00:19.76
charukaarora
Doing a retreat you’re taking people to Bali you’re doing these like practically like you know living a life that every artist desires at 22 which is not as easy as it may seem for specifically for artists. Let’s say fast. Let me ask you about what do you think has been your biggest strength.
00:33.10
Lily_Rose Burgess
Yes.
00:39.10
charukaarora
The biggest advantage that has helped you to come here to come this at this point.
00:43.64
Lily_Rose Burgess
Okay, so I think my own personal biggest strength would be that I’m already a very motivated person. Maybe I feel like I was literally born with good discipline. So that would mean that if I set a goal um I’m very like I Really in my mind I have to do what I said I would do for my own mental sanity and I think if you don’t have that drive to do what.
01:12.55
charukaarora
Um, okay.
01:18.59
Lily_Rose Burgess
You say you will do like it’s It’s very hard to do this job. There’s so many times where I’ve wanted to give up because things have been really hard. But then I haven’t because of the discipline and it pushed me through to success.
01:32.89
charukaarora
Right? Yeah and I saw one a few reels that you recently made which was like you know how you accidentally started an art business. Can you talk a little bit more about that and you know what was that real about.
01:36.54
Lily_Rose Burgess
Yeah, so I think that’s the biggest part.
01:45.15
Lily_Rose Burgess
Sure So it really was an accident like I grew up my whole life with people telling me, you can’t be an artist because you won’t make money and I would be like Okay, yeah, that’s really logical because I had no idea obviously about social media at that Time. So I never. Went through school for even one second thinking I would like to finish school and become an artist like it wasn’t even a consideration I wanted to study science and have some some job clients. Yes, So I.
02:16.53
charukaarora
Um, Wow science.
02:21.11
Lily_Rose Burgess
Finished school I got a good enough school for Science I Went into that at University and just as I was about to begin lockdown happened. So from the very start of my University I was doing it online. Um, it was. Literally the most horrible thing ever. It made me miserable. There was no one to talk to no one to help limited learning material all for the same price as Well. They didn’t discount the fees and um, after a year I just.
02:47.35
charukaarora
Um, yeah oh god.
02:54.17
Lily_Rose Burgess
Felt like I sat there and thought you know how do I feel about going back and doing this next year and I literally felt sick and I was like maybe it’s time that I stopped doing this because obviously something is wrong like I could just feel like something wasn’t right. We looked it? Well what did I know? um.
03:03.17
charukaarora
Um, you yeah feel it.
03:13.45
Lily_Rose Burgess
What my gut was probably trying to tell me so I just trusted that feeling and literally dropped out a day after I had that thought the day after like I didn’t didn’t spend like weeks considering it I just was like this is not happening. Um.
03:21.27
charukaarora
Um, okay, okay, you you don’t feel this is right.
03:30.37
Lily_Rose Burgess
Exactly. So then I was also working full time in accounting just as my job to earn money so I could support myself living in the city. Yeah yes, yes, yes.
03:34.47
charukaarora
Okay, okay, let me put this clear you were pursuing signs then you were working in accounting and then you got into the arts pretty.
03:50.19
Lily_Rose Burgess
So I was in the accounting firm as an administrator. Um, just because I needed a job and I wanted to stop working in hospitality so that was like in my mind a step up and it was just a stable 9 to 5 Um, and I could do my university part time kind of around that. So obviously.
03:56.79
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
04:09.16
Lily_Rose Burgess
I was really burning the candle at both ends to be doing that I was really tired all time’ like and obviously the union didn’t bring me joy and our accounting is not renowned for. It’s fun. It’s actually quite boring. Um, so.
04:09.60
charukaarora
Um, yes, cnis.
04:22.50
charukaarora
Um, so yeah.
04:28.90
Lily_Rose Burgess
I and I know that I knew that I didn’t want to do accounting as my career was just to make money and so when I dropped out of Uni. Well well because I was doing uni and working I had no time for anything creative nor did I have the energy and I was also I think quite depressed.
04:32.48
charukaarora
Um, you know? yeah.
04:47.73
Lily_Rose Burgess
Doing those 2 things at the same time with no creativity involved. So when I quit and I was just working I just thought you know I’m going to I can go back to you new later if I feel like it’s the right thing whether it be doing science again or something else. But I don’t feel like now is the right time so I didn’t really have a. Goal or a direction in my life for literally the first time like as long as I can remember like even from being a very small child. My parents would say that I would go around saying I was going to be a doctor when I grew up like all my is have had some idea of what I would be doing with my life.
05:18.64
charukaarora
So well.
05:27.22
Lily_Rose Burgess
Because I have so many interests I think that was why um and so yeah, it was the first time in my life where I was like oh my god what am I meant to do like I have a lot of life to go and I have no no idea up so I was like I think I got pretty pretty depressed and anxious in that period of time. So I thought.
05:35.36
charukaarora
Um, imagine.
05:46.36
Lily_Rose Burgess
You know this is horrible I need to do something about it. So maybe I should pick up painting again. Just so that I have something that I like doing so I did so I I thought you know since I’ve got all this extra time. Maybe I should set a goal and just.
06:03.83
charukaarora
Let’s pin it.
06:05.50
Lily_Rose Burgess
Stick to it and see how it goes I said I’ll paint 1 painting every single day and because I was disciplined I literally did exactly that no matter how tired I was coming home from work with my brain drained of life and energy. I still would force myself to do 1 painting but like once I started. It didn’t not feel forced. That’s the thing about it. That’s like that was like trying to tell me something. Yes, so.
