We were lucky to catch up with Romy Van Rijckevorsel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Romy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

I would have loved to have done art school. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen that way in the past. I started working at a bank and did that for 20 years with great pleasure. Especially a lot of fun with my colleagues, I didn’t really like the work. When our children were born I started painting again and especially their portraits.Other parents also liked the portraits and so I regularly received portrait assignments. When the bank started to reorganize, I stopped there and started for myself. With a little bit of effort I got very regular portrait assignments and I could very well start my own business. that’s how it went. After 4 years I went to art school and went through it with great pleasure. From 2017 I stopped with the commissioned portraits and started making free work and slowly I was able to find my style. I sell my paintings all over the world. I now work with a number of online galleries and platforms. I also sell my work via social media. I can no longer imagine being employed, I really love to do everything myself and to be able to determine it. I sometimes think that I should have started for myself much earlier, but things often go the way they go for a certain reason. Maybe I hadn’t been ready for my own business before.

Romy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Romy van Rijckevorsel and I am a painter. I paint in an eclectic style. And by that I mean that I mix styles together, I like to use memories, things that happen to me and or impress me. I am proud to sell my work all over the world. That people are interested in buying my paintings. Every time I can be very happy about that.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

in the beginning I had to get used to the fact that my income no longer comes in regularly. And that it is very often running or standing still. I really had to learn to trust my business and my income. Some months I don’t sell anything while there are also months that I sell multiple canvases.

How did you build your audience on social media?

In the horrible corona period, all my activities were cancelled, exhibitions, lectures, art routes, and I (together with the whole world) was thrown back on myself. I then started to delve into social media. I then delved into how I could best use it. At that time, all kinds of initiatives for and by artists arose very quickly and I also participated in a number of them. now I also sell work very regularly via the social platforms.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.romyvanrijckevorsel.nl
• Instagram: #romyvanrijckevorsel
• Facebook: Romy van Rijckevorsel
• Linkedin: –
• Twitter: –
• Youtube: –
• Yelp: –

Image Credits
Four legged chicken 115 x 143 cm Acrylic on linen Inspector Clousseau 115 x 143 cm, acrylic on linen