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

Alright, Riana thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I have always created art, for fun, for small commission money, even for college but I was not doing art as a business. I was working two jobs at the same time and had a summer job lined up, but everything changed in January 2020 when I lost all three jobs in one week. I believe the root of all fear derives from the fear of the unknown, and at that point in time, I was living in a world where nothing seemed normal anymore. I did not know what to do about my work situation, but art always seemed to be an escape for me. I decided to turn my passion to do art into a business, even in the midst of a somewhat scary situation. I do not regret that decision at all, as it has given me so many beautiful opportunities to share my art and passion with so many people. I currently have six different galleries in my home state of Alaska that carries my artwork and fun little trinkets. Three years later, I decided to take a risk and apply as a train conductor on the Alaska Railroad. I understood the job catered to be a more seasonal career and would give me the opportunity to focus on artwork during the winter months. I was honestly surprised when they accepted me into the training program. I started in a class of twenty people and was the only female. We trained for seven months during the winter. Despite grueling conditions of negative 40-degree weather, strange and exhausting work hours, solid frozen switches I had to chip away with a pickaxe and throw, and things as silly as trying to find gear that was not oversized on me, I made it until the very end with only three others. There have been many situations that have come up, where it seems impossible to manage through. There have been a few times where I realize I physically cannot do a particular task in my conductor job. There have been times where I simply do not know how to complete a task in my art business. I have learned, however, if you just take a step back, reevaluate, think outside the box, find a tool to help you, you can do it! Don’t give up.

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

My name is Riana Sather. I was born and raised in Texas, and when I was seventeen and still in highschool, I decided to move up to Alaska all on my own. I am a strong believer in chasing your dreams and never quitting, even when something seems impossible. I am grateful to have the opportunity to share my artwork in six different galleries and gift stores up here in Alaska. I love to use graphite, charcoal, dry pastel, paint, and even wood burning to capture realism. Alaska and all her animals are my main sources of inspiration.

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

Resilience to me means not giving up and trying again when something might not have worked initially. I believe it is crucial to set standards and boundaries for yourself and your business. One tangible way to ensure this is through contracts. I have a contract for almost everything, it is the best way to protect you and your business practices. Unfortunately, the very first gallery that wanted to showcase and sell my artwork, to put things simply, did not go well. I was under the impression that contracts were common practice between businesses. I had written a very brief and standard contract describing what I and the owner of this gallery had previously discussed. It included the consignment rate, exclusivity in their city, damages, theft, nothing unreasonable in my perspective. It was not just to protect my own artwork, but their standards as well. When I came with an excited spirit alongside all of my artwork and merchandise, I was ready to display and sell my art in my very first gallery. After handing out all of my items, I was ready to sign their contract. That is when I realized, they didn’t have one. I did not think I was imposing when I mentioned that I had one. When I showed my contract to them, I was definitely thrown off guard when the owner of the gallery began to yell at me, even in front of all of her customers. I began to feel my knees weaken, my body shake, I was confused why she was mad. I thought contracts were normal business practices. The brief contract I had written was not outside the terms we discussed before. She was appalled, telling me she had never seen an artist try to have her sign a contract before, that I was getting off on the wrong foot with her. I felt threatened and remained quiet, nervous, confused. It was my very first gallery however, so I decided to let her have my artwork anyway. It was quite the risk, I was giving her thousands of dollars of value that I did not know whether I would be reimbursed for. Believe it or not, that gallery ended up closing down a year later. Believe it or not, every gallery I have had the pleasure of showcasing from then on has always had their own contract. It was absolutely not unusual for me to ask about a contract. The lesson I learned from that was a lesson about resilience. My first experience with a gallery was one of the worst experiences I have encountered dealing with my art business. But if I would have let that stop me from learning more and continuing on to go to other galleries, I would have lost a lot of much better opportunities and experiences.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I was struggling with knowing the best way to build a following. In fact, I am still learning how to create content consistently enough to have a huge following. One of the best pieces of advice I learned was to start growing an email list. Social media platforms constantly change, along with the amount of people using them, but email has been around for decades and is more dependable. I offer people a discount while they are viewing my online shop on my website. I tell them to give me their email so I can send the promo code. I have grown my email list to offer more discounts, show them the newest artwork I have created, and simply keep in touch with them.

Contact Info:

• Website: Artsyrere.com
• Instagram: artsyrere
• Facebook: Riana Sather
• Youtube: artsyrere