Artists, Collectors, and the Myths That Divide Them | S5E16

This set effectively summarizes and segments the detailed content of the interview into easily navigable chapters for viewers.

00:00 Returning to Solo Episodes

00:57 Reflecting on the Year

02:54 Business Growth and Challenges

05:46 Community and Artist Support

09:03 Future Aspirations and Podcast Evolution

Charuka (00:01.317)
Hey guys, welcome back to the Arts to Hearts podcast and I have an amazing new guest on the episode today. I’m joined by the wonderful art curator. There’s so many things I have around what you really do. So I’m going to let the introduction Delia to yourself. Welcome to the podcast Delia.

Delia LaJeunesse (00:20.45)
Thank you so much for having me. I’m excited to be here.

Charuka (00:24.228)
Thank you so much. So Delia, how would you introduce yourself?

Delia LaJeunesse (00:28.302)
It’s actually really tricky. call myself an art consultant, but that is immediately followed with a question of what an art consultant actually is. So I really, I need a better term. I’m open to hearing people’s ideas for that, but generally I call myself an art consultant because I really, I am curating in people’s homes, but I really feel like I am a guide to people and I’m there to be a support along the journey and consultant feels like the closest word.

Charuka (00:33.187)
Okay.

Charuka (00:42.874)
Delia LaJeunesse (00:58.51)
to what I’m actually doing instead of just selecting work for clients. I’m really trying to guide and support them in that. So I call myself an art consultant, but.

Charuka (01:07.99)
art consultant and also somebody who curates collections for people. there also, you know, one who’s also curating that it’s not only a financial advisor, like a advisor on what’s the right pie or what’s not the right pie. Am I right?

Delia LaJeunesse (01:22.806)
Yes, absolutely. It’s pretty personal and emotional, much less about a good investment and a lot more about how it will feel to live with that art. I work a lot with interior designers, so we’re talking a lot about the aesthetics of a home, but also your lifestyle within that home and how the art will inform that and dictate the space.

Charuka (01:47.671)
You were ever interested in the arts or maybe thought yourself as an artist ever? This is a question I really love asking people who are remotely also in the art world. Did you?

Delia LaJeunesse (02:00.778)
I did consider myself an artist. I don’t really have an arts practice and I have never tried to make it a professional component of my life, but I’ve certainly always felt creative and had, you know, various writing and visual arts practices that I’ve explored. I think that it feels, yeah, it’s been a part of my life, but it has never been this like driving force to really create a lot of art. It’s an outlet.

Charuka (02:24.951)
Yeah.

So what brought you here then? I’m sure. mean, we all have our ways of expressing our creativity. And your curation, your canvas is made up of multiple canvases that other artists are producing. But again, we are all creating in our own ways. Tell me something. Did you ever think of yourself where you are today?

Delia LaJeunesse (02:30.167)
Thanks.

Charuka (02:57.069)
consulting, curating for artists. Is that a career or an industry you always intended to work? Or have you found yourself here? How has your journey been? Like, where did you come from?

Delia LaJeunesse (03:09.066)
It was definitely an organic thing. did not even really know that this was a job that people held. It was something that I kind of came to out of curiosity. I’ve been in the arts for a decade or so. So I’ve been adjacent to this, but it was never something I really intentionally sought out. It really came from curiosity and seeing a need and just kind of exploring that however I could to get here.

Delia LaJeunesse (04:10.636)
I kind of hear you, just heard a little bit. Hi.

Charuka (04:12.152)
Sorry. Yeah. Yeah, I missed you. I had some internet issue. It should be fine now. Sorry. Sorry. I’m here.

Delia LaJeunesse (04:21.058)
Good, wonderful. I don’t know, did you hear the thing?

Charuka (04:22.51)
I missed your part. We can start from the answer again so that we have the full state.

Delia LaJeunesse (04:31.758)
Okay, so the question was…

Charuka (04:32.161)
You want me to repeat the question?

Delia LaJeunesse (04:40.046)
I’m sorry, I didn’t understand. I think there’s quite a bad lag here. Was the question about how I got here or if this was ever the intention? Okay, I’ll start again with that. it was definitely not something I even knew existed as a career path. It really came about because of a lot of curiosity and seeing a need and just sort of exploring different ways of engaging audiences in the arts.

