Finding something that really suits you and then it all just clicks. And so in my case, it really felt like right from the start, yeah, this is me, this is what I want to do. This makes total sense. And then it's amazing when you're connecting with other people and they really appreciate it. So you get that immediate feedback. I'm Becca Poutney, wedding business marketing expert, speaker and blogger, and you're listening to the Wedding Pros who Are Ready to Grow podcast.
I'm here to share with you actionable tips, strategies and real life examples to help you take your wedding business to the next level. If you are an ambitious wedding business owner that wants to take your passion and use it to build a profitable, sustainable business doing what you love, then you're in the right place. Let's get going with today's episode. Today I'm chatting with Lucy McLaughlin, otherwise known as the Live Event Artist.
Based in Winchester, Lucy is one of the few UK live event artists. Lucy's work has taken her across the world and she's worked with many famous faces, iconic brands, and at some incredible venues. I first met Lucy when she came along to our wedding business retreat and she's even painted me, which is a huge honor. I know you're going to enjoy hearing more about her story. So, Lucy, welcome to the podcast. Thank you. Very excited. I love that you painted me. Let me just start there.
That is such an honor. And it probably to you was like, oh, it's just an easy thing. I do it all of the time. But when I received that picture of me and Kelly in the post that you did for us after one of our retreats, still up in my office. I. It is beautiful. I just love that you can share your craft. So thank you again so much for taking the time to do that. That's so lovely to hear. Thank you. Oh, it's. It's wonderful.
If anyone gets the opportunity to be painted by Lucy, I highly recommend it because her style of painting means she just makes you look absolutely stunning. I love it. It's probably the best photo of me that I've got because it's painted. I love it. Okay, let's get into it then. Lucy, before we go into anything, what I love to do with my guests is just find out a little bit more about their background because I think tell us a lot about how we've got to where we've got to. So take me right back.
How did you get into art in the first place and talk us through your career? Oh, well, it's I suppose one of those cliches, isn't it? From the age of nothing, I was always drawing and when people ask me, what do you want to do when you're old and, you know, big and grown up?
And I was always like, something with drawing and painting, so I always knew that I always wanted to go to art college and then I did, but I chose tech textile design because I wanted to draw but have a more commercial angle. And I realized that by painting patterns, you can still paint, but, you know, you can actually sell your work more easily. So it was a more practical career choice and that was great.
And then I moved to the UK to do my Masters because I'm originally from the Netherlands and had a great time and just fell in love with England and decided to stay. So I've been here for 26 years in Winchester. I've never moved around, always Winchester. And. Yeah, and then I worked for many years as a designer and as an artist and doing all sorts of things, but I really wanted to go back to drawing and painting.
And then I had this amazing opportunity to do a course at St Martin's in London, all about fashion illustration. And that's when I realized this is really what I want to do. I want to paint people because I love clothes and my mum was a tailor, so there's that element, it's the text styles again. And, yeah, I then remembered another artist, Kurt Jackson, who paints live at Glastonbury, and he's phenomenal.
And I saw him interviewed many years ago at Glastonbury talking about his work, and I just thought, what a brilliant idea. You know, I didn't know you could do that. So then I researched more and wrote a business plan and launched myself as a live event artist. And it just took off from day one. It was incredible.
Yeah, well, to go back to the start, because I think a lot of people would have struggled right from the beginning, because sometimes when you're young and you love something and you say to your parents, I want to be an artist, or I want to work in TV or my daughter at the moment, I want to play for Arsenal one day, I want to be a professional footballer. There's two types of people in this world.
There's the parents and the people around you that go, well, that's never going to happen, so think again. And then there's the other kind of people who are like, go on then, go for it. I'd love to know what was your experience? Did people say, that's never going to happen, or do People encourage you to go down that route. I was very lucky. So my parents were very encouraging.
So my mum was a very creative, colorful, slightly crazy person who, you know, as long as it was different then she loved it, you know, so she was always supportive. And my dad also was also very supportive, but he was a little bit more grounded and a bit more practical. Now my parents both ran their own businesses, so there's always been that practical approach and you know, the slight of commercial angle.
So my dad always said, of course you can be an artist, but you're going to be a normal person first, so be normal first and then do your art. So he just wanted me to be grounded and not go off in some crazy, you know. Yeah, so that was brilliant having their support and that was literally from when I was little and they were always buying me art materials and yeah, encouraging me to go on courses and to go to art college and yeah, I couldn't have asked for more.
