Finding the Self-Confidence in You & Your Work with Krista Schumacher
Tune in as I chat with Krista Schumacher, full time palette knife oil painter who took her passion and made it into a career even with a move across the country from Florida to California. She shares tips, how to network in a new place, advice for small businesses, and the important of confidence in you and your work.
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All images are directly from Krista’s website
S- I’m talking today with Krista Schumacher and ready to dive in with another artist and creative here on the show. Tell us a little about you!
K- I am originally from Niceville Florida and yes it is a real place and i’m currently in California and I am a full time studio artist. I specialize in palette knife oil painting- we love (husband an I) love living here in Cali and it’s been a wonderful place for my career.
S- Tell us about this passion of yours and where it came from.
K- When I was in high school- My mom and I- and we’ve always been best friends- she was encouraged to take a community art class. She had this very natural talent and she started to get more involved- and I was kinda jealous!- she had this new found passion and i wanted in. So my mom inspired me to begin oil painting. I was 16 years old and i immediately fell in love. I never thought it would be a full time career, so it’s been really exciting to be do what I love and do it professionally.
S- That’s actually how we met too- i went to an event where you and your mom were creating pieces for an auction and immediately i wanted to get to know you both more. I assumed though that she had been painting for your whole life-
K- Most people are surprised when they learn that about my mom because she is also a professional studio artist and she didn’t begin until she was in her 40’s so it really shows it’s never too late. I think a lot of people think past a certain age you can’t change your career but you never know your hidden talents.
S- now i know you work with your mom even thought she’s still in Florida and you’re in Cali. Talk a little about the relationship you have personally and professionally and how it’s impacted you.
K- My mom and I are always asked if we’re truly best friends and yes we are! We just truly get one another and we have a lot of fun working and partnering together so even though we’re miles apart- we still hop coast to coast. She has her own following in California and I have my own in Florida and we have a lot of overlap in our collector base. They find it unique to have a piece from a mother and a daughter. we have a lot of virtual events but also in person so people can meet both of us. We’re actually working on a very special release in about two months- so if you follow me… stay tuned for a mother and daughter collaboration.
S- How did you decide to choose the medium and style that you did?
K- my style of artwork- i don’t use any paint brushes just palette brushes- i essentially sculpt the paint onto the canvas. My mom actually developed this technique first and was experimenting and using different tools so i learned how to paint this style from my mom. It’s almost like this foreign language that we speak to one another and we can help each other grow because we know that language. And this style to me as an artist- As i dive deeper into a creative practice, I want to use my creative mind and i want to re-create how it feels not what it looks like. The palette knife challenges me because I cannot be super detail oriented with it because it tends to be more impressionistic and it’s challenged me to be more creative which i enjoy.
S- There’s another method that you use - using a background color not just a white canvas.
K-That’s right we tone our canvas a solid color usually and it depends on the subject and we’re trying to leave some of the background show to create more depth on the canvas and the viewer might not even realize it but it makes the paint sculpted on top look like there’s more depth on top- and i’m trying to work on that with my creative practice and you have to be very confident in those mark making
S- I do know that moving and starting over is tricky and difficult in a new community as a artist- tell us what you did to plug in
K- I was not excited to move to San Diego and to a lot of people that’s a shock, but in Florida it was going well in my business, so i was happy with my life. But now looking back almost 3 years ago- it’s been the best thing for my career and i can’t imagine it now without making this jump. Because when we moved- i was at a cross roads where i was working a full time but wanting to make that jump to just be a full time artist. I remember saying “I’ll try this for a year, if i cannot make it- i’ll go back to teaching next year, but i’m going to work as hard as I can because this is my dream to be a full time artist.” So when we landed, I was going to chase after my dream and i just truly believed i was going to be able to do it- it was a lot of hard work though because we were starting from nothing.
