Aaron Schuerr was our latest guests on our BoldBrush Live! program. As a paid subscriber, we are happy to provide not only the video replay but the full transcript of the insightful session with Aaron below. Please keep in mind the transcripts are generated by AI so there may be some typos.
Creatively,
Clint Watson
BoldBrush Founder & Creativity Fanatic
PS - This email may be too long for some email programs. We suggest you watch/read it on the web by clicking the button below.
Olya Konell 00:00
Welcome to BoldBrush LIVE. Thank you everybody for joining us. We have a very special guest today. We have Aaron, am I pronouncing that right? Yeah, yeah, that's correct, second guessing myself. And we have Angela Augusto, who is our Artist Relations Director. And today we're going to be covering your answers to your questions regarding art, creativity and marketing, and then kind of throwing in some of our own thoughts along the way. One of the things that we try to do with these webinars is connect you with artists that are in a different place in their journey. And these are our BoldBrush signature artists. They've accomplished a certain level of success, and the best way to learn is from other people that have done it. A marketing guru or a business guru could talk on a podium all day long, but it's not unless they've actually done the thing that you're trying to do. It's not going to make as much sense. And the beautiful thing of how how to do things. There's many different ways you know. So what works for one person may not work for another, and so by bringing on our get by bringing on our guests, and focusing these conversations on what worked for them, is going to give you some like first hand insight, and allow you to pick and glean from them and apply those things, maybe to your business or to your life. So really quickly, a little bit about BoldBrush and what we do. So if you go to boldbrush.com we are a company, and our goal is to inspire artists, to inspire the world. We do that by providing free and paid resources for artists. So the free resources are our podcast. We have the boldrush Letter newsletter that you can subscribe as free or paid. We also do these webinars every month. We have the BoldBrush art contest where you can enter your work. You don't have to be a customer of ours or anything like that. Anybody can do that. And as far as our paid products, we are a tech company, so we we do websites and various kind of tech tools. So Faso are websites that Clint has built from the ground up, and you can go to faso.com to learn more. They're very plug and play, easy to use. You can launch your site within a couple hours and have everything working, and we have some of the best support to help artists do that. It's for artists that really don't want to spend too much time updating their website. We also offer artful Squarespace, so if we've partnered with Squarespace, so if you want more control over your site, you want to spend some more time building things out. We do have that as well, and you can, you know, you can email us or ask us about that. It is very new. So you're not going to see too much stuff on our main sites, because we're in the process of adding all of that in. But that is about us and what we do. Welcome, sir. How are you? I'm great. Thanks for having me. Very welcome. I'm glad you could join us. We had a little bit of a chat before we got started. And something I like to do at the very beginning is forgot to mention this, the format for this webinar is going to be different. So for those of you that have been attending, it's usually me preparing the questions, which I have a couple, and I'll get us going. But I what I really want is I want you to ask us your questions. So in zoom there is a Q and A button. You can click that and type your question in. You can also put it in the chat, but it might get lost. So we prefer the Q and A option. And some of you have submitted your questions in advance, so I'll kind of moderate and call them out, keep them appropriate, of course, on the top of it on the topics of art, creativity and marketing. So anyway, before we dive into that, tell us, Aaron a little bit about you and what you do
Aaron Schuerr 03:59
you want, like the quick, yeah, dirty bio, yeah, yeah, exactly. So, yeah. Try to, try to keep it quick. I actually knew I wanted to be an artist. There was a day when I was eight years old. There was a woman who lived down the street who's designing my art elementary school mascot the east, few wild cats, and for some reason she was at my house. I still don't really know why. Maybe it's her house was cluttered with marijuana plants. She was, they were, they were, you know, they were the hippie family down the down the way. Anyway, I had never seen someone draw representationally? So she had a bunch of library books of Wildcats, and I've watched her for a while, and I was mesmerized, and I snuck off with one of the books, pencil and some paper. I don't think I asked her. I think was too embarrassed to ask. Snuck away. Did a drawing of a mountain lion on a cliff from one of the library books and and it was, you know, it was a great surprise, and it fulfilled everything an eight year old wants. It was interesting past the time, and it got me attention. So I thought, well, that's, that's it. That's what I want to be. And, you know, there's a few probably diversions along the way, but it's pretty straight shot from that to going to art school, started at the Art Institute in Chicago, was doing more abstract work, even a little performance art, trying to be a good I mean, I think it was pretty enamored with the daddists and early 20th century modernism at the time, and then I went to Scotland. Was supposed to be an exchange program. I ended up transferring. Spent two years in in Scotland, and the start of my last year, some friends invited me out to the beach over by St Andrews, and just to do some sketching, I brought a drawing board, some charcoal and and I did a charcoal drawing of the headlines of St Andrews, just medieval town overlooking the North Sea. And it was like meeting myself for the first time like this. This was me, and I felt this pure joy that I had never felt in the same way. And so my final year the art schools there, you're supposed to be working toward a degree show. The entire degree is ranked on the one show that you do. There's no GPA, no, you know, credits. You just have a show at the end. And instead of doing these big, you know, kind of some abstract paintings that I had started on. I was going out doing charcoal drawings of landscapes, and, you know, with no idea, like there was no plein air movement, or, you know, there was no there's no way to find out. There was no one else was doing it. But I kept at it. I didn't get a very good degree mark because they rank your your degree stuff, but I sold almost all the paintings that I'd done. I had met during that college time. I met a woman from Montana, a woman from Montana. I probably couldn't find Montana on a map at the time, I think, and so when I came back to the States, I pretty quickly went west to Montana. People thought I was crazy, you know, I was suburbs of Chicago. And, like, if you want to be an artist, you go to Chicago or New York or, you know, big city. Like, yeah, I'm gonna go to Montana and I'm gonna be an artist. I have no idea what that looks like. And I get out to Montana and realize there are, oh, there's so many artists and writers and filmmakers and musicians all hiding out
Olya Konell 07:50
here. Yeah, they know what's up. And
Aaron Schuerr 07:53
so, you know, it's like, I, you know, when I went to art school, to the Art Institute, I had never met a working artist, so at the time, I was, had to be really defensive about my choice to go to art school, because it was all this, you know, what are you going to do about that? I mean, sorry, what are you going to do with that? I don't know. I'm linking. I have no idea how this works, right? But I knew that's, you know, that's what I always just looked at as like, but this is what I'm most invested in. This is what I'm best at, yeah, you know. So they would say, like, get your graphics degree, get your illustration degree. Get my favorite was, get your teaching certificates. You have something to fall back on. I thought, Well, I had a, I had an arts, art teacher who fell back on it. And it was, he was not a very good teacher. You want to be that person, yeah? And, and it's, you know, so I just stuck with what I felt like was the best thing I had to offer. And, you know, I waited tables for a decade. I taught little kids to cross country ski. I was a youth director. I, you know, I did all sorts of part time jobs. Sometimes I had multiple part time jobs. I always worked as little as possible to keep things going. And then it's about 10 years after art school, I went full time by mistake. So this is, you know, we're talking art marketing. I'm, like all the I'm the accidental art marketer. I basically, I was my last job. I was the youth director, and the program was growing, and I was at this crossroads where I was going to have to ask for more hours in order to make things work. But I realized that when I was preparing doing this stuff for the youth director position, I was thinking about the paintings I wanted to finish, and then when I was doing the paintings, I was like, Oh, I really need to make those phone calls. I really need to plan this thing. And I thought, You know what? I'm going to get in trouble. Because if you're not all in on something like working with youth, then. You're going to miss something. And so I, I put in my, you know, my notice, and I thought, well, I'll just get another job. And I'd always had something to jump to if I quit a job. And I, you know, there was, and I remember walking up to couple times walking up to restaurants because I'd waited tables forever, and it's like, I know they're hiring. I have experience. I'd likely get hired. And just walking up to the door going, I need to go in there. I need to get a job. We're broke. I'll do it tomorrow. And I kept doing that. I kept, like, freezing, you know, like, I can't, and then, and then one day, I was like, Wait a second, I think I might be an artist, like a full time artist. And it just, it still makes me laugh, because I always had this idea that, you know, there's be this master plan, you know, where I've made this much, like, I always had this picture that I'd be at the kitchen table and we'd have kind of books out, you know, like, like, yeah. And I don't, like, I've never had any of that stuff, but that was just like, my picture that you'd be like, this is the logical step. We are ready, yeah. And it's sort of like, you know, being a full time artist is sort of like having a baby. If you wait till you're ready, you're ready, you're never going to have one, right?
