Ann Rea: Yes, it’s backed by clinical studies. Dr. Pratt loves this program by the way. He loves the results that we’re getting, he’s very supportive.

Leslie Cole: Okay so here’s one thing they could apply, if it’s just for money alone, let ’em know I’m a physician, internal medicine, addiction medicine, double board certified. I made more in one day one day of the art sale, than three days of my physician job. So if they wanna, and this is my first freaking art open house. This is it. I mean I’ve almost made $5000.00.

Ann Rea

About Ann Rea

Ann Rea is a San Francisco-based artist and the creator of The Making Art Making Money program. Her art and business savvy have been featured on ABC, HGTV, Creative Live, The Good Life Project, in the book Career Renegade by Jonathan Fields, by the San Francisco Chronicle, Art Business News, Fortune, and Inc. Magazines. Rea’s artistic talent is commended by her mentor, art icon, Wayne Thiebaud.

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