06:30.96
charukaarora
Um, yeah, you should want to hear about? yeah.
06:38.93
Lily_Rose Burgess
I still really enjoyed that even when I was tired um and to hold myself like quite accountable for what I said I would do I like changed my personal Instagram account to my art Instagram account so it used to just be where I would post my general life for my family and friends. Um, so I changed it and then I started sharing. Um and I started like doing a couple of reels here and there because I knew that’s how you would grow and I wanted you know the more the more eyes the more accountable you are just try to make sure there was no possibility for me to back out of what I was doing.
07:05.29
charukaarora
Um, yeah, um.
07:16.54
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, and after a while like people started asking can I buy this and I would be like sure why not here, go super cheap as well. Just because it was for fun. Um, and then after I started growing on Instagram like.
07:23.22
charukaarora
Um, what.
07:35.51
Lily_Rose Burgess
I had quite a bit of demand for what I was doing and I just thought logically you know I can I can probably set up a website Now. So that people don’t even have to ask me if they can buy something. Because I feel like if people don’t have to chase you down and ask you to buy something. They’re probably more likely to buy it So I set up a website and with that came a lot more sales So I was like working and doing this and after a while I sort of was like looking at how much money I earned.
08:00.49
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
08:12.90
Lily_Rose Burgess
And a month from painting and at the time it was about 50% of the the money that I got from my other job. So I thought you know logically if I took out the other job and spent all that extra time.
08:19.44
charukaarora
Um, your job.
08:30.92
Lily_Rose Burgess
Deliberately marketing things and painting more paintings and having more time just to do it surely I could add on another 50% and make the same and so at the time. Yeah I I didn’t I didn’t for a long time into painting every day think. I’m gonna start a business from this I Only started having the thought that I could maybe have a business after I had earned like a reasonable amount of money sort of without too much effort. So It really wasn’t um.
09:03.42
charukaarora
Um, here.
09:06.93
Lily_Rose Burgess
It was never a planned thing. It was very serendipitous. Um, and as you said before it’s really snowballed into what it is now.
09:15.79
charukaarora
And so what does um what? how does your art practice business look like right now.
09:24.70
Lily_Rose Burgess
As it look right now. Um, my art practice is very chill actually because I have all this time for all the different tasks I have to do like. It’s usually you know I sort of reserve maybe one day a week for admin. Completely and take care of it all I was a maybe one day a week for packaging things and like organizing prints and everything um and the rest I spend planning paintings doing the paintings. Um also like interacting with people on social media I kind of do a bit of that every day. Because I have to and I like it and if I feel very tired I just don’t do anything and it’s really nice.
10:05.38
charukaarora
So you you seem very comfortable with social media Instagram which is something I think a lot of artists struggled with because I remember watching one of your reels where it was like you know you were giving tips on how you feel like a lot of artists be like.
10:14.96
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, yes.
10:24.90
charukaarora
Um, it is hard to document record and all of that and I would say um I would actually um I would say I lie myself a little bit here and there in both areas. But how.
10:30.66
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, yes.
10:41.94
charukaarora
Do you think has social media. How has social media been for you and what’s your relationship with it.
10:47.72
Lily_Rose Burgess
Okay, that’s a very good question. Um, so I I at the beginning really resented the fact that I had to be sharing my process and everything on here and then I had like totally an epiphany. And I was just like if there was no social media and I didn’t have to do this. It would be literally almost impossible for me to be able to pay it full time like I think people get very very upset because they feel like they’re being forced to do it. But when you look at it from a wider perspective like not that long ago you would be starving on the side of the road unless you’ve got your working with the gallery like this wasn’t a possibility before social media and it’s free to use and.
11:40.70
charukaarora
Um, and yeah.
11:42.34
Lily_Rose Burgess
It comes with a giant group of people who love you and just want to see you succeed like I have a really healthy relationship with social media now I think after I realize that like all of the resentment just went away and not it was replaced with gratitude because it’s ah it is. A such a powerful tool like a gallery can’t make you reach 10000000 people in thirty days but nothing what was that it is it is um and I think there is a lot to be said for.
12:07.80
charukaarora
Yeah, oh I Love that perspective. That’s a wonderful perspective I’m saying that’s a wonderful perspective.
12:21.40
charukaarora
Um, yes.
12:21.48
Lily_Rose Burgess
Mindset like you can look at things from any perspective you want to and I think if that’s possible to actually just change your perspective on things like it totally makes everything so much easier like everything seems really positive in my eyes in terms of social media like I mean. There are times where like it can get a little bit draining having to be on the phone all the time and everything but I just like and you do have to be like part of the like catch is you kind of have to be eternally present to have like a fully successful business.
12:43.20
charukaarora
Um, yes.
12:56.27
Lily_Rose Burgess
But that’s not the worst thing because like you’re just being present to people who value you and want to support you like the actual emotional positivity that comes from that having that group. It’s invaluable. It really is um so yeah, like there are of course yeah times as I said.
13:01.84
charukaarora
Um, yeah, um.
13:16.70
Lily_Rose Burgess
Where I just feel quite tired and I just make a point is take a day off it and then I feel better the next day I come back and everyone’s like left me really cute messages and comments and just makes me want to cry every time I think about it to be honest.