Olya Konell 11:24
Like, a good analogy, yeah.
Aaron Schuerr 11:26
So, you know, and one of the things about, like, once, I was kind of at it full time. I was like, well, shoot, I've got, you know, at the time of little stubborn in the house, you know, that apparently I'm supposed to take care of kids. And, you know, see, you just sort of do what you need to do to make it work. So here I am. So that would have been 2005 now we're, you know, we live in Livingston, Montana. It's a little it was the gateway town to Yellowstone, like back in the day, if you took the train out to go to Yellowstone, you would get off at Livingston take a stagecoach into the park. So my inspirations, it's funny, the paintings I have behind me are desert paintings, but most of my work is, you know, just three or four miles, five miles, 10 miles from from my house. In fact, the one I'm working on right now is from my back alley. That's
Olya Konell 12:26
amazing. Wow. I love your story. And I want to just highlight two two things. I love the realization that you made when you realize and there's a saying you if you chase two rabbits, you'll catch neither, you know, or something, you'll catch that. And it's so true. I think we've all experienced that the power of focus on one thing is cannot be understated, and then the other thing I love. I just made me think of like, truly, for an artist, urgency is the best motivator and for all humans. And I love that like risk is so important, but also being able to, like you said, do what you got to do and and this is why, guys, if you're listening, get your questions ready. Go ahead and put them in, because I guarantee you, you're in a situation you don't have a roadmap, possibly as like, as you said, there's not, like, a road map, you know? And it's true, there's not a road map for this. And this is why these stories, these conversations, I think, are so valuable, you know, as far as how to do it, because there's not one way. I do want to quickly ask. So bringing it back to what you're doing now, because we're going to go all over the place after this. So right now, you mainly paint. I just want to touch base on what your offerings are. We're going to share your website with the audience. Let me pull it up. I did see that you do some teaching, because you have an amazing you have the wins it winter sunset in pastel. You have a video that people can buy and they can learn from you. Do you have other opportunities that we can share with with folks before we switch gears? Yes,
Aaron Schuerr 14:09
I guess I'd highlight a couple of the workshops that I have coming up the so one of the things that's been kind of fun, I the craziest project I've done in the last few years was we, my wife and I, along with some help from my brother in law, built a studio and talk about Gary. That was, I think, scarier than going full time. We built a two story studio. The bottom floor is a one bedroom apartment that we rent out. So the cutting plan is, you make the make the renter pay for the building, and then I'm upstairs right now in the new studio space. And so what I started to do last summer is i. I started to do, I did two workshops out of the studio, and what's unique about those is that I only take seven students, because that's what the space will allow. But that also gives me the opportunity to take students on to like I had this ranch that I paint on all the time. I've literally watched the trees grow up on this ranch of pain, just in the spot so many times. So it takes students to just my favorite local painting spots. We have my studio to work out of. So the the workshop costs a little bit more, but seven students, and I'll cook a dinner for everybody, and we just, it's really immersive. So it's like, it feels like more of a chance, more than a workshop, just feels like a chance to share, like here, this is my world. Come on, come and come and join it. So I have one. I have a few spots left. I just, just put it on my website. That's in June. I also have a workshop in, yeah, the Montana plein air exclusive. And then there's, if you want something, you know, a little more affordable, less time. I'm going to be teaching in another wonderful place, Big Sky. So that that one, and I probably, I haven't got it on there, but I will probably do a second Montana plein air workshop, maybe in late August. I did it in September last year, but this year I'm going to be in Australia. So, wow, yeah, so I'm going to miss that. So that's, that's my in person workshops. This
Olya Konell 16:43
is such a cool opportunity. I mean, just to be able to do that, and as somebody who has bought learning experiences from people like that, is such a fair price. Like that is so like to be able to go in and have that experience, I think is, is awesome. So,
Aaron Schuerr 17:01
yeah, thank you. Yeah, no, it's last year. I like, I don't mind. I mean, most workshops are, you know, I teach a lot of workshops where it's 15 people, and it's fun, but it's, you know, 15 people is a lot of like, okay, I'm, I'm spending a lot of mental energy. Like, have I given everybody value the value of times, right, giving everybody some love. So when you have, you know, six, seven people, and you know, you're having dinner together, you know, a couple of the nights, and, like, you know, just I felt like I really got to to know people, and I had time, you know, if someone needed a little extra time, I could give it. So that's, that's a model that I just really enjoyed. I'm looking at, I keep meaning to get started on, I'd like to start like a Patreon kind of online learning thing, but there's only one of me, and I just haven't got it together. So if that's something you're interested in, you know, shoot me an email or whatever, and can at least get you on the list. And at some point I'll get that thing going,
Angela Agosto 18:14
yeah? Newsletter that way. They can sign up, and you'll probably announce in your newsletter, if you're going, yeah, yeah,
Olya Konell 18:22
you have the video skill to to do it, because I'm a video editor, and I will consult people on getting their tech set up properly. If you do, when you do do it, you're gonna, you're gonna succeed like it's gonna be amazing. So
Aaron Schuerr 18:37
I keep meaning, you know, speaking of the marketing thing, it's, it's one of the things I've been I've been meaning to do for the past year, and just well, and I think part of it, what keeps happening is I'm like, Oh, we just got some fresh snow. I'm gonna run out and paint.
Olya Konell 18:56
Yeah. Stevie says I'd be interested in Patreon. Traveling isn't my thing any anymore. I actually like, I like Patreon too, because I've subscribed to a couple. Like, there's some things I pay for because I love what they're doing. And I'm like, it's $5 and like, I love the cause and whatever. And I get they make videos maybe once a month, and it's great. So there's like, you set your tears. That's what's so cool about it. For anybody who doesn't know what Patreon is, it's almost like it's a platform, and people set their prices and they put out lessons or content. It's a chance to connect. And there's usually different tiers. But Annette in our in our Q, a, she's asking, What? What did you start with in your What did you do, maybe, what did you start with in your studio to get started? Or what did it? What did it take?
