-
Rethinking 2020: Changing your goals in changing times
FLEXIBLE ARTISTS WIN Unless you’re a global researcher or a stickler for following speculative world news, I don’t think anybody was expecting this to happen. 2020 is looking wildly different than 2019, or any year of our lifetimes. That means what we thought our goals for this year would be are certainly changing. If you recall, my major goal was to increase my outreach efforts. I wanted to really put myself out there and be heard. I wanted to travel further with my art shows, get published in a newspaper or magazine, and team up with other artists on cool new projects. But it looks like social distancing is changing all…
-
Create multiple income streams in your art business
SAFEGUARD YOUR REVENUE If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this pandemic, it’s that diversifying your income is very important! Having multiple income streams in your art business brings safety and stability to your financial well-being. If your entire business relies on one thing, what happens when something goes wrong with that one thing? For instance, if you only sell artwork online, what happens when there’s a mass power outage? What happens when you have trouble with your personal internet connection for a whole week? In another example, if you only sell at art shows, what happens when suddenly all events are canceled and people are not leaving their houses?…
-
First 4 steps to take to become an artist
THE BEGINNING How do you become an artist when you’re just starting out? After making the choice to finally pursue your creative passions, you have to start taking action. Great. But which thing should you do first? In this article I’ll walk you through what’s most important in the beginning of your artistpreneur journey. 1: MAKE YOUR INTENTION KNOWN Making your plans known seems so small but it’s really a big step. Deciding in your heart that you want to become an artist is one thing, but stating it out loud to your parents at dinner is a whole other beast to tackle. If you’re not willing to proclaim your…
-
Create your own art website — NOT a Society6 account
YOUR SHOP TYPE MATTERS Guess whaaattt? I’m super thrilled because my artwork was featured on BuzzFeed! Hooray!! It was included in a roundup of spooky-themed products in this article here. This is the type of exposure that can help any artist climb to the top of their sales game and get a little more attention from other outlets, starting an avalanche of media coverage. And like you, I’m definitely ready for that climb. But there was one issue with this super cool article. It didn’t link to my shop. It linked to my old account on Society6. WHY NOT USE PRINT-ON-DEMAND SITES? The thing is, I used to sell exclusively…
-
Your first year as an artistpreneur
ARTISTPRENEURSHIP TIPS Whether you’re diving straight in as a full time artist or taking it slow as a part-time artistpreneur, there are a few strategies that can help you survive your first year. In this article, I’ll go over what you need to focus on to stick with it, make a profit, and expand your brand awareness. MY FIRST YEAR This month (Nov 2019) marks the first anniversary of my online shop! Hooray!! Before taking this leap, I sold my work at art shows for years and designed work for friends and family — basically I made just enough money to fund my painting hobby. I was content with this…
-
Start your art business legally (a resource roundup)
AN ARTIST IS A BUSINESS OWNER To be a full time artist, you must know the world of business. You are a business. You have products that you make and sell. You buy materials to make the products. Money comes in when you sell them. You delve in marketing, finances, shipping, taxes, and more. An artist is a business owner. Of course you are a creative, and that’s probably where most or all of your expertise is. Me too. Maybe you hate strict schedules and get nauseous when you think about doing hard math problems (just me?). But running an art business isn’t like high school algebra. It’s much better.…
-
After an art show: Do these to see results faster
BEHIND THE SCENES Yesterday I had an art show booth at the Detroit Festival of Books. I was excited to be there; the organizer asked me to show and I always am grateful when someone else does the reaching out. There were so many book shops, fellow bookworms and good food. Plus, it was in the Eastern Market — which if you’re from the area, you’ll know is the coolest area in all of Detroit (well, at least I think so). But that was yesterday. Today is the day AFTER the art show. And there are pleeennnttyyy of things that need to be done right after an event that are…
-
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 accomplished. Making money to go full time with your art is no exception. In this article we’re going to get into the nitty-gritty of how to plan your prices around your goals in order to ACTUALLY reach them. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO EARN? What’s your end game? For example,…
-
What to bring to an art show: a vendor’s supply guide
ARTIST VENDING Getting into an event as a craft vendor is an important achievement. You learn so much about yourself and how people will receive your artwork. But if you’ve never sold as a vendor before, what materials do you bring to set up? Here’s everything you need to know when preparing for an art show. YOUR ART The most important part, right? You have to decide which pieces or products to bring. If you’ve got a limited supply of artwork, this could mean you bring everything. If you’ve been an artist for five years and have canvasses piled up to your eyeballs, you’ll have to leave some behind…
-
Pricing your art: 9 things to consider (that most forget)
PRICE WITH CONFIDENCE To make money, you have to price your art. This is a high-pressure decision for many artists because it means placing numerical value on our most prized creations. But pricing your art doesn’t have to be nerve-wrecking and don’t worry — you can and should change it later anyway. There are a few main factors to consider when deciding how much to charge: time, size, material. There are other factors to consider also, that many people forget: rarity, selling platform, location, diversity, and knowing when to change your price. TIME Make it worth your time. By that I mean pay yourself a decent hourly wage. If you’re…
