We recently connected with Natalie Osborne and have shared our conversation below.
Natalie , appreciate you joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I am learning that it takes persistence and belief in one’s self to achieve success. Also, abandoning the fear of earning as a self employed creative was the first step for me.
I used to believe that it was more difficult to earn a living as an artist than it was to just clock in at a 9 to 5 job. I was wrong. I never earned enough, working for someone else, to afford the costs of living. Looking for avenues to supplement my income reminded me that I used to sell my paintings successfully when I was a student at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. But I didn’t believe that selling my art could be my only source of income.
It took baby steps. I entered a few markets and realized that I earned more in a weekend selling my art than I earned in a month working at any job I ever had. That’ was the light bulb moment. That’s when I began selling my art full time.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I was raised in Tulsa Oklahoma. I moved to Chicago to attend art school. Afterwards I moved to Brooklyn, NY where I taught art in public schools with a non for profit called The Leadership Program Inc, and worked at Rush Arts Corridor Gallery. When I returned to Chicago I started selling my art in art markets. That’s how I caught the attention of interior designers and art collectors. They became my clients.
I offer original paintings, prints, and custom framed pieces for interior designers, art collectors, and more.
I am most proud of fostering new art buyers. My originals have been the first original pieces of art some clients have ever purchased. And from there they begin to acquire more original art, and they share with me their excitement for developing an art collection of their own.
I know that I can just sell simple decor art for clients, but I put everything that I have learned as a student of Art history and contemporary art into the pieces I make. Yes, my clients are purchasing a piece to adorn their home, but I also make sure that they are acquiring a substantial work of art. That is my intention behind every painting I offer.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
For social media I started with Instagram. I would produce paintings for an upcoming art market and I would share each piece on Instagram. At first I got a few responses. But after passing out promotional materials at the art markets with my social media contacts listed, I noticed more responses and more followers.
So getting into the markets accomplished more than making sales. I was able to gain followers in person. And preparing the work and displaying the pieces gave me amazing content.
Getting into a seller’s market is the best advice. You’ll create inventory, packaging, and promotional materials for the occasion. You’ll make sales and meet clients. And by documenting the process with videos, pictures, and livestreams, you’ll have original content to grow your social media presence.
We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.
E-commerce. I offer my products through my online shops. I use Shopify and Etsy.
When you are selling online, the first step is your social media. This is where I show my clients and followers what I’m up to and when new pieces will be available. Having an online shop allows me to provide a link on my social media profile that customers can click to purchase new pieces.
It’s a perfect collaboration. The only downside is how often changes are made to how some of these platforms operate. It can be frustrating when the changes negatively impact your way of selling. So utilizing more than one selling platform is important.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://natalie-o-decor-7721.MyShopify.com/
- Instagram: Instagram.com/natalieodecor
- Other: Etsy.com/shop/natalieodecor