I Got My Artwork Into a Fashion Magazine in New York With one DM - Ayla Jung
Some stories start with years of networking, gallery openings and building relationships over time. Others start with a simple message. Ayla Jung a painter and collage artist from Munich now based in Paris, managed to get her work featured in a New York fashion magazine. This was not through agents or connections, but with one spontaneous DM. We asked her what she learnt from the experience, and what advice she would share with other artists hoping to get their work seen.
Finding Inspiration to Reach Out
"I have been painting and creating various types of art for as long as I can remember. I always looooved showing my friends and family my art and so many people wished for custom pieces for their birthdays and things like that. So all this positive feedback made me want to show my art more and more. At first I was looking into exhibitions I could do to get more exposure and then the idea just came to me. Why not a magazine?? My mom had told me about a newspaper article written on her and her Papier-mâché art and it just inspired me to get my art out there as well. My mom is my biggest inspiration period."
The Message That Started It All
"'Hello! I’m a small artist from Munich based in Paris and this is my audition to be in your magazine. I’m only allowed to send you one message and cant include images, but I would love the opportunity to get some more exposure and I thought you might have a small artist column in the making :)
I make the art itself and then I usually make collage edits of it online. I would love to send you a couple of those for you to get a taste of what I do :)
Would you be interested in collaborating?'
I reread the message twice to check for mistakes and then just hit send! Zero hesitation."
Finding the Right Fit
"I personally like to go on instagram and search for small magazines and just scroll through their pages. If I like their vibe and what their message is, I'll just send a quick dm! I’ve only reached out the one so far 'cause making the customs for it took a bunch of time and it was pretty last minute, but if I would do it again, thats how. I don't do a crazy amount of research on the magazine, usually it's very clear what their vibe is straight off their social media platforms. So yeah, I think to myself, 'would I read this in the waiting room' and if yes, off I go to the DMs."
What to Prepare Before You Pitch
"It depends on the vibe of the magazine and usually the people that run it will tell you exactly what they want in response to your initial DM. In my case, I prepare a portfolio tailored to each application that shows the following:
- My first piece and the beginning of my story.
- My latest piece and what it means (I write small poems as painting descriptions).
- My favourite 5 pieces as a journal spread.
- My overall vibe and opinions on art! For example my big thing is that art doesn't NEED a meaning and doesn't NEED to make you feel sad and uncomfortable. Often this art is more powerful, but people want happy art that makes them feel GOOD in their homes.
I had a lot of fun with my portfolio, I added little doodles and just made it designey to match my vibe through canva :). I don't have pro or anything, its just super easy to use."
How to DM Like a Professional (and Still Be Yourself)
"Again, depends on the magazine and YOUR overall vibe. I personally want to portray a fun, lighthearted and chaotic kind of style. So I’ll usually go for funny and laid back because that's how I would prefer the nature of the collaboration. If that's too unprofessional for them, then they're too strict for me and that's okay!! So I use phrases like 'hey girl' or 'hiiii' or 'omg I LOVE your stuff' because thats how I would genuinely say it if I was sitting in front of them!"
Turning a DM Into a Real Opportunity
"I make sure to include my call to action in the original DM so it doesn't come across as fan mail. So there isn't even room for misunderstanding. Because I’m still small and starting my career, I don't expect any money from the exchange. I do want to start charging, especially for custom pieces, but I'm just happy to get my art out there! Next time a mag asks me to make a custom piece I would probably say:
'Yesss no problem, I can totally do that! I have a couple ideas already that I'll sketch up and draft for you for free. For the final, official custom piece these are my rates depending on what exactly you want..."
Behind the Art: The Pieces That Got Featured
"I made two custom pieces for this magazine. Both were accompanying the fashion lines of fashion students. The themes were the Madrid movement and the other was stripes and patterns. So I just made the customs and as I was drawing the meaning came to me. The Madrid movement one is my favourite. It depicts a drag queen riding a bull in full makeup and a cropped red leather jacket. Its meant to show that the new is rising above/sitting on top of the old, showing that sexual freedom and expression is no longer dominated (or should not be) by conservative views.
My latest piece 'Berliner Märchen' calls out the mindless, drug polluted clubbing and hookup culture, and how everyone romanticises not caring about anything and being too cool for everything. But in the end what's left is a soulless vessel, afraid to sober up 'cause then all feelings of accomplishment and confidence fades."
Takeaways From the Experience
"It showed me that there's absolutely no need to have an ego when it comes to seeking new opportunities and to just go for it! There is so much out there that you don't know about and magazines or publishers are LOOKING for people like me, like you. So how convenient for them if you reach out first and ensure that they at least have a look at your stuff!"
Ayla's Top Advice for Creatives
"Like I've said a bunch of times on my Tik Tok, THROW THE I DON'T CHASE, I ATTRACT MENTALITY OUT OF THE WINDOW!!! It doesn't serve you to sit back and wait for people to figure out your worth. Just show them what they're missing! Don't be shy and don't be too cool to reach out. Your ego is holding you back. Go get that bag girl <3."