Aaron Schuerr 19:46
Or when, as far as building a studio, is that what she's
Olya Konell 19:49
Can you clarify, and if you want to drop it in the chat, yeah,
Aaron Schuerr 19:54
if you're asking, like, on building this studio, yeah. Yeah, yeah. That was, I mean, like, like, I think there's a lot of what we do, you know, these, these different moments in the the art, you know, building a career. There's, man, I feel like there's a lot of moments where you're, like, standing on the cliff, looking at the water below, going, all right? 1230, I didn't jump. Okay. 123, the studio was a big one,
Olya Konell 20:30
and she qualified materials. Yeah, materials for the studio, yeah, what? I'm assuming she said materials. What did you What materials did you start with in your studio? To get started, is what I'm guessing, like, I guess,
Aaron Schuerr 20:46
what I'm not totally clear on is, if she means, like, building my studio, or just just, like, material, like, what's in? Oh, construct. There's some new construction. Oh, yeah, yeah, okay. And I don't want to go too much into that, because I think that's kind of a very much, yeah, but what I think I would talk about is one of the things that was hard in the process was I had a I had been renting a large studio space in an old it was an old School House in Livingston. Pretty good rent and and my wife, basically, you know we were talking, she said, you know, if you, if you keep renting, you're always going to be renting, and it's never going to be yours. And so the hardest move I made was I previously, my studio was a little alley garage. I mean, tiny, I think, 12 by 20. So I moved back into that teeny, tiny, little studio where I was tripping over myself, and I ended up being back in that studio for another, I don't know, or five years, and while we plan and saved up. And then, and then, that the hard part was, then I, you know, literally ripped down the old studio by myself, and and then over the course of the summer, my brother in law, and the initial summer was the kind of the general contractor, and it's the building is, I don't want to go into all that, but, he and my wife, this person, wasn't too bad, because they put up the show. And then after that, it was, it was just my wife and I, and we thought we were going to be able to contract out more of the work, but that's the way. It's hard to find people that can do the work and on a timeline. So there's a few things that we had people do. Obviously, the pad and the upstairs has got a high ceiling, so I had to have them at least do the drywall upstairs. But the rest of it, we did ourselves. My wife designed it, plumbed it. I did the water lines, the drywall, the floors, the and I learned so, like, we call it the studio built by YouTube. You know, you writing something like, I don't know how to do? You just sit there and you watch a dozen YouTube videos and try to figure out which ones are the best, and then try to do that, yep. And I think, like, for her, it was a she loved it. I mean, I think that's like, her brain. She's just like, Ooh, I'm gonna, I'm gonna figure out how to do plumbing, and I'm gonna plum the whole building. That is like, oh my goodness, you're amazing.
Angela Agosto 23:29
How Inspiring!
Olya Konell 23:32
you know, YouTube University, yes, but I want to highlight this right here, this moment for everybody. If you're listening and you're like, if there's something you want to do and you don't know how to do it, that is an excuse, that is not a reason, because somebody knows how to do it, and somebody has made a YouTube video about it. And I remember, we, I mean, any little thing you could think of, there's somebody made a video. So going back to, oh, really quick, so when you started your studio, did you have because you're doing these things in there, what kind of do you have, or, I think people are also a follow up question is, what kind of materials well, do you use, and did you stock in there? Do you have brands or recommendations on things like, yeah, for
Aaron Schuerr 24:15
painting, right? So I work in pastel and oil and so, as far as the pastels I, I have a zillion different, you know, brands, anything set on a mine. Oh, yes, they do. Thank you. I do have a pastel set. Looks like you have a link to it. If the link doesn't work, I think the link is broken. No,
Angela Agosto 24:47
I went to it, it works. Yeah, I could see it. Yeah. Okay,
Aaron Schuerr 24:50
yeah. So if you have any trouble finding the set, just get a hold of me. I put together a set with Jack Richeson and company, and. And, you know, try to make it as practical a set as I could, because a lot of the by pastel sets, and a lot of the colors are just too bright for landscape. So I wanted to try to put together something that was usable. And so pastels, it's, it's, I use soft pastels. I don't really work hard to soft. I just kind of get the color that works. But yeah, a variety of brands with and then also my own set oils. I use mostly M Graham and company for oils. Rosemary brushes are my, my go to my plein air easel setups, I have a couple of them are strata and, you know, they're maybe not the the lightest of all the easels, but you know, I've had it, you know, I've had my stuff blow over in the wind, and I never worry about it breaking. So that, to me, is more important. And, you know, and I, I do have a take it easel for working really large, because I've been doing, I've been doing more and more. It's funny. I I thought that as I got older, I would become more and more of a studio painter. And the opposite has happened. Where I've been. I've been starting to, you know, like you can look on that Instagram thing, there's one that says blocking in a 20 by 30, you know, and that's a dead of winter that I'm worked on that piece, and I wasn't able to finish it because, only because it we got Sub Zero weather. And, yeah, just and, oh no, we got a bunch of storms that came in. So if I'm doing anything larger than say that 20 by 30 on location, I have a take it easel that allows you to to do, you know I've done 30 by 40 on location. I love just, I think part of being an artist is just finding, finding the ways that you can express yourself most honestly. And for me, it's, it's being outside, being on location. I don't know if that answers panels I use Centurion. Are that the kind of economical linen. If I for the larger pieces, I use Claessens 13 oil, prime linen. It's like kind of a portrait weave. And I'll, I'll go to a frame shop and have it dry mounted onto Gator board or board, and that's that's cheaper than if you try to buy a panel like that,
Olya Konell 24:50
yeah. And for everybody listening to, if just a little fun tip, if you are posting on social media and you're using a specific brand of something and that company has a social media account, tag them in it, because they love that, and they'll share it, and other people will see it. So like, for your pastel sets, I wanted to ask, is it by Jack Richeson? Because I was trying to find the actual product. Oh, it was on his site and I posted it. Oh, okay, yeah, okay. And the it's a Judson's art,
Aaron Schuerr 28:20
yeah, Judson art carries it. They carry a bunch of and they carry other. They're the nice thing on those sets is that there are other artists that have put together sets. So I'm not, I don't mind if you see someone else's set and you go, Oh, that's closer to what the kind of work I'm doing. Then, you know, I found it. But they're, yeah, they're nice and practical the sets, because, like I said, Yeah, landscape sets, the general, generic landscape sets for most pastel companies are not very practical. Got it,
Olya Konell 28:53
yeah, they're kind of generic, and you fine tuned it so we have Deb asking, so can you talk about personal things that have elevated your art sales,
Aaron Schuerr 29:06
art sales, okay, yeah, yeah. Um, so, I think one of the hardest things about being an artist is that we are sharing. We're sharing, you know, we're really sharing the deepest part of ourselves, um, you know, and it's, it's a, you know, it's a primal art has been with us since we've picked up a piece of charcoal out of the fire, but at the same time, it's a product. And, you know, and I've struggled over the years with, like, how do you balance those two things? My conclusion is, you don't it's just there's contradictions in life that just are irreconcilable, and that's okay. But the way that I, the way that it's worked for me, is to always try to keep it personal and think of it in terms of people. So. So, in other words, like, so, when I go on Instagram, you know, and I do, I do quite a few reels on Instagram, you know, I do the videos. And I think of it as, this is my this is storytelling. It's my chance to connect to people, people, you know, one of the things I've discovered with social media is people love to be brought into the creative process. So this started back before there were reels. I was doing these, like I call them easel shots, where I'd do a sometimes the painting would slot into the landscape, yes, and I would just snap a picture of it, and back in the day before reels that was like, people like, well, you know, those would blow up so much so that I ended up on the Kelly Clarkson show because of my during the pandemic. So I didn't get to see her in person. Because, you know, it was when it was all, you know, we were all in lockdown. But, yeah, it was funny. Someone, her rep, got a hold of me, and, you know, someone who follows Instagram stuff, and she had a section on her show, you know what, I'm following on social media. And he called me up, and he said, you know, would you be interested being on the Kelly Clarkson show? And I said, I probably should know who Kelly Clarkson is, shouldn't I? So instead of thinking about like, oh, this would be a good marketing thing, I think of it in terms of like, this is a this is a way I can share my story. And each of us has a unique story, no matter where you're at, you know you have something to share, so in terms of what's worked and you know, like in a more technical level, you know that. And I'm not the person to to invent this idea, but you're trying to take people from, say, Instagram, Facebook, and get them onto your website and onto your newsletter, because that's where the real communication happens. So if you haven't signed up for my newsletter, sign up for my newsletter, and on that one, you know, like you can, I'm sure you can find a bunch of things on like, how to effectively write a newsletter. And I just look at it as like, how do you tell the story of what you're experiencing? So I'm really honest in my, you know, in my newsletters, and in my, you know, it's like, and what I'm finding is, I think that newsletters, I can't remember what the statistic is like. 40 plus percent is considered a good open rate. And I have, I don't know, like, an 80% open rate on my on my newsletter. You know, I think it's like, I have 1300 newsletter subscribers, and I generally get around close to 900 that open, wow, each newsletter, because I, because I just make it personal, yeah. So that's I would if I one of the areas that I if there was more of me, if I had an assistant, you know that that's where I struggle right now, is just, there's only so much time. I think what I would keep better track of individual collectors, so that, you know the ideal universe I'd be like, oh, so and so bought they've already bought three coastal scenes. I'm going to send them a personal email, or I'm going to send them a card. That's that's that's the step that I'm not doing as much as I would like to do, but, but with the newsletter subscribers, what's nice is, you, you know, I'll often get the story of, like, what a piece means to someone, why they bought it. You start to kind of note, like, I feel like I started to get to know people that I've never met in person through that. So that, to me, is like I always try to find a way of making the marketing personal, and that keeps me from feeling like a shameless salesman.
