Michele Théberge determined early on that she was going to be an artist, but had no idea how to make it happen. Now she leverages her years of hard experience to mentor other artists to find their own paths much more quickly than she did!
Like many of us, Michele firmly bought into the “starving artist” mentality. Shifting out of that way of thinking is a large part of her journey to success, and she’s a big believer in the power of mindset.
A few gems from our conversation:
- If you have an outside job, “embrace this time” when you have the financial support you need to make your art! (Yes, many TAPers have a goal to make a full living from their creative passion, but it’s not the only valid way to thrive.)
- “There’s no excuse for not doing your art.”
- “Make the time for your art NOW.”
(BTW, Michele’s focus on the importance of a daily practice, and how little time it actually requires to stay connected to your creativity, is what inspired me to take on my 15 Minutes-A-Day Challenge. It’s made all the difference.)
From a marketing perspective, take note that Michele’s first sales were to people who knew her. There are a few lessons here:
1) Make use of your existing network! You never know who might want to buy your creative work
2) Remember, people buy from people they know, like and trust. In other words, ultimately, most of your patrons/clients/buyers/customers are going to buy from you because they have gotten to know you – or at least feel like they have.
Find Michele at http://micheletheberge.com, and download her free e-book at http://themindfulartist.com (yes, it’s up and ready for downloading, and I recommend it highly!)
Click the link to play, or right-click to download.