We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Julielle Sears. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Julielle below.

Julielle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

One thing I’ve noticed over the years, is that there is a big push for artists to grow a sizeable social media following to be relevant and marketable. Though I sell primarily through social media connections, I intentionally don’t put much focus on growing a following. I operate with under 2000 Instagram followers, but routinely sell out large collections within a day or two. I’ve found in my personal business, that sales (and repeat customers) come mostly through connection with the buyer and vulnerability about my process as an artist. When I let go of the desire to primarily focus on growing a large following on social channels, I shifted my attention to developing deeper connections with the smaller number of followers I did have. I worked to foster friendships with them, and client relationships naturally arose within those.

One specific way I cultivate friendship with potential clients is to foster conversation through direct messages. If someone reacts to a story or post that I share, I make a point to respond to them, often asking a question. I think this goes a long way in connecting with people, and learning more about who my ideal buyer is.

Julielle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I love all things creative, and finding beauty in chaos. I’ve spent years of my life in many creative industries (home design and wedding floral design to name a few), but my heart connects most with painting. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art, I spent many years cultivating my personal painting style. Over the years, I have developed a business in selling primarily abstract floral and landscape paintings. I am also a mother of 4 wonderful babies, so painting is very much a balance in this season of my life. I am constantly figuring out how and when to paint, much less how to market and launch collections. But, the business and process of art making is life-giving for me, so it’s a balance well worth pursuing.

I begin all of my paintings with layers and layers of chaos, drips, patterns, and splatters. Then, I find flowers and landscapes within those under-paintings and develop them into a final piece. My end product is usually colorful, vibrant, and fun, with lots of drips, layers, and organic line. I love working with large canvases, and am planning to launch several collections of landscapes and floral abstracts this year. I primarily use acrylic paints, but occasionally will use oils. My work is different because my paintings are created in a reductionist process by adding layers, then reducing chaos, then adding and reducing repeatedly until I find the piece finished. The end result gives an initial impression from afar, then endless detail to explore up close.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

You know, I spent years upon years developing “my style” as an artist- both my subject and the way I painted it. This did not at all come easily for me in art school, nor in the years following. I gave up multiple times in utter frustration, and started different creative businesses.

I can think of two practices that really helped me develop my personal style and in turn eventually get rolling in my business. The first thing I did was to join a committed group of peers in a masterclass. I had to create work regularly to show the group, and through critiques, ideas, and encouragement, I was able to get out of my own head and look at my work more objectively. I began to regularly analyze my artwork with kindness and respect towards myself. I asked questions like “What are the consistencies? What colors do I gravitate to and why? What kind of brush strokes do I most use? This analysis helped me see what my style was not, and eventually what it was. I also gained confidence and self assurance in the process.

The other practice that helped me in honing my style was to commit to painting daily, as much as my schedule allowed. I found that the more I painted, the more I could see the full picture. When I found myself gravitating towards flowers, I set out to paint 100 floral pieces. I was determined that A) I would get really good at painting them, and B) I would learn if I love the subject of flowers, or hate it! From there I finally had a direction to go in, and the rest is history.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I value past clients as friends, and treat my relationships with future clients in the same way. I want to foster trust with all of my clients, and for them to expect excellence from me. I do this specifically in a few ways. For patron clients who repeatedly buy from me, I’ll happily offer private discounts as a way to thank them for their loyalty. This goes a long way as I never discount my work otherwise. For prospective clients, one way I develop trust is by being very accessible and friendly to them, always answering questions quickly and going the extra mile. If an interested client is curious about a piece, I’ll send them a video of the piece, a mock up, and even extra pictures. This shows them that I care about them knowing exactly what they are getting if they purchase something from me. I’ll even go as far as bringing several pieces to a home so that a buyer can see them in person and choose their favorite. I think being willing to go the extra mile in appreciation for a buyer is absolutely key to building trust and loyalty.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.juliellesears.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/juliellesears
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/juliellesears

Image Credits
self