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Start selling art online without feeling gross
Often I hear from artists that they don’t want to be pushy, they don’t want to bother people and they don’t want to sell. Even though they seriously would love to make a living from selling art. So let’s talk about how to start selling art without feeling bad about it. REMEMBER THE VALUE YOU PROVIDE It’s a fair trade. When you focus only on what they’re giving up (money) and not on what you’re giving up (valuable art) then it’ll feel bad. Remember it’s an even exchange. If the other person didn’t think it was an even exchange, they wouldn’t buy it. That’s why it’s so important to take…
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Financial basics for your creative side hustle
Many artists begin making art as a hobby, which transitions into a creative side hustle after they hear, “could I buy that off you?” enough times. Once artists get comfortable with selling, the call of becoming a full time artist gets louder. This article is for artists anywhere on this spectrum – all of us must learn how to track the money we spend, make, and hold. Let’s get into financial basics. Revenue Revenue is the money that you receive from selling your art. It’s any income generated by your art business. This can include commissions, accessories, shipping fees, tax you collect from customers, etc. Any money that comes IN…
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Artist interview prep: guide to publicity
Artists thrive on press. Half the work is creating, and the other half is marketing. That’s why so many folks try to pay artists in exposure – it IS valuable (just not as valuable as money). But when a genuine opportunity comes around for publicity, press, exposure, or free advertising, you’ve got to accept it. But what happens after that? You land an interview. Great! Now how to prepare? This could be a written interview, a podcast interview, or maybe a journalist will interview you and pick out the good bits to publish. In any case, there are a few necessary prep steps for any type of artist interview. Get…
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8 Mistakes you might be making as an artist
Everyone makes mistakes. But not everyone corrects themselves. Being a working artist comes with challenges, and you’ll have a few of your own to overcome. It’s all good as long as you bounce back! Be sure to set yourself straight after realizing you may be doing one of these 8 things: 1. Not embracing artistpreneurship In other words, if you’re learning how to sell art then you need to learn the art of sales. An artist who makes money from their art is an entrepreneur and a business owner! Embrace the world of sales, systems, legal setup, website tech, and the business of setting up shop. Ignoring these things can…
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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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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…
