0:36 – Cory shares that living in France is not paradise, and sees it as a metaphor for everyone. “Embrace the chaos.”
1:09 – Melissa’s Great ClutterBust program is still open throughout October. Sign up at http://melissadinwiddie.com/great-clutterbust.
1:53 – Due to the lack of a good internet connection in France, Cory was unable to be present for the interview portion.
2:29 – Introducing Shirley Williams, abstract expressionist painter based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
3:37 – Pricing: the surprising Catch-22 of commanding high prices. “It wasn’t paying my bills!” (Tip: “When you end up having less work than what you’re selling, that’s when you raise your prices.”)
6:55 – “I don’t know if I want to be famous; I want to make my living from this!”
9:08 – How Shirley prices her work: Lineal inch pricing (tip: this is how professional galleries do it).
10:37 – The importance of getting clear on what you really want for yourself, and why it doesn’t work to be a museum artist and a self-represented artist. “There’s one thing that’s constant as a professional artist, and that’s change.”
13:37 – “What I’ve realized is that I’m the happiest when I’m in control of my own career.” Which means 50% of her time is spent marketing.
15:37 – Why she asked “Will this kill my career?”
16:37 – “There is never one opportunity, one phone call that’s going to change your life, and all you need to do is sit in your studio and paint all day…. That’s a dream.”
17:03 – Shirley shares “a perfect example of how things can go sideways, really fast.”
18:54 – Shirley’s big museum show: “I thought doors were going to open magically from there.” But the let-down after: “It was very clinical. It wasn’t a creative endeavor. It was a very distant, off-putting thing for me.”
22:20 – “It never ends… There’s nobody that has the answer.”
23:04 – Shirley talks realism: “One thing I’ve realized… is that you build your career one experience at a time, one person at a time, and one painting at a time.”
24:37 – “Everything has a price, in terms of what you’re going to get back.”
26:24 – “It takes about nine to fifteen approaches before somebody buys.”
28:15 – “I think it starts with the community. You have to build your base… Plant yourself well. Create a following.”
30:18 – “Ups and downs are a big aspect…. You need several income streams.”
31:36 – Shirley’s typical daily schedule. “It’s my life.”
34:37 – “You cannot paint for a market… You’ve got to be yourself…. Plan your work and work your plan.”
I have already listened to this twice in a row. Going in for a third time. Packed with awesome and helpful information. Thank you to everyone who made this interview possible. 🙂
Thank you for this interview with Shirley. It was great to listen to and gave me hope after being in this ‘game’ for 45 years! I agreed with everything Shirley said..
I teach art doing workshops, demos and lectures, and yes, I also paint; but if I am honest, I am terrible at marketing myself, although by comparison to other artists I know, I dont feel I am completely hopeless.
Teaching has always been my main source of income. Painting is still a part of my whole being and that will never stop.
Thanks again from a thankful, not so rich, artist..
This was sooooo good!! I so needed to hear this on many levels! In part it validates how much work I am doing, which is providing results, but…it is good to hear that there isn’t one silver bullet. Thanks for the reality check!!