Artists, Not Influencers: Marketing That Feels Like Art

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 (00:00.949)
Okay, so you said about marketing, right? And I’ve seen you over the years teach marketing to a lot of people and, you know, host so many workshops and work. How do you think marketing has really, what kind of role has marketing played for you as an artist? Did initially you have any resistance and over the years since you’ve been doing this, how have you approached it? And in different seasons, it’s helped you and not both ways.

AndaraRa (00:29.768)
Yeah, yeah, that’s a good question. think, you know, marketing.

When I’ve, before I started doing this, marketing my own art, there definitely was this perception of marketing as being something different than art or something separate than my role as an artist. Now I see marketing as very dependent on, marketing is what you make it, right? Especially nowadays with like influencer culture and content creation.

Charuka (01:01.856)
Nah.

Hmm.

AndaraRa (01:05.577)
And so what I feel like works the best for me is just using marketing as a form of storytelling and having it as a way to kind of amplify my own relationship with my work and how I talk about my work. And so if you can do that in a way that feels like authentic and you’re consistent, just basically, it’s almost like the marketing kind of creates itself.

And as artists, think, you know, it could be really intimidating trying to market your artwork because you want to do everything right and you don’t know, yeah, you don’t know where to start and it’s like who to listen to. And you may see like something working in other fields, but as an artist, it’s just, it may not translate in our niche. And so I think just kind of what has helped me is just like,

Charuka (01:33.897)
Okay.

Charuka (01:41.275)
Absolutely.

AndaraRa (02:02.604)
treating my art community as people and like almost like a family and realizing like my artwork is an expression of my soul and it’s so vulnerable, it’s so sensitive to share that online. But at the same time, there are other souls out there that look forward to seeing someone like yourself. They look forward to seeing your story.

and your journey and we call that quote unquote marketing, but really it’s just showing up and kind of sharing your journey. And so I think it’s important for me even now, especially after doing this for so long and kind of coming across my own like blocks at this stage, realizing like I can’t compare myself to other marketers. I can’t compare myself to other.

Charuka (02:35.722)
Yeah.

Charuka (02:40.672)
Yeah.

Charuka (02:52.147)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (02:58.25)
like industry experts and things like that because the things that work for me as an artist, other professions may see that as being unprofessional or why would you tell people, why would you talk about this, you know, but it’s like as artists, it’s a part of the process. yeah, but marketing is like changing so much these days and I think it’s gonna be really true. Yeah.

Charuka (03:09.022)
Yeah.

Charuka (03:13.108)
Yeah.

Charuka (03:17.472)
Yeah.

Charuka (03:23.753)
Yeah, it’s keeping up like it’s every day it’s like a keep up.

AndaraRa (03:29.394)
Yeah, seriously. Yeah.

Charuka (03:32.222)
What was your initial impression like? you, while you know, showing up more, talking about your work, were you too scared? Were you too scared to show up, to share, to have a voice? What was your stepping stone into this process?

AndaraRa (03:54.153)
Yeah, I think it’s funny because when I started in 2013, I was talking to anyone and everyone and I had no idea what was gonna work. I had no idea if people would pay attention. So you have that hunger and there’s this natural obsession.

Now, like a lot of my friends, they’ve been selling their art for a long time. And so it’s almost a different tone and it can feel a little almost like you’re starting over in a lot of ways, you know, because it’s like, like when all your dreams have come true, like, what do you talk about? You know, what do you keep marketing about?

Charuka (04:39.249)
Yeah

AndaraRa (04:48.501)
So I always, always would tell like artists that are emerging or just kind of starting out to really enjoy this journey that you’re on now where you’re sharing the ups and downs because once you reach a certain level of like commercial success, I think it’s a little different. People, you know, they kind of have all these perceptions about what you should say or maybe it’s all in your head and you’re like, I tend to be very,

Charuka (05:09.405)
Yeah.

Charuka (05:14.354)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (05:18.335)
much of a perfectionist. So I’m like, I can’t talk about the things I talked about a few years ago because, know, maybe it’s, so yeah, I guess that’s just where I’m thinking now.

Charuka (05:23.656)
Yeah.

