Years ago, I Opened a Door…
By Sue Pendleton, Founder ENSOhello
More than ten years ago, my husband and I wandered into a news gallery during our annual summer trip to the Crystal Coast in North Carolina, just south of the Outer Banks.
We weren’t on a mission to buy art.
We weren’t looking for a teacher.
We were just curious.
The gallery belongs to Heather Sink, the artist behind Craving Art Studio in the historic seaport town of Beaufort.
That first visit changed far more than I could have imagined.
The First Visit: Just Looking Around
We didn’t buy anything that day.
What we did do was talk.
Heather was warm, genuinely interested in us, and spoke about her work in a way that was both generous and engaging. She wasn’t selling. She was sharing her process, her perspective, her love for what she did.
I remember feeling completely at ease. Seen. Welcomed.
We left without a purchase, but something important happened: We remembered her.
The Second Visit: Coming Back
The following summer, we returned.
This time, we bought a piece.
Not just because the work was beautiful (it is), but because the experience stayed with us. The space felt familiar. The artist felt familiar.
That’s often how real connection works. It doesn’t rush. It builds.
What Happened Next (and Why It Matters)
Over time, that single gallery visit grew into something much bigger.
We purchased more of Heather’s work
I started following her on social media
We commissioned a painting
We bought pieces online when traveling to the coast wasn’t possible
During COVID, she began offering Zoom classes and I signed up immediately
By then, I didn’t just admire her work. I trusted her.
I knew her personality.
I knew how she explained things.
I knew her teaching style would align with how I learn.
Eventually, that trust led me to invest in longer, more in-depth workshops—experiences far beyond that original gallery visit.
This Is What Creative Growth Really Looks Like
This wasn’t a transaction.
It was a relationship.
And that relationship allowed Heather’s creative business to grow in a way that felt natural and sustainable—for both of us.
From her perspective, that one visitor who didn’t buy the first time eventually became:
a repeat collector
an online customer
a student
a long-term supporter
From my perspective, I became a fan, someone who returned, invested, and shared her work with others.
That’s the part artists don’t hear often enough.
Social Media Is Our Online Gallery
When artists think about social media as “marketing,” it can feel heavy and uncomfortable.
But if we think of it as our online gallery, everything changes.
People will:
wander in
look around
maybe not buy right away
And that’s okay.
Our role isn’t to convince them. It’s to welcome them.
To create an atmosphere where they:
feel comfortable
get to know you
understand your work and your voice
want to come back
Because when trust is present, growth becomes possible.
Trust Is the Asset That Expands What You Can Offer
Buying art is just one expression of trust.
That same trust can grow into:
commissions
workshops
classes
collaborations
deeper investments over time
We don’t need to know exactly what we’ll offer next.
We just need to build the relationship now.
An Invitation
If someone wandered into your online gallery today:
How would they feel?
What would they learn about you?
What would make them want to return?
Creative businesses don’t grow through pressure. They grow through connection.
One visit at a time.