And of course my mum, with her background in tailoring and fashion, she had a huge studio at home. So there was always creativity around me. And my dad was a hairdresser and we lived above the salon. So it's always people coming and going and it's just very lively and very creative and very sociable and really fun. Sounds like a great atmosphere to grow up in. I think it's really important and I think as the older I get, the more I reflect back on the impact that my parents had.
So many people I speak to who are self employed had at least one parent who was self employed and I think therefore they champion people rather than put them down. But if we're parents ourselves, which both of us are, I think it is important for us to reflect the other way as well on the impact we're having on our children. Because even now I hear parents say to their children who are seven or eight, oh, that's never going to happen. If they've got dreams, they put their dreams down.
And I think not put people's dreams down yet, like the world's their oyster. Let's. Let's let them go out there and explore. And I'm sure you're thankful that your parents did do that because otherwise you'd never have got to where you've got to today. Yeah, I think it's really important to be yourself. So, you know, I've got three boys and my main concern is I want them to be happy within themselves and find out who they are as a person and then find your passion and the rest will Follow.
I very much believe in that. So you talked about going to Glastonbury, seeing this live event artist and then thinking, yeah, I could do that too. And then you kind of made that bit sound really easy. You went, so I decided to just set up my business as a live event artist. Let's go into that in a bit more detail because we know it's never quite that simple. What practical steps did you take? Did you have another job at the time? Were you not working so you could start the business?
Because it is quite a big step to suddenly go, I'm going to go out on my own. So I've always been self employed. So I set up my business in 2000 as a graduate and that was the toughest time in my life, I would say, because, you know, it was really difficult to earn money. And also remember I was living in a foreign country, I'd only been here 15 months or so. So to set up a business, you don't have the connections, you don't have the contacts.
Back then, the Internet wasn't really what it is now. So I really had to start from scratch. So I would say that was the hardest part way back in 2000. So by the time I decided I wanted to become a live event artist, I already had a lot of experience being self employed and running a business. But my children at the time were really small, so the youngest was only one and I was working part time as an art lecturer, which was great because it meant I was in a creative environment.
I was still working, but I was there for the children as well because at that point my husband was only home weekends. You know, it was full on, as I'm sure a lot of parents know, it is pretty full on broken nights and all that. So I just had this thing. I was 38 at the time and I realized actually I'm nearly 39. So really in a year's time I'll be 40. And by then I want to be painting. I want to at least have a website up and running that shows my work and show the world, look, I'm an artist.
So that was my sort of drive behind it all is to have a website up by the time I'm 40, because I thought, well, if I don't do it, then when on earth am I going to do it? You know, you're just going to be putting it off for the rest of your life. So I realized I needed to write a business plan, which I did way back in 2000 as well. But that was for you know more as a designer. So this was a brand new idea for me.
So I researched all that and I wrote the business plan and I started with the website. And I also realized then that I can't be working part time and putting the energy I have into anything else. I need to fully focus on this. And to me, it didn't seem like a gamble at all. It was just very clear to me this is what I want to do. And it really, really helps if you have a very clear focus. If you're not so sure about what you're doing, that's much more difficult.
But if you have very clear vision, this is what I want to do, then actually it's. I don't find it that difficult because you just get on with it and you do it. It's so true.
I think sometimes when we try and just put one foot in to a business, when we try and just do a little bit whilst doing something else and we have that mindset of, well, when the business gets bigger, then I'll stop the other thing, actually we end up just doing everything badly because we just don't have that time and focus. So I totally agree with you.
Okay, let's just talk about being a live event artist because there'll be some people listening even now that think I don't even know what that is and what it's got to do with weddings in the first place. So just give us an example of the kind of work that you do and if someone has never heard of this before, what is a live event artist? It's basically a dream job. Well, it is for me.
So as a live event artist, I go to weddings, but I also do corporate events and celebrations, parties, and I, I have my easel there and all my art materials and I paint there live on the spot in front of everybody, literally guests breathing down my neck, watching what I'm doing and talking to me. So I love that environment because it's very lively and it's very inspiring. And it also means you just have to get on with it. You have no choice.
You can't just walk away and think, oh, that didn't go so well. I'll try again later. You're just fully focused and the artwork is produced live on the day and it's then left if it's a wedding with the couple. So in my case, I do always do a series of. Tend to do a series of paintings, although these days I do more group portraits as well. So in my case, my paintings are very much inspired by fashion. Illustrations. So I very focus on the.
