💎 +$70,000 and still failing as an artist
Gem #61 2025 mid-year review
Bonjour my little demon,
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TODAY’S GEM
At the start of this year, I made myself a promise: to focus on my art.
Last year burned me out—launches, social media, running the business on autopilot.
This year was supposed to be different.
This year, I wanted to create more, and better.
But here we are, halfway through the year… and if I look at what I’ve actually made? It hurts.
1- I failed all my artistic goal…
I had big creative goals for 2025.
A graphite portrait for my Muse collection every month.
At least five oil paintings.
And most importantly—building a world people could step into and feel part of.
But halfway through the year? It’s basically a blank page.
❌ No new oil paintings. I haven’t picked up a brush in over a year.
❌ Just one major graphite piece in six months.
❌ A few portrait studies—barely half of what I had in mind.
It’s not like I wasn’t working.
But my art—the thing that’s supposed to be at the center—kept falling to the side.
And sometimes, I find myself thinking:
What am I even doing?
2 – … but generated +$70,000 in revenue
Even if I wasn’t painting, I wasn’t standing still.
Most of my time went into something I know you’ve seen: my portrait course.
We doubled the number of students—over 1,000 artists are now enrolled.
I watched people go from complete beginners to drawing better than I ever did at their stage.
I updated the curriculum, recorded new demos, rewrote entire lessons...
And it worked—we passed $77,000 in revenue in just six months.At the same time, my drawings reached over 32 million views this year.
60,000 new demons joined me on Instagram.
We gained 70,000 on Facebook, 20,000 on TikTok— crossing half a million followers across all platforms.
I even received gifts from brands I never thought I’d work with.
On paper, it’s been a huge success.
But lately, I’ve been wondering… If I’m not drawing, not painting, not building my own world—then what am I building?
Am I a mentor?
A content creator?
An entrepreneur?
I’m not sure.
I’m deeply grateful for this life, and I know I have responsibilities as a business owner.
But sometimes, it feels like the more the business grows… the further I drift from my art.
3- Let’s take it back
I’m not here to complain. I know I’m lucky.
But luck means nothing if you don’t honor it. And the truth is—my business is nothing without my art.
Over time, I’ve realized something important: my business runs in cycles. There are seasons for growth, and seasons for creation. And now that the growth cycle is ending, it’s time to enter the creative one.
So here’s my decision: the second half of 2025 belongs to my art. I’ve closed the doors of my course for the rest of the year. Now, everything is shifting back to one clear focus: creating a unique universe through meaningful work.
To make that happen, I’m committing to three things:
Mornings are for making. Every single one. No excuses. No distractions.
I’ll complete at least four major pieces before the end of the year—graphite and oil.
And the big one: I’m finally launching a Patreon. 🎊 You’ve been asking for it for years… And I kept delaying it because I was afraid I wouldn’t be consistent enough. But now? It feels like the perfect time.
Voilà, these are my resolutions for the rest of the year: to be the kind of artist you can be proud of. I hope you’ll enjoy watching me grow from here until December—and right now, you can already help shape what comes next.
👉 Are you hyped for the Patreon launch? Comment below and tell me what kind of reward you’d love to see in the tiers.
Tell me what you’d like, and watch me cook it for you.
That’s all for me.
Bisou,
Léa.
🔥 TODAY’S TRIBE SPOTLIGHT 🔥
Here are a few of my students' entries for the monthly student challenges.
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Everything I can say is that, your art is wonderful and breathtaking. I'm glad to see and meet this perfection once in my life. So thank you for existing. XOXO
Congratulations Léa on this first half of the year!
I never get tired of looking at your portraits and reading their stories — they’re always so inspiring.
These mid-year reviews are such a great idea; they really help take a step back and reflect on your initial goals, and make adjustments if needed.
I can’t wait to see what you have in store for the second half of the year!
The Patreon is an amazing idea — you can definitely count on my support!
I’d love to see full process videos and behind-the-scenes content.
Diana