We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Leslie Jorgensen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Leslie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us 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.

Becoming an artist is a risk in itself. It involves putting yourself on display and inviting critique. But it also means taking a leap of faith in finding out who you truly are and what you can do.

When I was a kid, people used to ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I always said “an artist.” I was the kid who was always drawing and continued all the way through high school. When I entered university I still badly wanted to be an artist, but my parents said I needed to get a degree and a “marketable skill” so I became a graphic designer. Admittedly I enjoyed a lot of years in the field and earned a halfway decent living, but I never felt completely satisfied with the work. In this role I never really had a seat at the table, meaning I wasn’t a decision maker, even though after 20 years I brought much training and experience in marketing. But mine was not the voice that was heard and I learned to just take direction and do the work. After decades of taking the safe route, I decided to change course and follow my one true calling.

I went back to art school while juggling my workload and eventually participated in a group show at a gallery in downtown Denver. I had always dreamed of having my work in a gallery, and the opening reception was the most thrilling night of my life. It was a dream come true!

The gallery owner said to me “well, now you need a new dream!” She was right and I decided right then to become an artist full time, even if it meant living on a tight budget. I got an art studio I could barely afford in a crummy part of town, dropped some of my design clients and got to work. It was magical to walk through that door each day to paint and draw and find my voice. It was a voice I had repressed for a very long time and needed some coaxing. I sat happily alone. I made drawings and paintings and wrote in my journal. After several months, I began to find things on canvas that spoke to me. The inner voice that WAS me.

At the time, I was also spending a lot of time outdoors and had started backcountry skiing, which has plenty of risks of its own. I was pushing my boundaries physically and educating myself about avalanche danger and backcountry rescue. A teacher once told me “paint what you know.” and the Colorado backcountry eventually made its way into my work. It was an adventure not typically found in art and eventually helped me find my niche in the art world (it’s good to be different, just not easy.) At first I couldn’t sell a single painting, but I stuck with my path. Over time and after several more shows, I began to find connection with other backcountry enthusiasts who could relate. I put my marketing skills to work. I eventually gained momentum and slowly met with small but incremental successes. I was building a new business from the ground up .

It’s been almost a decade now since I took my artistic leap of faith. I now have a studio/gallery in a mountain town where I can ski and paint. I’m living my dream and my very best life. At times I wish I had done it sooner, but I’m proud that I met myself gently where I was at the time, found my courage and discovered my true self. When we listen to that little voice inside, it points the way to happiness. I’m grateful I found mine.

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

I’m an artist in Salida, Colorado. I create colorful, contemporary paintings of the landscape and my adventures in the Rocky Mountain West. The paintings are often described as “joyful” as they capture light, color and motion in a fresh new way.

My work is held in numerous private and public collections, including 4 wall murals in the Vectra Bank corporate building in Denver. See a short video at https://lesliejorgensen.com/about/

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Having spent a career in marketing and graphic design, I’ve painstakingly built my clientele one email at a time, one social post at a time. I’ve treated my art practice like a business and carefully nurtured it. But I also see clients as like-minded friends – so I connect with them and share with them. We know each other on a personal level, which is doubly rewarding.

If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?

Absolutely. A smart business person will look for multiple sales channels and multiple marketing streams. In. my case, I sell my paintings in my own retail space and I sell prints and maintain a strong online presence. I occasionally do pro bono work for organizations that align with my goals. I sell my work in galleries in other markets and work with art consultants. I do what I can to support their sales – it’s always good be an honorable business partner, even if it means leaving money on the table. For instance, if a customer comes to buy a painting after finding my work in another gallery, I send that gallery a commission check as a professional courtesy. I’ve been amazed how much simple acts of kindness have paid off in customer and partner loyalty.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lesliejorgensen.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesliejorgens/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesliejorgensenart
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2RTvVt-pew

Image Credits
Photos courtesy of the artist. All rights reserved.