On the outfits and on the posture and people's mannerisms. And I don't focus on facial features, for to me, it's all the other elements that are more interesting, and that way it's more stylized and timeless. So that's personally how I work now. Other live artists, they might paint a beautiful canvas and they might do a whole scene. They might turn up early and paint the background first. And then when the couple arrive and it's a ceremony, then they paint in the couple into that painting.
So that's not quite how I work. I also take photographs these days because moments happen so quickly and people move around and people block your view. So I've realized that I much prefer to take some short videos of people. People I like catching movement. So I'll often ask them to walk and chat and be natural so that I capture that energy. And that's how I work, taking those photographs.
Which then means people don't have to pose for me because they want to be dancing or they want to be eating or they want to be talking to their friends. They don't necessarily want to be standing there with me. And it means I can paint throughout the day into the evening, and I do. I'm there from the start to the very finish because there's always so much to do. But, yeah, every artist works in a slightly different way, so that's my preferred way of working.
I think it's incredible that you describe it as a dream job, because for me, it sounds like an absolute nightmare of a job. I am terrible at art. My drawing is terrible. The thought of drawing someone while everyone is standing around watching absolutely terrifies me. But that means that you're doing something that you love if you find it that enjoyable. Yeah, it's about finding, obviously your passion and then finding something that really suits you, and then it all just clicks.
And so in my case, it really felt like right from the start, yeah, this is me. This is what I want to do. This makes total sense. And then it's amazing when you're connecting with other people and they really appreciate it.
So you get that immediate feedback which most artists, if you're on your own, working in a studio on a whole body of work, you don't get that feedback, as I loved that buzz, and then people responding, and it's very energizing, and it's really inspiring, and it's just great fun. How have you got past the perfectionism element?
Because a lot of us in the creative industry are very perfectionists And I imagine if you did take that piece of work home and you worked on it, you may look at it and then see the flaws and then try and do it again. But in that environment, presumably you can't do that. You don't necessarily have the time. So how have you managed to push past some of that perfectionist mindset?
Yeah, I definitely am a perfectionist and that's why this works so well for me, because I have no time, because the next painting needs. Needs to be done, or the next person, and that there's that time pressure. And I think the time pressure is great because it means you have to work faster. So your painting style is a bit more fluid than it would be if you had more time. So you really have to loosen up. And I really get into a zone. So very quickly, I'm just.
Yeah, it's like super focused and it's incredible. And you are on a bit of a high and then for hours. So it is quite draining ultimately as well, because you're doing these long, long days, but you're super alert and you're. You're just, yeah, really focused. But you don't have time to go back to paintings, I think, oh, not sure about this bit or that bit. So he's. I think it's a very honest way of painting.
And I think that's partly the charm is that, no, it's not a perfect photorealistic painting that's taken days and days to complete. That's just a different style. And so that's what I like about it. But, yeah, I'm still. I'm so critical of my own work. I think a lot of us are. And, yeah, you look back and you think, oh, I could do that better. But I think that's great because that then drives you to keep doing it and keep getting better and keep getting quicker.
And I don't think we'll ever be 100 happy with what we do because we're just perfectionists. And in the moment, the people who are receiving the painting aren't thinking in that way either. They're just like, wow, this is amazing. She's created this in this amazing time frame. They're not looking and thinking, oh, no. And as I said, you make everyone look stunning. That's why I like the painting that you did so much of me.
If you haven't ever seen Lucy's work, I do recommend going and checking it out. You can find it on her Instagram. I'll make sure I put all of the links in the show. Notes. Sometimes she shares things on LinkedIn as well. But, yeah, and go to her website, because you have to see it to understand it, and there's so many different variations on there. So at this moment, while you're listening to us talk, go and have a look at some of her work so you can visualize it as well.
One of the things I love talking to people about is how they got some of their first clients. Because I think when you're in business or starting a business, it can feel scary. And I think the hardest part is getting the first clients. And we can talk all about your success and these great places you've worked, but it doesn't start like that necessarily. There has to be some action from you right at the start to get to that place. So do you remember getting your first live event work?
Do you remember how you got it? Do you remember where it came from? Yes, of course I do. Yeah. So it all started with that website, the idea of showcasing the variety of work and events that I could do. So I realized, oh, I need a wedding. Oh, I need something to do with music. Oh, I need a celebration. All these different types, a corporate event. So within my own network, I was just asking people, is anyone getting married or anyone. And that's how I did my first events.
