Mind Over Medium
A Podcast for artists who want to make money doing what they love. Each week you will learn how to attract your ideal commissions, approach galleries for representation, have a great online launch of your work and how to do it all with less overwhelm and confusion. You will hear from amazing artists who will share how they have built their successful creative businesses. My hope is to create a space where artists and the creative curious can learn about one of the most important tools creative entrepreneurs need in their tool box, their mindset.
Mind Over Medium
Building a Creative Career your way with Kim Hassold
What if you could transform your hobby into a full-time career? Join us on Mind Over Medium as we chat with Kim Hassel, a remarkable mixed media artist from Greenville, South Carolina. Once a successful magazine editor, Kim shares her inspiring journey of transitioning from the world of publishing to embracing her true passion: painting. She gives us a glimpse into the vibrant art community in Greenville and her participation in the enchanting Flowers Magic Art Fest. Kim's story offers a compelling look at the challenges and triumphs of balancing a regular job while cultivating an artistic career.
Mentorship is a powerful catalyst in an artist’s journey, as Kim vividly illustrates through her experiences with renowned artist Alice Williams. Kim recounts how a transformative workshop with Alice rekindled her love for painting, leading to a profound mentorship that took her on artistic adventures from the scenic Amalfi Coast to Alice’s charming home in France. These enriching experiences highlight the importance of seizing opportunities and the lasting bonds formed through shared creative endeavors.
Marketing art in today’s digital age requires a strategic approach, and Kim shares her insights on making the most of workshops and leveraging social media platforms like Instagram. From embracing new techniques to the practicalities of sourcing the right supplies, Kim opens up about the highs and lows of the creative process. We also discuss the emotional rollercoaster of promoting new work and the importance of building anticipation. This episode is packed with valuable advice for artists aiming to turn their passion into a sustainable career while navigating the complexities and pleasures of the creative journey.
Connect with Kim Here and on Instagram
Get your ticket for Flowers Magic Art Fest Here
Connect with Lea Ann Here
Special Thanks to CEI Media for the podcast magic
Hello podcast friends. Hope all is well with you. I have a couple of fun things to let you know about before we jump into the episode. First fun thing I am part of an online art festival called Flowers Magic Art Fest. It's been around for a while I think this is its fifth year and I am really happy to be included this year. It's a group of 15 artists who have all created a lesson focused on I'm sure you can guess flowers. Mine, in particular, is a floral collage and I've seen some previews of some of the other artists' work and it's all amazing.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Welcome to Mind Over Medium, a podcast for artists who want to make money doing what they love. When you tune in each week, you will learn how to attract your ideal commissions, approach galleries for representation, have a great online launch of your work and how to do it all with less overwhelm and confusion. You will have the opportunity to hear from amazing artists who will share how they have built their successful creative businesses. My hope is to create a space where artists and the creative curious can gather to learn about one of the most important tools creative entrepreneurs need in their toolbox their mindset. Thanks so much for tuning in to Mind Over Medium podcast. Let's get started. Well, hello friends. I am so excited for today's chat with Kim Hassold. Kim is a mixed media artist, a former magazine editor from Greenville, south Carolina. Thank you for joining me.
Kim Hassold:Thank you,Lea Ann. I'm excited about this.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Yeah, yeah, I'm looking forward to it. Yeah, before we hit record, I was saying I feel like I know you, even though we've never met.
Kim Hassold:Well, you know, it's like you and I were saying Instagram is, and you know there are a lot of things that are not good about social media, but that's one of the things that is really good. You really do feel like you know the people, which is awesome.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Yeah, definitely. Well, I'm excited to get to know you even better. So can you please introduce yourself? Let the audience know who are you, when do you live which I did already say but you can give a bit more detail about that and a little bit more detail about what you do?
Kim Hassold:Okay, I'm Kim Hassel. I am from Greenville, south Carolina, which, if you have not been here, you should really. I wish you all could see.
Kim Hassold:My studio is downtown and we have a river that runs right through the middle of our downtown. It's so beautiful. We have a huge suspension bridge and it's just a very art supportive. Lots of outdoor art parks. It's just a beautiful place to be. So that's where I am and I have four grandchildren and 10 grandchildren and one on the way, and I've been married all this time to the same man.
Kim Hassold:So it is very exciting and we can talk about this a little more if you want to, because I think most artists at some point in their career, for the most part, find themselves needing to have a we'll just call it regular job as well as trying to build their art career. And yeah, I think it's really unusual for someone to just go full-time art from the very beginning unless they have, you know, someone else who's willing to financially support them. So we can talk about that. But I did as you mentioned, so we can talk about that. But I did as you mentioned. I was an editor of our city magazine. Here we actually worked with a team of people to invent the magazine name. It do everything with it. It was just just such a great opportunity for me. I love every minute of it, but I had to. I left that about two years ago in order to paint full-time, so that's probably more than you wanted to know, but that's perfect about me.
Lea Ann Slotkin:That's great. Well, I will echo what you said. Greenville is so charming. It really is. It's just the yeah I used to have to when I was working in painting. I, greenville, was part of my territory, so I always loved going there.
