As many of you already know, this year (2023), I have started coaching Islamic art artists. I love to challenge myself with new ways of communicating with you and helping you fulfil your dreams.

In this blog post, I want to explain how I came up with that idea and how it works.

THE STORY

I discovered Islamic geometry in late 2016, and the year after, I started selling my artwork. What started as a hobby soon became a side hustle, and I wanted more.

So I started to sell my work, companies contacted me for collaborations, I did a couple of in-person workshops in Italy and Spain, and then came a group exhibition with Art of Islamic Pattern… Well, you can already see the breadth of opportunities, right?

But there was always something missing. Even if I was good at Islamic geometry, I didn’t have a clue about teaching, exhibitions and company collaborations. I wanted to create a thriving business and be a full-time artist, but I couldn’t find one person in the Islamic art field who could teach me all of that.

I often had to piece together my knowledge from various sources, teaching myself how to be customer service, virtual assistant, marketing expert, web designer, content creator, video editor, salesman, researcher, and literally any role that exists. 

SHARING IS CARING

It took me 6 years (yes, 6 YEARS) to finally crack the code and be able to leave my full-time job to be a full-time artist. And I think no one should wait 6 years to see their dreams come true.

And this is the first reason why I’ve started coaching Islamic art artists.

Being self-taught is really tough. You don’t know if what you’re doing is okay or if it’s going to work or not. And everything takes such a HUGE amount of time because you need to research every time. 

You have to construct a pattern? Research.

You have to price your work? Research.

You have to set up a website? Research.

And that, believe me, can be overwhelming, especially when Google Analytics gives you an error code, and you have to spend your days on forums trying to solve that (wow, this is very specific Sandy!). I don’t even want to go into the depth of accountability, lack of motivation, procrastination and so on.

ASKING FOR IT

If you know anything about marketing, you also know that you can’t sell something your audience doesn’t want. Market research is always the first step (ding ding ding – that’s a free coaching tip for you!).

During these 6 years, I have received TONS of questions from you. Some of you are just people who do Islamic geometry for fun and don’t intend to have a career in it. While many of you are starting to receive queries from potential customers, and they start selling their prints and so on.

But that’s not all. I have already done dozens of discovery calls, and I am mesmerized by the breadth of applications and different ideas that you want to create in the world using Islamic art.

During one of those discovery calls I even cried because I was so touched by the idea of the person that is now my coachee. You inspire me!

I’M A PSYCHO

Okay, this header seems weird, so let me rephrase it.

If you think that Islamic geometry is my only passion, you are wrong. I LOVE studying and reading about psychology and I have done many self-development courses so far.

When I coach, I also love discovering the limiting beliefs that my coachees have, expanding their views by unlocking their potential. You may say I am a wholistic coach because I look at every detail to make sure you can thrive.

If you find yourself sabotaging your success, whether it’s by procrastinating, feeling overwhelmed or giving up too soon, and you don’t know why, that’s exactly when you know you need a coach.

I’ve been there, believe me. We artists are our worst enemies.

This new coaching thing fulfils me so much you can’t even imagine. This is why I started coaching Islamic art artists, and I believe that with the right strategy, EVERY artist can make a living out of their art.

If you felt like I was speaking to you while reading this, and you find yourself thinking “Oh my goodness, this is exactly what I need”, book a 15-min discovery call with me. If, during the discovery call, you find out that I am a good fit for you, we can move forward. Otherwise, it would be a well-spent 15 minutes chatting about something we are both passionate about.

Whatever you decide, make sure to follow that little voice in your head that says “You can do it”.

Related content:

How to stop comparing your drawing to others’

3 beliefs and misconceptions stopping you from being an artist

7 ways to overcome self-doubt as an artist