The very, very first one was a charity dinner in Winchester, where I live. And I remember vividly going there, knowing. You know, when you feel like you're in a film and you're sort of watching yourself, it's like, this is it. You know, I'm actually doing it now. And of course I was nervous. And when I look back at what I did, you know, I'd like to think I'm a better now than I was 10 years ago, but it's. It was definitely a moment.
But then one of the really exciting first big events, I needed something to do with music. And I thought, oh, I'll just ask on my Facebook if anyone I know is. It was coming up to Christmas, if anyone was maybe organizing some sort of gig or, you know, something that I could attend and paint. And then this person responded and I'd forgotten that, that we were friends on Facebook.
And he said, oh, yeah, I'm a. I'm a producer for a radio show and we've got some artists coming in and would you like to come? I thought, yeah, perfect. Hadn't realized it was Dermot O'Leary on Radio 2 with the BBC. So that was just amazing. I was quite blown away. I thought, oh, that. That's just the best.
And yeah, so I painted Guy Darvey from Elbow and, and it was just utterly brilliant because I was in the studio, which is small and very intimate, standing next to Dermot O'Leary and then we had Guy Garvey singing there and I just thought, well, does it get much better than this? This is a good start. Yeah, that's absolutely a great start. And it backs up so much of what I talk about a lot, really, which is about connections and about being a good person and about having friends from years ago.
I often talk when I talk about connections about my own degree, which I did in television, and how all of those friends that I made then or the people I worked with along the way that I'm still connected to on Facebook, still connect to on LinkedIn. We still see, we don't talk necessarily, but we see what's going on in each other's lives.
They're now working in some really top high powered places and actually sometimes they are the best people to go to when you're looking for an opportunity because you just never quite know. So I love that story. I think that's a great place to start. You probably thought, right, how am I going to talk? Stop this. Well, I, I kind of did because that inspired me. I thought, well, that means anything is possible.
You know, I haven't even properly launched myself yet and here I am at the BBC having a great time. So I remember again lying in bed thinking about, I'd really like to go to Royal Ascot, I want to paint in the Royal Enclosure. And then I had a little, you know, light bulb moment and I thought, thought, I'll send them some of my paintings. So I did.
I specifically painted guests with, you know, wonderful hats and outfits and posted the original artwork to Ascot to a contact there, which I got through another contact. You know what it's like. And yeah, and then from that they booked me and they didn't just book me for one or two days, they ended up booking me for five whole days in the Royal enclosure. And that was, was incredible. It was great.
And it also was an interesting experience because, you know, you have to then say, okay, how much do you charge? And you know, you mustn't undersell yourself and you must make sure that you charge the right price because they might come back to you and say, oh, we like you again, you know, another time. And if you've not charged the correct fee, you're going to be kicking yourself. So I made sure I charged a decent amount.
And yeah, it was great because, because What I earned in that week, you know, compared to my part time job was like, well, that would have taken me months. And I think the thing is, and again, you make it sound so easy. And that's what I love about you, is that you're an action taker. And often people think, I'd love to do that and then do nothing about it. Whereas actually thinking, I'd love to do that and then actually thinking about, okay, well, how can I do that?
How could I do something proactive? How can I get in front of them? It kind of all comes back to what we were talking about earlier about that focus. When you have a focus, you think, this is where I want to get to, how can I get there? You'll often take the steps that it takes to get there. It doesn't happen overnight. It's not magic. It's not magic that suddenly you get booked for Ascot. It's down to your tenacity and your hard work.
And I think a lot of people are scared about doing that because they're scared of rejection. So how have you overcome that fear of like, what if I send them that and nothing happens? Well, basically you have to learn to deal with rejection a lot. And I feel like it's almost like I'm going for job interviews all the time because every time there's a new project. I had an amazing meeting yesterday, went well, and it's a super exciting project for this summer. I'm really keeping my fingers crossed.
It's looking very promising. But of course I've had many disappointments as well. And it doesn't matter how well you're doing or, you know, yeah, it just happens where you're not going to get the job that you want and it's really disappointing. And also working on your own, you're not in a team, so you can't have a chat with your colleagues who'll say, oh, come on, you did well, you know, next time better.
You have to be your own cheerleader and you have to constantly pick yourself up and go, okay, it's fine, onto the next thing. And that is tough. Even after all these years, it's still disappointing. But you have to trust that it will be okay. And you have to, of course, then put in the energy and the time to make all the other things happen. And also you can't have 100% success rate.