13:29.00
charukaarora
You But tell me something I think this is something I and I really want to ask people like of your reach and um I think the biggest advantage even though like I’m very tech friendly and I’m like you know. Indeed it came in front of Us. We’ve been an early adopters. But I think though Gen Z has a very different vipe and analog to us a lot of things I think that either a lot handson and a lot more like I think um, something that I personally feel has an obstruction a lot of times is I’ll really want to be present in my mind. My work and I’m very intuitive and I sometimes I’m just you know I’m I’m roaming around in the studio and I pick up things and then I’m trying to experiment and I don’t want to record because you know where you put your mind is like you know where it focuses and I think this is a constant strife where you know. Um, I Also remember you writing in one of the posts like performance. Um, even though as artists like performance has always been part of artists life in different forms us as visual artists when you know you’re doing a show. You’re staging things and you know.
14:33.24
Lily_Rose Burgess
This is.
14:41.27
charukaarora
But when you’re in the Studio. It’s mostly like it’s It’s real world. It’s it’s way less performance like that unless you choose to have it in your creative process. But with the intake of social media. That’s like that’s this like this exhaustion of making things look like a certain way. Um, you know. You know, also with with social media.. There’s a constant pressure of like oh your art needs to look beautiful. It needs to be shot in this way or you have to edit it in this way and there’s a whole ball different game like whole different game tell me some how um do you have these thoughts or in.
15:15.11
Lily_Rose Burgess
Inworth.
15:20.58
charukaarora
Is it just um I Really want to understand that I think people from different age groups react and respond to things different game. You all can like you know, learn um from each other. So I really want to see how you deal with it and how youfriend this idea.
15:34.22
Lily_Rose Burgess
Yeah, so there are times where I think you know I can’t be bothered to filming this life I Just want to paint it. And sometimes I just do that Sometimes I don’t film it and I’ll just post a photo of it when it’s done. Um I don’t feel pressure to make everything look Perfect. Um I feel like the real.
15:58.85
charukaarora
Um, but you have wonderful photos. You have a wonderful feed.
16:02.93
Lily_Rose Burgess
Yeah I Do I do try to keep it to my own personal high standards. But I Also don’t feel like I have to do that. It’s because I want to do it So I don’t feel like ah I’m being forced to do this or my count will die like I don’t feel that because I know. That the reason I’m here is because I’ve been very very transparent with everyone very authentic like it’s my main value in this whole art business is to be as transparent as possible which includes when things don’t turn out right? Um, or they look bad in my opinion.
16:35.00
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah.
16:39.88
Lily_Rose Burgess
I’m sort of embarrassed of it like I’ll just share it anyway and people really really respond to that because it makes me actually seem like a real person which I am and less like someone who’s just trying to put on a facade the whole time like I didn’t really realize.
16:47.99
charukaarora
Um, is.
16:54.88
charukaarora
Um, yes, and it’s exhausting and putting up a fazzar is exhausting. It’s a lot of work actually.
16:57.37
Lily_Rose Burgess
What was that. Ah, yeah, yeah, exactly that’s the whole like point like if you don’t put up a facade and you just learn to get comfortable with sharing which doesn’t take long after you try it the first few times because there’s always such a positive response to it. So If you’re not putting up a ah facade. You don’t get the same exhaustion of stuff and like if you can just be chill and transparent and authentic like I feel like filming things doesn’t feel as forced I feel.
17:37.68
charukaarora
Um, okay.
17:38.70
Lily_Rose Burgess
Like when I’m doing a painting like I want to show everyone how I’m doing this like it’s ah, an inner desire to share rather than I have to share sometimes I feel like I have to share when I’m burnt out and tired.
17:48.30
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
17:54.88
Lily_Rose Burgess
But on the whole I Just want to share with people so it doesn’t feel to me like a chore. Um, and I kind of like to look at it like you know I’m going to do thousands of paintings probably in my lifetime and I think it is such a special thing to be able to. Look back in a video of what you went through to create each piece like I like to make my big paintings videos quite like cinematic and it makes me smile so much putting them together and like having nice music with it like I love watching them So It’s also.
18:18.41
charukaarora
Um, yeah I saw.
18:28.96
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
18:32.87
Lily_Rose Burgess
I Think it’s important to do some soul-searching and try to sort of turn it into something positive for you as well instead of just a sure. But yeah also I do get what you were saying about like just wanting to be putting your mind into the painting and when I.
18:42.59
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
18:51.57
Lily_Rose Burgess
Have that feeling because it’s not all the time as I said when I do have that feeling I Just do that and I just share a photo. But yeah I mean like there are sort of you know, certain standards that you kind of have to comply to when making content and sharing images like with.
18:53.40
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
19:10.74
Lily_Rose Burgess
Editing them and making sure they look clean and nice just to satisfy the algorithm and everything but like you don’t have to do that every single time if that makes sense. So if you feel overwhelmed with that. Just.
19:22.20
charukaarora
Um, yeah, absolutely.
19:25.55
Lily_Rose Burgess
Take a break and just do what you can until you feel like you can manage it again.
19:31.50
charukaarora
Yeah, that’s I think that’s a great way to look at it. Okay, let’s let’s also talk about I think um, not only in the sense of social media. But um, so you don’t come from an art school if I’m right? yes.
19:32.45
Lily_Rose Burgess
Yeah.
19:43.68
Lily_Rose Burgess
No, not long.
