February 03rd, 2019

Confidence As An Artist | Shine

I keep talking about confidence in my writing. The reason I do is because it's important. I don't mean confidence in a arrogant sort of way. Or fake it til you make it way. I'm saying it's important because it something I witnessed every photographer I trained struggle with. Including myself. At first, all of them: including the ones that had been in sales before where shaky.


They weren't sure of themselves.


They had to have a firm trust in me, that it would come: A firm feeling an conviction art sells. Their art would sell. I gave a lot of pep talks in the first couple of weeks a photographer would train until the skepticism would disappear. That they could do what I trained them to make, an it was in fact worth this amount of money. Selling artwork is scary at first: You question your belief in your ability. How good is your work. You question if it's priced to high. Your faith in yourself. But the more you do it, the less fearful it is. The more you walk with a sense of self assurance.


You develop a sense of appreciation for one's own ability.


It's not arrogance, it's a strong sense of learning your skills are worth what your asking. It takes a lot of courage, to confront that part of yourself: Directly in front of another person. But once it's done, regularly an often what seemed like boldness to you the first time is replaced with a sense of self assurance. You get more level headed about it as you go. Your more positive naturally, an it helps you sell it all the more. Instead of questioning if your having a lot of nerve asking for payment for your work, you're brimming with confidence.


An it takes a few times to get comfortable in the role.


At first it's going to come across to you like your giving a speech. Instead of just talking to the person you are selling to. But the more you are espoused to talking to customers about your work, the more it becomes second nature to you. An the reason it does is because you've witnessed their interest. You've made a few sales. The doubts go away. An you become more firm in your belief: Yes, my arts good. Yes they really are interested an yes,the price is fair. An issues you have about turning into a starving artist fade away.


Within two weeks, my photographers replaced fear with certainty. That's confidence.


All it took was practice an being exposed to doing art, then selling it over an over repeatedly. Studios go through a dead season, January until usually Mothers Day. I had a studio that did about 130K a year. It did about 90K before me. It was barely paying for itself. Most of the business was done between October to Christmas Eve. I've noticed online people suggesting one or two customers a week is good goal. That that's enough to make a living. Well, I'm not a guru trying to sell anyone anything an well tell you it's not.


You goal should be 3-4 photo sessions on a regular weekday, Six-Seven on weekends. That's if you want to hit a number high enough to pay for your equipment, expenses an still pay yourself. It's not all about money that I say this: It's about confidence.


It's about getting ready, preparing. Practice.


I would take a person in January, to train just to have them fully ready by season. To get really good at something you have to practice. Period. When artist get asked, how do you go about becoming such a great artist: I don't know one that won't tell you: Practice.


I wanted to get good at doing calligraphy: I practiced for six months. I wanted to get good at drawing. I drew for ten years straight. I'd pick a topic: like animals an do it for a year. I wanted to get good at painting with acrylics: I painted with them for four years straight. Watercolor, a few years. Fractal art, a year straight. Photography was no different. I've done it 10 years consistently, minimum 3-4 sessions a day. An the sales that come with them as well.


Any artist will tell you this is how they got good at something. Disciplining themselves to practice daily. Or at least five days a week. My weak point, artistically to me is writing: So now I'm writing at least five days a week.


It's like going to the gym: but for artist.


Just like if you went to the gym every day an worked out certain muscles, they would strengthen. For me, training photographers was like getting them ready for the “big fight”. Eight months of really toning them up to be ready for it. Really ready for the true “game”. While bring in three or four shoots a day strengthen their photography. They had sales down to a natural response: Not a sales pitch. But a belief. In it an in themselves.


They where ready for the onslaught.


An if your experienced in portrait photography: That's about 22 sits a day for a small studio like mine was. It wasn't bigger then a closet I swear it. But for bigger studios, in Chicago I did over 35 sits a day. An that was just me. There where three other photographers going at the same time. Two more editing printing an several sales people. That is how crazy it can get: but your proud to be apart of it. I was honored to be asked to participate.


The demand is there for your work.


You have just got to be prepared for it. An that does mean doing it as much as you possibly can. I use to just pull people randomly off the floor, an literally ask them to come play with me. An those where my words: Play. Don't worry about buying them. Its a bonus if you do, but I just need the practice.


I sold this way.


Because a lot of those folks, I just ask to come play with me: Turned around and liked what they saw. Enjoyed the experience. It showed in the work, an sold itself. Under normal expectations of the company, it was sell it to them right then! I could wait, tell them to come back when they had time an they always did. Because I practiced not only my photography but making the experience fun, memorable: An interactive art experience.


It was work, but it was fun!
Not just for me, but them.


This is is why you need to do 3-4 a day.


Confidence doesn't come from a place of arrogance. It's the actual doing day in day out so much so that it becomes second nature to you. That they are no longer just “dreams” you have, but actual beliefs you walk, talk an live out. It's a deep down knowing, that just makes you smile. An to get to that place you have to actually practice. Do. Over an over. That's when you don't become over bearing when you try to sell your work. That's when, you can look at someone an say...


Come on, let me make ya feel like a Rock Star for hour an not sound corny.


That is the key right there to selling more then you ever thought you would. Making your customers and clients feel great. The more you focus on that, the more sales you will have. An that requires getting yourself to a place where you feel relaxed enough to do naturally. Authentically.


You work on your art regularly and consistently. You & it shine.


The better you get. The same holds true of the sales process that comes with it, to keep doing it. If you do this routine religiously, you get to where you don't worry about the money. It sounds like a cliché' but it comes naturally:Because you are being natural. The better you get, your work gets, the more people enjoy you an buy it.


People buy based on emotion. If you feel good, that comes across.
It makes them feel good, they get a interactive art experience from you.


You shine, they shine. Buying from you feels good.


I'm semi retired now, I can afford to do just one or two shoots a week. I still made sure I didn't get out of practice an did 3-4 sessions 3-4 times a week. Going though a health scare: really bottomed me out. Depressed me because I couldn't just go physically what I use to do 8-16 hours a day. But I can still teach it. Train others from home. Write. I can work on privately strengthen another art skill more: post processing. Editing. An more personalized specialty art. More photo manipulation. More surreal stuff. More time consuming artwork. High end stuff. Gain more confidence in those areas. An yes, I will probably charge more, because it's worth more.


Artist never stop, they just keep growing.


I really could have got myself stuck in a rut, an burned out on photography, traditional art, digital art and being an artist in general. All of it. I do tend to go all in an do something not only until I'm good at it but wore a subject out. Until it becomes so much a part of me, I don't need to second guess it or my ability in it. It took eight months to get someone ready for real season in selling art. So, take the time to get good at something like sales so you can keep doing it. So you have that key I mentioned, when interacting with clients an customers.


Shine.

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