And I think was that some of the tennis players, like best tennis players, tennis players in the world, have said, oh, you know, you still will lose a lot of matches as well, you can't possibly be 100 successful. It's just not going to happen. And, yeah, it is disappointing, though. It always is. But then you look at all the great stuff that happens, and it's just the best. Yeah. And sometimes when one door closes, another door opens. I think we have to have that mindset as well.
Sometimes that, okay, we don't understand why that hasn't gone that way this time. It's probably not a reflection on us personally. It's probably something outside of our control. But actually, it may lead to another opportunity. You talk about some of these different things along your journey.
I'd love to know if there's any mistakes you've made in your business journey over the last decade where you look back and you think, I don't know why I did that, that we can maybe share with people that might help them avoid some of the same kind of pitfalls. Oh, I'm trying to think now because I was originally thinking more of, like, mistakes I've made creatively, because there's a hilarious one I'd like to share. It was my second ever wedding and. And I'd done all these paintings.
I was really happy with it. It all gone well, and the guests all responded really positively. And then I had to use a fixative spray to fix the pastels that I use and the pencils. And so I was spraying away. And then I realized I wasn't using fixative, I was using glue. You know, the spray mounts that you use. I was basically spraying glue all over my paintings that I just finished. So now I keep my spray mount locked away in my studio behind everything else.
I can never, ever mix it up with my fixative. Yeah, that was terrible. But, yeah, mistakes. So I've never made any huge mistakes, but of course, yeah, you're often kicking yourself. And a job takes longer. Like, even recently, I did some work and the job turned out to be much longer than I thought. So really I'd undercharged, but it was difficult to know in advance that it was going to take that long.
So I think having really clear agreements with your client on what's expected, what you're going to do, have a contract in place and all those things, just. Yeah, being sensible about that. But I think, again, we're only human, aren't we? We're always going to mess up a little bit here and there. But then I think again, if something. If you do mess up, how can you rectify that? How can you. What can you do to make it definitely better for the client?
If you've messed up something with the client, but also for yourself, what can you do to make yourself feel a bit better about it all? And tell me, how did you fix the ones that you sprayed with the wrong thing on that day? Just finish that story for us, otherwise we're always going to be wondering what happened next. Well, I don't know all these years later, if the glue has affected the painting. If so, I apologize.
But what I did, because they were kind of white backgrounds, I got this pearlescent powder because I thought, well, the white might turn weird yellow over time, possibly, I don't know. So I sort of rubbed that gently onto the background so you had that lovely shiny pearlescent effect in the background. And again, if. If any of these people are listening and they're thinking, what? That's why my painting has gone yellow, please come back and I promise you I'll give you another painting.
I'll do it again. I love that you fixed it, though. I bet they never knew any different. And we, again, you're probably thinking about all these years later and that picture is probably perfect, still on their wall looking beautiful. Now, you've had some amazing things happen in your career. We've talked about a couple of the opportunities you've had when you look back over the last decade, the last 25 years even, that you're about to celebrate.
What are some of the biggest care career highlights you've had? There's been so many. Honestly, it's. It's because the work that I do, I go to the best places where people are really happy, having amazing celebrations, spending a lot of money on, you know, flowers and venues and food and music, and it's just mind blowing and it's really nice to be part of that and being paid to be there. So I've done some really incredible weddings. For instance, in the south of France.
I did one not that long ago. And yeah, so the best man sort of started chatting and then he was like, well, actually, I think someone else is much better than me can do that. And then James Corden just turned up and he was the compare for the evening and he just did the whole. The whole night. And then when the first dance was announced, it was Florence and the Machine and she just performed for the evening and it was like, wow, this is really nice.
I don't mind painting with a bit of Florence singing live right in front of me. So that's just brilliant. That's amazing. But also it's just generally happy people and meeting lovely people who Appreciate your work. Because I'm painting, of course, I'm painting for me, but really I'm painting for the client. I want the person receiving the painting to feel really good about themselves and to have something that captures that moment that will trigger all those happy memories for years to come.
And that's the main aim, is to, you know, please, please the client and make people even more happy than they already are in that moment. But for it to be lasting and for them to appreciate the artwork and, and that's a crazy thought that all these paintings have created over the years and that's worldwide and they've gone all these different countries. And to think that, that I find it quite. Not embarrassing.
That's not the right word, but almost like, oh, my God, I can't believe that all these paintings are potentially up on people's walls all over the world. And I like to think that they're enjoying them still. That's an incredible legacy, though. And I'm sure they are enjoying them. And what an amazing thing.