Olya Konell 34:16
I love that, and that is what you just described, is actually what we teach artists through our like BoldBrush circle of marketing. And you are right. It is hard to balance it all. And the advice that we've given everybody is it's like spinning plates. You can only get one plate successfully going at a time before you add something else. And sometimes it's it could be large. It could be a year or two or three until you grab the next plate, because you're in that position to get that so, like, what you're doing is, is, you know, like, perfect. And I love that you include those personal stories, because I love reading them. And when you said 80% open rate, I actually read a statistic. Like, about a year ago, and I haven't checked it within the last 12 months, but I'm sure it hasn't changed that when it comes they the stat on open rates for artist emails is amongst one of the highest. So if you're an artist, you're in a privileged position. People actually want to hear from you because they want to. They do. And it's like, it's like government emails, doctors email from your health, you know, like life and death, light, death and taxes, you know. And then there's
Angela Agosto 35:26
art, right? So want to see entertaining, inspiring, yeah?
Olya Konell 35:32
And gonna throw out the next question. So Caroline asks, what do you consider the best way to bring more awareness to your artwork and its availability for purchase, growing your email list or paid advertising in your area, or both which you've kind of answered it. But do you have any other like things that you do, and I call this invisible marketing? Is there something you do that's offline, that helps you as well, that you can think of, not,
Aaron Schuerr 35:59
not a lot, because I found that, you know, in terms of paid advertising, what I understand is like, unless you're ready to, like, all right, I'm gonna, I'm gonna do an ad every month, you know, I'm gonna invest a huge amount of money and do An ad every month in whatever art magazine, unless it's really regular and visible, it's not really all that productive. Because I found that, you know, like, I occasionally will get, you know, I've gotten Awards where the awards are, like, you know, a full page ad in southwest art or that kind of thing. And I haven't felt like there was a whole lot of return that. Sorry to the art magazines I love you all. You know, I wish. I wish that was the more productive way to go, because I want to see magazines do well,
Angela Agosto 36:54
more consistent in the ad than you feel like, yeah, absolutely,
Aaron Schuerr 36:58
you know. I mean, that's that's talking to other artists, the people that have done well in that realm, it's, it's through consistent investment, you know, like just doing like a once a year one page ad or something like that is, you know, it's not gonna be that terribly effective. I guess the things that I've done that are under the radar is, you know, because most of mine is traditional, like, what you're saying, like with newsletter, is my my personal outreach, and then, you know, galleries, so it's kind of a mix of of those things. Sometimes through workshops, I might sell a few pieces the other way. And this is, I guess this is kind of unique to me, is I'm also, I'm an actor and a writer as well, like, in fact, I'm working on a play right now that I'm writing, and we're workshopping and hoping to get produced in the next year, and that has sometimes led to opportunities. One of the more unique things that I've been doing regularly is working with Gretchen Minton, and it's Montana insight theater, and we do site specific a lot of it's around Shakespeare. She's a Shakespeare scholar at Montana State University, and she puts together these kind of walking they're almost like walking tours, but you would be walking with a guide, and someone would a couple people would do a scene from Romeo and Juliet, and then you go a little further, and someone else. Anyway, I'm always set up painting, and then I write. What she'll do is she'll give me a couple of monologs and say, write something around it, and we'll work together. You know, I'll write something, bring it to her, and she helps me refine it, edit it. And so it's this crazy. It was a crazy juggling act. I'll be out painting, and then a group every about 20 minutes or so comes and I'll put down the brushes, and I will perform, and Oh, wow. And that performs Shakespeare monologs And also, but usually I'm weaving it together with the artistic experience. So it'll be me, and I'll be in and out of the Shakespeare and so it's and that has led to some really cool connections. One is through there's a there's a ranch called tippet rise that has incredible they're they're bringing in, like one of us, world's most incredible collection of site specific sculpture, sculptures on this huge ranch in the foothills of the bear to so we perform there every year. And they have done. Lot, almost every painting that I've done during these performances. So It cracks me up, because they have, I mean, like last year, I performed under a giant Calder sculpture with a view of the Bertus behind me. And, you know, and I'm doing these little, like 11 my fourteens, and they've bought all of them, and they're putting them together. So I love, like, these giant sculptures and my little paintings. So I you know, so that I know that was kind of long, but like finding ways of allowing your creative expression to lead you wherever it's gonna go. Yeah, and opportunities happen. We just did one of these performances in we do. We always do one in winter where we have people cross country skiing a loop one direction, and performers are skiing the other direction. You stop performers, and they'll perform for you. And again, I'm painting. It was zero degrees this year, and you know, so like, you know. So then I'm painting and performing, in this case, my original poetry. And, you know, so I wrote some poetry. And, you know, someone that I've known for a long time bought the painting that I did this year during that two days of doing that. So, you know, so getting out there, you know, so for each of you, it's going to be something different and unique. I find that, you know, like some of the, some of the past that were the more traditional past from didn't, while they were good, maybe didn't, didn't, weren't sustainable, like, you know, I've always gone for, you know, there's the big shows or the big galleries, and I think what's been hard at times is like, I've, like, I was showing at Legacy galleries, like the big gallery that that took me on, you know, it's like, yeah, you know, like you've arrived when you get into a gallery like that. And it's like, well, I didn't actually, they're wonderful. I love them, and I still send pieces to them occasionally. But there are bigger artists in a gallery like that, and so maybe it's the gallery that's a little smaller, that doesn't have as many artists that you can, you know, have a little bit of a personal relationship with the gallery owner, so be willing to say, like, all right, bad idea. Didn't, didn't quite pan out. It's okay, we're gonna go this way now, yeah,
Olya Konell 42:31
and, and somebody had asked about galleries, like, how did you get representation? So that kind of answers it. And what you're basically also saying is that it that traditional route. Not that it didn't work for you, like it did stuff, but it, what you found is just following, following, like making your own path, not even following the path. You're making your own path, following the direction that best allows you to express yourself in every way as a human being that has led to the to the connections and opportunities that have allowed you to best sell your work. And right is that? And I wanted to to really kind of highlight that, because I think this is where artists we get stuck, is we're looking for the roadmap, and instead, we have to look inward, you know, and really kind of like, what am I good at? Like, and going back to marketing, I'm going to redefine this for everybody. And this is something I like to say at the beginning, and I may or may not have done that this time. Marketing is everything we do, online and offline, every activity that allows us to meet other humans and share our art with them, and that could be what you were just doing, it could be something else. It could be volunteering, it could be traveling. It could be, you know, it's going to be different for everybody. And I think the success lies in that it's leaning into that, and that is so freaking cool, like you're performing and then you're painting, and, I mean, your brain is just doing that creative summer songs. You're engaging both hemispheres.
