I always said I would never do pet portraits because I didn’t want to get pigeonholed and taken away from my safari wildlife niche ….. I guess some rules are made to be broken.

Can you believe this year is nearly over?! Drop a comment below 👇🏽 What is ONE THING you will complete before Jan 1 to move forward on your path?

In the beginning, I tried to sell my art only through messages. Honestly, I was too shy to connect with people directly, in person or on Zoom. I thought selling through messages would work, but it didn’t. I sold a few pieces, but it took a lot of time and effort. In 2020, everything changed. My desire to quit my job became so strong that I told myself I’d do whatever it took. I focused on two things: 1. Raise my prices. I realized selling paintings for $1,000 meant I’d need to sell 10 pieces a month to make $10k. That felt like a lot. So, I raised my prices to $4,000 per piece. 2. Start talking to people. I committed to jumping on calls with potential buyers, even if they didn’t specifically ask to buy art. The universe had my back. The first person I spoke to bought two pieces at $4,000 each. If I hadn’t raised my prices, I would’ve made $2k instead of $8k. It took courage and belief to do this. I told myself it was just a test, if no one bought, I could always adjust my prices later. But it worked, and I kept doing the same thing. From my experience, the biggest game-changer for artists isn’t having a perfect social media profile, website, or brand (although those are important). It’s building relationships. If you ask me what to focus on, I’d say: talk to people. Whether it’s at events, on Zoom, or anywhere else, just don’t be shy about your art. You’ll be surprised how many people are interested once they get to know you. I also believe the biggest thing holding artists back is spending too much time on everything except talking to people. For me, 80% of my success came from connecting with others. I even stopped calling them “sales calls” and started calling them “connection calls.” Every time I had a meaningful conversation, people became more interested in my art. They saw the value not just in the art but also in the connection they had with me. If you’re shy about selling, start small. You can build relationships through social media and email too, like Maria does so well with Drew’s art.

Day 20: The Power of Consistency As we move through the challenge, it’s important to remember that consistency is key. Even when it feels like you’re not making big leaps, small, consistent actions will help you reach your goals over time. Today’s Focus: 1. Send 5 New Messages Continue reaching out to new people, with a goal of sending 5 new messages today. Remember to stay genuine, and keep the conversation light and friendly. 2. Follow Up with 3 People Check in with at least 3 people you’ve connected with before. A simple follow-up can go a long way in reminding them about your work and building a stronger relationship. 3. Track Your Progress Take a moment to track how many messages you’ve sent so far in the challenge. How many follow-ups have you done? Keeping an eye on your numbers will help you stay on track and motivated. Share in the Comments: - How many new messages did you send today? - How are you feeling about the consistency of your efforts so far? - What motivates you to keep going, even when things get tough? Let’s keep pushing forward together! The more you show up, the more progress you’ll make. 🎨

Day 19: Reflect and Refine Today, it’s time to check in with yourself and see how far you’ve come since the beginning of the challenge. Remember the goals you set at the start? Let’s take a moment to look back on how far you’ve come, think about what’s been holding you back, and refocus for the rest of the challenge. Today’s Focus: 1. Journaling Exercise - Reflect on these questions for 5-10min: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DowOALwrkzBYEcOBFELpxj0CoJIsgqSAr-Zqty6NScU/edit?usp=sharing 2. Send 3-10 messages - Once you’re done journaling, send 3-10 messages to new people. Keep it simple and genuine, just like we’ve been doing. You’ve got this! 3. Check your follow up list. - Have you followed up with everyone lately? By thinking about these questions, you'll get a better idea of what's going well and what you can improve to get closer to your goal. Once you’ve completed today’s journaling, share in the comments: - What progress have you made so far? - What’s been your biggest struggle? - What’s one thing you want to improve moving forward? Let’s use today to recalibrate, so we can end this challenge even stronger! 💪🎨