We were lucky to catch up with Ashley Cassens recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ashley , thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?
The biggest misconception about being an artist is that I’m “flighty” or “disorganized”. In order to excel in my field I have to be hyper focused and disciplined. Also, have you seen my calendar?! I have a timer for everything – answering e-mails, painting sessions, teaching, lunch even! When I’m doing custom work for a client they will often say “Oh, you seem like you have it together” as if it’s surprising. In order to thrive as a small business I diversify: I teach art, I license my work, I enter galleries, I create custom oil painted portraits, and I paint custom murals. It’s actually much easier to clock in at a job and let other people tell me what I need to do and when it’s done. But that isn’t fulfilling for me. This is where I want to be, creating and painting.
Ashley , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Hi! I’m Ashley Cassens. I’m a representational figure painter in Tampa, FL. I’ve been painting for about 20 years, and studied it academically. I have my BFA from Florida Southern College and my MFA from Florida Atlantic University. Although I have been painting and teaching off an on for years I never felt like I had the expertise to go full time being an artist. I bought into a lot of hype about how I didn’t have the right tools or know how, which was SO wrong! I hired a business coach, started learning about tax collection (discovered that every small business hates this part, not just artists!) and did the hard work. In less than a year, I’ve created a series of oil paintings called “Eye Traps”, secured a handful of custom commissions, licensed two pieces for Home Goods, and have had two collaborations (one with Ann Cox Design and the other with Cori Rose Handmade). I’m really excited to share my success with other creatives because the myth that you can’t start your own business because your “too artsy” is such nonsense! Creative people are smart, bright, amazing people and they CAN do this.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I wish I had learned to the importance of a well executed media pitch! This tool has helped me gain collectors, get media representation, licensing, gallery interest and meet some fellow collaborators. First, always address the email with an actual name. Sometimes this requires some digging (googling the business, finding them on Linkedin). Second, include links to your work – big photo attachments can be a hindrance. Lastly, ending your email with a call to action is so important. Like, “Do you think my work would be a good fit for _________?” requires an action from the receiver. I create a spreadsheet for all of my pitches, the person I contacted, the date I reached out and the response. I’ll do a follow up in a month. I don’t take it personal if I don’t get a response. It’s scary to send out emails at first but the more I do it the better I am at this.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Something I think non-creatives may struggle to understand is how devastating not creating can be. I feel a lot of grief, get antsy or have a hard time focusing when I don’t paint. When I’m painting, either on a canvas or a wall I find “flow”. This flow has scientific backing and I’m sure it’s found in other fields, athletes in particular. It’s that space where your brain can turn off, you’re in a groove and it’s like riding a wave. I started watching the movie “Soul” with my four year old daughter. If you haven’t seen it, the premise is that the main character is a jazz musician, and he teaches music part time. The principal offers him a full time teaching job and he is so heartbroken because it means he can’t play. He gets his first big break playing music and then he dies (thanks Disney!). I felt that grief in him so much that I couldn’t watch the rest of the movie.
Not being creative is like not being myself. To not to do that for a living is like cutting off a part of my body.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ashleycassens.com
- Instagram: ashley.cassens
- Facebook: ashleycassensart
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-cassens-1097ab75/
- Other: I do custom murals, you can find me on Thumbtack: https://www.thumbtack.com/profile/services/311958445859668205/
Image Credits
some photos by Marina LeighAnn Photography, the rest are by the artist.