Charuka (05:31.965)
But that’s also because you it’s also because you don’t have a rule book, none of us have. And while we transitioned, a lot of us who transitioned in the last 10 years, like nobody knew how to like, there was of course traditional marketing, but then the way social media came in, like everything that’s happening, like we’ve been the first few like in the very sense of it, like a generation that was very traditional and then suddenly.

AndaraRa (05:37.618)
Yeah, right.

AndaraRa (05:43.935)
Mm-hmm.

Charuka (06:00.777)
there was like the internet and started things like, you know, there didn’t come like a fixed pattern of and now things change so fast and quick like it’s harder like it’s I think for people who just coming now they come with that blood because you know, we can see Gen Z and the newer kids like, you know, they’re spirited that way because they’re the you know, they are born with the internet, they have accessibility.

AndaraRa (06:07.658)
and chocolate.

Charuka (06:27.165)
So there is so, it’s so agile, so quick to change and very open and free. But I think I’ve noticed this within millennials and people, you know, beyond that age gap where we came from a lot of structure and we felt like, okay, this is, then we felt, okay, now this is internet. And then we started making structure on that. And there was still like, you know, some patterns would follow for a bit longer, but now I feel like everything is.

AndaraRa (06:27.709)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (06:32.778)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (06:36.66)
Yeah.

Charuka (06:55.473)
Like so fast and quick, so experimental, like there’s no rule book. Like we’re all figuring it out. Like nobody knows what’s the right or the wrong way. And for creative people for sure.

AndaraRa (07:00.838)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm, totally, yeah.

AndaraRa (07:07.144)
Yeah, and it can definitely like burn you out because you feel like you’re trying so much and you want it to work. But I guess the cool thing about being an artist is that like we have our whole lives. We can be painters when we’re super old, super young. So I try to remind myself like, you know, this is my calling, this is my passion. Even if I’m not.

Charuka (07:20.113)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (07:36.298)
posting on social media like I used to in the next month or so. It’s like, you you have those ebbs and flows. Just try to remind myself that this is my life, you know, this is my lifelong calling. But I totally agree with you. Like the younger generations, they definitely show up in a way that’s very authentic. And I feel like ever since TikTok and like reels and stuff, artists, we’ve definitely sort of struggled with.

Charuka (07:49.328)
Yeah. Yeah.

Charuka (07:57.51)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (08:03.517)
what do we post, what do we say? We’re so used to feeling like we have to have this cookie cutter template and we’re talking to internet designers and everything has to be so luxury and high end. And now the internet is like, no, we want you to dance and sing and be cute. And it’s just like, what? It’s asking so much of us. It’s…

Charuka (08:05.616)
Yeah.

Charuka (08:10.706)
Yeah

Yeah.

Charuka (08:23.281)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (08:28.764)
It’s a growth, it’s definitely like a growing, growing experience, know, like, okay, like how bad do you really want to be an artist? How bad do you really want to be known as an artist, you know? So, yeah, these are sort of the questions I’m asking myself these past few days and months really, yeah.

Charuka (08:32.912)
And.

Yeah.

No.

Charuka (08:46.951)
I’m glad that we’re talking about it. Okay, in hindsight, all these years as creative as marketing as sharing whatever we you know, different ways we call it. What do you think has worked for you? And like things tactically if you you know, really look at it like everything that you’ve done, okay, this was something that really helped me over the years. What would be those things be?

AndaraRa (08:50.003)
Mm-hmm.

AndaraRa (09:11.666)
Mm-hmm.

AndaraRa (09:16.305)
Yeah, there’s a few things and one of them is definitely like having a routine around my painting process and just, it may feel really monotonous in the beginning, but like having boundaries around that and really holding myself accountable to that because once I realized that I wanna do this full time, I had to sort of treat it like, okay, I’m showing up every day and I’m putting in the hours even if what I make that day

looks like crap. Like I know every day I gotta show up and keep painting. That was the first thing. The second thing was building a mailing list. And I feel like this is something that’s still so important. I literally was just doing like, yeah, technical like DNS records and domain verifications and like working on really technical things that I’m kind of, you know, happy, I guess that I can figure these things out.

Charuka (09:47.537)
Yeah.

