Honoured to Be Featured in Kouvolan Sanomat
I am thrilled to share that I was recently featured in our local newspaper, Kouvolan Sanomat. It was a great opportunity to talk about my passion for art and share the journey that brought me to where I am today. Here are some of the key points I shared during the interview.
From a Hobby to Art Career: Connecting with a Global Audience on Social Media
During the interview (which you can read if you have a subscription here), I had the chance to discuss how I discovered textured art, started my career as an artist, and my approach to leveraging social media for my art business.
"Social media is one of the most effective ways to become known to people. If no one knows you create art, no one can buy it either."
I initially started sharing my artwork on social media anonymously. After a few months of only occasionally sharing content on Instagram, I decided to take it more seriously and make it the spearhead of my art business.
The development of my content is clearly visible from my Instagram feed. My earlier content is features lower quality resolution, shaky videos and poor lighting. After starting to take social media seriously, I've aimed at improving at least one thing each time I post a piece of content.
Focusing heavily on social media turned out to be a successful business strategy. Reaching a large global audience has resulted in international interest both for original artwork as well as online art classes.
"Art should be fun and shared, not secretive and cut-throat competitive."
One of the driving principles behind my social media presence is positivity. I believe that art should be fun and shared. Being able to connect with my audience and other artists directly has been one of the most rewarding aspects of social media. Whenever I receive purchase requests I cannot fulfill due to logistical challenges, I do my best to connect the potential customer with a local artist.
Spreading the Joy of Textured Art via Online Classes
Teaching others is a great way for an artist to share their passion and create an additional income. I share short educational content on my social media actively, and following countless requests, I launched my first online course at the end of 2023.
"I want it to be the best textured art course in the market."
Creating an in-depth online textured art course allowed me to share my knowledge about classic textured art. As long-form video content, I am able to share a lot more detailed lessons than I can in short-form social media videos.
To make my courses the best, I actively add new lessons that are freely available to existing students. In my flagship course, Mastering Textured Art: From Beginner to Pro, I've had the honour to feature other talented textured artists from around the world as guest teachers.
My online courses come with a promise: if you don't love the course, you can get a full refund - no questions asked. Out of the 1500 students who joined my courses during the first three months, not one of them has asked for a refund.
Local Spotlight: Sharing My Art Journey
This was the first time I had been featured in traditional media, and I could not be more excited. Although I have been actively sharing my journey on social media for a few years now, my content has been directed to a global audience. Being recognized in the main paper of my area provides me local recognition that I greatly appreciate. I hope to receive similar opportunities to be featured in both regional and international publications in the future.