Kim Hassold:Yes, it's so clean and the people who did it did such good planning. So, even though it's a really big place, we have a beautiful performing arts center, so many great restaurants. I always tell people who come here and I'll offer this to your listeners I can really. If I didn't do this, I'd be the president of the chamber of commerce.
Lea Ann Slotkin:It sounds like you're kind of vying for that position. That's right, that's great, that's really great. Well, describe a time in your life when you felt the most creative.
Kim Hassold:As you know, I ask every guest this at the beginning of our chat, because I did know that, I did think about it a little bit and I think there are a lot of times where, like most people, you felt like you're just really having a creative surge, where everything seems to be falling into place, as opposed to all the other times when you think I don't even know why I thought I could be an artist. But one of the times in particular I remember is I was working still at my other job full time, when I went into the office one day and they said they've sent everyone home and I thought, you know, I was like a lot of people not fully aware of the impact that the pandemic was going to have on all of our lives.
Kim Hassold:Of course I knew it was going on, but honestly, I just, you know, I didn't, I just didn't realize that we were at that point. So I left there and I came to my studio, which is just a couple blocks away, and I remember thinking, oh my gosh, you know, I'm totally free to do whatever I want, because the responsibility of what I was, you know won't be that was before people started working remotely really. So I was, you know, won't be, that was before people started working remotely really. So I was just addressing and going into an office every day and I remember coming to my studio and thinking, gosh, you know, I can wear whatever I want.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Selfish way to look at a global pandemic.
Kim Hassold:But I thought, you know I can paint whatever I want and nobody's going to come here and I don't have to go anywhere because you're not allowed. And my children? Honestly, my husband and I laughed. I'm not sure whether they thought I was going to kill them or they were going to kill me right in the beginning. So they were. You know they a lot of them live here and they were real. They all have children, so they were being very careful about. You know we didn. It was just all new to everybody. So for about three weeks I came to the studio because I was here by myself every day and painted whatever I wanted to paint. And I love to do figurative work and do as much of it because I do a lot of commissions and releases and things and so I'm doing other things. But I painted these five huge figurative pieces and I just loved them all and I think it was just the freedom of you know, just no other demands on my time. I remember thinking how creative I felt.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Yeah, yeah, you know that's such a. It was such a weird time. So, weird I know, and it felt like it was just going to be a blip, like I remember thinking a month, this will be a month.
Kim Hassold:Yeah, and I think it was one. For me it was kind of one of those ignorances blessed during just that period of time because we really didn't know, enough, or I didn't know enough about it, to realize what was coming or what was going to happen, or you know how many people were being affected in a negative way. So for me it was just like all of a sudden you have a break.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Yeah.
Kim Hassold:Yeah, so it was. You know, I remember thinking feeling really creative coming in every day. I remember thinking feeling really creative coming in every day.
Lea Ann Slotkin:That is so great. That's great. And how lucky that you had a place to go, yeah, that you didn't have to see people so you could just work when you wanted to.
Kim Hassold:That's great, and like I said, it was really nice because they couldn't come here. So that was a nice feeling of freedom, yeah.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Yeah, that's awesome. Well, thank you for sharing that. I would love to know more about your previous career as the editor. That's the correct title, right, right, yes, okay. And then have you always painted on the side like what? What did that look like for you? Because I really don't know your story. So if you could just share.
Kim Hassold:I always have loved anything creative. I love the practice of connection, no matter whether that's because I've done a lot of writing in my career, and I love the idea of me putting something out, whether it's in writing or through painting or just through our conversation, where we can connect and you know what I mean, you know and you understand what I'm trying to express to you. And I think that is can be done in a lot of different ways. I did a, went through a period of time to where I did a lot of public speaking and I had an agent. You know did that. And then I had so many children. My husband's like listen, you've got this, you cannot continue to travel. One has got to take care of these kids.
Kim Hassold:So, I, but all of it kind of goes back to, like I said, what I like to think of as connection and communication with people. So I've always loved anything creative, always, and I love to read as well. So I start I've always had some kind of creative thing going on, but I was writing for, I was doing a lot of freelance writing when my children were younger so that I could, you know, have the flexibility that I needed, and one of the things I wrote for was the Greenville News, our newspaper here, which at that time you know was. You have to realize that was probably 25 years ago when newspapers were really still a thing, and they decided to, they wanted to do a print magazine. We did not have a city magazine here at the time, and and Greenwood was growing so much so I vastly exaggerated my skill set, I mean, like really to the point that they thought I could do this. So it was in retrospect, I don't know.
Kim Hassold:I think, gosh, that was really daring of both of us, because they let me name it. I decided what was going to be in it. I hired all the writers, I hired all the photographers, I did what they call a story budget every month, exactly what was going to be in it, who was going to write it, who was going to put it in. I had no background to be able to do this. I had only written myself. So it was just a very exciting journey and it was also during the time when print products were still really big and everybody loved magazines and it was beautiful and it was very, very creative and they had a lot of gave me a lot of freedom to do what I wanted to do and I had been here a long time and I understood the city and knew a lot of people, so it made it easy for me to make those kind of connections. So that was kind of that.
Lea Ann Slotkin:That's great. And then, how did you become a painter?