Charuka (04:46.998)
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Delia LaJeunesse (05:06.754)
So I was running a nonprofit arts organization prior to doing this and we created paid platforms for emerging artists, which was wonderful work, but I felt like it was very, it wasn’t a very holistic approach. It was like these singular opportunities. And I just got really curious about ways that we could.

more holistically or foundationally support artists. And I observed how many people are almost art averse, like really not comfortable in art spaces and don’t interact with the arts in the way that I feel like we all could benefit from. And I just got very curious about why that is and what the discomfort is that people have around art and how I could be a bridge to the arts for those people and step down from that nonprofit, did a bunch of iterating around what that would

look like and how I could, you know, structure a business around that and landed on art consulting. And I do pretty much exclusively residential art consulting. And a part of that is that I feel like I’m having much more emotional and meaningful conversations with clients.

Charuka (06:04.908)
heart consulting.

Charuka (06:13.389)
How was the first few, can you recall a story about meeting artists? Also, I feel like you’re also a matchmaker, finding the right artist, the right home, the right, it’s really like, for artists also it really matters. I think getting the sale is one part, but then really where the magic is sending something that you’ve really made with a lot of love, but it’s also not love. As artists we really process a lot of emotions.

stories and stories we want to tell and those stories when you know we find people that who want to receive or hear those kind of stories the you know you will know I’m sure you will know the right home it’s like you know how do I say it it’s like it’s it’s like if you find a you know I’m I’m taking this analogy because I love animals but like a dog finds the right home

And you know, like when you rescue and you’re like, oh my God, this is the perfect family because they’re going to be taken so much well cared for. So like when you find the right home, you know, it’s not an object for them. It’s something that you’re really, really going to cherish. So like, I’m really curious on how, how were the first few encounters, like looking, finding artists and then knowing that, okay, this is a good match and they would come together or like.

How does it work for you? Even in the mind, I’m not interested like logistically we all know, okay, know, you go find art, that’s a buyer, but like what goes inside your head when all of that’s

Delia LaJeunesse (07:53.986)
I mean, you kind of touched on this earlier, but it really is a pretty creative act to me. It feels very intuitive. I feel like it’s this, like, I don’t know, it’s a very enjoyable, fun, creative process for me to go find art for somebody that I think will touch on all these different levels, because there’s obviously, there’s a visual level, but then there’s their personality and their values and the mood that they wanted to, you know, evoke and there’s budget and dimensions and.

all of these components, subject matter, personal narrative, and when you can find something that hits all of those, it’s really a pretty, like it feels like a very intuitive, magical experience to some extent. And I feel like I’m able to do that. get pretty deep with clients and try to just really pull out these different threads of what really matters to them. I think that, you know,

I don’t know that we necessarily feel that confident talking about what we want in an art piece unless you’re already an art collector. And so it’s been an interesting translation process almost to really try to pull out what is it exactly that they’re looking for. And yeah, it feels quite, it’s like a very intuitive creative process for me when I find the right piece. And sometimes it takes a long time. mean, it really, you know, it can be difficult to.

translate what they’re looking for into searchable terms and to really land on the right thing. And I think it just makes it that much more rewarding when we actually do find the piece that’s really hitting all of those levels.

Charuka (09:26.156)
What do find? What gaps do you find in the industry? Because we all know it’s not an easy part, you know, the mindset of collectors, the mindset of artists, both. What do you feel are the challenges here and learnings for all of us in your experience you’ve had so far?

Delia LaJeunesse (09:50.088)
Well, I mean, I think it depends on who we’re talking to. I feel that collectors need a lot of, I don’t know, it’s a very overwhelming art market. So a lot of support figuring out how to engage with it, how to talk about it, how to interpret art, how to appreciate it. Like that is not taught in American culture. And I think in a lot of different cultures, there’s really no arts.

Charuka (10:13.291)
Absolutely. I think in America it’s still more accessible. I think across a lot of different cultures, yeah absolutely. think like born and brought up in India, I think we have a lot of appreciation for crafts because that’s where our heart lies. But like you know, collectives is a very different way of like having arts in a very different way, consumption of that level is very different.

Delia LaJeunesse (10:19.288)
Do you?

Delia LaJeunesse (10:41.518)
Yeah. And then on the artist side, like to get really granular, I feel like there are so many challenges with an artist, unless you really find a niche and specify who you’re making art for, if that’s a museum curator or a gallerist or a private collector, you really have this big challenge of how you are presenting your work and how you can.

you know, ultimately get to whatever that goal is. And it’s different if you’re a private buyer who’s shopping online, it’s a very different way of presenting your portfolio than if you’re trying to get into group shows or solo shows. And that is a huge challenge for artists to figure out how they’re relaying basically, and how they can build meaningful connections, trust with collectors, present their work in a compelling way. It’s tough. So there are

Charuka (11:15.837)
Yeah.