Charuka (09:56.816)
and I it, yeah.

AndaraRa (10:14.032)
although it has nothing to do with painting. And I’m sure when people first look at my website or something, they don’t think, like this artist is behind the scenes, know, verifying their domains and checking domain health and yeah, it’s really like cloud engineering type of stuff. But I am putting in that type of, yeah, you gotta do it. Yeah, so because my mailing list is one of those things that I know.

Charuka (10:25.337)
Yeah.

Charuka (10:35.118)
You got to do.

AndaraRa (10:43.526)
If I can send an email and talk to five or six people or even 10 or 20 people, I can build a community. can reach people. can get feedback and see what they’re interested in and if they’re resonating with what I’m putting out into the world. So I definitely recommend, you know, in whatever way you can, having an audience that you can consistently show up as. Like some artists really,

Charuka (10:54.927)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (11:12.753)
thrive on YouTube and TikTok. Other artists may do more blogging and Instagram, but like for me, Instagram was my comfort zone. And so I feel like now that Instagram has changed so much, it is kind of like, it’s kind of bittersweet because I know like, okay, I’ve been meaning to get on YouTube. I’ve been meaning to like do podcasts and like show my face more. But it’s also like,

Charuka (11:15.065)
Yeah.

Charuka (11:24.931)
Good too. Yeah.

AndaraRa (11:42.543)
I miss the old Instagram, you know, I think a lot of artists would miss that. We missed that because we had such a connection and community. you know, I think what works is really like email marketing and being really confident in your process. And that only comes with dedicated time in the studio. So, mm-hmm, yeah.

Charuka (11:44.292)
Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.

Charuka (12:01.434)
Hmm, putting it in. Yeah, yeah. How do you manage the creative with the practical mind? you know, the marketing and the ideas and the constant push and so many things, a lot of time that feels so overwhelming for and it’s never ending. I think the more you grow, like, you know, it’s a never ending list. It does not stop. It never stops.

AndaraRa (12:15.922)
Mm-hmm.

AndaraRa (12:26.573)
Yeah. Yeah.

Charuka (12:28.58)
So how do you balance your own creativity and over the years as you’ve also matured, I’m sure your perspective towards all of those things have also evolved and different stages of life, different stages. I feel like I was also talking to someone today and I was like, you know, I’ve grown into this area of my life, specifically with my creativity. I want to say less. I’ve reached that point personally, but I want to say less.

AndaraRa (12:35.867)
Mm-hmm.

AndaraRa (12:39.632)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (12:51.503)
Mm-hmm.

Charuka (12:57.411)
and do more in the sense of like, it’s not, I’m not in that rhythm anymore where I wouldn’t continually go open up a camera and then share. I’m just not there yet. Or I’ve gone past that stage. Maybe I’ll come back, but maybe at this point in season of life, everything that I’m having, because all the, all the while, but whatever we’re doing, we’re also living a life. And there’s, you know, there’s so much that happens. So how, what do you think has you personally?

AndaraRa (12:57.862)
Mm-hmm.

AndaraRa (13:05.126)
Yeah. Yeah.

AndaraRa (13:16.485)
Exactly.

Charuka (13:27.519)
manage the creative and you know this constantly being out there if at all and now what you how are you same exactly where you were while you started out your approach or has that evolved anyhow?

AndaraRa (13:30.552)
the protocol.

Yeah.

AndaraRa (13:44.106)
It’s changed a lot and I’m actually surprised that the longer I’ve been doing this, the more overwhelming it got. Like it used to be so much easier when I was just painting and you know, just, I was just so much easier when I was smaller. Whereas like now, I think because I love seeing business grow and I love seeing all the different opportunities, it’s kind of hard for me to just.

Charuka (13:51.552)
Yeah. Yeah.

