Meet Alicia Puig

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alicia Puig. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alicia below.

Alicia, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
You need to know your worth. If you know you have the solution to a problem or the best idea or an important suggestion, speak up. Don’t feel like you have prove yourself, but take up space and show that you know you belong. Do your best to tune out any awkwardness – sometimes others don’t notice you’re the only one that’s different even when for you it’s extremely obvious. All of these are steps that I have worked on as I have grown as an entrepreneur, but I catch myself fighting them on occasion as they go against my natural tendencies as an introvert. So, give yourself grace too. It’s not easy being or feeling like the ‘odd one out’.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a gallery owner, two-time author, and arts writer. My gallery is called PxP Contemporary and it will be celebrating 5 years in business in May of 2024, which is such an exciting milestone for us! I represent 30+ international emerging artists working primarily in painting, sculpture, collage, and mixed media. I’ve also written two books with my business partner, Ekaterina Popova, The Complete Smartist Guide (2020) and The Creative Business Handbook (2023).  I’m aiming to start my first solo book project this year.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The first is writing. I will always have room to continue to improve as an arts journalist and author, but I would not be where I am today without this essential skill. To me, developing this skill is actually quite simple: read more and practice writing (and have a trusted friend or peer read over your work before submitting it anywhere!).

I would also say pitching/cold emails because there was a marked turning point in my career when I finally began to ask for what I wanted (in a strategic way) instead of waiting for opportunities to come to me. Again, this one comes from strong writing skills and practice.

And although it’s a soft skill, I have to include persistence. Putting yourself out there inevitably comes with a fair amount of rejection so you have to learn how to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep forging ahead. Sometimes the important breakthroughs only happen after that second attempt or third follow-up message. I think the best way to get better at being persistent is to remember your motivation. If you often find yourself giving up or on the verge of quitting, was the thing you wanted to do truly that important to you in the first place?

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
How to Write About Contemporary Art by Gilda Williams and Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer are great books for aspiring writers & art writers. I don’t want to give anything away – just read them!

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Image Credits
Emily Grace Photography

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