Charuka (11:21.077)
Yeah.

Charuka (11:25.694)
Hmm.

Delia LaJeunesse (11:34.606)
a lot of challenges for sure.

Charuka (11:38.518)
Nice. What do you think? I remember watching one of your videos where you said like the world of collecting is changing and I commented that, you know, I also feel very similar. feel like collections from now on would be far more original. People are far more. I think we all have started to have far more unique taste and people are just not buying for the sake of, you know, numbers and market.

What’s your experience? Let’s also talk about this side of the art world. What are your observations and patterns you’re noticing? And while you meet collectors every day and people, what kind of art people are pleased with? What is the mindset of the collectors? What kind of age of collectors are you working with at the moment? Because the early age collectors now that we are, more single collectors, let’s talk about that. What’s your wisdom at that?

Delia LaJeunesse (12:37.838)
I think that there are a lot of shifts and I think there are a lot of reasons why we are shifting. I feel like we are not quite fully seeing this, but I do think that with AI and everything being really automated, are, I’m hoping, and I think I’m starting to see it, we will really start to value the narrative behind pieces. And like when everything is mass produced or machined, we really want to tell the story of who made it, how you came to it. And like, we are going to move more and more.

Charuka (12:57.544)
Yeah.

No.

Charuka (13:05.385)
Hmm.

Delia LaJeunesse (13:07.566)
towards that as this meaningful thing where we connect with another person. We have introductions. We have all of these really human components that we get to share about the art that we buy or objects that we buy. think it’ll spill out in a lot of different industries. also think that, I mean, I think this is a little bit of a generational thing. Like I think millennials and younger generations have more of a focus on like

Charuka (13:08.393)
Hmm. Yeah.

Delia LaJeunesse (13:36.93)
value driven things, social impact, collecting around social issues. They want these more meaningful and socially connected aspects of the work that they’re buying. And that’s not to say that other generations weren’t interested in that. I just think that we are having like a larger swell towards that and paying attention to, you know.

like what statements are being made around those pieces of art? What does it signal? And I don’t mean like virtue signaling, but what of your deep priorities and values can your art relay and signal outwardly? I think that we are generationally seeing that shift. I also think that, I mean, I think increasingly art feels more and more accessible and people are starting to shift away from this really

elitist and academic way of talking about art and that shifts who gets black art and how legitimized they are. And I think that’s a little bit slow, I think I feel like more museums are kind of downshifting in that way.

Charuka (14:40.06)
Hmm.

do yeah

Charuka (14:48.954)
think that also has a lot to do with, like, you know, I think there’s also a shift in the sense of, if you see, first artists embrace social media and it became easier and easier for people to find artists. Like we all look at artists every day now and artworks. Though I have a lot of conflicting views about that, I think as much as it’s made art accessible, it’s also really diluted and pressurized artists to…

Delia LaJeunesse (14:50.402)
Are you?

Charuka (15:18.248)
I think it’s also diluted the way art is presented and preserving the sense of the makers. I think there’s a line that’s now on a very blending area. But it still benefits every day, no doubt about that. The other thing I feel like, over the time, I’ve also seen, I’ve seen really the most traditional ones also.

traditional galleries, museums, they’re all going back on social media more than ever every year because there was some kind of elitism I saw over the few years before that. there would be this prestige that they would really not give into it. But then I started to see now they understand that how potential this tool has and

how important it is to, if you’re not talking about trends, but you’re also talking about sharing their own information, that promoting their artists, creating a voice for their artists, or you know, things like that. So I think why that also like the, you know, the veil is being lifted, because it’s once the artists become accessible, the galleries become accessible, even collectors become accessible. was with Sonia, I think the

episode before that or once before that. Amazing, amazing. think I really enjoyed. She’s wonderful. But just the energy because, you know, there’s this, there’s this for Southfield artists because how does the collector look like? Like, you know, a serious collector specifically who works in really, you know, high prestige works and artists and blue chip galleries and all of those things. But then, you know, when you listen to someone like Sonia, you’re like, they’re just so passionate. Like, you know,

just about the art and you know the artist and they want to believe in something they really want to be a part of something that I really resonated with the reel that I said like you said like you know people want to be invited and artists collectors want to be a part they also want to join the conversation and say I really believe not in this artist or artwork also but what it says and stands for it’s like a statement

Delia LaJeunesse (17:13.326)
and

Delia LaJeunesse (17:38.67)
Yeah, absolutely. I loved that episode with Sonia. That was really, it was a great perspective. I really quite enjoyed that one. I think with the social media, it’s tough, but I think the one thing that social media can really do for artists is it builds in a way that a website just doesn’t really, or even a gallery representation doesn’t. Social media can build this narrative of who you are as an artist and this whole like,

Charuka (17:43.916)
yeah.