Aaron Schuerr 44:10
What I love about like, where the path has led me that with that is that, you know, early on, it's like, I can't remember someone describing as, like, you have to kill things to to, you know, like, they're, they're like, I'm interested in this. I do this, I like that. And you have to kind of kill off some of those things and really focus on something, on, you know, say, in painting and, and maybe even more so, like, you know, I'm just going to focus on landscape painting and what I found for myself is those things that I sort of set aside in writing, they have all come back. Oh. And so now I feel like the way I would think about myself as an artist is like. Like this is my main focus, that the paintings, you know, this is where I'm spending every day. But as when I think of myself as an artist, this also pays the bills. You know, I make a little bit off of acting, I make a little bit off of writing, but not, not enough to make the living. But I don't think of them as lesser. I think of myself as an artist, and I do the marketing where I need to do it to to be able to continue. And what I love is that's been happening, is how these different disciplines have started to feed each other. You know, who would have thought I could ever stand at an easel, paint, perform, do, acting and stuff that I've written all at the same all at the
Olya Konell 45:49
same time. That's what I'm saying.
Aaron Schuerr 45:51
Beautiful, beautiful. So, I mean, it's like the the engagement that I've had with people through that, like, there are just, I think, as a reminder that, like, there's, there's some intangibles, like, I can't, you know, a lot of these interactions I've had with people, it's not something I could monetize, but it gives me so much energy, because, like, these kind of performances are so intimate. You're looking right at a person, unlike on a stage, you know, I'm looking at the lights. I can't even like when I act on stage. I don't even know who's in how many people in the audience, until we bow at the end, like, oh, look, we're full. Great. I have no idea. And I mean, I can feel the energy from the audience, but when I'm doing these things in the field, like, as a quick example, one of the first ones that I did writing for, you know, the audience has come up. And I and I started talking about the art, the process of plein air painting, you know, I do. It's because it's direct, it's improvisational. It's the truest expression I can find. And I start talking about the challenges of plein air painting, you know, how do you distill the complexity of all of this onto a two dimensional surface with pigment? It seems crazy to try. And then worse that the doubts that start to creep in. And you know, then at the end of this thing, I said that that worse I worse than doubting myself. I doubt you the grace that you, the viewer, the audience, bring to the process. I know that's not what you expected to hear today, but I have of late, and wherefore, I know not lost all my mirth. We're going all custom of exercises. And indeed, it goes so heavily with my disposition. So that's Hamlet. So I'm just talking, as Aaron you know, about the doubts of being an artist, and it seamlessly goes right into Hamlet, and all of a sudden it means something very different. So it's a way to to bring people in, like this is my theme, is bringing people in not just to the art, but to the artistic process. And being transparent with that is such a gift that we can give people. Oh,
Olya Konell 48:21
absolutely. And it's so raw, and it i art if we can, if we can touch the emotional heart strings of a person, connect with them on a human, raw level. That's why people buy art, because it either connects with their story, or they connect with you, the story that you are telling, and like they're in that moment, they have this experience. They want to remember this moment. They want that, even if it's a small little piece, like they want it, because they'll never forget that moment, like it's a big but maybe it, maybe it changed their perspective on life. Maybe they were, you know, going through something, and then they had this magical moment, and they're like, I'm gonna go live my life differently, like we don't. It's it's beautiful. It gives me goosebumps. I just the idea of it. But you touched on something when you were talking about this before you transitioned, like as you were trying to transition into Hamlet. And somebody asked about imposter syndrome and self doubt. So I want to ask you about that. So, yeah, no. And oh, I lost, but yeah, it's like, how do you ever struggle with that? And how do you overcome that? Every
Aaron Schuerr 49:32
day I struggle with that, and it's more that, like the process of doing a painting is, you know, at the beginning, you're like, this is, oh, this, I got the greatest idea here. This is, this is really, look at this, you know, I'm blocking the color. This is the breakthrough. And then at the end, you're like, that wasn't the breakthrough. And I. I, you know, there's times over the years where it's gotten really bad, where I just, I like, I don't, you know, like to the point where you're like, I Are you looking at the same painting that I'm looking at? How could you like it? You know, and it can get really it can get really bad. There's a couple of things that have helped me, just epiphanies over the years. I just wrote about one in a recent issue of the pastel journal, and that was just this moment, like when I'm doing a demo for a workshop, and someone's always has this comment like, oh, you make it look so easy. And I'll joke like, oh, only you could hear the voices in my head. And then I thought, what if they could? Oh, that would be horrible. Because, like, if they could hear what I'm saying to myself, like, I would never talk to anyone else like that. You know, never. I would never say to things to someone else that I say to myself. And then I started thinking about that, like, Well, then why do I do that to myself? Like, I wouldn't teach the same way. When I teach, I'm looking at someone and trying to understand where they are at, where they want to get to, and what are the sticking points, and how can I help them, you know, realize their ambition as an artist. And so I started thinking, like, why don't I treat myself like I treat my students and celebrate like pain doesn't always work out. What did I learn in that process? Because every painting that doesn't work out is one closer to the one that really does. You know, I'd like coastal scenes are a good example of that, where I fell in love with painting the coast, but it's only something I've done in the last maybe 10 years. And so, you know, I had to do a lot of really bad wave paintings to get to something that was better. And it's not effective to beat myself up. It doesn't get me there, and it hurts. So just trying to recognize when those like those demons start to talk to you, just to be able to recognize and say, Yeah, I'm, maybe I'm, maybe I need a break. I'm feeling bad about myself. It's okay, like, just to, you know, almost create, like, look, I'm, I'm doing that bad self talk, okay, and giving that some distance, and allowing myself to focus on process and treating myself more like I would treat my students has been really helpful. Same thing with I used to have a really, you know, like neurotic trouble with art openings, you know, because you're everything's on the line, you know, you've got all your artwork out there, and maybe it, I mean, I've had many experiences where I've put everything out there and nothing is sold. And I thought, Oh, God, you know, I'm gonna have to get a job. This is, you know, like, start catastrophizing. And I started to think about, like, Okay, why do I get so freaked out by openings? I'm not, you know, I do theater. I'm not like shy and and I started to think about it in terms of, like, who's coming to a gallery we're all coming to try to find an experience of connecting, and we're connecting through art. So I go in now and I say, like, find, like, I'll call my wife before an opening. If she's not around, she's like, Okay, put your game face on, all right. Like, this little conversation. Like, remember the humanity in the room. Find people, find a conversation, find something, you know, find an interest, connection, and someone find a connection and recognize that all I can do is the work. You know. I can't there's a very limited amount of there's a very small sphere that I can control. Outside of that I have no control. I put the best frame on it as I can. I take a shower, I put clean clothes on, I stand there and I smile and it's funny, and I try to connect to people, and if it's not going well, oh well, you know, I put the work out there, and it's so often now it's happened where something didn't sell, and then, you know, it sold at the next show, or I had another opportunity. I woke up the next day and I painted. So not taking it so personally has been important, finding ways to communicate with people. To connect to them has been important. There was something else I was going to say, maybe it'll pop in my head. But okay,
Olya Konell 55:07
no, that that is 100% Yeah, it's 100% true, like finding ways to connect with people. And the advice is to, like, treat yourself the way you treat other people. You wouldn't talk to them like that. Don't talk to yourself like that and like becoming aware of it and recognizing like that. Those are like. You hear yourself do it. You're like, hey, brain, I hear you, you know. And then you go on your you know. You go through your process. Because it's, I wouldn't say it's comforting to hear as artists, because I paint too. I'm not a full time artist. I just have my passion that I love to do and don't always even share about it, but we it's comforting to know that the struggles that we are having. Everybody else has them, even people that have gone before us have struggled with it, and to hear that is reassuring that, like, hey, that didn't stop them. It won't stop me, you know. So
Angela Agosto 56:09
I appreciate I was gonna say, I just wanted to highlight that you said, like you're in theater, you're out there, you're on stage, and the fact that you even get a little bit nervous about doing an in person, because that's what we tell a lot of artists, in person is more. It's just as important, if not more, than just online connecting like when you're invited to an event or a show or at a gallery, they invite you say no because you're nervous, but the fact that even you who are out there, you know, on a stage, get nervous, I think that's important, that you shared what you do, and that the fact that that happens to you, because it's going to encourage other artists that it's okay just try it. You know, like, I think Ola, you said, like, talk to yourself in front of a mirror at first, and then, yeah, kind of continue. And then practice, like you said, you get a pep talk from your wife. It's important to do that, but then definitely don't miss out on those in person events, because, you know, make a connection with somebody or something, or, like you said, wake up the next day, be inspired to paint something,