19:48.40
charukaarora
And you put yourself through ah learning the business side of being an artist but also ah the creative side of being an artist and I think technically your work looks um, beautiful and you know it’s You’re very um, good with your own techniques and your own skill.
19:59.22
Lily_Rose Burgess
Thank you.
20:07.60
charukaarora
Let’s talk a little bit about um the process of how you have evolved yourself into that.
20:12.65
Lily_Rose Burgess
It was definitely a learning process. That’s for sure because as I said when I started this I had no intention of even doing it until it was like right in front of my face. So I didn’t have any real business training or anything like that. Um I sort of had to figure the the things out the hard way but I will say this because because when I was starting to share I wasn’t thinking I’m trying to sell this.
20:45.32
charukaarora
Yeah.
20:47.12
Lily_Rose Burgess
I Just came with this very real I shared my personal life and like other things because I mean I just changed it from a personal account to an art account. So I still had the lingering I want to share the random parts of me, not just the art and it was mostly my friends and family in the beginning anyway.
20:57.72
charukaarora
Um, yeah, he heard.
21:04.18
Lily_Rose Burgess
So it wasn’t like something I was scared to really do um, it just so happens that doing that exact thing is the best way to sell your art which is why the sales were coming to me without me understanding why it was because I was just not being like pleased by my work.
21:14.50
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah.
21:23.70
Lily_Rose Burgess
I’m selling this like I didn’t make that the top like the top thing that people would take away from my whole vibe in my account by accident. So that is I think the part that a lot of artists do struggle with.
21:33.70
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
21:40.70
Lily_Rose Burgess
Because a lot of the time they’re like I’m going to start an Instagram account to sell my art. So the first thing that is pleased by my art and they forget about the whole rest of what’s important with art sales which is transparency authenticity and actually coming across as like a full.
21:45.46
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
21:59.64
Lily_Rose Burgess
Fully rounded person. Um, so I already had that kind of down pat at the start by accident just pure luck because of the way things unfolded. Um, so.
22:01.98
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
22:08.33
charukaarora
I.
22:15.92
Lily_Rose Burgess
There were other things obviously that I really had to learn with the business side like just managing orders um, building websites. Not a good, a good time pricing.
22:25.92
charukaarora
Creo are pricing yourself as an artist one of the most common questions people. Oh what to sell at what to sell and how to sell and finding collectors and like how did you find all of these answers for yourself that what were your top resources.
22:36.92
Lily_Rose Burgess
Ah, like a lot a lot of it was getting help from people in the art community like there were times where I was sitting there thinking like man do I really have to learn this like what do you. Going on. Yeah, it know what? the what did I hate them most was it was website building. But yeah, so when that started like when I when I knew I should get 1 my partner and I tried to do it.
22:56.43
charukaarora
Um, like what did you hate the most. What did you hate the most. Oh.
23:12.53
Lily_Rose Burgess
Cheapest possible way like you can always pay extra for different services that make it easier and we try to do it the cheapest way. Oh I wish I could tell early Lily to not be a cheapass and just pay a little extra for your own set like sanity and so we put together the website.
23:25.27
charukaarora
Ah.
23:30.73
charukaarora
Um, yeah, um, yeah I can get that.
23:31.41
Lily_Rose Burgess
It took months like literally like two months of me having mental breakdowns every time I tried to do it and then I make friends I made friends with um, a woman called Victoria who is the artist behind the account very very drawers you know her account. She’s digital artist so she’s like my instagram bff and she perfect designer and her roommate the website developer and so I was like and you go I found the gold mine I was like hey girl.
23:48.99
charukaarora
Um, okay.
23:53.62
charukaarora
Um, oh Wow. Okay, oh you bought the match. You got your match.
24:06.21
Lily_Rose Burgess
Just made a website. You’re a good look at it and also like really excited I finally made it function and she goes on there and she comes back and she’s like oh babe this website owned by a russian landscape painter who’s like seventy years old and I was like it’s just read. She’s like let me just.
24:06.81
charukaarora
Again me.
24:20.72
charukaarora
Um, he oh my god.
24:25.20
Lily_Rose Burgess
Go in there and I’ll fix that for you so they did and they just spofed it up into the beautiful little website that it is today which I love so much like and that’s just from again just interacting with people making a friend and she loves me so much that she wanted to help me like that.
24:25.64
charukaarora
Oh.
24:34.91
charukaarora
Um, yes, yes.
24:42.96
charukaarora
Um, yeah I.
24:43.23
Lily_Rose Burgess
And so yeah, she has me with not only the website. She’s done all of my branding for me literally to perfection I could not imagine branding that I would like more than what she has done for me. She wouldn’t even let me pay her which I was very upset about.
24:49.64
charukaarora
Um, oh well.
24:58.38
charukaarora
Um, ah oh good.
25:02.77
Lily_Rose Burgess
But just out of the goodness of her heart. She did all this stuff for me and she was just a stranger that I met on Instagram like yeah so it it was a hard learning process with all of the different business related aspects of it. But.
25:10.60
charukaarora
Um, that’s so nice.
25:21.93
Lily_Rose Burgess
It would have been so much harder without the art community because if you just if you just if not.
25:23.70
charukaarora
Yeah, but tell me how about how about what was the response and is the response is people close to you your family your friends. The idea of you know, being artist and you know you know what’s even most dangerous I Really want to hear this. Let’s say you know when people start off.
25:32.52
Lily_Rose Burgess
What.
25:38.54
Lily_Rose Burgess
Yeah.
