Business Innovators interviewed Sara B. Worner who is an up and coming artist making waves in the Fargo ND Arts and Entertainment culture.
Business Innovators: Welcome to Business Innovators. Today I have with me Sara B. Worner. She is a up-and-coming artistic star in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Now, if you could just tell us just a little bit about yourself, and how you started doing canvas painting.
Sara: Sure. I’d love to. I guess I’ve been painting my whole life. I always liked to keep my hands busy. I was doing accounting up until this point. I started my business about a year and a half ago. Like I said, I was doing accounting before that, and I just realized I wasn’t happy with what I was doing. I was going to work, and just dragging through every day and not enjoying it. I enjoyed painting so much I figured why not try to make a business out of it? Here I am now and I’m still going, and it’s going really well.
Business Innovators: That’s always inspiring to hear because there’s a lot of people that are not doing what they’re passionate about, they’re not living their dream. They’re just living paycheck-to-paycheck. They’re just not enjoying life at all. Now, with that said, a lot of newbie artists think that they need to have the right connections and know the right people to get their works out in the public domain, to get it in front of the right pair of eyes. What are your thoughts on this perception?
Sara: I think anyone can do it, really. You don’t really need connections. I think Fargo-Moorhead is a great place to start because everyone in the community is so focused on art and music, and they’re really supportive of it. There’s always all sorts of shows going around town that support local arts where we can showcase it and sell it. It’s really great that the community comes out and supports us like that. There’s a lot of great artists out there, and it’s amazing what kind of work they can do, and how the community comes together to help local artists. It’s wonderful. It allows us to be able to do what we love every day and every night. It’s a dream for me, it’s a dream come true.
Business Innovators: Yes, absolutely. It sounds like Fargo-Moorhead has a pretty strong culture for the arts and entertainment. It seems like somebody, a newbie, who is entering the arena can collaborate with other artist. I’m sure you probably collaborate with other artists so you guys can get some traction, get your works out there in the public domain, displayed in high-traffic areas so people can see, and then it helps with sales, obviously. One thing that’s on some of the newbie’s minds is is it really possible for them to get their works displayed in certain cultural hubs, high-profile places that have heavy foot traffic, like the Plains Art Museum, coffee shops, other cultural hubs? What are your thoughts on that?
Sara: That’s another great reason I love Fargo-Moorhead. The coffee shops around here was how I really got started on that. I would just send them pictures of my work on Facebook. I’d message a Starbucks here, or Atomic Coffee downtown, and just send them pictures to see what they thought of my art. Each month they actually feature a different local artist, so everyone has a chance to display their art. I’ll be able to put my information up in there so people can contact me if they need anything, and that doesn’t cost anything. It’s just so they have art on their walls all the time, and there’s always something fresh to look at, and it helps local artists in the process.
Business Innovators: With that said, how can someone who is an aspiring artist, somebody who’s new to the field that has heavy time constraints, they have multiple jobs, kids, trying to run a household, is it still possible despite all that for them to pursue their passion in the arts, have time to fit it all in?
Sara: Absolutely. In the age of technology there is social media everywhere. That’s how a lot of people shop nowadays, too, is social media sites. Every company has a Facebook page, everyone you know of has a Facebook page. That’s the main reason I really got started. I started a Facebook page, and without that there’s no way I would be where I am today. Social media marketing is a great concept, and it really helps get a lot of traffic in. People, your friends, or anyone can go and share the page, and it’s always out there, it’s always public.
I try to go on there and post a few things every day just to make sure my name is constantly out there, and people are talking about it. You don’t have to go out of your home to do a lot of the networking. You can just do it from your own home after the kids go to sleep, or whatever you want to do. That way you can find the time to do it, and see if people like it. Just get it out there and see if they like it, and see if you can make a career our of it.
Business Innovators: Absolutely. Social media has been huge for the more indie, freelance, independent artist to get their works out in the public domain, to get it in front of the right targeted audience. If you got something that’s really spectacular it’ll go viral, and it’ll just take off and keep perpetuating. It’ll get more exposure and that’s what you want.
Sara: Absolutely. The more the better.
Business Innovators: Yes, when you’re dealing with social media and being online, excellent way to market yourself. Now, there’s some people who would probably want to get started or are just getting started, getting their works, just transferring an idea from their brain onto a blank piece of canvas. What kind of training, classes, skills or expertise would somebody need to get started? What would be helpful for them to get started?