Charuka (17:58.466)
Yeah.

Delia LaJeunesse (18:07.272)
world around the art that you’re creating, where we get to see your process in a way that we typically don’t see process. So as a collector, you buy into that and it’s really interesting. You understand more about the emotional state that someone is creating art in or about their inspiration. Like it’s all of these very cool background layers that I do think if you, if you do your social media well, it can really create this.

Charuka (18:12.676)
Hmm, let’s do it.

Delia LaJeunesse (18:33.09)
distinction for you as an artist that people will remember your videos or your overall presence or how it comes across separate from your portfolio, which I think it’s tough, but there are so many artists and it is really hard to differentiate. And, you know, unless you’re really getting a lot of, you know, critics writing about you and a lot of attention, it’s really hard to build your own name and your artistic voice.

Charuka (18:33.188)
Yeah.

Charuka (18:38.01)
Hmm.

Hmm.

Charuka (19:00.326)
Not… Yeah.

Delia LaJeunesse (19:02.142)
think social media can do that to some extent but yeah but I agree with you it does it has its challenges

Charuka (19:04.641)
Yeah, that’s

Charuka (19:11.687)
I think both ways when we find a lot of artists online, speak to them, reach out, look at so much art. I think when I’m on the looking side, there’s also a lot of fatigue. There’s also as much as we like looking at creative process and etc. There’s also at some point a lot of things start to look similar.

Delia LaJeunesse (19:21.187)
Yes.

Delia LaJeunesse (19:29.741)
Bye.

Charuka (19:40.987)
Because know, social media is also a place of trends. I think it’s also as we’ve reached a point where there’s so much of noise that there’s some kind of retraction from it. And I think even as an artist, I truly believe because my like, you know, we all have our ways to battle and things to pick. And I feel like

Delia LaJeunesse (19:46.045)
huh.

Charuka (20:07.002)
There’s a huge difference between content creators and artists. how artists sharing their work is a very different perspective. But artists require to become content creators and their work becomes the content. I think that I find as an artist myself very troublesome. Very troublesome. Because the deviates… Yeah. You do?

Delia LaJeunesse (20:35.893)
two things. One, I remember a year ago or something, I was watching something on TikTok and was this artist who was talking about how this video went like completely viral, like so many views and she didn’t get a single sale from it at all. And I think that there is lot of pressure to be a content creator and I don’t know that it’s necessary. I think that it really does take you away.

Charuka (20:47.929)
Okay.

Absolutely.

Delia LaJeunesse (21:02.079)
some extent, what I do think is necessary is that you have some kind of presence on there, even if it’s not being regularly updated. But it’s your second website, really. So people go to your website and they go to your social media and your social media they go to to see these behind the scenes components and, you know, a deeper understanding of who you are and how you make art and why you make art. And I don’t think those have to be beautifully done. They don’t need to be highly entertaining. They don’t have to be trendy, but they can

Charuka (21:07.608)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Delia LaJeunesse (21:31.367)
offer insights in a way that is authentic to how you are actually making art and doesn’t detract from it. But it’s really challenging. I think there’s a lot of pressure for people to be content creators and to feel like they have a perfect Instagram presence.

Charuka (21:45.868)
Yeah, and I think it’s, yeah, and I think, I think the more I’m also speaking to people, I see that contradiction where there’s exhaustion, because I think a lot of artists, I think it’s also not putting everybody in the same box. A lot of artists really do enjoy, you know, sharing, but a lot of us really don’t. And, and sometimes,

a lot of us feel forced or there’s also this fear of missing out in the generation and time we live in because, you know, as artists, we’re already trying so many things and, you know, it’s like basketball, the ones only that go in that basket and you’re like, you don’t want to miss your chances and you’re like, and, you know, people are trying everything and they don’t want to leave it out. And, you know, when we also look for artists, we also see really different kind of artists.

And I think with different projects, also different kind of artists work in. So, you know, we’d find artists on our covers who have millions and millions of reach. And then we also work with artists who are really, really, some people I just love, love.

Charuka (23:10.341)
Okay.