Kim Hassold:Well, I always, you know, like I said, I was always doing something creative on the side. But gosh, I just got back from visiting this person. But I don't know if you know Alice or know of Alice Williams. She actually was from Atlanta for a while funny story.
Lea Ann Slotkin:When I first moved to Atlanta sorry to interrupt you I worked at Bennett Street Gallery, which is now not named Bennett Street Gallery anymore. I was the manager there. I don't remember what my title was, but she was one of the artists we represented, so I know Alice, yeah, well, she she's awesome and some friends of mine were going really kind of acquaintances.
Kim Hassold:I really didn't even know them that well, I don't know how I got in this, but they were going to a workshop that Alice Williams was doing and somebody dropped out last minute. I can't remember what happened, but somehow I ran into one of them and they said would you be at all interested in going? And I had not been painting in years. I've been doing a lot of writing, like I said, I had young children. So I was like, yeah, you know, I'll go, that would be great.
Kim Hassold:So I went and it was just she and I just hit it off because, you know, she's a loose painter, she loves color, and I I said, you know how, when you go to a workshop or or whatever, they'll go around and say, tell us why you're here, or something about yourself, or whatever. And everybody's always in such big sweat about you know. And I thought I felt a lot of freedom then too, because I thought, well, I'm not a painter. I didn't even say. I felt a lot of freedom then too, because I thought, well, I'm not a painter, I didn't even say I was a painter, I'm a writer, because I was in freelance writing.
Kim Hassold:So you know, all the artists were real nervous about how they were going to prove it or say something that didn't sound silly. I'm a writer and it's frustrating to me that I can usually always express myself in words, but I cannot put on a canvas what is in my head. When it comes out, it's not what I meant and I just don't know how to get there. And she really clued into that and we just hit it off and she has been a mentor to me ever since. In fact, I just recently did a trip to Italy with Emyo. You know another had this group of people go. It was so fun, women and we went to the Amalti Coast area oh my gosh.
Lea Ann Slotkin:I think I remember seeing your beautiful pictures.
Kim Hassold:Yes, so beautiful, I mean I really it's not like I just go around all over the place. Beautiful, I mean I really it's not like I just go around all over the place, but this was just fabulous. It was so much fun. And before I went to Italy I went to stay with Alice for because they're in France now About four days, and that was just so. It was so great to see her and you know, her whole house, leanne, you would just not believe. I mean it is house.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Leanne, you would just not believe. I mean, it is her art is everywhere it's amazing. Well, her house in Atlanta was spectacular. Yes, all of her art. Because I used, I would go pick things up from her or you know, just because it was pretty close and I was always like, yes, I'll go, I'll go, I'll go run that errand, please let me go so anyway, that's kind of how that. That's kind of how that started.
Kim Hassold:That's kind of how I got back into it.
Lea Ann Slotkin:That is so amazing. It was meant to be.
Kim Hassold:Yes, just meant to be, and I love her. She's I mean, she really has had such an impact on my life that is great.
Lea Ann Slotkin:That is great. Well, she's a fabulous artist, as are you, well, so it seems like you got pretty, you know pretty. Let me think how to ask this question. Was it pretty quick, like finding your style, because you love color? You're loose, all that I mean, so that must have gelled for you pretty quickly.
Kim Hassold:I think that you know kind of had a feel for what I like to buy as an art collector, because this is a good tip always try to remember to tell people this, because my husband I've been married a long time and every anniversary we always after the first couple years I was like, listen, we can't afford anything that I want, so let's pull our resources and get a piece of art every anniversary and some years, you know we can.
Kim Hassold:Everybody had braces and we can only get a little piece. In some years, you know, we could get a big piece and consequently we have a very nice collection of and when I say nice, I don't mean like museum quality, I mean like of local artists. Yeah, personal, yes, very personal. I'm always on the lookout for who I want to get next year, you know so I think that that's you know.
Kim Hassold:for me I kind of I'm drawn to certain kinds of things. I'm not a realistic painter, I'm more of an impressionistic. I always say, I'm just a very loose painter, and that's what I'm drawn to as well, you know, when I purchase art. So I think I kind of again, I knew what I wanted. I just didn't know how to get there.
Lea Ann Slotkin:I knew what I wanted to express.
Kim Hassold:I just didn't know how to get there and she was so helpful with for oh for me in that way and you know there's so many things that I learned from her and I've taken subsequent workshops from her since then. But you know how she does her strokes Like if it's not like if you're doing an arm, it's not vertical up and down, like you think?
Kim Hassold:an arm would be. It's horizontal strokes, which gives a lot of. I don't know if that makes sense without being able to see it, but you know what I'm talking about. I think she calls it across the grain or something like that, and so that gave me. Oh wait, that makes so much difference. You know I can do that. And then she introduced me to yellow ochre. Well, I didn't know what it was when I first started taking from her. She lays out her palette. You know, some artists do and some don't.
Lea Ann Slotkin:I kind of grab what I need.
Kim Hassold:I don't put everything out, but I paint in acrylics now and she paints in oils. But you know she would lay it out and I had to write the names because she was like, ok, add some brittany. And I was like, what's that?