Charuka (14:01.176)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (14:12.384)
leave things on the table. So I’m really big into notebooks. Like I have a ton of notebooks. That’s the way I keep up with my creative ideas because, you know, like art for me is not just in how I paint, but it’s also in how I teach and like the way I design my business, also pretty creative. And so the second way I kind of manage this, especially nowadays is

Charuka (14:31.928)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (14:41.114)
having at least like one or two coaches, mentors, or like therapists, some type of like group support group that I can rely on, just to remind you of like, you know, your agency and taking your power back. And cause there’s gonna be weird customers, there’s gonna be trolls online, there’s gonna be, you know, not so safe things that happens in your business. you know,

It’s just so helpful when you have a good coach in your corner or a good team or something like that, or at least a good therapist because nine times out of 10, like your family, your significant other, they really, they may love you to death, but they just will never really understand like why you’re so.

Charuka (15:23.331)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (15:32.953)
invested in what you’re doing, you know, is something kind of, again, like we were talking before the call, how isolating it is as an artist. And so, you know, it’s one of those things where I remember asking myself a few years ago, like, like, I was kind of going through a bit of a depression and I was like, why did I choose this? Like, my God, it’s so depressing. Like being an artist, like even with all the money in the world, it’s like you, you, I just felt so alone. Like I felt so isolated.

Charuka (15:35.853)
Yeah.

Charuka (15:40.29)
Yeah.

Charuka (16:00.237)
Talon.

AndaraRa (16:02.433)
And yeah, and it’s just one of those things where I think it’s it’s part of the profession in a way, but there’s ways you can balance it. know, having other hobbies, Having other hobbies, taking breaks, like you said, painting where you’re not posting online, like sometimes you just wanna paint. Another thing that’s helped me in addition to notebooks are sketchbooks. Like I’m really big on

Charuka (16:11.48)
Yeah, you can come back to it.

Yeah, yeah.

Charuka (16:22.156)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (16:32.409)
having a sketchbook because it allows me to kind of create and I started out drawing before I was a painter. And so sketching is just like a really nice way to calm my mind and also I know I’m not really gonna sell anything out this sketchbook so it stops me from like being a perfectionist. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yep, what about you? Do you like sketching and stuff?

Charuka (16:51.14)
It’s no pressure. Yeah, yeah, there’s no final outcome. Yeah.

You know, I’ll tell you, I’ve shared this in the previous podcast also, like I was, but then it’s become something. you know, last five, four, five years, life, four years specifically, my mom passed away and since then my life has been on like a toss. And I had studios and I had one studio, then I had two studios and I was making larger work and all of that. At this point, you know, from living in my own apartment and I was living with my, now I’m living at my, you know, at my

AndaraRa (17:05.72)
Mm-hmm.

AndaraRa (17:18.648)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (17:24.493)
Mm-hmm.

Charuka (17:30.212)
father’s and my parents house. Like I literally am struggling with space like and I’m struggling with time because I was too hard screw and you know everything happened and it was just like life not professionally but personally has become so hard and like unstable like I just didn’t have the luxuries I had before and I couldn’t just go you know a step away and just step into the studio whenever I wanted and that had changed.

AndaraRa (17:32.536)
Mm-hmm.

Hmm.

Yeah.

AndaraRa (17:44.93)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (17:49.005)
Uh-huh.

Hmm.

AndaraRa (17:59.108)
Yeah.

Charuka (17:59.691)
And it was bodging me so much and I’m just sitting where I am right now. then what I started, was like, and I started painting really small. And I was like, I don’t know. I I can’t survive without it. So I’d rather whatever I have. So now 90 % of my room where I live is because while I was, let’s say I had a studio, I still have a space where I can go and paint, but then I’m having so many calls and there’s so much more resistance.

AndaraRa (18:05.124)
Mm-hmm.

AndaraRa (18:09.955)
you

AndaraRa (18:14.689)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (18:25.763)
Okay.

Charuka (18:29.027)
you know, just the right mindset for for an energy of a space and I didn’t feel that. So, you know, I set up a table and every morning and before bed, some days I’m too tired, like, you know, I’m recording this at 1230 midnight. So I’m not painting today in the entire day, I didn’t have the bandwidth, but I probably early in the morning and late at night, different pockets of time, would either slow things, I’ll just take something

AndaraRa (18:29.805)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (18:44.43)
Yeah.

Charuka (18:56.322)
really small like you know this is something I’ve painted and like this has really enabled me thinking that and painting for myself because then it enabled me like in the morning I have a sketchbook because I know like I only have 10, 15, 20 minutes at night have a couple of hours so I will do something more like I can put my effort into and it made me realize like you know as a person there are two sides to it so as a person

AndaraRa (18:58.851)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (19:05.987)
Mm-hmm.