Olya Konell 57:05
yeah, and and to add those connections. Sometimes, for those of us that haven't been invited to a show or haven't been invited to be in a gallery, don't underestimate the connections of going to a barbecue from somebody you have no and shaking some hands, and people ask you, Hey, what do you do? I'm an artist. Oh, really. What do you you know you show like every single opportunity to meet a flesh and blood human being in person is an opportunity to connect. And that's like a great way to get practice. And so if you don't, if you're in a position, I would say where you're not there yet. You know you're not, you know you're don't have the big show. Find ways to go to events where support other artists get go to the places, go to other you know, go support other artists, go meet people, be social. And that's that can be hard for us sometimes, because we just want to be in our little hidey hole, you know. And I'm a hermit, so it's really hard for me, but occasionally I'll do it and then I feel really good about it. I'm like, Oh, that was so cool. I met humans
Aaron Schuerr 58:05
and just recognizing, you know, wherever you it sounds really lame, but wherever you are is where you meant to be. So just, and I think that it's focusing on process over product becomes really important in terms of the mental game of of keeping at it and keeping that longevity. You know that the the the plateau sometimes can be long before you have that breakthrough and start to grow. But having a growth mindset over a I think one of the things that can happen with people is they want to hurry the process. And, you know, so you and I've seen it in marketing suggestions of, you know, finding a stick, finding a you know, that I'm the you know. I remember reading an article like, you know, you need to brand yourself like, I'm the goat painter, whatever. And I thought, Well, are you happy though? You know, it's if, like, goats are like, really what you're invested in painting goats and you're really, like, that's your passion. Then go for it. That's great. But don't do it because, okay, that's the thing I could market. And you know, you see that in the art world, where there are a lot of, you know, there's a lot of imitators, and sometimes you have to go through that to find your own voice, and that's okay, too. But I find that just exploring what you're most passionate about is what's going to get you the best work focusing on growth over profit is going to keep you in for the long game. Yeah, I
Olya Konell 59:53
want to ask a question for myself, but we kind of talked about this early on, and I've. Apologize. We're over by a couple minutes. But if you guys are still okay, I you know we can, we can go a little bit more. One of the things we talked about before we went live is we, I the topic of, like, if you, if you're not feeling well, like physically unwell, because I'm ADHD, I struggle to focus. I do certain things in my life that I figured out work, and I harness that creative energy. My ability to get distracted is my superpower, is what I call it now, that's what, but if, but if, but if, I'm, like, physically unwell, which I have struggled with health things in the past, like my backs hurt, like things have, you know, I, you know, I've learned that if I don't feel good, I can't do good work. And I you brought that up as well, and I want to just hear your perspective, or, like, if you can give us some advice, you know, as far as, how do we make ourselves physically well enough to be able to physically execute the things that we want to do easel, you know, do all of that stuff.
Aaron Schuerr 1:01:04
Yeah, no, that's a great I'm glad you brought that up, because I almost think of painting as a sport on one level, like it's an endurance sport, and so our bodies and our minds need to be equipped and ready for it. So I found a huge difference between so when I was younger, I was active, but not like, I wasn't in the gym and I didn't do weight training. I know this seems off, but and I started to do that, I had a lot of really, really bad back hip issues, and so like, I teach a workshop, I'd finish a demo, and I'd be like, I'd have to go off and and go double over and stretch, because my back would hurt so badly, and it's really hard to teach and communicate, or just to paint for yourself if you're uncomfortable. So I started, for me, it's I do CrossFit, I also climb and bike and hunt and ski and do lots of other things, but, but that's like my my, I mean, that's my daily thing, and what that's meant is that I can go up to the easel, and I can stand there if I need to for eight hours and I feel fine, yeah, I don't have to stop. And, I mean, I need to stop because, you know, I need breaks, yeah, you know, I need those breaks. But, but, but finding ways to strengthen your your body, to taking that time to go to the gym, and it doesn't have to, you know, whatever you find, and a little bit of strength training. I think walking is great, but adding a little strength so that your support is good because they're standing in a particular position, yeah, and you're a long time, and, you know, you get you can get twisted, and you can really kind of mess yourself up, and your shoulder can get messed up, and so taking that time to take care of yourself is going to make you a better painter, and it's also going to give you more endurance. And then the other, the other two pieces of that is, is sleep and nutrition. You know, if I think of it like a sport, I need to get my eight hours of sleep. I am I'm a big fan of napping. Now I only I'll have a little caffeine in the morning. I used to always power through with my afternoon cup coffee, and then I have sleep issues, so then I need more coffee, more caffeine. So now, like I get to say two in the afternoon, and if I'm tired, I take a nap, even if I have a deadline. And for me, it's only like I set the timer, it's 20 minute nap, and sometimes I need to take a little walk around the block just to get my hat on. But that's a superpower like you wake up from that, and then I'm back at the easel and I feel focused. It's so hard to, you know, starting to feel tired now, and I'm going to work through it. I'm going to keep painting, and then nutrition, like eating, well, all those things are, have made it so that, especially like, if I'm going to go out and do plein air events, like when I do say, Laguna plein air on a festival like that. I've regularly put in 14 hour days, and that's the only way I could get through it, is by being fit enough. So take care of yourselves first, and then you'll be able to have more creative energy.
Olya Konell 1:04:40
Yeah, and I don't really hear people talk about that, or we it's just not a conversation that, like, you really hear on the artist podcast. It's always about technique and this and that. But then, like, there's those days where I'm like, you just don't feel like it. You don't feel like painting. You You're and I have, I don't know who else here or not, I've had back issues. I had back issues the few years after, I started painting more, and then that's how I realized the two were connected, and it was because of how I stood. My core wasn't strong, and you're lifting one arm, you're doing something else with your other, and it really skews things up. So I really, I'm glad that you've highlighted that, because it is a sport. We're using our bodies to create something. It is, it is when
Aaron Schuerr 1:05:28
people, people come up to you, like, especially like, if I'm painting on the beach or something, and they're like, oh, it looks so fun, or it looks so relaxing, you just like, I'm gonna smile. I'm not gonna give them like I'm daggers are coming out. Like, I've been standing in the sun for, you know, eight hours at this point.
Olya Konell 1:05:48
Yeah, oh, it's so fun.
Aaron Schuerr 1:05:49
But yeah, taking care of yourself is foundational, sure.
Olya Konell 1:05:58
A couple I do you mind if I grab a couple more questions about specifics. So somebody asked about, we have some newsletter questions since we talked about it. So developing your email marketing for newsletter, do you use? Like, what do you? What do you? What system do you use? I don't know if you use Faso, or do you use MailChimp, or do you use something else? I
Aaron Schuerr 1:06:16
just use Faso, artful mail. Yeah, they've got good templates. It's, it's easy, you know, it's easy. You can just pop your pictures in and write so it's nothing. I don't do anything fancy in terms of layout. I don't think it's, you know, it's, it's mine is just like, kind of a white background and, and actually, images, yeah, yeah, there's nothing. It's it's simple. I don't think it needs to be anything other than that. And yeah, like the integrated newsletter that Faso has is really easy to work with. It works great. So, and
Olya Konell 1:06:55
I think too many times we get too focused on thinking we need some kind of a new, cooler platform when reality, we just need to do the basics. And the basics, you know, is sufficient for what we're trying to achieve. And then let me have to go anywhere else
Angela Agosto 1:07:11
because your paint is loaded. It's
Olya Konell 1:07:13
easy, yeah, and
Aaron Schuerr 1:07:15
that's what I love about, I mean, the site in general, like the Faso site. It's been so nice to work with. Like, you guys are great. Like, thank you. I had another platform before that where it was all you had to type in all your questions. You never got to talk to someone in person. And there's, I just remember there was times I'm like, if I could talk someone for five minutes, have this worked out. And so, like, I re, you know, I don't know, maybe year and a half ago or something, I did some redesign, and, like, ended up with a person who just, like, I don't know, a couple hours where we walk through, like, okay, let's rethink this website. Let's change the portfolios and, yeah, fantastic. Yeah. I
Olya Konell 1:08:08
love hearing that. Yeah. We love hearing that. And that's something we pride ourselves with, is like the support, because we don't like dealing with bad supporting.