Kim Hassold:Yeah, I don't know what that is and, yeah, I had. She helped me so much with that. And another great tip of hers is putting a warm color next to a cool one, and I just didn't know those things and so just learning those, a lot of things like that from her made me able to think, oh okay, I love this color, but it's not popping the way that I see it in my mind. Oh, now I see, if I add this, it will, and so, you know, it's just a lot of things like that that helped me get to I feel like what is my style now?
Lea Ann Slotkin:Yeah, well, it sounds like you were very open to being a beginner and just soaking it all in and not being intimidated by what you didn't know, because I think that's what kind of trips people up sometimes, like they're like I want to do this thing, but I don't know how, and you're afraid of looking silly or whatever, and you just should. You should just ask all the questions, be OK, not knowing, and so it sounds like you did that very well.
Kim Hassold:Well, I think there is a lot of freedom in all circumstances, of kind of, first of all, facing the fact that you don't know everything. You don't, nobody knows everything. And secondly, I think I would think, as to an instructor, for someone to say listen, I'm just here to learn you know, I just want to learn everything I can from you. There's a lot of freedom in that, because you're not. You've already said you don't know.
Kim Hassold:I think I just had already said I don't, I knew I didn't know but, I, wanted to learn, and so you know going and doing that, and even now I try to take a couple, even though I'll pay. Now I try to take a couple, even though I'll pay full time. I try to take a couple of workshops a year and when I go, I always tell people this when I take a workshop, I try to do exactly what they say, because I'm sure you have been in or probably taught workshops. I'm a terrible teacher, so I always fix it. I'm like listen, this isn't very good, let me help you, I will fix this for you. I'm standing back, but I think that you know you just, oh God, I lost my train of thought, what I was going to say.
Kim Hassold:Oh taking a workshop. Yes, oh, good, thank you. I think it's just a matter of going there and thinking, ok, well, I'm here to learn from you. I'm not going to be here and say, well, that's not how I do it, or I always do this, I always do that. If you're going to do that, just stay home and do what you always do.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Save your money. I think, yeah. Well, I think too, that's a great tip, because you can always then bring that like merge your style with something new that you've learned and then create something new. So I think that's a wise, wise way of doing that.
Kim Hassold:Well, I always like to use this example. One of my other true loves has always been fashion, and you know that sort of thing. Oh, when I was little, I used to wear. This is so crazy that my mom let me do this. I had, I always had blonde hair and it was kind of curly and I wanted straight black hair. I don't know why. I just thought it was a beautiful thing. I had these black tights that I would put on my head like the elastic with the leg, and then, yes, I would wear them with the legs and listen to this land, if you think that's bad. Sometimes I would pull them into a ponytail I was always trying to make and then I would put that like those little smart dresses, that little southern girls where I would put a belt on my. I mean, I always had something that was going on.
Kim Hassold:But back to the workshops. I feel like it's kind of like if you ever go have your makeup done, you have somebody do your makeup. I have never once loved all of it. I've never thought, oh, this is, oh now, this is how I want to look every day. But there are always parts that where I think you've got to be kidding, but there's always something like I think you've got to be kidding, but there's always something like I might find a lipstick I like, or I might find an eyeliner I like, or a powder that gives me a glow, or whatever it is, and that's what I'm looking for in a workshop. You know what are the one or two things that I'm going to incorporate into my every day.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Yeah, and it can be even a new supply, like a new adhesive or I mean, and it can like change everything. Yes, and you know you're like how did I not know about this? And so I think that's the beauty of workshops, mm-hmm, I agree, I definitely agree. Well, you, how long were you doing both Like ramping up your art career while doing your?
Kim Hassold:I did that workshop with Ellen, with Alice, before I started doing the magazine. I was already, like I said, doing a lot of freelance writing, but I really got so inspired when she, when I came home from that, that I found a group of women here in Greenville who were taking classes once a week and then they would have this big show like twice a year and, let's say there were maybe eight or 10 women and so I started with that and it kind of gave me a deadline and I had to, you know, get stuff done. And I remember the first show I did I had seven pieces and I just thought I had really outdone myself and they were so well received and you know I was I just got really encouraged about. So I just kept on, you know, doing more. Then I started, you know, be it because of that sort of word of mouth or whatever I started being asked to do, like shows in Charlotte or Charleston or wherever, Atlanta, and I, so, you know, I just kind of built up.
Kim Hassold:In fact it's so funny because I found an old sheet I had from a show I did probably 20 years, maybe 15 years ago, and it was the names of the things and the sizes and the prices and I was like, oh my gosh, why are you doing that? You weren't making any money. I just started out there and then I just kind of kept on building. I would say then, of course you know. I mean, I know people have mixed emotions about Instagram, but Instagram is very instrumental in my art, selling the marketing part of my life.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Yeah, say more about that, because I have down here to. I was doing a little research and correct me if I'm wrong. You sell directly. You're not represented, correct? Okay, and were you? Did you make a switch? Was that a conscious decision? How did that come about?
Kim Hassold:Well, I have talked with several different, I've been approached or talked to a lot of different galleries, but for me I'm really just about painting as much as I. I'm selling as much as I can possibly produce, which is a great place to be, and it's taken me a long time to get here. So I don't want to discourage anybody. But, as you know and I mean, there's so many awesome galleries but you know it's pretty common for a gallery to take 40 to 50 percent and you know if you're used to getting three thousand dollars for a painting and all of a sudden you're getting 15. And you're pushing to supply, you know that the gallery, you know there's an expectation that you will supply a certain amount and I'm not. There's absolutely nothing. I know some. I have so many artist friends who are gallery exclusive.