AndaraRa (19:13.089)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (19:24.493)
Mm-hmm.

Charuka (19:25.311)
It satisfies me. Like I wanted to do larger work, but I’m not rushing. Like I know where I am personally in life. I’m not going to be here forever. But because I am, I’m doing whatever I can. But then there’s the other side, which is driven by fear, which is like, you know, I had reached this point where I two studios, I was doing all of this. was making the work I was doing. You know, I was spending so much of time and suddenly everything has been, you know,

AndaraRa (19:31.779)
Yeah. Exactly.

AndaraRa (19:37.635)
Mm-hmm.

Charuka (19:52.962)
gone with the drop of a hat and I can no longer like make the bigger work. What if I lose it? What if I, when I see someone else I’m like, my God. So I think there are two like social media. Like if I was living in a bubble, I would be more gracious to myself. And I think this is something I keep reminding like, you know, I’m doing the best I can. I’m making the best I can. And you know, I may not paint as much, but you know,

AndaraRa (20:04.417)
I know, yeah.

AndaraRa (20:09.613)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

AndaraRa (20:16.887)
Mm-hmm.

Charuka (20:22.185)
I photograph more. I collect a lot more visuals that I know will lead something tomorrow. It’s like a groundwork I’m today. And like I know that there are components if there’s not larger life like what social media can see. But I know that I’m still doing the work. But when you go outside and when you come with this deal, like, you know what, if I really need to get out there, I have to be constantly on my toes.

AndaraRa (20:28.702)
Exactly.

Exactly, yeah.

AndaraRa (20:39.618)
Mm-hmm.

Charuka (20:50.4)
I have to have a bigger studio, I have to create bigger works, I have to continue to post. So yeah, and we all know that’s not true. We all know that’s not true. I have seen people who’ve not been on Instagram and yet done well. you know, again, this is something that, but also contrary, even for all our projects, we find people on Instagram. So I think there’s so many sides to it.

AndaraRa (20:53.302)
Yep, that’s a lot of

my god.

Charuka (21:15.851)
But the most important thing again, centering ourselves into what brings you at the best corner. Like what makes me feel happy at this point? Like I desperately need a space where I feel more safe and comfortable and not for somebody else, but for my soul because I want it and I need it. And I have this little corner, my sketchbooks right now and these smaller works is because I would rather not like I create small and odd struggle.

AndaraRa (21:31.522)
Mm-hmm. Thank you.

Charuka (21:44.821)
they’re not here at all. So I get up every day, struggle and I’m okay. you know, creating even with struggle and making the struggle. But at the end of the day, when I get out of that table and maybe switch off, you know, pack my colors and have a lot of mess. I’m like, this is exactly what I want.

AndaraRa (22:02.868)
Exactly. Yeah, like I’m in the same place. Like I was, I spent like four years away from my family during the pandemic and I didn’t realize, like I traveled away for college. So I was kind of used to not seeing my family a lot but I didn’t realize how much of a toll that it would take. And so this past year I basically had to like kind of give myself permission to be a human again and like spend time with family.

Charuka (22:21.79)
Yeah.

Charuka (22:30.538)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (22:32.544)
that is so different than my previous lifestyle. And I think there’s a natural sense of guilt and judgment of like, if I’m not painting in this huge studio every day, am I like really serious? Am I gonna lose it? But it sounds like, I love how you said like you’re collecting things, you’re photographing more. And it reminded me of this concept, I I think Julia Cameron talked about it, where it’s like artists dates and like filling up your art as well.

Charuka (22:57.6)
Yeah. How I did it. Yeah.

AndaraRa (23:01.93)
And it’s like, sometimes we can’t put out art all the time. Like sometimes artists need to fill ourselves back up, know, nourishing, reconnecting to like our mother land foods and our cultures and all the things that we, you know, experienced as a child, nature, wonder, and just, you know, rest, rest is so sacred for us too. And setting that intention of like, I am,

Charuka (23:06.719)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (23:30.145)
filling up my cup as an artist, as a human being, someone that I trust myself that this is where I am in this journey and I’m going to really maximize it when I’m ready to step out into the world and produce again. Because small, like painting small is also really powerful. Sometimes like, mm-hmm, yeah, I’m sure you, because you can really like,

Charuka (23:53.876)
Absolutely.