25:43.22
charukaarora
Um, you know they’re very very scared of oh my God What my friends are going to think about and specifically I think posting on social media. Um, are they going to make are they going to judge me are they’re going to make fun of me and like am I trying to be an influencer am I trying to be an artist or who like you know all of these questions that really like.
25:48.23
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, ah yeah.
26:01.83
Lily_Rose Burgess
Yes.
26:02.39
charukaarora
Care people off because it is hard to put yourself out there and you are scared of people who you know and what you like you know what the think of you specifically if you feel like they you know you don’t have the support. What was the scenario for you.
26:17.48
Lily_Rose Burgess
Yeah, so um, it definitely came as a shock to everyone I think when I was like yo I’m dropping out of my life dream goal of being a scientist.
26:27.70
charukaarora
Um.
26:29.84
Lily_Rose Burgess
And I because it wasn’t like drop out I Want to be an artist. It was like drop out nothing I’m gonna be an artist like like so it was definitely a shock I think everyone just thought you know was just doing it for fun which I was and then I wasn’t but I still am doing it for fun just have why I but.
26:33.96
charukaarora
Yeah, we had here The yeah.
26:42.60
charukaarora
And.
26:49.33
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, they didn’t I don’t think they ever would have guessed that I would have done this because of the fact like my whole family has always said you know don’t be an artist as a job because you’ll be like like they weren’t rude or mean about it like it was encouraging.
26:59.91
charukaarora
Um, oh my yeah.
27:05.34
Lily_Rose Burgess
Were just trying to make sure that I didn’t have my heart set on a job that they believed was impossible and like they’re not the only ones like literally everyone who has no idea about the power of social media thinks that because that’s how I was so um, yeah, so I actually I don’t I don’t know.
27:09.29
charukaarora
Um, job. That’s.
27:12.27
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah.
27:25.32
Lily_Rose Burgess
I didn’t feel afraid to tell them because my family although they have their opinions on things including this in the beginning every time I’ve said I’m going to do this. They’ve always supported me no matter no matter what? um.
27:40.57
charukaarora
Tippot or 2
27:43.86
Lily_Rose Burgess
What it was seriously I called my mom and I was like Mom I’m dropping out of Union I can’t do this I hate it and she’s like we trust you whatever you want to? do you do it and I was like well that was easy. So like I saw that response like I just said you know I’m gonna.
27:49.95
charukaarora
Um, okay, yeah, yeah.
28:02.80
Lily_Rose Burgess
Do this full time because I can’t be working at this accounting firm anymore and I’m already you know making pretty reasonable money like just through the the money part in there real Quickt just to remind them. You know I’m actually not going to be broke. Um, and they were like okay kid just do your best and see how it goes.
28:13.15
charukaarora
Um, hey.
28:18.57
charukaarora
Um, yeah, and.
28:19.88
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, so I didn’t really have any worries telling them that but and I also didn’t really care what my friends thought I just I have always been someone who has a lot of belief in herself like I I Always think you know I can do this? whatever it is. If I have to do it I’ll do it like I don’t know I can if I really want it bad enough. Um, so I really didn’t care what anyone thought because I knew in my heart of hearts that I would make it work and everyone regret judging me.
28:52.57
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
28:57.18
charukaarora
Um I Love this I think you have a very interesting and a very positive way of spinning things in favor of you so that you can you know? um I think sometimes you have to trick your mind sometimes you have to change your mind.
28:59.74
Lily_Rose Burgess
That’s what they would choose to do like yes.
29:14.55
charukaarora
Think and react and you know behave in a certain way and I think I think I can see that um that you really, you’re not really hardworking but you really also put that effort in reframing those thoughts for yourself.
29:15.92
Lily_Rose Burgess
Yeah.
29:27.86
Lily_Rose Burgess
It’s like 1 of the most important things you have to be able to rearframe hey you think about certain things because like even though it’s a very fun job. There are times that are super stressful like the whole thing is running social media like.
29:40.60
charukaarora
Um, yeah, absolutely you Oh social media is hell of a stress I mean.
29:43.61
Lily_Rose Burgess
But if someone ah it is it is like even though like I’ve got a really great big supportive audience like if someone leaves me a mean comment like it hurts my feelings and I feel like sad for a day and so I think it’s really important to just be able to come back. To the fact that there’s like almost 150000 people who love everything I ever do and 1 person who walk with you. Yes, what.
30:07.29
charukaarora
Do it? Okay, tell me something tell me something How about how do you think social media and the validation set social media brings it has impacted all of us. Um, how do you?? you know? How do you react to this idea. Of feeling validated by social media and how do you also try to balance that that constant validation we get instantly the moment you know you post something share something um and how does it impact your own work as well.
30:28.19
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, me and lu.
30:40.93
Lily_Rose Burgess
So it’s a really good question. Um, and it has been probably 1 of the hardest things to get around in this job like literally 1 of the hardest because like if you think about it. It’s kind of logical but it’s also kind of not like my whole income rests. On my my content performing relatively? Well so when I like say it’s been a ah month of less sales just because sometimes people aren’t in the mood to buy art at that time. Um, like if if everything is not performing. Well it all builds up into this.
31:00.92
charukaarora
Um, yeah, that’s.
31:16.27
Lily_Rose Burgess
Oh my God My business is going to fail. What am I going to do like I come I can’t control this like I’m doing my best and then it ends up being a big old crying session. So I’m still trying to.
