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

ISABELLE, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

The risk I took when I shifted my career from CEO of my own consulting company to full-time artist was a direct result of these words of wisdom from my 96-year-old mother during her final hours in hospice: “I’ve thought a lot about what I would say to you when this day came, what I might say so you’d really hear me, how I could turn these last moments together into a gift. I have one important regret to share with you, and it’s not about what I did with my life, it’s about what I didn’t do. Over my entire lifetime I always found an excuse not to fully pursue my gifts as an artist. Work, then family, then caring for your dad, then finally losing my eyesight… always reasons that put my desire to create on the back burner. You have the same gift I had, and I’ve watched you shelf it just like I did. So, after 96 years on earth, here is my best advice – use your gift, develop your talent, and shift your entire focus to creating art, to letting the world know what you can do. If you don’t do this now, and I mean right now, you never will. I’ll be with you the whole way.”

On December 1, 2019, exactly one year after my mother passed, I completed all obligations to my clients, closed the doors to my company, set up my studio, and began painting every day. I am a full time artist. My work is a life-force that absolutely lights me up, and it’s a cherished legacy from my mother.

My work has been shown in solo and group shows in the USA and Europe and in 2021 issues of Vanity Fair, GQ, Vogue House and Gardens, and World of Interiors. My paintings are in the homes of private collectors in Canada, South America, Europe, and the USA. I’m currently represented by three galleries in the USA and one in Spain. This summer my work will be shown in the Laguna Beach Festival of Art, one of the nation’s oldest and most highly acclaimed juried fine art shows. I’m amazed and most of all I’m so grateful to have “found myself” (literally) in this incredible journey as a working artist.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

Gosh – what a big question! I’ll start my answer it in the context of my work as an artist and then try to capture a bit of who I think I am at my core. I am an abstract painter, drawn to creating feelings in my work rather than representations of things that are already recognizable. At the most basic level, I love exploring the beautiful ways that geometric shapes can contrast with loose, graceful lines and interesting marks.
Because the idea of “feeling” my work is important to me, my palette is often inspired by the music I’m playing, and although it isn’t necessarily intentional, I know for sure that my surroundings influence what happens on my boards. I grew up playing in the foothills of the Canada’s Rocky Mountains, and my childhood taught me to look, to pay attention, to be present. Now I live in Southern California. My inspiration might come from the way the light hits the sand during sunrise to signs of paint peeling from a building.

All of that said, I think if we were together and you heard the tone of my voice as I answer this question, you would hear that I’m pretty joyful. I know it might sound at bit over the top for some, but the truth is I really do appreciate the gift of simply being alive, getting to participate in life, being present. I know I’m lucky in that way, and I hope that’s really what you see and feel when you look at my paintings. I’m most proud of the moments that I get to watch someone looking at my work for the first time in person and I see them lean in, step back, and smile. And I’m proud to share that I am grateful for every minute I get to spend in my studio.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I started training as a figure skater when I was about 6 years old. I remember the first time I had a “solo” performance. I think I was about 8-years-old. I caught an edge and fell early into my routine. I very distinctly remember everything about that moment. It was significant enough that I seem to remember the most intricate details. But most important, I realized I had some choices – I could imbrace the shock and humiliation I felt, sit there and start crying; I could skate off the ice and quit; or I could get up and keep going. I got up and kept going.

And as much as my coach encouraged me for that (and she did), in our very next lesson she said, “From now on, every single time you fall while you’re practicing, we’re going to work on getting up and retrieving your confidence and a smile.” That made perfect sense to me then, and it still does. I use that lesson all the time. When I fall, and I do of course, we all do – in my mind I have one choice: get up, smile, and keep going. That’ lesson has fueled my resilience battling health scares, even climbing mountains. It’s now evolved to “This is the moment, the moment is right now.” It’s taught me to keep moving forward, to be present, to silence negative thoughts.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I’m not a super power in social media, but over two years I’ve built about 8,500 real followers (real = none of them have been purchased through third party promotions). My audience is growing daily. The same advice for social media is the advice I would have given any of my clients when I was a consultant helping organizations grow and thrive. Be you – be authentic.

I humanize my social media presence because, honestly, I really am grateful for every person that engages with me. I’m very conscious about staying conversational with my Instagram audience, posting each day and replying to every single comment or like I receive. I am honored that something I’ve shared has caught their attention.

The humanizing goes beyond just a thank you. Just as I would if I were speaking directly to someone, I use their name in my response to show that that I’m aware of them as an individual, not a “like”. Many of the people that follow me on social media are also artists, and so I understand and address their needs and pain points (because they’re mine too). I might share a process I’ve discovered, or how to create a reel, or I will share things I’ve learned from applying to juried art shows, or how to approach galleries.

Basically, the things I share in my posts are inspired by the things that propel me and that I think might be useful to others. I think being authentic will always drive more loyal connections, whether you’re building a business or looking for loyal followers.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.isabelle-alessandra-artist.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/isabelle_alessandra_artist/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/isabellealessandraartist
• Other: www.pcagallery.com/artist-works.php?artistId=372457&artist=Isabelle%20Alessandra https://www.foapom.com/portfolio-items/isabelle-alessandra/