I love it when people put things on Instagram or TikTok and I think you do this sometimes where you see the reveal when they show the painting to the couple and you get just a little glimpse of that dopamine hit that you probably get being there, being the artist, when they see what you created while they're still in the middle of that moment. So, you know, they get the photos back maybe two, three weeks later, but you're literally presenting them with this thing almost immediately.
And the guests as well. I know sometimes you paint the guests as well. That must be an incredible feeling when they, when they're so happy with what you've produced. Oh, it is so sweet. And you literally have people in tears sometimes, you know, and especially if, of course, if you paint their children or if you include dogs. You know, people definitely love all of that. But yeah, people are literally overwhelmed and in tears. And that's. That's amazing.
Now, I would describe a lot of what you do and a lot of the events you work at as being the top tier of the wedding market. You know, not every wedding has got James Corden as the compare. And a lot of the people you work with are high end brands, high end clients, and are right at the top tier of the wedding industry. And that's a place where a lot of people aspire to be or think, I wish I could get into that area a bit more. I wish I could work with some of those bigger brands.
Have you got any thoughts or tips on how you have positioned yourself in that place. How have you established yourself as being at the top of your game rather than just being, you know, amongst the general public, as it were? Yeah, so again, that's going back to the start. When I was writing the business plan, I had that clear idea that I want to work at these high end, beautiful events. That's where I want to be because they are incredible.
And also then your fee can be higher because I, and I think this, what's driven me really is having children so not having all the time in the world and all the energy in the world. So I can't be out every night painting, traveling to all these different locations. You know, I've, I've got a family and I've got a social life and I want to enjoy life and I don't just want to be working all the time and running myself to the ground, I need to look after myself.
So I thought, right, I want to do high end. That's where I want to position myself. And that's got to then be reflected in everything you do. So it does mean that I probably spend more than other artists on, for instance, a website and I have a VA and I have other people helping me.
I always have an assistant at an event, so I'm spending more to make sure that my clients receive a very professional service with, you know, everything I could possibly think of, like the presentation, everything is, is carefully thought through and I like to think beautiful. So the other thing, if you really want to target high end, then your prices have to reflect that as well.
You know, if people will buy a very expensive handbag because it's got particular label, but if that handbag was only £100, then they wouldn't trust it and they wouldn't think it was a good bag. So you need to charge accordingly as well. And I know that I've always charged more than other artists in the uk, live artists in the uk. And I also know that for that reason for certain events, people won't hire me because they look at the budget and they think, no, I'm not going to spend that much.
But if you stick with it, and also knowing that I only want to do, for instance, 15 UK weddings a year, plus, say a handful of destination weddings a year, so it's probably a lot less than what other people are aiming for, what they're doing. But that was my conscious decision to really work for these wonderful weddings and events for clients who really want me to be there and really appreciate what I do. And then that way it sort of automatically filters and you, you get the right clients.
But yeah, it's, it's being, it's being brave. But yeah, it's also, also all the networking and everything else that comes with it and taking yourself seriously and taking work seriously, it. That sounds, maybe that sounds a bit wrong, but you have to believe in that, that what you are delivering is something unique, it is something special. You can't just get it anywhere and this is where you want to be. And also I feel really comfortable now in that environment.
And when I first started, I remember walking into the Savoy and feeling really a bit intimidated. Oh my God. And now of course it's like, oh, what a lovely hotel, you know, and I feel totally at ease and I feel happy there and that's want to. Be so many helpful tips in there. And I think it's an interesting point as well because you talk a little bit about your own lifestyle and the lifestyle you wanted to create.
And in order to not work all of the time, you're better to work at a much more premium price and to do less of it rather than for you it wouldn't work to have the model of doing loads of events at a low price because you've got loads of other stuff going on. Which brings me nicely to my next question, which was around how you deal with this juggler.
Because as a mum, it's not always easy to travel the world and to go to all of these different events and sometimes Instagram gives us this really luxurious perspective of life, but actually sometimes that's not the reality of day to day on the ground. So how have you managed building your business whilst having a family and doing these trips and doing these different events? Yeah, you know, and that is the biggest challenge, but it's also been what's motivated me. So. So it's a bit of both.
It really isn't easy, it can't be, but it is super fulfilling. And looking back, when I look back at how young the children were when I started, so the youngest was only one, then our other two would have been five and six maybe at the time. So that's really hands on. And back then we had au pairs, so we'd have Dutch au pairs who would stay with us and be able to help out. So that really was amazing and it worked well for us.
