Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alexi Elias. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Alexi, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

Being a visual artist usually doesn’t mean profits or financial success. Materials are getting more expensive to purchase, which cuts into profit margins. Postage fees have also increased since 2021. You can be very, very good and have a hard time making a profit as an artist. The biggest reason is that most people do not actually purchase original art because it is viewed as a luxury item and not a necessity. An art exhibition will also cost the artist money as well as seasonal art markets with high booth fees. When the economy is not doing well people are less likely to purchase artwork due to needing to spend their money on necessities and essentials. Costs are rising for the average person and they are cutting back where they need to. I make most of my side income off of commissions, not original artwork.

With that said, Art is a fun, exciting, and rewarding discipline, but it is generally not a profitable industry for MOST artists. I make most of my money right now through a full time job.

A personal story is a customer on my Etsy shop asking me to alter a design, but unwilling to pay the fee for the time it takes me to alter that graphic. Time is money. Unfortunately if they aren’t willing to pay the money for my services then I don’t have time for the request.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am an artist living in South Florida. I primarily create expressive, mixed-media portraits and fashion illustrations. I have always been a creative person, but after moving to los Angeles in 2012 I deepened my love and passion for visual art. Living in Los Angeles I was surrounded by a lot of beautiful people in the entertainment industry like celebrities, models, and actors. It was there that I realized I truly loved photography, people’s faces and started envisioning storytelling via portraiture and illustration rather than modeling/acting.

I tend to create feminine mixed-media portraits that spark the imagination in an ethereal, delicate way. My portraits often seem cinematic. I have a tremendous love for photography, & a deep appreciation for film which inspires me to be more of a storyteller when creating my artwork. After spending 6 years in Los Angeles, film and media are a big part of my life and a huge inspiration to my work. My art is meant to transplant the viewer into a space of beauty & wonder.

I am 100% a self-taught artist. I lived in New York until I was 14 and I was influenced at an early age by graffiti , tattoos, and fashion. My earliest memories of visual art were drawing comics for my friends and I had an art journal with flowers, poetry, and fashion designs.

One of my top services is working with clients on commissions such as Wedding portraits. I create custom mixed-media illustrations based on their wedding photographs to represent their unique and personal love story. I enjoy creating a gift that will be cherished for years to come. I let the customer decide on what style they would prefer to go with (either a thicker, more dense paint like acrylic or light and airy watercolors) and can create almost anything they request added to their image.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

You have to be a very hard worker in life and hard work is rewarded.
One of my family members was a VERY hard worker. He owned his own business and made a lot of money with it. He always put work first. When he was an old man he missed having more time with his friends and family and was planning on getting more quality time. His relentless pursuit of success damaged his relationship with some of my other family members. I don’t want to make the mistake of putting my work or my career goals over my family and the people I love. Work is to pay bills and to live a comfortable life, but other than that I don’t believe I need to hustle myself into oblivion day in and day out any more and I am glad I learned this now in my 30s. As long as our bills are paid, and our household is generally doing well, I do not need any more than that. On the second one, hard work is in fact NOT always rewarded. Just because you work hard and put in a tremendous amount of effort into something, doesn’t mean you’ll receive anything or that others will notice/care.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

There are many rewarding aspects to being a visual artist.
For one, the most rewarding part about being an artist is understanding self discovery. It is the ability to express myself and to connect with my emotions. Art is a safe space for me (which is why for years I never shared it with anyone). It can be very unhealthy to suppress your emotions and turn you into a very cold, cynical person. Art has helped me to understand my feelings and has also led me to discover new emotions; leading to self awareness. I feel like I have more empathy and compassion for others because of this.

I also love the process of completing an artwork. There is a joy in watching something come to life that I have envisioned and seeing that through.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alexi-elias.com
• Instagram: AlexiEliasArt
• Facebook: AlexiEliasArt

Image Credits

Self