Charuka (23:41.063)
Sorry, can you hear me?

Delia LaJeunesse (23:43.701)
Yes, I can hear you. I could hear you.

Charuka (23:45.362)
Perfect. So some people just say, I really love some work that I really love. And it’s not like the artist would post every day or would have like a really big profile. But you know, there’s this, the love for work and just not the love for artists. Like it’s both ways and it’s tricky. It’s not really black and white. But I also feel like the more we move forward, it’s getting harder.

It’s really getting harder. It’s also getting pressurizing for a lot of artists. And like you said, very truly, a million followers may not mean a million sales or even one for that matter. But it does. I’ve also had friends and people who’ve also been on the podcast who are artists that I remember like my friend Hailey, who is an excellent artist who started off with social media. Today she really like

Delia LaJeunesse (24:20.779)
Yeah, absolutely.

Charuka (24:42.545)
She makes these wonderful videos which are focused around her paintings and all. It’s like a storytelling skills. So she’s also developed another skill which is videography and know video storytelling and she’s really excellent with it and she has a huge following but again it’s something that’s not a fit for everybody. That not everybody can do or want to do actually.

Delia LaJeunesse (25:07.871)
It’s really, it comes back to me to thinking about what your end goal is. And if, if that feels like an avenue for you to get audience, you’re sort of enjoying the content creation. That’s great. It can be really successful, but it doesn’t have to be this huge part of your, your day or your week in my opinion. And I mean, I think we probably share this, but I work with a lot of independent, you know, outsider emerging artists who

Charuka (25:15.27)
Yeah.

Delia LaJeunesse (25:38.178)
don’t have a big audience and don’t have a big traction and that doesn’t really matter to me. think it’s about, it’s obviously about your work and your professionalism and how, you know, I don’t know how it feels. And I think that your social media presence can just be one avenue in and it doesn’t have to be this incredible time suck for you or a creative suck in any way. think it’s just, you know, I mean,

This is a really simple example, but I’ve seen a lot of artists on social media and they don’t have a website linked, they don’t have their gallery representation linked, they don’t have contact information. Like I can’t go anywhere to buy their artwork and that isn’t the simplest thing. It doesn’t have anything to do with what their portfolio is. It’s like, unfortunately, and this is another thing, but artists are running a business and I feel like a lot of artists don’t, they have

Charuka (26:23.258)
I think.

Charuka (26:33.552)
Yeah, absolutely.

Delia LaJeunesse (26:36.917)
Yeah, and it’s hard. mean, it’s really a lot of pressure on artists. I really sympathize with how many different things they have to juggle in order to make one thing work. it’s very hard. Yeah, things like having your social media linked to your website is the easiest thing to make that social media functional. It doesn’t have to be incredible content.

Charuka (26:46.78)
Absolutely.

Charuka (27:01.198)
Yeah, that’s true. That’s true. How do you like to, how do you find artists? What’s your favorite way? And what do you look at artists like when you’re looking, finding artists, what are you looking for? How do you identify this is somebody I would work with? Is this person I can place with like, you

Delia LaJeunesse (27:29.069)
I am constantly looking for artists, so I’m really all across the board. I look at social media, look at online like artist marketplaces, I read a lot of arts newsletters, consume a ton of arts media, so I’m constantly looking for new artists. I also, you know, if I have a project looking for something specific, I will search for that specific thing that I’m looking for and come across all sorts of artists websites and

Charuka (27:48.827)
Hmm.

Delia LaJeunesse (27:59.29)
I have a pretty big database of artists that I keep just to try to organize it all because I’m really encountering, you know, dozens of artists a day, really. What I’m looking for, I don’t have any, I don’t represent artists and I don’t keep inventory and I’m really trying to find work that really resonates with the client. So I feel like what I’m looking for is salience, something that feels like it’s jumping out to me that it has

Charuka (28:10.683)
Hey.

Charuka (28:17.099)
Yeah. Yeah.

Delia LaJeunesse (28:29.107)
some quality to it that has resonance. And even if it’s not my personal style or subject matter that I connect to, feel like it has some quality to it that is pulling my attention. It feels like good art to me. And I will either send that to a client or put it in my database for a future client. And I think that that really ranges what it looks like. And I’m working across all mediums. So it’s really a

Charuka (28:35.672)
Hmm.

Delia LaJeunesse (28:59.193)
It’s an unnamed quality to a work of art that I feel like will grab my attention and yeah, be something that I want to do with someone else.

