Right now, how confident are you in your ability to sell your art or craft?

If you were selling at a show and someone asked you, "Do you make these?" would you know how to answer?

Are you making a big mistake when you respond to "Oh, I just love your work?
Welcome to The Shy Artist!

My name is Loretta Alvarado and I've been a professional artist for over 20 years. In that time, I've gained a huge amount of knowledge about selling art and crafts. I gained that knowledge by making a lot of mistakes. I'd like to share that knowledge with you so you don't make the same mistakes I have.

As an artist or crafter, you hear a lot of the same questions and comments over and over again. If you hear them often enough, they start to become really annoying. Have you ever said to yourself, "If I hear, 'Do you make these?' one more time, I'm going to scream?"

When you hear one of these questions or comments, do you respond in the way that you would like?
  • Do you sometimes stumble over the words?
  • Do you sometimes blurt out a retort, but it's not what you intended to say?
  • Or maybe, do you not say anything at all?

If this sounds like you, then there is an answer. It is going to take some work. And, if you are willing to put in the effort, then I promise that you will have a much easier time dealing with annoying questions and comments and, in the process, become more successful selling your art or crafts.

But first, let me share some background with you. I am an artist. Yes, I can finally say that with pride. I didn't start out as an artist, though. My first career was as an engineer. I worked for NASA. I spent all of my time around scientists. I learned to speak in acronyms, multi-syllable words, and lot of numbers.

I got so used to speaking this way that it became normal. When I was out in the real world, I couldn't figure out why no one could understand what I was saying. This was how I was when I started my art career.

When I tried talking to customers, I would get blank stares. They would politely listen, and then walk away. Little by little, I learned some communication skills by emulating other artists.

The problem was, there was still so much that I didn't know.

My breakthrough came one day when I heard the "Do you make these?" question one too many times. Here we go again. Someone was asking me one of those really annoying questions and all I could do to answer was grit my teeth and say, "Yes."

As I was driving home that evening my engineer brain was at work. I started realizing that there was a pattern. All annoying questions or annoying comments had a similar reason for being asked.

I realized that the person asking that supposedly annoying question or saying that apparently annoying comment was merely trying to start a conversation.

So, here I was getting annoyed for absolutely no reason at all!

People generally do not set out to annoy us. Customers are not purposely trying to irritate us. Patrons are not intentionally being aggravating.

The problem was with me!      

I finally understood. It was the way I was interpreting what I was hearing.

Once I realized the problem, I could start addressing the solution. First, I looked at each of the questions and comments that I heard all the time. How was I responding to them?
  • Did I respond in a way that engaged my customers?
  • Did I answer in a way that made my customer think?
  • Did I respond in a way that would continue the conversation?

No, I didn't. Most of the time, my response would consist of either, "Yes," or "No," or "Thank you." Sometimes all I would do was just smile. With scintillating conversation like that, it's no wonder my customers didn't stick around long enough to buy anything.



Here's a short six minute clip from one of my classes:




The key was turning those annoying questions
and annoying comments into a dialog.

Now that I have ready answers to my most common annoying questions, it is much easier to guide the conversations with my customers. Having the perfect response for my common annoying comments has made me more successful selling my work. And, being ready with a comeback means I'm no longer tongue tied every time I talk to a customer.

I am an artist. I love what I do. I don't want to go back to a "real" job. So, I do what ever I can to learn how to be successful. Do you want to be a successful artist or crafter?
  • If you are having trouble answering annoying questions and comments
  • If you want to know the best ways to respond to your customers
  • If you want to engage your customers
  • If you want to have better conversations with your customers
  • If you want to be more successful as an artist or crafter
  • If you want to sell more art or craft
  • If you want to learn how to turn your customers into buyers

then click the button below to purchase your copy of "The Shy Artist's Guide to Answering Questions - How to respond to all those annoying questions and comments you get from your customers."


This book is a comprehensive guide to the most common questions and comments that artists and crafters hear about their work. It is filled with suggestions on how to answer dozens of the most common annoying questions and comments like these:
  • How long did it take you to make that?
  • Oh, I could make that.
  • Can you give me a discount?
  • Why is this so expensive?
  • Where do you get your ideas?
  • Do you give classes?
  • Where’s the bathroom?
  • Does this match my sofa?
  • Do you paint dogs?
  • This will look great in my bathroom.
  • My kid can paint better than that!
  • I'll be back.
  • Your work is beautiful. I just love it!
  • Where did you get your tent?
  • No thank you, I'm just looking.
  • Can I take a picture?
  • Will this break?
  • And many, many more.

Knowing in advance how to respond to your most common questions and comments will make you a better communicator. Being able to have more meaningful dialogs with your customers will increase your chances of making sales. And we all want to sell more art or craft, don't we?

So, let's get started learning how to respond to all those annoying questions and comments, shall we?

Click here to get your copy of

The Shy Artist’s Guide to Answering Questions
How to respond to all those annoying questions and
comments you get from your customers.











 Click here for a preview.