Creative Connectors - No. 15- Whitney Alyssa
@artbywhitneyalyssa - Handmade Sustainably Sewn Paper Landscapes
About this Resource:
*Creative Connectors is a series of case studies showing how “success-FULL” artists & creators are connecting with their true fans and a follow-up tool from the free resource The Connection Blueprint by Stop The Starving Artist.
Each example in this series is made up of the creator (or artist), the vehicle (or creation), and the 3 connection components - the belief, opponent, and story.
Use these case studies to see how YOU could better authentically connect with your audience through your own work, social media, and heART based marketing.
✅ The Creator (Sewn Abstract Artist): Whitney Alyssa
The creator we’re studying today is Whitney Alyssa who’s a sewn abstract artist in the San Francisco Bay Area. After traveling the country and settling in California — she was drawn to the vast mountain ranges, morning fog rolling over the hills and sunset beaches and discovered the catalyst for her art there. “Much of my inspiration comes from nature. The environment and sustainability is very important to me, so it plays a significant role in my work.”
✅ The Vehicle (The Creation): Sewn Abstract Art
Let’s take a look at some of her latest posts. Whitney Alyssa combines her own hand-painted and handmade papers, collages the paper together to create unique abstract landscapes and then sews them together. The pieces require multiple steps and she often films the process of her creations and shares the transformation from beginning to end.
⚠️⚠️⚠️The 3 Components That Make It Connect:
NOW FOR THE GOLD! In the Connection Blueprint, we outline 3 important components that allow your fans to establish a quicker and more compelling connection with YOU as the artist: Your Belief, Opponent, and Story.
Check out the hand picked content below and let us know in the comments if you can spot the BELIEF, OPPONENT, and STORY.
Now.. Share what jumps out at you:
Here are just a few examples we spotted on how she uses these 3 components to connect with her audience in an authentic, true to self, and success-FULL way:
⚠️ Belief:
“If you stand for something you will have people for you and people against you. But if you stand for nothing you will have nobody for you and nobody against you.”
-Maurice Saatchi
Whitney shows her humanity through the presentation of her work as well as the behind the scenes. Here are a couple beliefs we’ve noticed:
Whitney is transparent and honest about her process with her fans.Her willingness to show the process shows she trusts them to come along for the ride.
She is inclusive and often asks for feedback as well as what fans would prefer as a color scheme or a style.
She runs a small business on top of having a family. All of these are important to her as well as her faith.
⚠️ Opponent:
”The formulation of the problem is often more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skill.” ― Albert Einstein
The opponent defines the problem you and your fans are up against. If you know the problem well, the solution you could offer your fans becomes more clear.
Whitney counters those artists who don’t show the behind the scenes. She suggests her opponents while remaining positive by countering the false perception of perfect & effortless.
There’s a lot that goes into her art business. She is adamant on showing the process so that others see what she makes isn’t “just watercolor”.
⚠️ Story:
Your story defines your opponent. Your belief, then is shaped when you have something to say. What happened in your life that causes you to stand for something? This doesn’t mean you have to be vulnerable all the time, but it should be something relatable to your people.
Fans of Whitney Alyssa know she started in New York City as a wedding gown designer. “I was in the bridal sector for the majority of my career, which is where the sewing element of my work comes from.” So many of us know what it’s like to be in an industry that impacted us creatively. When her 32 year old sister graduated College, she noted, “…it’s never too late to change course and live out your dreams.”
Whitney’s a mother of two who values family even when behind on commissions. She will set her oldest beside her with coloring pages and her own paints and they will paint together valuing the moment rather than the deadline.
To see more sewn abstract art, follow Whitney Alyssa on Instagram: @artbywhitneyalyssa
What else did you notice? Got another creative you’d like us to do a case study on?