Boldly Reaching Out to Art World Influencers with Laurence de Valmy (#108)

People. You need them. You need people to buy your art, people to
show your art, people to attend your shows, people to write about
your work and let's face it. You need people to support you
emotionally along the way. You need other artists around who get
you. It's in these friendships that you will find understanding as
well as ideas that challenge you to be a better artist. The
relationships you nurture can sustain you, but you'll never know to
what extent until you start taking them seriously, until you
believe with all of your soul that you can't do this on your own.

But what do you do if you move to a new place and don't know
anyone, or if you're just getting started? Where do you begin? In
this episode of The Art Biz, I talk with Laurence de Valmy about
how she has used her bonus talent as a writer to make connections
in all areas of the art world. It started with the thought that
there were people out there who knew more about how to be an
artist than she did. She trusted that she could learn from them.
Even if you aren't a writer, you'll be inspired by her boldness
and creativity. Here's my conversation with Laurence de Valmy.


Highlights




“This is the place to take the leap.” Laurence reflects on
her artist journey. (2:32)




Have you ever Googled ‘how to be an artist’? The birth of The
Curious Frenchy blog. (5:42)




Laurence’s publishing schedule is shaped by the artists she
meets. (8:14)




How to more effectively learn from others while promoting
their work. (9:52)




What was it like interviewing Henry Matisse’s granddaughter?
(13:40)




Embracing the value of personal relationships with people.
(15:30)




Opportunities that have come to Laurence as a result of her
blog connections. (17:05)




How Laurence leverages and promotes blog content on social
media. (21:17)




The difference that one-on-one relationships can make in your
business. (23:29)




Tools for organizing your connections and contacts. (25:58)




A look at Laurence’s typical workday and schedule. (27:57)




How to meet people when you move to a new location. (31:32)




Simplifying the sharing of content on social media (32:29)




Laurence’s advice for artists who are intimidated about
reaching out to form new connections. (34:08)




A look at what’s coming up next for Laurence. (36:16)




Mentioned




Sophie Matisse




Dominique Lévy of Lévy-Gorvy Gallery




Allan Gorman




French Quarter Magazine




Femmes d'Art




Unik Magazine




Laurence de Valmy




Laurence on Instagram




The Curious Frenchy




The Curious Frenchy on Instagram




Resources




Show notes, images, and listener comments




Grow Your List program at Art Biz Success




Free e-course: 31 People Who Can Help Sell Your Art




Quotes




“All I knew was that I didn’t know. And so I had to learn a
new job and in order to do so, I started to connect with
other artists.” — Laurence de Valmy




“I quickly realized that’s how things happen. It’s through
the people you know.” — Laurence de Valmy




“People work with people that they like.” — Laurence de Valmy




“The worst that can happen is that nothing happened. It’s as
simple as that.” — Laurence de Valmy




“If you are prepared, you will know what to say.” — Laurence
de Valmy




 


Guest Bio


Laurence de Valmy invites us to reflect on the links between
artists through times and the relationship between art and social
media today. In her POST paintings, she revisits art history
through imagined Instagram feeds of the past. Her recent work
explores the place of hashtags in our communication. Laurence is
French American and lives in the U.S. She writes about art on her
blog The Curious Frenchy and for art publications.


First posted: artbizsuccess.com/reaching-out-devalmy-podcast