Speaker 1 1:08:18
Get it? No, the support is best. Thank you.
Olya Konell 1:08:23
A couple of framing questions so technical, how do you frame your pastels, specifically, glass is very heavy and a problem in shipping any suggestions? And then somebody else asked about framing as well. You know, do you have any suggestions for framing, for economic frames? Right?
Aaron Schuerr 1:08:43
Man, if we didn't have to deal with framing, it'd be such a great career.
Olya Konell 1:08:48
Raise your hand. Oh my
Aaron Schuerr 1:08:50
goodness, yeah. So like though I know if you can see this one behind me, this I made this frame. So I make a lot of mine, but that's time consuming. My wife will help me as much as possible with, like, all the sanding and stuff. So with pastels, I use museum glass. It's expensive, but it's worth it. And I played, you know, back and forth between you can actually put the pastel right up against the glass, as long as you tape the edges and it's tight so there's no movement. And I found that that works, generally works pretty well. I framed my my pastels, just like my oils, you know, without a mat, I've also used spacers. What I'm starting to move towards with the larger pastels, I don't do too many large pastels, is using, there's the museum Plexi now. Yeah, because I've just had, I feel like shipping has gotten harder. It used to be, you know, I went years between having any issues with glass breakage or anything, and then all of a sudden, it's like, whoa. Every other large pastel I try to ship ends up like I just dropped this thing off the truck. So I've decided that anything bigger than, say, 18 by 24 I'm going to use museum Plexi, which is even more expensive, but so anyway, I seem to be able to get the pieces there. I don't really have any great like economical I use king of frame. Sometimes they're lovely to work with. For some of my frames, I make some of mine, and then when I can I've gotten frames from masterworks. Frames, they're custom. But all that stuff has has gotten more expensive, so it's, I wish I had a better answer for you, and then I make my own for a lot of them well.
Olya Konell 1:11:07
And this is, this is helpful. It just, it does mean that artists have to be a little resourceful, depending on what you're doing and finding what works for you. Maybe have a nice frame shop locally that you could use. And I would really start locally and kind of branch out. And yeah, there's lots of websites. There was one another question that I wanted to cherry pick, and it was about branding and and you mentioned it, and I want to So in regards to marketing, what would be the most effective way to rebrand myself as an artist. I'm assuming this person either has a reputation out there somewhere, or maybe they're meaning like, how do I create this brand? And you mentioned something about branding. It's not it's, it's, you know, it's not what people think. So going, I guess what I'm trying to say is going back to that, what, what are some tangible things a person can do to build their reputation, even if the word branding is maybe not the best term. So,
Aaron Schuerr 1:12:14
I mean, I think it naturally happens, you know, the kind of branding. But I think, first of all, just, I guess the thought that pops out to me is maybe to sit down and write, you know, what are your goals, personally and professionally, you know? And start with that, because, you know, like for me, my goal is to be able to my goal is to paint the landscape. So I want to paint. My goal is to spend as much time I said it early on, like, you know, way back in college, my goal is to be outside as much as possible for the rest of my life. And, you know, sometimes for me, like outside is a little bit more improvisational flying by the seat of your pants a little bit. Coming Back in the Studio allows me to, it's, it's like the difference between jazz and composing, you know, it's, it outside is improvisational. Inside, in the studio is where I can take those ideas and let them gestate and and build a more focused idea and work on, you know, say, like a larger piece, like this one behind me. That's, you know, that's a studio piece done from a plein air study. And I didn't have the opportunity to say, go back to that spot five times like I would somewhere nearby. So sitting down and writing, like, what are my goals artistically? What are my goals professionally, and are those two things at odds with each other? You know, there's in the back of my mind, you know, like, maybe if I started to lean more into the Western like, Western art market is super hot right now, and, you know, like, ranch I paint on there are old school Ranchers on there, you know, horseback and everything, but that just hasn't been my like, I love seeing them, but it's not something I feel like I really Want to spend time with that, because I'm not a I'm not that invested in photography. And in order to do some of that kind of work, you've got to be, you know, a good photographer. I've watched people out, you know, doing photography that kind of thing, you know, they've got all the lenses and all the, you know, they're putting a lot of that stuff together. It's a different kind of headspace to be able to put work like that together. To me, it's more about the solitude and the land itself. So I'm gonna stick with that, even though, you know, maybe, yeah, I could make more money if I started putting boys wouldn't
Angela Agosto 1:14:57
be true to yourself, because, like you said, That's not. And feel like spending your time with and I feel like that would probably reflect in your work exactly.
Aaron Schuerr 1:15:05
Yeah. I mean, that's the art so, so asking, like, what do you really want? Because I have seen and I want to be careful, like, I'm not trying to put anybody down here. I have seen artists that have you know, kind of hit on a marketing idea and then, like, really taken off. And not all of them are, like, even, you know, they're not necessarily the greatest painters or whatever, but they, you know, they've hit on an idea, and they've, they've run with it, and I feel like more power to them, but, but for me, that's not the path that that I've wanted to take. I don't. I just if I can, if I can paint, pay the mortgage, and have a little wiggle room to go out and go climbing and backpacking and live in a place like this.
Olya Konell 1:16:05
That's enough. That's true wealth actually, right there, to be able to do what you love doing, and have have peace.
Aaron Schuerr 1:16:13
Yeah, I love there's two artists that just, it really hit me. I was talking to an artist who had been a really, I mean, top level sculptor for his whole career, and he was shifting to painting because he felt like he wanted to be able to express some things he couldn't in sculpture. And I was like, wow, because you got, I mean, this is someone where these big shows are expecting Him and to produce. And he's like, he said, you know, the whole point of this career is to get to the point where I can do what I want. Yeah, and, you know, that's the goal. I was like, Oh, I love that. And then another artist, I asked him about, like, another artist who just has, through his whole career, shifted from sculpture to pastel to oil to, you know, just all over. And asked about that, and he said, Well, oh, you're bliss, and everything seems to work out. I was like, yeah, if you're, if you're as good as you as this artist, you know, you could do that. But I think there's a point there where, where it's like, this is the investigation that I am looking at, and it's really hard to be patient with it. And you know, the growth, both in career and personally, is not linear. There are dead ends. Some things work out, some things don't and, you know, you have to be willing to change things up. You know, the pandemic showed that to all of us. You know, that's what really got me to wake up and start like, oh, I need to build a newsletter. My gallery is all shut. And then I realized, like, I can have more ownership of my own career with that. So now I have this. I really work hard to have great relationships with my galleries, but galleries, in the way the art world works right now, for most people, is a piece of the puzzle. It's not the whole thing.