AndaraRa (23:58.22)
get really finite with the collections you’re making and like the themes and the sort of imagery. It’s almost like you’re creating a whole language for yourself. So I’m already just inspired by what you’ve shared because it really just comes down to consistency. So yeah, it sounds like you’re really like disciplined even if you are changing spaces and stuff. that’s important.

Charuka (24:00.423)
Yeah.

Charuka (24:15.018)
Yeah.

Charuka (24:23.249)
Yeah, and think it’s, I think, what, you know, I used to ask myself a lot before everything happened and you know, and I think it also has a lot to do with age. I think a lot of us now are reaching our late 30s, 40s, post 30s, and I think life changes. And I’m not, I’ve not said this out loud on the podcast, guys, but I feel this. I really feel this, like, because there are a lot of transitions that

AndaraRa (24:37.462)
Yeah.

video.

AndaraRa (24:44.339)
Yeah.

Yeah

Charuka (24:52.947)
You know you have ailing parents. I lost my mom when I was 27, 27, 28. But then a lot of, we had children in the house. have, like you have so many other obligations. Like you said, I also moved when I was 18. I lived a lot of my life alone. So I had all the space and I would have a lot of time on my hand with myself. And then…

AndaraRa (24:55.659)
Thank you.

AndaraRa (25:13.76)
Yeah.

Charuka (25:19.86)
A lot of people our age have children and families. And I have a business, I have bills to pay, people to take care of. So all of those has also been and how like a family I’m a part of, so I have commitments and a partner. So I think a lot of us are also in that part of our stages where we’re still figuring things out and like settling in. we’re like, it’s a nice thing I’ve spoken to so many people off.

AndaraRa (25:40.156)
Exactly. Yeah.

Charuka (25:48.295)
artists of this circle. And I feel like now and I really appreciate this now because you know the podcast because it exactly it’s doing what it’s doing because when I didn’t have this perspective before but then now since I’ve been speaking to a lot of people and feel like my god it’s not me you know somebody’s going through a hard relationship somebody’s going through a baby somebody’s going through a postpartum somebody’s shifting somebody’s still figuring life out like I am and

AndaraRa (25:50.323)
Mm-hmm.

AndaraRa (25:54.581)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (26:00.501)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (26:04.734)
not yeah yeah

Yeah.

AndaraRa (26:15.38)
Yeah.

Charuka (26:17.267)
And in those, lot of moments of doubts come in and there are a lot of changes we all are experiencing. And we also have a lot of trauma and baggage from what our social media and all of those things have been. So I feel like it’s, but if we remove all of that, think we’re all, I think what I feel common amongst a lot of us is no matter where we come, what’s happening, we are all trying to find a center with creating the work and trying to.

AndaraRa (26:21.322)
Yeah. Right.

AndaraRa (26:29.472)
Mm-hmm.

Charuka (26:44.69)
You know, no matter where life takes you, you always keep back and come said, want to keep creating the work. Like a lot of us are just breaking those boundaries, big, small, large, selling, not selling, none of those. But the center of why, in spite of the cures that you have, you will keep coming back to it. This is what brings you, this is what brings you the real you in you.

AndaraRa (26:44.948)
Mm-hmm.

AndaraRa (27:05.203)
You do. Yeah.

Exactly. Yeah, I had this joke I used to say to my community like a few years ago. I was like, like, you’ll never you’re never going to wake up one day and say, Oh, remember that time I wanted to be an artist? Like the people that were that’s probably listening to this podcast, the people that follow our work and things like that, if it’s truly their passion and their calling, it doesn’t matter if you’re 75, if you’re 85, if you’re 35.