Especially if you remember, this was before lockdown where my husband was only home weekends, so I couldn't even just pop out to buy milk. You know, I had to take three kids with me everywhere I went. And I could definitely not just stay out late in London doing an event. And, you know, I needed someone to look after the kids. I just get tired even thinking about it now. So if you're in that position, I feel, I feel your pain, but it is doable. You can do it.
You just have to be really focused and really wanting to do it. And then I was just forever sorting out child care and. Because then we had Brexit first of all, which then meant au pairs couldn't come anymore from Holland. So that was a nightmare. Then of course we had lockdown and then we tried having a sort of nanny and I had to have someone on the payroll. Oh my God. It's just absolute nightmare. It's so expensive. It's so expensive. But I always wanted to create.
And for me it was an absolute no brainer. I want to work, I don't want to sit at home, not be creative. This is what I want to do. But whatever I do, my children can't suffer like they are my number one priority and of course my husband. But really, children, they can't look after themselves. Um, they are my priority. So I don't want to have an amazing career but neglect my home life. So that's always been first make sure they're okay, and then I can go off and do these, these events.
It definitely gets easier. So anyone out there with young children, I know it's not helpful now, but it does get easier. So ours are now 10, 14 and 16. And it is so much better because they can be left on their own and they're not going to drink the bleach and burn the house down, you know, hopefully be okay. They might have a few wild parties. But. It'S funny. Is it? Because you do look back and you do wonder, how did I do that?
Because even when I look back on when I started my business when I was pregnant with Alice, who's now 8, and looking back and thinking, how on earth did I keep it all going? But you do. You find a way through. You find a way to juggle. And like you said, it does get a little bit easier. You do come out the other side of it. And it is, isn't all terrible in the end, but it isn't easy.
And I think sometimes we need to remember when we're looking at other people's Instagrams or looking at what other people are doing, that you don't know what's going on behind the scenes because we may present this perfect life where we're going to these glamorous places and going to glamorous events, but we all have real life going on in the background, and Instagram's just like a tiny little piece on the top.
And so it's really important we don't compare ourselves to each other because it's not a true reflection. And that's why I like to get the real side of the story over on the podcast as well, because I think we don't want to present as like, our lives are perfect and nothing could go wrong because we all have stuff going on all of the time and we all have life to juggle. Before we bring the conversation to a close, there's a couple of things I want to chat to you about.
One is about where your bookings come from now. So you know you're a decade in. If you look back, if you reflect back on 24. And as you look forward to what you've got booked in the diary, where do you think you are finding your bookings are coming from? What's working for you from a marketing perspective? Perspective. So, for me, it's always been Google and it's been Instagram, and I'm lucky. What I do is still fairly niche.
I know in America it's much more of a thing to have a live artist at weddings. In the UK, it's definitely grown a lot thanks to TikTok and all those videos that you mentioned where guests are amazed when they see the painting. So that's really helping. So that does also mean there are new young people coming on the scene who are sort of maybe copying a bit what some other artists are doing out there.
And that's, you know, that's not a bad thing because there are so many weddings and everybody's got different tastes and different styles. So that, that's all good. But things are changing a bit. But for me, it's still very much Google and Instagram and of course, networking. So, as you always say, networking is important. And also, you know how people always want to see instant results, but you don't know you can meet someone.
And of course, I meet a lot of people through work anyway, so I might meet 200 people at a wedding and then all of a sudden, four years later you get a call because they'd like to book you for a. Another event or another wedding. So there's not an instant oh, or you can't always work back like, oh, how did I get that job? Because it's this kind of chain reaction, which is just a wonderful idea as well, is that the more you do, the more likely something will happen at some point. And that's.
I love it. It's a bit like playing the lottery. It's always knowing that something can pay off and. But it's just lovely to connect with people and. Yeah, and the networking is really important, but also a lot of fun. So I'm a member of rsvp, for instance, and that's great because we do lots of international conferences and it's a good way for me to have a few days away from all my responsibilities at home and just really focus on work and be with all my friends and colleagues. Colleagues.
I love it when that happens. I absolutely love it when someone pops out of the woodwork a few years later. It happens to be. Sometimes someone will say, I heard you speak at this event three and a half years ago and now I decided I want to work with you, or now I've decided I want to book you for something. And I think, wow, I didn't even think I got anything out of that event that I did three and a half years ago.