31:19.11
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah.
31:30.60
Lily_Rose Burgess
Really accept in my mind that it’s always gonna get better because I’m not even kidding every single time I have had a mental breakdown over this exact thing as soon as I stop crying and go and just make a real it always does well like really well.
31:39.52
charukaarora
Um.
31:45.88
charukaarora
I.
31:48.34
Lily_Rose Burgess
It’s like a consensus that I’ve gotten over the depression and gone back up again and it’s like okay yes, let’s go and it pushes me up with it. So I Just it’s super important to always remember that things will always turn around if you keep showing up and it’s really really hard to have that like that thought. In the moment while you’re in the middle of the suffering you know so I don’t know if there is a real solution to this other than just time and experience and practice because it really does feel bad sometimes and there is definitely.
32:10.10
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
32:26.35
Lily_Rose Burgess
Some work to be done in terms of not having to feel validated by how things are performing. Um, yeah, it’s probably 1 of my biggest struggles but that being said, it doesn’t impact me so frequently and so much that I can’t do this.
32:34.94
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
32:41.92
Lily_Rose Burgess
Like I absolutely can I’ve got so much energy left for this job. It’s so fun I can do pretty much whatever I want I don’t have to answer to a toxic boss like I can be coat coated in my cats all day if I wanted to like if that is the bad side of things.
32:56.11
charukaarora
Um, yeah, you’re okay with it. Yeah, they everything you will have you.
33:02.30
Lily_Rose Burgess
That’s just normal I am okay with it like every every job every single job I’s got a side to it that the person is going to dislike and if that’s the worst that I have to deal with I’m live in a pretty happy life. Honestly, it’s only sometimes.
33:12.96
charukaarora
Yeah.
33:16.64
charukaarora
Um, yeah, yeah I love that I.
33:20.88
Lily_Rose Burgess
And I think that’s very normal. So yeah, it’s just going to be a ah practice thing like I feel like because because my sales rest on things performing relatively? Well, it will always be something that I I feel like like I have to. Like it’ll always be you know I’ll always feel like I need to be validated by how things perform to some degree I don’t think you can ever really let go of that like I’ve tried very hard and like when things go Well it is It is.
33:46.11
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
33:50.59
charukaarora
I Think social media is why that way I think social media is why that way because it’s very hard to escape and I think that is I think what you said and I think I have always repetitly said the same thing that I love I think social media gave me a beautiful community Arts two Huts project.
34:09.14
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, exactly.
34:10.19
charukaarora
Um, connections that I don’t think I would have been made like it just wouldn’t have been possible I think the only way um, the only hard thing about social media is um, the way it’s built. It’s very consuming it really consumes your mind and soul.
34:17.59
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, yeah, exactly.
34:27.96
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, they and.
34:29.95
charukaarora
And if I think the takeaway of these beautiful relationships that we are able to build and that go be beyond social media today I have a cute beautiful community and relationship that I cherish and they started off with social media. Um, but they are no longer.
34:41.51
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, yeah.
34:47.55
charukaarora
Um, you’re like yeah, they’ve gone paid beyond that and I think I definitely have social media to thank for it. But also like I think something that you’re all dealing with how we how we take the advantages but also not something that takes over so much of who we are that you struggle to you know.
34:53.29
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, yes.
35:07.00
Lily_Rose Burgess
And do do you know what? I think the like the thing is that can stop that from happening I think it is the community because every single time I have had a mental breakdown about performance I I tell one of my friends on Instagram who’s.
35:07.31
charukaarora
Put your pieces together.
35:19.70
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
35:26.17
Lily_Rose Burgess
Probably dealing with exactly the same thing and we talk about it and then I feel completely better after just having a conversation. So I Think as long as like if you’re experiencing that a lot and it’s starting to feel like you just can’t stand to be on the app anymore. Just take time. To speak to people and just interact and tell people how it’s making people.
35:43.83
charukaarora
Time. Yeah, also take taking time to disconnect. It’s I think that we all need to more about like it’s okay if you feel overed I take huge breaks and because I have I spend so much of my time online in the sense of you know Arts too. Heart’s my own practice. Working with people. Um, sometimes it gets it gets a lot and you have to like the need to switch things off and like you know, go into the real world. Another question I have how do you deal with loneliness loneliness as an artist I think.
36:09.32
Lily_Rose Burgess
Exactly yeah, how do I deal with loneliness. It is something that I have been thinking about recently. But here’s the thing so I have always been very. Happy to do things by myself like I do enjoy social events and hanging out with my friend here I’ve got 1 friend here 1 one in person. Um I do like it. But after a short period of time I start being like.
36:44.59
charukaarora
Um.
36:47.54
Lily_Rose Burgess
Can’t wait to go home and be in my studio like a little recluse like I think it really this job really does match my personality and so I have thought you know like I would love I would love it if I had people around me who I could paint with.
36:47.87
charukaarora
Sin.
36:56.36
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
37:03.82
Lily_Rose Burgess
And I mean I’m never really gonna meet them if there are because I’m always in my studio in my house on my phone and with my paints. So ah, if there is like people in the area who do like painting like I won’t ever meet them out and about at anything I Also live. Quite far out of the Cbd So There’s much less sort of gatherings of people I guess and less things to do. It’s more just like peaceful with no drug addicts type of vipe so it is. It’s a gray area.
37:37.82
charukaarora
Um, sounds like an isaiah place.
