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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…
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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…
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Pre-sale orders: a tool for profitable artmaking
REAP BEFORE YOU SOW Ever tried to sell a piece of art without showing someone what it looked like? Sounds crazy right? Well… that’s exactly what I just did. Let me explain. These past few weeks I tried my hand at hosting a pre-sale for the first time ever — with my new 2020 calendars. For those who might not know, a pre-sale is basically selling something to people before you’ve even made the thing. This concept is scary (or at least it was for me) because I have always leaned on showing off my artwork as a way to market it. I had my doubts: I doubted that it…
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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…
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Start an art account on Instagram with these steps
BECOME A SOCIAL MEDIA SWEETHEART So you’re ready to begin sharing your work online. Sweet. But how do you start an art account on Instagram? Instagram is the biggest platform for artists right now. One BILLION people use Instagram each month and creatives have been using this platform to reach new people every day. There is so much potential waiting for artists on Instagram as long as you know how to utilize it, where the boundaries are, and how to grow your reach. Let’s get into it. THE VERY FIRST STEP You probably already have a personal account. That’s fine. But first and foremost you must decide on whether to…
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Marketing tactics: Generate hype to sell more art
WHY NO ONE IS BUYING Artists often feel like the way to sell more art is to make better art. While honing your skills certainly helps, it ultimately doesn’t make sales for you. Have you ever seen a successful artist that you genuinely thought was bad at art? Me too. That’s because for one: all art is subjective. I’m sure their fans didn’t think it was bad. And for two: they marketed well so they could find those people who thought it was good! Don’t put ALL of your energy into honing your artistic skills. There are people who love your art as it is right now. You just have…
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Picking color schemes: psychology, strategy of color
COLOR IS POWERFUL Did you know that color can influence the way you taste your food? It can increase the effectiveness of placebos. Color schemes can make women look more or less attractive to men. It can draw your attention to danger and effect your emotion just by looking at certain hues. As artists, color is a powerful choice. Color can influence how people feel when they look at your work. Certain colors encourage different buying patterns in your customers. Consistent color can increase brand recognition. What colors are you using and how are they affecting your business? PSYCHOLOGY OF COLOR Whether or not you stick to a definitive color…
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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…
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Is being an artist a real job or a real risk?
YOUR TITLE MATTERS Being an artist is a real job. And, it’s truly not any more risky than any other job. Let me tell you why. Last week I got laid off from my job at the newspaper. For the past three years, I’ve hidden behind the “safe” title of Copy Editor. It sounded impressive at parties, in professional settings, and when someone asked, “What do you do?” I felt comfortable giving my answer. I felt justified knowing that I spent my days reading, writing and designing in a job that aligned with my college degree — English — as if my previous choices needed justification. But while I spent…
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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. This is something I specialize in. Picking colors, fonts, textures, filters, and every aesthetic detail is fun and it’s easy for other people to see if you’re doing it well or not. A personal brand is similar, but it goes deeper — and the average passerby may not be able…