Charuka (29:03.278)
Hmm.

Hmm.

Charuka (29:10.286)
Hmm, nice. Do you have?

Delia LaJeunesse (29:10.999)
What are you looking for?

Charuka (29:15.001)
As someone who’s, so I have a very specific, I feel like as an artist I have a very specific taste and when I collect, I really, really, because my roots lie in crafts. I’ve been brought up in India, a culture of colors. I really, and I have a very deep passion for women.

womanhood, women experiences, women’s stories, and I love animals. So I’ve always seen myself. I have collected over the years art that’s rural, that, you know, I really love layers, textures, textiles. That’s something I think my extension of as someone who collects is an extension of the artist I am, something that is stems from the same idea.

because I’m not typically somebody who would, like, I like maximalism. Like I really, really like that. And like, you know, if I, let’s say if I’m going to Mexico and I will, I would often find myself in places where I can find history of those places. They’re like vintage and somebody who’s carrying forward some kind of stories that come from, I’m very interested in mythology, not only from where I come, but different belief systems, how women look at, look,

in different cultures. So I think I’ve over the years seen that a lot of my taste develop in my own interest. Like objects, I love paintings of objects that, you know, speak to us as women and you know, whatever. Like I really like, I think I like nostalgia, like some very typical millennial kind of it. I’m not this minimal abstract because

I have always been surrounded by, I love that. I love people who have like, I love art pieces who have cultural references from who they are, where they come from. And I think I really, really like, really enjoy them. So like you said, even though when we collect, like, you we all have a taste.

Delia LaJeunesse (31:30.21)
Yeah.

Delia LaJeunesse (31:35.51)
Yeah, absolutely. I like that you weave, you wove two components in, like this personal narrative and how you’re sharing your own values and your own identity and things that matter. But also, I mean, you didn’t quite say this, but I’m guessing because it’s drawn from your own art practice, there is an element of like inspiration or fueling creative thought that art really can do for us, that we can live with that prompts further art making and

Charuka (31:59.457)
Yeah.

Delia LaJeunesse (32:05.377)
that prompts more creative thinking and cognitive flexibility and all of these things that art is doing for us subtly in the background.

Charuka (32:08.277)
Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, and I think, know, it’s also so I remember. So I even like I really like you said, also buying art that you would want to live with, you know, that you want to commit to and you feel like this is not something I really like a lot of things. I really would like a lot of things, but I may only like them for a certain period. And I know this is something that I wouldn’t commit to my life. Like, you know, now I’m at your age and time like I know this something.

This is never fading out. This is like really me, me. So that is a commitment. But also like when I give somebody a piece of art or a painting or somebody, something for me, it really needs to tell a story. For example, I remember in middle of COVID, I gave one of my friend, he’s obsessed with trains and he has, he’s an entrepreneur and very close to me. And you know, he’s, he’s often talking about, know, entrepreneurship is a very…

Very lonely journey, all know that, you no matter as artists or businesses, whatever we run, if you’re running a business, you know, it’s full of challenges. It often gets lonely. And even a creative career is very lonely, I feel like, you know, and the time that we’re living in, specifically, we have a very different relationship what being alone means, because, you know, we’re amongst people and then also we have lonely and a lot of times while we’re sitting alone.

And even then we’re not lonely. So I gifted him a painting I found in artist from India. And there was this man sitting on a railway station, which is very typical Indian classic 90s railway station. And there’s a train coming across. And the moment I looked at that art, I was like, this is him. And I gave it to him. And it’s been din.

Charuka (34:08.704)
It’s been years now that I gave it’s right opposite his desk and he said, you know, if I were if there was fire happening, I would not even pick up my laptop. I would just pick up that painting because when I every day I look at it and it’s like it’s speaking to me. So feel like that is so magical. Like it’s so magical. You know, like it’s it’s it’s magic. What is I don’t know how to put it.

Delia LaJeunesse (34:36.435)
It really is magical. I feel like I hear a lot of people ask what would happen if they get sick of art that they buy. It’s a really big fear that people have that prevents them from buying art, I think. And to me, it’s such a choice in so many ways. It’s like you really get to build a relationship with that work of art and let it inform your day. And you know, that’s now a part of his.

Charuka (34:49.089)
Okay?

Delia LaJeunesse (35:00.801)
work life in some way and he has built this connection with that work of art that continues to evolve. It’s not static at all. It shifts as he shifts and evolves. And I think that art is so much more alive than we think it is. We feel like it’s this like decor choice that we’re going to get sick of. It really ages with you. I mean, you might need to update frame, but the art is going to age with you if you have a real connection to it.

