We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rachel Christopoulos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rachel below.
Rachel, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
For me, Imposter Syndrome manifested itself with feelings of insecurity around sharing my work. While I was learning how to make my art and try to sell it at the same time, every time I would ask for the sale I’d feel like I was ripping people off. Like my work wasn’t worthy of being seen, shared, or complimented because I didn’t know how I’d made it and I didn’t even know if it was mine.
Being persistent despite these feelings and learning more about myself as an artist helped overcome the feeling that I wasn’t supposed to be in the art space. Even if I had “snuck in the backdoor” when I first got there, I know I can confidently claim a spot at the party because I know my work and I know it’s mine. If you keep going even when you have no idea what you’re doing, eventually you learn and grow in a unique to you way.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m an acrylic figurative artist. I’ve done everything from licensing to commissions, teaching and coaching to selling in person. I really love all components of being a modern day artist! I didn’t go to art school, I never had any desire to. My artistic passion is pursued because it’s fun and I really do love running a small business. There’s nothing like being faced with a challenge, brainstorming a way through, and overcoming in a way that brings you little or big victories. Knowing I play a major part in the way my life is going is one of the coolest and scariest parts of being self-employed.
Right now I’m most excited about my personal project, Art Crisis, a podcast on Spotify aimed to help other artists survive the moments of panic when creating!
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?
I really think being flexible and curious, thirsty for knowledge, and self-disciplined are the things that have really helped me as an artist begin to see growth. Things did not come quickly and they usually took multiple tries before they stuck.
To me, it’s not about the money, it’s about enjoying the work. About helping others explore their passion and in turn learning more about mine. The richness fuels the benefits (tangible and non-tangible!). You have to be persistent in your pursuit of what you love. As cliche as it sounds, you have to focus on the journey and not the destination.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
Time. Unfortunately there is little I can do to create more time, but letting go of other projects makes me feel like am.
It is hard to be an artist and have other responsibilities. It’s hard to have multiple things in your life that you want to accomplish but know that you need to sacrifice some for others during certain seasons. Right now, I have three little boys (all at home) that take up most of my day. It forces me to cut the fat and be as productive as possible in the few hours I have. It’s a struggle to stay sane but at the end of the day I can say I wouldn’t change it even if my pace on pursuing art has slowed recently.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rachelsshoppe.com
- Instagram: @rachelsshoppe.co