But obviously I've had enough of an impact that you've remembered and now you want to come back. And I'm sure that that happens and you see that happen all of the time. And it's a reminder. Reminder that networking and building connections isn't an instant gratification thing. It's not like getting likes on Instagram.
You put the time in, but if you're a good person and people like your work and you keep in touch with people and connect with people on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, wherever it is, once you've met them, then you never know where those connections might lead to. Now, talking about having a few paid days away, the final one I want to talk to you about is where we first met, which is on the retreat. And it was great having you. You came on a few of our retreats, mine and Kelly's retreats.
We love, loved it. Why is it that you think it's still important to invest in your education and in your business? Even, you know, 10 years in, with all the success you've had, you never. Stop learning, do you? And things are changing all the time as well, so you can always learn more and you can meet more people and I just find it inspiring. And again, this is where, when you work on your own, you're always having to motivate yourself and you have to always do things on your own.
But it also means you're always so busy you don't have time to really delve in deep and plan, plan and look at what you've done and look at any marketing strategies. And that's where a retreat like yours is perfect, because you're away from your work environment but also your home life. So nothing to distract you, just time dedicated to just focusing on your business and learning more. And then again, it's that focus getting a clear idea, well, what is it I want to do? Where do I want to go?
And you always learn. I'm sure Richard Branson is still learning now, because you. You can't possibly know everything. You just can't. And the interesting thing I find is actually it's my most successful clients that put the most emphasis on their continued learning. And I don't think that's an accident.
I think that's why they're some of my most successful clients, because they're continually making sure that those young people, those young artists coming up behind them aren't overtaking them and haven't got more knowledge than them. And it's important that we keep learning and keep looking at what things are changing and what the trends are and what the next generation want to do.
And so that's why I believe you are continuing to be successful and continuing to stay at the top of your game, because you do keep that as a priority. And you're always looking at how you can move that needle just a tiny bit better and make everything you do even better. Lucy, it's been such a pleasure. The time has whizzed by. I've loved talking to you. I could talk to you for ages because you've lived such an interesting life and you've met so many interesting people.
But we do need to end it there. I always end my podcast with the same question, so I'm going to pose that to you now. And it's this. What is one thing you wish you'd personally known sooner in your own business? Probably that I should have been a live event artist from the start. But you know what? There's a reason everything else happened first, and then that makes you who you are now, and it makes you more focused and has given me all the skills.
I'm using all the skills that I've learned over the years to now be this live event artist. I think earlier on in my career, I didn't have such a clear direction. I was trying out a lot of different things because how can you possibly know when you're early twenties exactly what you want to do? Not many people do. Even though I knew I wanted to be creative, I. Yeah, I just. Now it's all just making so much sense.
But aging is a good thing, you know, it's a really good thing because things fall into place and if there's. Someone listening that's got that niggle and thinking, I'd love to do something a bit different, or I've had this idea to do something a bit, bit different, but I'm not sure about it. Now you've done that and you made that transition and you really went for it. Have you got any advice for them about what they should be doing if they're thinking that through?
Definitely talk to other people and talk to experts and write that business plan. Don't just think you can start anything just on a whim. You know, you need to think it through, you need to do your research, you need to back it up. But there's a lot of even free advice out there and also even look within your own friends and family.
Is there maybe someone who's an expert in something, who doesn't mind sitting down with you one evening with a cup of tea or a glass of wine, going through your ideas? We need other people. We need to bounce ideas, get advice, and that's so exciting. I'm always happy to talk to other people. I'm actually meeting up with a neighbor tomorrow who's painting and wants some advice. And that's great. Help other people. But then hopefully other people will help you. Absolutely.
Always look to give and serve where you can. Lucy, it's been so much fun chatting to you. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. If people want to find out more, connect with you, talk to you, or even book you for an event, where's the best places for them to find you? Yeah, go to my Instagram Live Event Artist or my website live eventartist.co.uk and yeah, I'd love to hear from you. Amazing.
I will make sure I post that in the show notes and I will make sure I post the picture of me and Kelly that Lucy already painted for us to go alongside this episode so you can have a look at that. Beautiful work as well. Lucy. Thank you so much. I hope to see you very soon. What a fantastic episode. I always love talking to Lucy. I find her so inspiring because she's done so many great things and I love it because she's an action taker.
She knows where she wants to go, she knows what she wants to do and then she puts the steps in to make it happen. So as you reflect on today's episode, what is it that you want to do? Where is it that you want to go? And what's the next step you need to take to see that through? I'll see you next time.