Kim Hassold:And there are times where they're selling something you know and I think, gosh, maybe that's something I should do. But for me I've sort of built my marketing around doing it myself. Yeah, and I do have an assistant who helps me out and tips and does all the correspondence and all that kind of stuff. But again, I did it myself for a long time.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Yeah, yeah and I mean I think that's great. I mean you've carved out that niche for yourself and people know what to expect from you and do you do that very systematically, like so your clients know like you have two or four or however many releases each year.
Kim Hassold:Well, I'm a little bit more fly by the seat of my pants than that, but I'm very much like that. Yes, I do, but I have a very active Instagram account, so I'm constantly posting, you know, if not every day, you know at least several times a week. And I think one thing that's really helped me or no one thinks it's really helped me is in my job at the magazine. I was very involved in the marketing of our product and it was a very targeted publication, which just means that you are trying to reach a certain segment of the population, like we weren't trying to be a newspaper and reach everybody, it was targeting a certain segment of the population in Greenville. So I think that really helped me to learn what that means and what that looks like, because I think it's really important for an artist to think, okay, who am I trying to sell this to?
Kim Hassold:Because I think one thing you have to realize is you don't need 10,000. I can't paint 10,000 paintings a year. If 10,000 people actually wanted a painting of mine, I would have to say I'm so sorry, I cannot paint that many paintings in a year. I don't want to try to paint that many paintings in a year. So, on the other hand, if 100 really interested people look at the 20 pieces you might release well, you only need a hundred really interested people look at the the 20 pieces you might release Well, you only need a fifth of them to buy one.
Kim Hassold:So, I think that I would my my. What's worked for me, I should say, is cause I've done, I've made a lot of, I've tried a lot of things that didn't work. But this is one thing that really has worked for me is just to build a relationship with that targeted audience, and so everything I post, I'm thinking, okay, is this going to appeal to my person and are they going to relate to that? Again, back to the connection thing we talked about. Am I going to connect with them in such a way that they want what I'm selling?
Lea Ann Slotkin:yeah, yeah, you do a really good job of it. I love following your account because you're funny, you're interesting, you're informative, you do all. You check all the boxes. You always look really cute, you, you know work on fun projects, so you do a really good job.
Kim Hassold:I appreciate, I really try to and you know I I understand that, like for me, I don't mind being on camera. I don't mind, you know, being making a big fool of myself. My, in fact my assistant's always taping me when we're doing reels and things and she'll be standing behind the camera going. You are making such a fool of me.
Kim Hassold:I'm not sure if you know this, but hey, let me be the first to say it's really dumb, but you know, it's just a fun way to. For me it's a fun way to connect. Now, for people who are maybe have a different personality, more introverted or whatever, there's still ways, I think, to capture your personality, because you know everybody doesn't want a big, colorful, loose painting, which is what I do, but maybe they want something more subdued, and you know somebody who's more subdued. I mean, there are ways to learn to show who you are and what you do.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Yeah, absolutely. Well, I talked to a lot of artists and I think sometimes there's this little bit of a catch 22 with Instagram because we attract each other, like artists. Attracting artists, like how were you able to differentiate not just talking to other artists, which is awesome, but generally we're not buying. I mean, sometimes we buy other people's art but talking to your clients, because I think my audience would be really be interested to hear how you differentiated that well, I think.
Kim Hassold:So, um again, think really identifying who are you trying to reach and what do they want to see. And that's why, like a lot of times, I will get clear. I'll do a big painting and I'll think, oh, this is so awesome, and I'll put it on Instagram, and the only thing they want to know is where I got the dress I have on, and that is not the point here. So, but you know what? I don't care, because next time they may come back to see what I'm wearing, next time. And by that I guess the point is, you know, you have to think okay, I'm not really trying to just target a bunch of artists which and part of other artists, because they're the one they're going to always comment. You know, like I'm always commenting on people's other artists work because I genuinely like it and I want to help them get out there.
Kim Hassold:But I think the thing is okay if I'm not trying to talk target artists. Every post I make is not going to be me creating a painting. You know, I'm not going to constantly be talking about what kind of supplies I use, or you know. I mean, I think it's fun for everyone to kind of get an idea of how you start a painting or whatever, but you know what I'm saying.
Kim Hassold:Like, I'm not teaching an art class here, yeah, but you know what I'm saying, like I'm not teaching an art class here, yeah, I'm trying to sell art. So, while I may occasionally say, oh my gosh, this paint is, this is my favorite color, this is what I want, etc. And other artists might say, oh, what brand is it? You know where did you get it? Or whatever, and I'm happy to share that, but I think that I think and this is not a very glamorous or fun or creative thing necessarily to do, but I think it's really I think there's some things that are really important.
