-
Build a personal brand and make real connections
IN YOUR OWN IMAGE There’s something in your creative business that will bring you success in all the ways: more sales, a bigger following on social media, a more deeply committed audience, more opportunities in your local art community, etc. Are you ready to know what it is? A personal brand. Now it’s easy to talk about a visual brand.…
-
A mood board is the secret to consistent artist branding
BUILD YOUR BRAND WITH BOARDS Mood boards are the perfect way to begin building your artistic business brand. You can keep them for reference when making decisions on the look, feel and message of your brand and truly personalize them. Before we get into how to use them, let’s talk about what it is, exactly. WHAT IS A MOOD BOARD?…
-
Go full time with your art by planning prices + sales goals
PRICE WITH THE END IN MIND We all have trouble reaching our sales goals in the beginning of our art careers. We blame it on a small following, on the quality of the art itself — but have you ever considered that it’s because we’re approaching our goals the wrong way? Every goal needs a clear, measureable path to be…
-
How it feels to start taking commissions — the emotional truth
WHAT’S THE TEA, SIS? Well if you don’t have any, I do. It’s not real gossip, because it’s really about me. Here’s my tea: I’m stepping into doing commissions slowly but surely but I want to say out loud that it’s SO uncomfortable for me. Let me explain. NOTE: This article was written in April 2019. My relationship to commissions…
-
Finding your target market: Online, offline tips
YOUR PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE Everyone says that to sell anything, you’ve got to start finding your target market. Once you identify that group, you can aim your sales at them and selling artwork becomes loads easier. But how do you find them? WHAT IS A TARGET MARKET Let’s define this clearly first. A target market is a group of…
-
Why You Need an Art Portfolio ASAP
CREATE SOMETHING YOU OWN If you don’t have a portfolio for your art yet because you think it’s not the most pressing issue, or you think you don’t need one, I’m here to convince you otherwise. Preparing a platform specifically to strut your stuff — whether online or hardcopy (preferably both) — can change your career for the better. Luck…
-
3 Ways to Perfect Your To Do Lists (for Creative Types)
THE POWER OF TO DO LISTS Artists are stereotyped as being super quirky, always late, fashion-forward, unorganized, and people seem to think we’ve always got our head in the clouds. But that isn’t (all) true. We can be totally organized and have super productive days, too. We can work on our latest projects bit by bit everyday, all while keeping…
-
Artist Storytelling: People buy your art for the story
BE A STORYTELLER When it comes to creating art, the visual effect is only half the battle. You must also craft the story behind your work. Think about it: How many times has someone asked you, “What does your art mean?” How many speculate about why Mona Lisa is smiling? People love to know the why, who, where of your…
-
Proven tactics to make more time for art right now
THE TIME IS NOW It always seems like there’s not enough time for art. Life gets in the way. School, work and family take up so much of our time, no matter how great our desire to create more, accomplish more, BE more. The truth is, you can’t keep doing the same things and wait for the free time to…
-
How to Make an Art Portfolio
YOUR BEST ART IN ONE PLACE Most successful artists have a place where all of their best creations are showcased. If you’d like to be able to easily refer other to look at your work, it’s important to know how to make an art portfolio before you begin. MAKE IT ONLINE AND HARDCOPY Depending on which audience you’re showing your…