37:41.80
Lily_Rose Burgess
So that is the sort of downside of it. However, it is unbelievable to me how fulfilled I feel just speaking to people online like even though I cannot paint with them in person or really even see them in person.
37:52.46
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
38:01.20
Lily_Rose Burgess
Like even if they’re on the opposite side of the world to me I still feel like that social element of what I would be craving is 100% satisfied so I don’t really feel like intense loneliness.
38:15.35
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
38:20.40
Lily_Rose Burgess
Purely because I know that there’s one ah 50000 people or so that I could be speaking to who love art and who love what I do and can talk to me about what I do and what they do people that I’ve got common interests with and you know Zoom exists.
38:36.77
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
38:38.60
Lily_Rose Burgess
And I have done zooms with people this month I’ve opened up 10 spots for like mentorship on business related things or art theory related stuff and it has been so refreshing to me to have a Zoom call with these people.
38:48.10
charukaarora
Um, and.
38:55.59
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
38:55.61
Lily_Rose Burgess
It’s just me right? like I’ve always extended the time that I’ve said I would have the call for just because I’m enjoying having a yabber with everyone you know so I feel like I get almost too much social time. It’s just not in the same way that other people do it and I think that.
39:02.86
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
39:10.37
charukaarora
Ah, yeah.
39:14.31
Lily_Rose Burgess
It’s very important that you can learn to like get that fulfillment from social media if that’s if this is the sort of job that you have because that’s kind of.
39:25.39
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
39:28.63
Lily_Rose Burgess
Like if you don’t already have good friends that you hang out with all the time like there’s not really any alternative and these people are still real people like they’re not like pretend people just because they’re online like there’s so much to learn about them. There is I’ve got so many friends from Instagram.
39:34.93
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
39:43.73
charukaarora
I love that? Yeah and I think yeah I mean I think the definition of relationships has changed. Um I think I personally didn’t find a lot of people myself and I started my career specifically as an artist. Um, that I felt like I resonated with and I was very very grateful. Still one of the people that I feel closest to as as a business owner as as an artist as ah as a creator and all are people who haven’t been able to met so like you know meet so far yet. Because we will live in different parts of the world. But we’ve been speaking connecting working together for the past couple of years and I mean this is a new way of making relationships and um it is like you know I’d rather you know you’d rather have ah a meaningful conversation with someone for a short period of time. Or who so sitting on other side of the world then you feel forced to just choose but choose with people who truly don’t get what you you know? what? you want to talk about who you are you know your ideas and you know creativity.
40:45.36
Lily_Rose Burgess
Exactly exactly like I don’t know 1 person in person who even likes art so that like my best friend like she always asks like how it’s going and everything and.
40:57.28
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
41:03.35
Lily_Rose Burgess
Like it’s always like curious about like how like whatever what is happening and just like what I’m working on and stuff like that but she doesn’t have the same I know what you’re talking about sort Of. Vibe. So. It’s not usually a very long conversation and I obviously very much appreciate that she if and asks. But like there’s something different about having a a good art chat with someone who knows exactly what you’re talking about and so.
41:20.13
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
41:29.85
charukaarora
Um, yeah, you watching me? yeah.
41:34.70
Lily_Rose Burgess
Yeah I think you’re right about relationship. The definition of it just changing with the introduction of social media is so cool. You can just connect with anyone anywhere in the world speaking to them live and this is like that have so many more.
41:41.15
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
41:48.40
charukaarora
Yeah I mean this podcast is out to north yeah internet and you know I think it’s such a powerful tool if you use it in a balance and more like in um, being more aware I think where we lost momentum in the sense of our mental help was. I Think overdo of anything is harmful. Um, it’s just not social media. It’s anything So As long as we understand who we and we’re trying to balance it off with what we you know what our life need to look like I think we can all find our ways.
42:08.83
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, yeah.
42:20.67
Lily_Rose Burgess
Yeah, exactly right? No I Totally agree with you there. Um, it is very important to be just generally aware of the role that social media plays in your life like I think it’s different. Maybe for people who just browse. Social media as an entertainment source than it is for someone who runs ah their whole livelihood on it like you you just have to be aware of the role that it serves so like if I didn’t run a business and I was on my phone this much on social media I think I would be very.
42:54.92
charukaarora
Yeah, they do it and debate.
42:57.14
Lily_Rose Burgess
Mentally not cool because I’m on it literally that much but because I have a business and I get to interact with people who support my business it it sort of takes on a different form in my mind.
43:10.67
charukaarora
Yeah, yeah, thank you so much Lily Thank you so much for this wonderful chat I had a great time speaking you and I have it’s I have a little fun segment which is um, a little rapid fire. So are you ready.
43:16.65
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, you seem welcome. It’s been awesome.
43:28.80
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, a rapid fire of what exactly support go Alright I’m doing it go for it.
43:29.26
charukaarora
Just random questions to give a yeah, just just go with the flow hack. It. Yeah did here we go creativity of perfectionism which is more important to you in your practice. Like at early morning or late night which is your prefer time for creating.
43:46.36
Lily_Rose Burgess
Creativity.
43:54.53
Lily_Rose Burgess
For painting knife up I’m in the middle of the daylaugh of person. But if I had to choose ah we say later night.
43:58.68
charukaarora
Are.
44:04.80
charukaarora
Okay, your middle of the day because where of where you live. It’s always.