Olya Konell 1:18:14
So I love that this. I just want
Angela Agosto 1:18:17
to ask you one thing, because I noticed, like you say, you write, you you do plays, but you don't have that, any of that on your site. Because somebody was asking, Where can they catch your next play this summer and stuff like that. So I was looking, do you have, do you post about it? Do you have another site for it? Or, because I am, and I thought maybe in your link tree, you would have it listed there, but you don't. So I was just curious about, no, I mean, it's just I,
Aaron Schuerr 1:18:41
and I thought about, like, the writing, the Well, I mean, I've written some articles on, I don't know, maybe some of my website can't remember. And I
Angela Agosto 1:18:52
looked, and I was like, I don't see anything on there. Yeah, I'm really
Aaron Schuerr 1:18:55
bad at not market, not marketing, any of that stuff,
Angela Agosto 1:18:58
newsletters. Maybe
Aaron Schuerr 1:19:03
occasionally, if anybody wants to email me, if they want to see some samples of my articles, I definitely could send that. And then there's poetry that I've performed. I mean, email me and I can send you that stuff. That's an area that I've thought about, like, okay, maybe I need to start figuring out that marketing world. Yeah, well,
Olya Konell 1:19:23
you know, and I would even say, I wouldn't think of it in the context of, like, adding more work to your plate, but like, if you just, if you just publish an article, maybe add a page in on your site that just says something, and then, like, just link to it, and
Angela Agosto 1:19:39
maybe on the in either about section or maybe just a separate little category, navigation, writing links here, other artistic menu or avenues, or whatever you want to say, and then maybe that if you list everything else, perfect, yeah,
Olya Konell 1:19:55
If you need help, I'll work on that. Get in touch with
Angela Agosto 1:19:58
people to talk to. Talk
Olya Konell 1:20:00
to you, because that would be cool. And I've had several, by the way, there were several comments in chat, so as we kind of are landing the plane here, I wanted to note there were several comments further on, of people that said, yes, please start a Patreon. They actually had gone out and looked for you on Patreon to see if you were on there and you weren't kind of bummed out before this. So that's encouragement.
Aaron Schuerr 1:20:21
Thank you. See, this is what I'm doing here. Is, like, I figured I'll come on here and I'm, like, gonna crowdsource my, yeah, my career, like, where I go from here? All right, everybody,
Angela Agosto 1:20:36
By the way, Aaron, do have any contact info or sign up for your newsletter. Contact Info that'll they'll email you. So I shared that with them as well, and
Olya Konell 1:20:42
I will share, like any comments directed to you, any whatever from the chat. So if you guys are still here, if you want me to pass something on, Aaron, drop it in the chat, I will forward that to him, and in all make sure. And then same thing, you can subscribe to his newsletter. I want to ask something I kind of to as we land the plane, if there was, like, one piece of advice that you could leave us with, you know, like, if there was one thing someone could take away from today's conversation, what would that be? What would you want them to take home?
Aaron Schuerr 1:21:18
Um, you know, I think I've said it just be honest and with with yourself and with your exploration. Be patient with growth. In terms of if I was going to talk to my younger self, in terms of just marketing, is keep better track of the people that you connect with that buy your work, because it took me a long time to start actually keeping track of of people. And you know, I think that was some missed opportunities over the years. Yeah, and, and if you are a landscape person and go through the trouble to paint outside, not even if that's not the work that you show or frame, because if you want to learn everything, it's, it's outside, it's, you know, there's a lot of control. So, like, if I think about what am I trying to achieve, here is my painting about control. So have a photograph. I can copy it. I can be in control. Or is it about expression and communication? When I'm out painting on location, I am expressing my experience of a place, not the topographical details of a place, but how I experience it, and that's what connects us. Yeah, is, is our experiences are you know, you're sharing your story through pain.
Olya Konell 1:22:55
That is such good advice. Gosh, I on. No, I we could go on and on, and this could go longer, but I honestly think guys, if you did not get your question answered from Aaron, go follow him, DM him, comment on his post, ask your questions. Maybe attend his workshop, or, you know, hopefully he sets up his Patreon, you could
Aaron Schuerr 1:23:16
even Yeah, you got me inspired. Now.
Olya Konell 1:23:20
Get your username. Just create the username and be like it start out with the free because people can, then can convert when you start. Because, like, you can set your own tiers and just post a little intro video, like, just set up your camera, talk on it, get that out there.
Angela Agosto 1:23:35
She did. She actually mentioned you, and she did, like, a little the $5 tier, just to kind of connect with people, because her, especially during the pandemic, and she continued it,
Olya Konell 1:23:46
yeah, I'm sorry, who is this?
Angela Agosto 1:23:47
Susan Lyon.
Aaron Schuerr 1:23:50
Susan Lyon, oh, right, yeah. I talked to her a little bit adore.
Angela Agosto 1:23:56
Susan Lyon mentioned, you. She mentioned in our last webinar she love’s you.
Aaron Schuerr 1:24:00
Yeah, yeah, she's just the best she is. She truly Yeah. And that actually brings up, like, one other, you know, just a quick thought on growth, and in spending that time looking at other artists and not just, not just looking at other artists as and, you know, I really love this artist, but, but saying like, which paintings of the artists do you really love, and what is it about those paintings that resonate with you, because that will help you understand your own your own growth and your own
Angela Agosto 1:24:33
work? I love that we've mentioned before, where somebody says, Oh, find, find your, you know, your sort of somebody that you can mentor with, or just somebody that you follow and inspire. But I love that you said that detail, like, look at a painting and exactly, you know, kind of think about it.
Olya Konell 1:24:47
Why do
Aaron Schuerr 1:24:48
the artists, the artists that I really love, it's not necessarily all their I might not love all their paintings, because if they're they're really pushing, you know, they might be you. Are pushing in a different different directions, with different different paintings. And so just just being, being able to articulate, like, what is it about, you know, that one that just makes like, hits me hard,
Olya Konell 1:25:11
yeah, but, and that's true for also other activities, like, what is it that that person is doing that you connect with? So, like, if you have it like, bring your example, like, I love that you're doing this whole writing, acting, you know, you're combining it like that is just so freaking cool. Like, I love the brain and how the brain works. And just, I can only imagine the the amount of electrical activity going on in that little circle of people standing there as all the electrons are firing and and we know that there the Heart Math Institute did work that, you know, all that's connected your heart's a battery. It extends the energy field, extends three feet outside your body in all directions. A horse is a horse is a lot bigger, different animals, different critters. You know, we all have that. So when you're grouped together and you're having that moment, oh gosh, I'm sure it's fantastic. That's why it works for you. So that's the magic. Yeah, that is the magic. But, yeah, it's, you know, this has been inspiring and helpful, and I'm going to after this, I'll send you an email, and I'm going to share some of those ideas and comments and questions people had, and this gives you some more inspiration, or, you know, feels for what it is that you decide to do next. And thank you, Dave, for everything you've shared today.
Aaron Schuerr 1:26:33
Yeah, no, thank you. It's really It's always really fun just to get to share the geek out with fellow artists. So much.
Angela Agosto 1:26:45
I shared the BoldBrush link because I know you were in our on our BoldBrush show with Laura as well, so I shared that link just so that they can see or hear the podcast.
Olya Konell 1:26:52
Yeah, great. And I'll include all of your event links to in our follow up email, so if anybody missed it, and they'll have it and I yeah, we'll hopefully have you back some time in the future, and we'll get get to celebrate and hear the progress of what, yeah, hopefully,
Aaron Schuerr 1:27:10
you know, have all my articles up there, get more of that stuff out there. It's
Olya Konell 1:27:17
cool, I mean, and I yeah, I mean, it's cool. People want to hear it and they want to see it. So I kudos to you for embarking on that well. Thank you everybody that has held on. And Thank you Aaron. And I hope everybody has an inspiring and creative rest of their week.
Angela Agosto 1:27:39
And until next time, we'll be back next month, the recording will be up next week. Yes, yes, thank you to everybody for joining us.
Olya Konell 1:27:43
Thank you Take care and thank you for joining us on BoldBrush Live. Bye, bye.
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