Kim Hassold:Number one I think you should develop your own style, like I want my painting. I want when people look at my paintings. I don't care if it's a person, it's a flower, it's a house. I don't care what it is, it's a flower, it's a house, I don't care what it is, I want people to say that is a Kim Hassell. I think that's so important because otherwise you're just going to get lost in the shuffle of everybody, and you know that's where I think people get.
Kim Hassold:I mean, I admire a lot of other artists work, but I'm not trying to copy what they do, but I need to have money, so I think that's so important. And then the second thing is I think you have to think okay, now I've managed to produce this product that I feel good about, and who am I going to sell it to? Is it a bunch of other artists who are also trying to sell their work? Probably not.
Kim Hassold:I do my. Once a year. I'm out there supporting and sometimes I'm not, but for the most part. Why does my Instagram account exist? You know and that is to sell art. So I think those things are really important and then sort of pairing them together. Okay, so I know what I have and I know who I want. Am I showing that? Is that what people are seeing when they come to my page, you know, or my?
Lea Ann Slotkin:feed. Is that what they're seeing?
Kim Hassold:when they come to my page, you know, or my feed, is that what they're going to see? And people, you know, I'm the same way. I'm busy, I'm very busy, like we all are. And if you don't catch me this is another thing I learned in the magazine business If you don't catch me in the first couple of seconds, I'm not going to keep staring at it. Yeah, flip on past, you know. So all of those things are really.
Lea Ann Slotkin:I guess there's a lot more method to the madness than people think Agreed, and it's a lot of trial and error, which you said at the beginning. Like you try that to stop, see what doesn't work, make note of what does and then keep doing that. Right, and you know back to that.
Kim Hassold:I really, as far as my releases go, I really will promote that I'm going to be doing you know that they will be released on this day, at this time and I will start to. You know, show some along the way. You know I don't do a lot of giveaways. You know I think a lot of people do I will occasionally do something, do I will occasionally do something, but for the most part, I think it's good to try to create a sense of urgency almost with people where you're thinking, oh my gosh, I need to get this now and.
Kim Hassold:I think that that's you know. I mean, I try to really promote what I'm going to do before I do it, like I don't just pop it up there and hope somebody buys it.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Oh yeah, I agree, you know, I, when I'm working with artists in the coaching side of my business, I'm like you need a minimum of, I think, six weeks, honestly Right, to be warming up your audience, right? Well, you've you. You seem to have gotten it down to a fine science, so that's great.
Kim Hassold:Well, I don't know, I'm still trying new things.
Lea Ann Slotkin:But I'm enjoying it too.
Kim Hassold:I love it almost like um, it's almost like gambling to me, like I love to put something out there and see what kind of response you get yeah, hey, sometimes I'm really surprised at what is is a real appealing to people, and sometimes the thing I think is the best thing I've ever done is not selling those are all my house.
Lea Ann Slotkin:I'm the same way. I'm like I love this so much and then it's like cricket you're like, did you not see? This, this is so great I have to tell, but I don't know why you people are buying this when you're not creating. What do you like to do?
Kim Hassold:I love to exercise, that's. I've always loved to exercise. Right now, I'm really into orange theory. I don't know if you know what that has been. You know it's. It's more of a circuit training type thing and I love that I get to run a lot, but I don't do that as much anymore. I love to do that. I have a really big family. Like I said, we have 20 people in our immediate family and a new baby on the way. So we are, yeah, and so that I spend a lot of time with them.
Kim Hassold:I was in fact, I went to two of my little grandchildren, or little granddaughters are five and six and I have just returned from a pep rally for their cheerleader camp. So it's fun and they're you know, they're awesome and you know, just basically. We've been here a long time in Greenville. There's so many things to do. We love to go out to dinner. We have a lot, tons of friends here, so it's a very good life.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Yeah, that's great. I have two grandsons so I have a little bit of catching up to do with you, but it's pretty awesome. What do you find difficult about your creative career? And if you don't find anything difficult, that's OK, but I was just curious.
Kim Hassold:I mean, I do find some things difficult, I you know. I think, like all creative people, I can be for lack of a better word moody in what I want to paint. Like you know, if I just come up with something or I see something that's really inspiring to me, I think, oh, I really just want to paint that, but I have six people waiting on commissions or you know I need to do a release, have done one in a while, or that sort of thing.
Kim Hassold:You know you have to be pretty disciplined, yeah, and I think that you know that can be hard for a creative person. I mean, we're capable of it, but we don't necessarily know how to do it. So you know, I'm like it's lunchtime and I think you have not done. In fact, it's so funny because my assistant will send me a list of things that I'm supposed to do every week in her opinion.
Kim Hassold:I would like to see that painting and I'm like, oh, OK, well, I'm working on it. Of course, I haven't even started it.
Lea Ann Slotkin:You're working on it.
Kim Hassold:Up here, though, in your brain, you're working it out, that's right, I'm working on it in my brain, so I think that can be difficult. I think that, just like I said, just looking at it like a business. I think it is a business and I think that that can be hard, because you do have to make some hard decisions and, like I said, sometimes you have to sit down and think about really think about things rather than just creating, and flying around, and that's not always the most fun thing to do yeah, that just you know.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Strategizing and right, really planning things out, it makes a huge difference for sure. Yeah, do you? Do you ever have creative blocks?
