We were lucky to catch up with Elizabeth St. Hilaire recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Elizabeth thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s easy to look at a business or industry as an outsider and assume it’s super profitable – but we’ve seen over and over again in our conversation with folks that most industries have factors that make profitability a challenge. What’s biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?
The biggest challenge in making a profit as a fine artist is understanding how to market yourself. Artists can be incredibly talented in their work, but unable to make a living because they don’t know how to sell themselves.
Elizabeth, 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?
I have a degree in fine art from Syracuse University. I worked in advertising design for over 20 years, which helps me to understand how to market my work.
I began exploring mixed media after my degree in art, it was not something that I learned in school. Through experimentation and evolution I have come up with my unique medium.
I sell original artwork, I teach workshops in my technique, I license my art images on home goods, I have authored seven books which are available online and in physical stores, I design stencils and other art products, and I have a affiliate advertising revenue with YouTube and Amazon. The key is To diversify!
The key thing that I want new followers to understand, is that artists have a lot of expenses involved in their work. Most people don’t understand that galleries take a 50% commission and that professional paints are incredibly expensive. Not to mention the cost of framing, shipping, taxes, health, insurance, etc. So please don’t try to negotiate an artist down, we’re often hanging on by a very small margin.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
When Covid hit, I had to pivot from teaching in person, which was the cornerstone of my income, to teaching online. I begin to film pre-recorded workshop material, which meant that I needed to learn how to film and edit video. I also had to learn how to teach on zoom, which was a complete foreign concept to me and had quite a learning curve.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Building a reputation within your market requires consistent and persistent marketing. Having work as a graphic artist for over 20 years selling other peoples products taught me the skills that I needed to market myself. Most people don’t understand that I spend more time marketing than I do painting.
Contact Info:
- Website: PaperPaintings.com
- Instagram: @PaperPaintingsCollage
- Facebook: PaperPaintingsCollageArtwork
- Youtube: Elizabeth St Hilaire
- Other: Patreon.com/ElizabethStHilaire
Image Credits
Elizabeth St. Hilaire