Something that was really important establishing myself is networking. I had to dive head first into introducing myself to the locals. I even printed out a flyer with my art and a little bio and I went to each business and introduced myself to everyone and wanted to collaborate with each of them. And so that was a really big thing too- when your’e an entrepreneur and you’re wanting to make the jump into full time you have to start to own that you’re an artist and be confident in that. It’s “I’m an artist!” and you have to network. The more people that know about you and your business, the more opportunities will come your way. That’s exactly what i did, i did the local events, i introduced myself to all the community members, i started collaborating with other businesses and my following began to grow that i started selling more art that after the first year there’s no way i could’ve returned to a teaching job. I was to financially do this full time and it was very exciting this first year and it was the hustle. It was tons of hard work and getting your name and work out there in any way possible.
S- i started my business over in a few states-One of the things entrepreneurs tend not to be good at is the networking and scary things- the cold calls and marketing and like you said you have to have confidence when you do that. It’s your elevator pitch and you have to own that.
K- That’s the thing is- are people going to be rude and are people going to turn you down and people not like your work- of course- you are you going to face that but you have to have self-confidence and believe in yourself and your product and be able to shake it off because it is scary putting your art out there because it’s so personal. You’re creating from your soul and people might not like it. People have hung up or laughed at me, said i would never make it, it’s too competitive. There’s always going to be those people you have to learn to rise above that.
S- As soon as some entrepreneurs hear no they think they can’t do it- from that one person. I love it didn’t stop you, and not every person is not your client. If you want the people to LOVE you and the others will fade away.
Where and how did you find YOUR clients in your new city?
K-There are a few ways i was able to find my clients.
1- you are your business, so every one you meet- introduce yourself as an artist and share your enthusiasm. So word of mouth was really big
2- collaboration with other businesses. We are better off collaborating over competing any day. So i walked into a design show room and knew we’d elevate one another and i never heard back the first time i went in. So found the contact and asked them personally.
3- Networking. Think where do MY customers spend their time and i attend those events and i meet people, being social
4- Events. Doing the local art shows has been very helpful because a lot of press works with the art shows so i’ve been able to get publicity that way.
So through those various methods I slowly get my clients.
S-After you find them, how do you maintain them?
K- It’s not enough to have a customer, i want to create a following and have a collector base. With a lot of businesses it would be beneficial as well. The first thing is collecting contact information. I can keep those clients in the loop through email marketing which i find very beneficial with events, collection reveals, and in the loop. Another thing is I want my collectors to feel special and my business wouldn’t exist without my clients. So i want to show them i care, so for example when someone purchases from me- the follow up is very personal. They get professional authenticity cert, hand written card, and I’ve very responsive to my customers.
S- will you move into networking and marketing towards new creatives or people looking to expand?
K- Social media is QUEEN- you cannot underestimate the power of it. So creating an online presence, and for new creatives- you have to clearly define your product and what you’re selling. I personally have a checkout on my website and people will be directed from social media to my website.
the challenging thing for a business owner is- you wear a lot of different hats and at first it’s overwhelming it’s a huge learning curve, and it just takes time. My advice for them things do evolve you have to patient with yourself. You’re not going to be an expert right away, and you’ll figure out what works for you. Being a small business owner is really hard, and you have to work hard to be successful.
Being kind to yourself and realizing it does not happen over night.
K- Advice is sometimes you need a break, so allowing yourself to take breaks and get away in order to continue to get fresh new ideas.
S- How would you say you gained that self confidence in networking and your work?
K- I know this might sound crazy but it’s the truth- I’m a really big believer in mediation and self talk is very powerful. So something that i do, i’ll go on walks almost every day.
When you believe you are successful, good things are successful. and if you truly believe if yourself- the universe has a way of working itself out and offering these things to you. Mediation, positive self talk, our thoughts have so much influence over us.
S- What is something important to implement to daily life?
K- You have to treat it like it’s a job, wake up to an alarm and schedules. when it’s your own business it’s easy to push off deadlines, but you have to hold yourself up to standards
If you love doing something so much, whatever is your passion- you have to go for it. There’s truly nothing stopping you except yourself it’s the truth. Put yourself out there and set aside time every day to do your craft. Dedicate a space for your craft so it’s easier. Things will evolve and present themselves as long as you believe in yourself.
S- you have to want the struggle just as much as the reward.
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