44:07.77
Lily_Rose Burgess
Yeah I just I I get up at 9 on the dot I don’t get up any earlier than that I wish I could I really wish I was a morning person and I wish I felt like painting in the morning but instead I feel dead. So.
44:21.79
charukaarora
And then.
44:23.14
Lily_Rose Burgess
Can’t paint Obviously when I feel that way I usually get my energy at night who music. Yeah blasting music. What music.
44:26.94
charukaarora
Okay, music or silence What kind of atmosphere. Do you like when you you know painting like what music Oh goodness.
44:40.20
Lily_Rose Burgess
A lot of different types of music I’ve got like I like sort of lofi type of things maybe indie or alternative music I also love music from the 50 s like.
44:52.70
charukaarora
Um, oh.
44:52.90
Lily_Rose Burgess
Old stuff I put it on my stories a lot I think it goes really Well I Love that love it. Um, eighty s music I Also love like I Love a lot of music. It’s kind of hard to pick favorites.
45:04.91
charukaarora
Ah, okay, what was the best piece of advice you have been given by another artist.
45:09.20
Lily_Rose Burgess
Oh That’s such a hard rapid fire question. The best piece of advice probably the probably the best piece of advice was actually being told about how. Authenticity relates to art sales like as I said I was doing it by accident but I had no idea why I was getting art sales and so for me to be told that that was the reason why and explaining why it works that way I think knowing that. Was a huge game changer so that I would understand better how to create the content that I needed to create and grow without just sort of accidentally doing it sometimes like I can then know exactly what I have to do and the clarity was just like a game changer.
46:00.69
charukaarora
What has been your biggest struggles so far.
46:06.35
Lily_Rose Burgess
My biggest struggle so far it was probably trying to build the website. It was honest like I can’t think of something worse. It’s always the first thing that p into my head I hated it that much.
46:17.30
charukaarora
Um, that’s been.
46:23.49
charukaarora
Fair, fair, fair enough. Okay, how do you keep up with creative blocks.
46:24.37
Lily_Rose Burgess
It was so hard.
46:31.51
Lily_Rose Burgess
Oh that’s a good question. Um I think I’m very quick to recognize when I’m getting a creative block and I just do nothing and then I I go out somewhere like on a walk or I sometimes take like a day off in the month to go. Somewhere really pretty and just suck up the inspiration and I think if you can identify when the block is coming on. It’s a sign that you need to stop and take time to absorb inspiration because it’s really like a fifty fifty thing like 50%
47:00.16
charukaarora
At.
47:07.78
Lily_Rose Burgess
Creative Output 50% Creative input and I think everyone at some point neglects the creative input Part. So I like to try to prevent creative block for a long time at least By. Being very conscious all the time of all of the cute stuff happening everywhere like right now I’m looking out the window and the sun just looks really cute on everything and I’m just sucking it in while I’m talking to you like the smell of coffee or something my cat’s doing cute stuff like eating delicious cake like.
47:38.64
charukaarora
Um, yeah.
47:44.67
Lily_Rose Burgess
All those things I and go oh I have to paint something so I don’t get creative block very much because I think I’m very conscious about letting there be time for creative input.
47:45.73
charukaarora
Um.
47:55.51
charukaarora
Yeah, perfect. Thank you so much lay. Thank you so much for your time before I let can you can you let us know where people can you know find you connect with you and you know if you have anything coming up that we can support you with.
48:03.80
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, so welcome. Thanks.
48:13.96
Lily_Rose Burgess
Sure? Well I mean the most obvious place to find me is Instagram because that will always be my favorite platform for sharing art I’m also on Tiktok. Um, but I don’t like Tiktok very much. Think it’s a very vicious place in comparison to the Instagram Art Community um so I don’t post on there as frequently. So anyone who wants very frequent updates like every single day every minute of every day um is Instagram and.
48:43.74
charukaarora
Um, and.
48:46.38
Lily_Rose Burgess
Obviously you can check out my website as well which is in my Instagram bio and things that are coming up would be my barley trip. Um, which is going to be in October in the first week where um and I still have quite a few like spots open to people and.
48:54.41
charukaarora
Oh yeah.
49:05.54
Lily_Rose Burgess
We’re going to basically go there and have a giant group holiday and paint together and I like I’ll have a certain amount of like stuff to teach and we’ll do yeah painting together can’t can’t wait literally that the coolest thing I’ve ever heard of in my whole life I’m so excited I am so.
49:07.82
charukaarora
Um, um, that.
49:21.26
charukaarora
That is like quite an interesting project I think that’s quite an interesting project like in itself.
49:23.94
Lily_Rose Burgess
Something What was that it really is. It’s gonna be quite excellent I think um, all of the like activities that we’re gonna be doing. There are all art related things in terms of Bolynes culture. So like. Traditional fabric dye um and like speaking to a local artist and like having a traditional bolynes tattoo experience like really cool stuff is gonna be too cool too. Cool Can’t believe it’s real.
49:55.31
charukaarora
I Wish you the best and I hope you have a fantastic time and I hope anyone listening to this episode who likes this who wants to connect further I I recommend you looking at the details of the trip and connect with layly further.
50:01.60
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, let me feel it.
50:14.16
charukaarora
And thank you so much. Lily thank you so much for your time and I wish you the best. Absolutely.
50:17.21
Lily_Rose Burgess
Um, thank you for having me. It was so good I wasia.
50:24.75
charukaarora
Written.