Charuka (27:25.662)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (27:40.48)
It’s like, you know, it’s one of those things where you can’t quit, you know? So even on the slow months or the slow years or when life happens or if you decide to have a family and you have other responsibilities, it’s like, you still are going to have that part of yourself that is committed to your art practice, no matter what social media validation you get or, you know, so I think it’s just…

It’s really nice when other artists are able to lift each other up and just be our biggest cheerleaders, because we’re kind of like weird little aliens, very misunderstood, like very misunderstood. So I’ve kind of gotten used to that. But yeah, I really appreciate like just being able to have a safe space to talk. Yeah.

Charuka (28:12.092)
Yeah.

Charuka (28:27.197)
Same here. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I think also like a lot of I think the more we are going in, think, like I said, before all of this life happened, I used to ask myself a lot, like, you know, why am I doing this? Is this because I’m trying to change like a goal? Do I want to like, you know, because when we see it from far away, you know, looking people successful, like we all like it.

AndaraRa (28:46.847)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (28:54.835)
Yeah.

Charuka (28:55.023)
it feels aspiration we all want to be there. Am I being too lazy? Because that’s also something we’ve been because I don’t want to do that. Maybe I want to do this. All of those things. Or maybe I’m just doing it because I want money. then, know, when life happened and today I realized like, no, I’m not doing this because I want money. And I’m not doing this because in fact, it’s adding a lot more tension to where I am right now because I’m feeling like

AndaraRa (28:58.547)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (29:04.166)
Yep.

AndaraRa (29:08.495)
Exactly.

AndaraRa (29:16.328)
Mm-hmm.

AndaraRa (29:21.854)
haha

Charuka (29:23.036)
As I’m moving forward, don’t want to let go of this. While I think this is also a fear, sometimes you have to just leave it and know that you will always come back to it. But then also knowing I want it because I want to breathe. Like after my mom, I always say it was journaling, my dogs, and art, like painting. Three things I wouldn’t have survived without because there’s so much that it gives you rather than it takes from you.

AndaraRa (29:32.892)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (29:44.444)
Bye bye.

yeah.

I know.

Charuka (29:52.561)
But then, you know, when you try to look at it as a career, you look at social media and all of those things and then everything that we feel unnecessary comes in the bag.

AndaraRa (29:58.611)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (30:03.356)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And like you said, there’s no rule book, right? There’s no blueprint for like to do in these situations. So it’s just so important that I try to remind myself, just have more compassion for yourself. Like be gentle for yourself, have gratitude. Because like, I don’t know about you, but like I’m so hard on myself. Like if I don’t send an email within a month, I’m like, my God, you’re like the worst.

Charuka (30:08.412)
Yeah.

Charuka (30:26.375)
Same.

AndaraRa (30:31.279)
art person ever, you haven’t emailed your list. And a coach was just telling me yesterday, they’re like, first of all, I don’t mean to sound mean, but like most people aren’t even paying attention to you as much as you think they are. So no one notices when you take those long breaks. And the people who really love and support what you do, they’re just gonna be excited when you show up, you know? And whether it’s six months from now or a year from now, it’s like…

Charuka (30:43.258)
Yeah, yeah, that’s true.

Charuka (30:53.926)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (30:57.681)
I think that’s been part of just getting older too, because we’re realizing, wait, I’m in my late 30s now, and you’re starting to feel that time, that pressure of time, of wait, I gotta really take advantage of the time I have on this earth. So that’s where community support comes in. So I hope you keep doing this, because you’re helping a lot of people, then you realize, you.

Charuka (31:00.942)
Yeah.

Charuka (31:07.056)
Yeah.

Charuka (31:13.07)
Yeah. Yeah.

Charuka (31:22.598)
Same for you. Same for you.

Okay, one last piece of advice if you were to give to yourself, to people who are listening, to your younger self, what is that?

AndaraRa (31:37.244)
my last piece of advice. boy. That’s a tough one. I, man, I’ve learned so many hard lessons in this space. Cried myself on the floor so many times because of the lessons I learned. And…

you know, anytime you’re putting your work out there, it’s a risk of it being plagiarized and copyright infringement stolen and all of this. But if there’s one thing I could just, my advice to myself is just your joy, follow your joy, like within reason, you know, because there’s obviously vices and sometimes you can…

Charuka (32:30.746)
Yeah.