Charuka (35:19.221)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Charuka (35:27.722)
Yeah.

Delia LaJeunesse (35:30.155)
I mean, even if it’s not the most resonant two decades down the line, it’s a part of who you were and what did matter to you. And you really love it for that and have this growing relationship with that work.

Charuka (35:30.485)
Yeah

Charuka (35:39.253)
No.

Charuka (35:45.047)
And you know what, after my mom’s passing, I think I’ve realized how objects are not objects. I don’t have a house. One of my goal is still to buy a house for myself. even though I don’t, and I keep joking this around with my friends, if they give me something and I buy, and I tell them, you know what, I have everything ready. I just need a house to put things together. So even like when I look at some painting or something and I’m like,

You know, and I love collecting Indian art because, I stayed away from home for so long. And as my own journey as an artist, the more and after losing my mom, I really feel like this drive to I know, you know, the culture we’re coming from, the more we move moving forward in digital, it’s fading away. And a lot of crafts are fading. A lot of artists are fading. A lot of our mythology stories. So I really love collecting them. And, know, I have this

suitcase in a bag where I have a lot of unframed artist work that I have bought them and I’ve kept with them, if they are with me, one day hoping that when I buy my house or even if I’m gone, if there is anybody after me, I want them to see this. I want them to see the kind of culture we came from, the kind of work that was being done. I hope it is still alive then, but if not, they also know who I was.

the kind of, you know, when my mom passed away, I know who she is. But then also when I look at all of the things come together now, it’s a story that I am listening, watching every day. So it’s like, you know, we’re also curating our life and telling our stories while we collect things. I not only necessarily take a painting, but I would collect objects and like buy things that really like they’re like stitching small pieces in a narrative and then hoping one day.

If I’m not here, they will tell my story.

Delia LaJeunesse (37:45.9)
Yeah, I think that’s really beautiful. I like the imagery of stitching pieces together. And I think it’s really true. And I think one of the things I just listened to this podcast, I was talking about like giving away all your items before you die, basically. And a part of that giving away is telling the person that you’re giving it to why it mattered to you and, you know, the story of when you bought it or whatever, because then they get this piece of you instead of after you die and they have to try to

Charuka (38:06.547)
inviting.

Charuka (38:12.307)
Hmm.

Delia LaJeunesse (38:15.093)
And I think it comes back to this, like how we are living with art question or any object and having it be an actual in our home where we are having conversations about it, where we are referencing it, where we are taking and giving something to it and having it be this very alive entity. So it’s something that is a part of your legacy really and a part of who you are that people who.

Charuka (38:21.897)
Hmmmm

Charuka (38:28.181)
Hmm.

Delia LaJeunesse (38:41.503)
matter to you, know what that art means to you because it’s been an integrated part of your life and how you exist in your home and share outwardly who you are.

Charuka (38:50.805)
Yeah, wonderful. And okay, one last question. What is your one piece of advice for artists if they want their work to be out there? And one piece of advice who are collectors, early collectors, people of fairs, but who want to invest to take that leap.

Delia LaJeunesse (39:20.685)
I’m gonna start with the collectors, because it feels a little easier to me. I think to me the one thing that I wish everybody who is curious about becoming a collector would do is just to start exploring it and to feel like they are able to ask questions of artists, of gallerists, to really start to uncover what they’re…

Charuka (39:25.087)
Ha ha ha!

Delia LaJeunesse (39:43.81)
their taste is, not what the cultural taste is or the trend. And I think all of that happens just through like a process of inquiry and curiosity and just letting yourself at a very slow pace, explore art and see what resonates with you and start to get curious about why and, you know, begin to identify artists or techniques or styles that are attractive to you in some way.

I think just leading with curiosity and not, I mean, it’s very overwhelming and it can be very intimidating to start collecting art and just letting it be. Curious exploratory process is my biggest piece of advice, I would say for collectors. For artists, it’s a little tricky because again, I feel like there are different avenues that artists are going towards depending on what they’re.

Charuka (40:20.616)
Yeah.