Kim Hassold:I really don't. Some I do a lot of. Back to the mixed media part of what I do Somewhere along the line. I decided that I was not an oil painter personality, because I like things to happen fast.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Me too. You and I are very like that way.
Kim Hassold:Yes, and I didn't want to clean it up. I didn't want to. I never figured out what to. You're not supposed to pour this cleaning stuff out. So was like, well, what are you supposed to do with it? Somebody told me one time that you're supposed to keep a bucket of kitty litter in your studio and they poured in that and I was like, okay, I'm out, I'm not, I am not getting kitty yeah, so I started, but I what I missed about the oil I couldn't, was the.
Kim Hassold:Besides the smell, I do love the way they smell oh, me, me too, but the texture.
Kim Hassold:You know I was not getting the texture that I wanted, so I started doing all kinds of different things, but one of the things I started doing was adding paper to my work so that I could get some of the texture that I was missing. So in order to do that, I learned along the way and this is another good tip for people who are interested in doing mixed media or collage work or whatever is if you use like, there's so many beautiful papers now, but if you just put a paper that is a wrapping paper beautiful wrapping paper in your painting, over time, if it's in the sun, it will fade, yeah. If it's in the sun, it will fade, yeah. And I don't know why that didn't occur to me, because you know, obviously, if you've ever had something that's sitting in the sun in your house, you know, or whatever, it will be a different color.
Kim Hassold:So to avoid that, even if I buy a wrapping paper, I will paint over it, you know, maybe just with the wash or something. But I started painting my own papers, like just taking a white piece of paper, painting it, then doing stencils on it, or a couple of different colors together, that sort of thing. So whenever I feel like I have a creative block and it's usually not so much a block, is that I'm just tired or don't you know, taking on something big, I will paint papers because it's sort of a mindlessly entertaining thing to do and you know, it does get your creative juices going because you're thinking, oh, if I put this color on top of this color, then you know, with this thistle, that's really pretty. If I have leaves, that's really pretty.
Kim Hassold:If I'm going to do skin colors, you, you know that's really this, and so I keep them in Ziploc bags by color. So I have pink or red or blue. So when I'm working on a painting I just pull out the color that I need and the paper's already ready. So that's kind of a creative exercise for me.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Yeah, that is a good way to get kind of out of your head a little bit. What kind of paper do you use? Because I do the same, I do the same, I do something similar.
Kim Hassold:And so I'm always experimenting with what paper do I like the best? You know, what I use most often is just copy paper. I think of it like it's staples or somewhere. And if I buy paper, like you know, you can buy all kinds of beautiful paper and sometimes it'll have a chart in it and like I don't know. I know your people won't be able to see it, but this is a piece I just had.
Kim Hassold:it's like a you know it already has, and it has a design that it was off white and I just painted it a bunch of different colors so it'll be a great basket or a texture or a background or something in a tree, and I'll have a green or a bunch of blue or whatever. So I think it's just. You know I use different ones. I don't ever use fabric I know some mixed media artists do I just haven't done that.
Lea Ann Slotkin:I haven't either. No, I'm trying to think. I don't think I have. I mean maybe years ago. But nothing that you know comes to mind. Are you familiar?
Kim Hassold:with Christy Kennard. Yeah, she also comes to mind. I love her.
Kim Hassold:I started following her work years ago. I just fell in love with it when I saw it. I have a couple of her paintings, but she is currently this is a great thing for your listeners to know too she is doing an online course. It's free. If you look up her, it's c-h-r-i-s-t-y, a-i-n-a-r-d and she it's real short and they're going to be like I think six or eight of them and they come out every thursday. I'm not sure when you're gonna um use this, but it's uh.
Kim Hassold:She does mixed media work and she uses a lot of stencils and it's so fascinating to me because what she does that I don't tend to do as much, I just kind of forget about it, but I need to do it is she'll put the stencil directly on her painting and just, you know, some color here, some color there. Because I do think sometimes for me, backgrounds can be a problem, because I think, oh, I want what I'm painting let's just say, a floral to really stand out, yeah, but the background looks so bare, so what am I going to put there? You know, a lot of times I'll do a window or you know whatever background, but she tends to use a lot of stencils. That way, she has a lot of good tips.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Mm-hmm and her sister's super talented too great artist, yeah, yeah, that's really, that's really great, and her husband as well. Oh really, I didn't realize that. Yes, uh-huh, that's that's well, very creative family yes, yes describe your typical day.
Kim Hassold:I almost always exercise at 7 30 um through at 8 30 and my studio is about two blocks from the place that I exercise. So if I try to put, if I'm gonna have anything you know meetings or you know meet up with a friend or anything where I have to, where I can't wait, if I have to get dressed and I'll get straight home shower dress and I try to do everything. I have to get dressed, straight home shower dress and I try to do everything I have to do that day to be dressed.
Kim Hassold:Only other artists or exercisers will understand.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Yeah, I know exactly what you're talking about.
Kim Hassold:Otherwise I come straight over here put my smock on.
Kim Hassold:I don't even shower or anything, and I will stay that way until it's time for me to go home, and you know, at night, yeah. So I, usually, if I do that, I mean I usually when I wake up in the morning I wake, I'm an early riser I do kind of a layout for myself of what I want to accomplish that day, and so I, you know it helps me to kind of it's kind of like be right down a grocery list and then you forget to take it to the grocery store.