AndaraRa (32:32.157)
You can over indulge in things, at the root of it, music for me, color and things like that, they’re so vital to my…

peace and happiness. And so I feel like just if I could give myself one piece of advice and anyone else listening is just continue to experiment in your creative process. Like I’ve been painting in acrylics for 10 years and then I kept getting these blocks. Like I just wasn’t connecting that much. I felt like I painted everything I could and everywhere I could. And I allowed myself to start using oils again and it was like the best thing.

Charuka (32:48.333)
Existence, yeah.

AndaraRa (33:16.796)
So now I feel this sense of excitement when I’m in the studio again, because I’m I’m doing something, I’m using material. Yeah, I hadn’t used oils. I started using oils when I was 13. So there’s that familiarity with it. And so it feels really, really nice. So yeah, that’s my piece of advice. Just continue to experiment with your process and don’t be afraid to take risks.

Charuka (33:20.206)
yeah fashion new

Charuka (33:34.666)
Yeah, I love that.

Charuka (33:41.978)
I love that. Okay. Thank you so much, Amira. It was amazing talking to you. It was so fast and quick. We managed because I was afraid, I don’t know if the internet would support us today, but it did. So I’m Yeah. Yeah.

AndaraRa (33:43.782)
and

AndaraRa (33:54.364)
I know. I’m so glad. Thank you, thank you, thank you, yes, because we had a lot of technical difficulties getting here. But I’m so glad. you can, you know, like I said, like anytime you want to have me back, if you want to have me back, I’m available. And if any other artists want to reach out, you guys can definitely find my work, contact me online. And yeah, like have more conversations. Yeah.

Charuka (34:09.888)
Absolutely. Absolutely.

Charuka (34:20.654)
Just mention where can people find you. That is something I want to ask you.

AndaraRa (34:24.539)
Yeah, you can find me on my Instagram at Amirah Rahim Art or my website www.amirahrahim.com. I’m currently offering a free tutorial challenge. can offer it. You can find it on my Instagram. And I used to charge for this tutorial, but it’s available free now where people can see my painting process. And I basically recreated a painting, kind of destroyed a painting, and it ended up being a lot better. So.

If you’re looking for something to kind of get your creative juices flowing again and you’re looking at an old painting, you’re not sure how to change it up, maybe you would enjoy that tutorial. You can find that through my Instagram. And yeah, that’s pretty much it.

Charuka (35:10.203)
Perfect, thank you so much Amira. It was truly a blast to have you and I hope to have you soon back. In the meanwhile, please make sure guys to follow Maas’s conversations, you subscribe on YouTube, make sure you can find all the links on our website and more about Amira and everything she’s mentioned in the article and make sure that you tune in next week for another episode. Thank you so much.

AndaraRa (35:12.923)
Thank you.

AndaraRa (35:36.953)
Awesome. Thank you so much for having me. Have a good rest of your week. Thank you.

.

About the Guest(s):

Episode Summary:

In this conversation, Charuka and AndaraRa explore the evolving role of marketing in the art world, the challenges artists face in balancing creativity with practical demands, and the importance of community and self-compassion. They discuss personal experiences, the impact of social media, and the necessity of finding joy in the creative process. The dialogue emphasizes the significance of experimentation and the understanding that the journey of being an artist is ongoing, filled with ups and downs.

Key Takeaways

Marketing is a form of storytelling for artists.
Building a community is essential for artists.
Enjoy the journey of sharing your art.
Consistency in practice is key to growth.
Email marketing remains a powerful tool.
Self-compassion is crucial in the creative process.
Artists should embrace change and growth.
Finding joy in art is more important than validation.
Experimentation can reignite passion for art.
The artist’s journey is unique and personal.

Notable Quotes:

I used to think marketing was something separate from being an artist, but now I see it as storytelling — just another way to share how I connect with my work.”

“If you can show up in a way that feels true to you and stay consistent, the marketing almost creates itself.”

“Sometimes we can’t keep putting art out all the time — we need to fill ourselves back up too. Rest is part of the process.”

“I remind myself that this is my life’s calling. Even when I’m not posting or painting every day, I’m still an artist.”

“Keep experimenting. When I switched back to oils after years of acrylics, it brought me a new kind of excitement in the studio.”

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.