Delia LaJeunesse (40:40.343)
goals are. think if you’re trying to sell to private collectors or, you know, get your own audience of buyers. And I feel like artists won’t want to hear this, but I think it really, there is something to be said about treating it as a business and letting it be something that is really accessible, that you have a really good follow up sequence of people. You know, I think we haven’t necessarily

Charuka (40:56.52)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Delia LaJeunesse (41:07.007)
I don’t hear this much conversation about this, but I feel like people buy art at a very slow pace. People take forever to purchase a work of art unless they’re really like really ready to buy, have a very strong feeling and are the kind of decision maker that goes off of gut instinct. But generally speaking, people take a long time to buy works of art. And I don’t see that many artists who have set up their online store or even their email newsletter to accommodate that.

Charuka (41:16.136)
Yeah.

Delia LaJeunesse (41:35.085)
to really recognize that people, you go a long time with art, there’s trust building that has to happen. There’s, you know, understanding who the artist is, feeling a connection to it. And if artists can start to think about the business process of that in a way and like orient their outward presentation towards a buyer who might be skeptical or overwhelmed or not really know what questions to ask and like be the guide towards that ultimate.

Charuka (41:36.666)
Yeah

Delia LaJeunesse (42:04.621)
It’s tough though.

Charuka (42:09.46)
Thank you so much, Delia, for your wonderful advices and your thoughts and experiences. Thank you so much for joining me and for everybody else. Thank you so much. Where can we find you, support and connect with you, Delia?

Delia LaJeunesse (42:25.165)
I am on TikTok and Instagram. You can go to my website, which is my first and last name, dealialaginesse.com. I have an email newsletter. I love getting artists’ portfolios. So I don’t represent artists, but I am always happy to look at portfolios and people are always welcome to email them to me. So certainly do that. And yeah, I’m really on all platforms. So anywhere that you are.

Charuka (42:52.948)
Thank you so much. Thank you for being here. Thank you.

Delia LaJeunesse (42:53.697)
Thanks for having me on. has been really, really lovely.

Delia LaJeunesse (43:00.782)
Thanks.

.

About the Guest(s):

Delia LaJeunesse is a dynamic art consultant, educator, and curator whose mission is to make art deeply meaningful, personally resonant, and accessible to people who may not consider themselves traditional art collectors. She founded her firm, Delia LaJeunesse Art Consulting, drawing on more than a decade of experience in arts leadership, education, and organising, including serving as executive director of a nonprofit arts and literature organisation, running workshops and mentoring emerging artists.

Episode Summary:

This conversation explores the evolving landscape of art and content creation, highlighting the challenges artists face in adapting to the demands of digital platforms while maintaining their artistic integrity.

Key Takeaways

• Takeaways
• There’s a huge difference between content creators and artists.
• Artists must adapt to become content creators.
• The work of artists often becomes the content itself.
• This shift can be troublesome for many artists.
• Maintaining artistic integrity is a significant challenge.
• Digital platforms change how art is shared and perceived.
• Audience engagement is crucial for modern artists.
• Social media influences artistic expression.
• The pressure to create content can stifle creativity.
• Artists need to find a balance between art and content.

Notable Quotes:

I am curating in people’s homes, but I really feel like I am a guide to people and I’m there to be a support along the journey.”

“It’s pretty personal and emotional, much less about a good investment and a lot more about how it will feel to live with that art.”

“People take forever to purchase a work of art. There is trust building that has to happen.”

“I think we will move more and more toward wanting to tell the story of who made it and how we came to it.”

“Art is so much more alive than we think it is. It shifts as we shift and evolve.”

Charuka Arora is the founder of the Arts to Hearts Project and Host of the Arts to Hearts Podcast. She is also an acclaimed Indian artist known for her contemporary embellished paintings. Her unique blend of gouache, collage, embroidery, painting, and drawing explores the intersection of art, culture, heritage, and womanhood. Through her work, she tells stories of female strength and encapsulates them in pieces that can be treasured for generations.

Charuka’s work draws inspiration from Hindu mythology, recognizing women as vessels of Shakti, the cosmic energy. She beautifully portrays powerful goddesses like Durga Maa riding a tiger or lion, symbolizing their unlimited power to protect virtue and combat evil.

Through her art, Charuka invites us into the world of women, showcasing their beauty, strength, and resilience. Her creations not only exhibit exceptional talent but also serve as an inspiration and a symbol of hope for those challenging societal norms.

Arts to Hearts Podcast is a show delving into the lives and passions of renowned artists. From running creative businesses and studio art practices to cultivating a successful mindset, Charuka Arora engages in heartfelt conversations with her guests. Experience your personal happy hour with your favorite artists right in your studio.

Through candid discussions, Charuka and her guests reveal the joys and challenges of a vibrant creative life, both within and beyond our studios. Get ready to be inspired and uplifted as you tune in.