Kim Hassold:You still kind of have in your mind, you know you organize your list, I'll organize my mind and, um, you know, I'm pretty good, I get things done. You know, once I have a sort of a plan, I like to achieve things, I like to mark things off, so I'll, you know, get that done just depends on if I've got a commission due, you know. Then I will say okay, you need to finish this commission today, you know, or whatever. Another thing tip I think is helpful is because my studio is not at my home, I know a lot of people are, but mine is not.
Kim Hassold:So I will take pictures of what I'm working on so I can look at it when I'm at home, because a lot of times, as you know I'm sure anybody who's done anything great knows you know it'll look different to me the next morning, like I can see something I'm not oh my gosh, her arms way too long. That's awkward that this is here, that color isn't working because of this, and so I think having been able to look at it even look at it on your phone, even it's in your house just gives you a whole different view of things. So I'll make a list of things you know.
Kim Hassold:I'll say move left arm you know whatever it's the studio, I kind of know what I'm going to do yeah, yeah, that's great.
Lea Ann Slotkin:I like to do that too and then change it to black and white and see if how my values are. Yeah, I love doing that. That's a very good tip. What do you do to support your creativity? I mean, obviously it sounds like exercise is part of it, but journal, do you meditate? I mean, whatever it might be.
Kim Hassold:Well, I always do a quiet time every morning.
Kim Hassold:I always have and I do keep a prayer journal. You know, I try to just really think, okay, because I do feel like, like I said, I really feel like I was put here to connect and communicate. So I will think, okay, who do I know or who might need a word of encouragement, or who have I not connected with lately, or who haven't I heard from? So I'll do that sort of thing kind of first thing because I'm connected with lately, or who haven't I heard from? So I'll do that sort of thing kind of first thing. Because I'm a morning person, like I said, I'm really on a roll till about one o'clock and then I'm still kind of okay until four, but after that I should not be making any decisions. Yeah is, I'm just a morning person. So I did that. I support. I feel like I support my creativity by kind of prioritizing how I'm going to spend my time.
Lea Ann Slotkin:And.
Kim Hassold:I want I mean this sounds kind of like a real cheesy thing to say, but I want to make it. I mean I want my life to make a difference and absolutely Big goals that I made for myself Gosh, this has been probably four or five years ago. It still holds up. I want everybody to feel better after they've been with me than they did before. That's a great goal.
Kim Hassold:That's through a painting, or whether that's through my Instagram, or whether that's what I text us in just saying, hey, you know, just thinking about you, or whatever it is. I want every person to have that experience with me.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Well, I think that is an amazing goal and I know I feel that way, just having this time with you. Thank you, where can, where can people find you and do you have a release coming up Like this is your time to shine a well I have.
Kim Hassold:They can find me mainly on. I do have a website and it's Kim Hasselcom.
Lea Ann Slotkin:I'll link to everything.
Kim Hassold:And on, here's a spoiler alert I'm also kimhasslecom. That's there. I do have Facebook. I hardly ever use it. Those are really the two main ways to follow me. I'm constantly posting new things on Instagram as soon as I do them, and I'm also constantly posting Instagrams as soon as they're approved. And I'm also constantly posting Instagrams as soon as they're approved, and you know I can post them. I'll put those up there.
Kim Hassold:I started. This has been really kind of a fun thing. I don't know how long I've been doing this, but I started doing these signs about maybe a year and a half or two years ago. And again, this is a method to the madness. They just say different things, just little short things. But like, for instance, I posted one that said because people are like well, you know, because most of the time they're not aren't related Back to your question of how do you attract people who are not artists. But, for instance, I did one that said I might look normal, but in my head I'm redecorating every place I see. Well, that was shared by like 25 interior designers, you know, on their pages, because that's what they were thinking. You know, you think okay so that gave all those extra.
Kim Hassold:People saw my name, credited me, saw what I had said, went maybe were interested and went to check out my feed because thinking oh well, if she said that, maybe I'll like something else she said so you know all you know.
Lea Ann Slotkin:You have to really think through what you're doing. Yeah, absolutely yeah, I love it. You're doing yeah, absolutely yeah, I love it.
Kim Hassold:I think one of my favorites was and I'm going to misquote you, but it says that being a woman is a competitive sport, or something like that. Yes, that's why we wear workout clothes all the time. Listen, that's my excuse anyway.
Lea Ann Slotkin:That's great. Well, this has been delightful. Thank you so much for spending time with me, and I'm so glad to talk to you in person and not just on Instagram.
Kim Hassold:Thank you for asking me, it's been great.
Lea Ann Slotkin:Yeah, thank you. Thank you so much for listening to Mind Over Medium podcast today. If you found the episode inspiring, please share it with a friend or post it on social media and tag me on Instagram at Leanne Slotkin, or head to my website, wwwleanneslotkincom. To book a discovery call to find out more about working with me one-on-one. You can also head to my website to get a great tool I've created for you to use when planning your own online launch of your artwork. It's an exercise I've taken many of my coaching clients through and it's been very helpful. It's my way of saying thank you and keep creating.