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Big 5 lessons from traveling full-time as a solopreneur
Running an art business while traveling full time is an absolute trip – figuratively and actually. I was on the road for over two years while operating A Cup of Cloudy as a solo entrepreneur, and I learned a few lessons with my traveling business that will be helpful for all artists. When I quit my day job, I focused on increasing revenue AND cutting expenses drastically. For us that meant selling all our belongings, leaving our rental house, and moving into a tiny home. My husband and our two dogs lived in a travel trailer and then transitioned into hotel-hopping in the second year. We saw so much of…
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Reviewing your art: 3 tips to get clarity
LOOK BACK TO MOVE FORWARD Everyone critiques their own artwork — or at least they spend a lot of time criticizing it. Any rough review can be discouraging. Adding a pinch of strategy when reviewing your art will take it from negative self-talk to constructive ideas. Today I’m gonna give you three big tips for analyzing your work so you can move forward and progress instead of wallowing at your current level of artistry. It’s time to move forward. It’s time to make better art. 1. ASK BETTER QUESTIONS Your brain is like a computer. When you ask it a question, it will answer that specific question. When you ask,…
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Challenges of a traveling artist: receiving mail
BUSINESS ON THE ROAD Getting things shipped to you on the road is tough. Of course like everyone, I need my tax info, products for my business, my skincare supplements, and anything else important to me to come in the mail. But when you’re a traveling artist road tripping around the country in an RV, you don’t exactly have a mailing address. So what do I do? Here are some solutions and a rundown of their pros and cons. PO BOXES I can always set up a PO Box, but it’s not a perfect solution. For one, it adds to my long list of things to do before I move. When…
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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 illustrations — so tell them. Not only does crafting a story for your art open up a whole new door for your creativity, but it opens the door for others to connect with you. Not everyone can read between the brushstrokes the way you can — you have to spell…
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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 just show up in your life. You have to act. Even the smallest changes can make a big difference in your artist career. Below are some strategies that are guaranteed to free up time for art if you take them seriously. CARRY A SKETCHBOOK There are small pockets of time…
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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 work to, you’ll need to make an art portfolio that fits the way they prefer to consume content. Not every gallery or cute downtown shop is run by a 20-something entrepreneur. Many businesses, galleries, and art-loving establishments are run by an older generation that values hardcopy visuals. The effort put…
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Productivity is about creating instead of consuming content
BE A CREATOR NOT A CONSUMER Today I’m sharing a tip that has helped my art career immensely. Once I changed my perspective on my own art and productivity my whole course of action changed. Here it is: Create before you consume. All successful full-time artists act as creators, not consumers. They draw, draw, draw, and only peek at what others are doing after they’re done. They don’t spend all day on their feeds gawking at what other illustrators have made or where their next exhibit is being held. If you consume other people’s content all day, you won’t have time to create your own. PRODUCTIVITY IS ABOUT YOUR MINDSET…
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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…
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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…
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How to brand yourself as an artist people will remember
BE MEMORABLE I preach about making a brand for yourself a lot because I think it’s so important for kicking off your career. But many artists question how useful it is or ask how you even go about “branding” yourself. (Hint: no hot metal is required for this one.) Every company has a brand, and if you want to elevate your own business, essentially you have to create your own theme, mood, style, and brand. The purpose is that you want people to be able to recognize your work immediately when they see it (assuming they’ve seen it before). You want people to know exactly what style to expect when…
