So a lot has happened in the last week. I got the part time job I applied for! It is in a photo lab about two blocks from my house. I think it's funny how I've gone full circle. One of my first jobs when I moved to Texas 8 years ago was in a photo lab. I was recruited from there and started my long exhausting journey into retail management. I actually loved working in the photo lab. I loved the details in processing film, digital imaging, and printing photos. I also enjoyed sharing those happy memories with my customers. It doesn't pay much. But I just need a supplemental income to fall back on until sales start growing.
And now for the super exciting news that is causing my life to be busy....I have been contacted to create custom designs for someone. It makes me really happy that someone sees value in my art. I'll be busy for the next few days creating designs. Once everything is settled and the art finished I'll post a link for you all to see the final product.
I am also working on 2 new lines of designs for Zazzle products. And I'm still considering listing a few things on Etsy. I'm interested in how my keywords and tags will work on Etsy with their new relevancy search. If nothing else it might give me some insight into changes I can make to my seo on ArtFire.
So that's it for now. I've got lots to do and less time to do it. Have a happy day everyone! :-)
Friday, August 26, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Newest strategy
So I still have a million things to do to improve and promote my ArtFire studio, but I also want to diversify a bit. I considered Etsy, but I really would rather not have to pay to list. I suppose I could list one thing every other day and it works out to $3 a month. I have several reservations regarding Etsy. They have made several changes recently. Personally, I think most of them make sense from an outsider's perspective. But the forums are full of people screaming. Although that is not unusual. I mostly just worry about the lack of communication from the administration. ArtFire is so awesome about communicating with us. I guess I got spoiled. :-)
So my latest strategy is Zazzle. For those of you unfamiliar with Zazzle, it is a website that allows the seller to design customizable products using their own designs. I have already designed a few products. The coolest, in my mind anyway, are 2 really cool pairs of Keds. That's right, I designed sneakers! I would post a link to them, but they have to be approved before they are released for public view. I spent most of yesterday creating new designs based on my style of art that would work better on more products. I am just getting started, but I can see that with intense promoting, Zazzle could easily produce a decent income stream. The best part is that all the shipping and production are done by Zazzle. All I do is create art, design products, and promote. So check it out:
My Zazzle store
I'll be adding new products on a fairly regular basis. It is pretty time consuming. I think a realistic goal is 2 new products each day. That leaves me with time for creating art and promotion for Zazzle and Artfire. Plus I am still selling on ebay which takes up a good chunk of my day on Sunday.
All in all, I feel good about the direction my business is taking. I'm trying to carefully weigh my options and make choices based on activities I can actually fully commit to. It doesn't do me any good to sign up for 50 stores or sites and not be able to put in the time at any of them. I think it's much more productive to commit to a couple sites and really work my you know what off to promote them.
So that's what new in the life of The Artist Michelle. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and have a great week! :-)
Michelle
So my latest strategy is Zazzle. For those of you unfamiliar with Zazzle, it is a website that allows the seller to design customizable products using their own designs. I have already designed a few products. The coolest, in my mind anyway, are 2 really cool pairs of Keds. That's right, I designed sneakers! I would post a link to them, but they have to be approved before they are released for public view. I spent most of yesterday creating new designs based on my style of art that would work better on more products. I am just getting started, but I can see that with intense promoting, Zazzle could easily produce a decent income stream. The best part is that all the shipping and production are done by Zazzle. All I do is create art, design products, and promote. So check it out:
My Zazzle store
I'll be adding new products on a fairly regular basis. It is pretty time consuming. I think a realistic goal is 2 new products each day. That leaves me with time for creating art and promotion for Zazzle and Artfire. Plus I am still selling on ebay which takes up a good chunk of my day on Sunday.
All in all, I feel good about the direction my business is taking. I'm trying to carefully weigh my options and make choices based on activities I can actually fully commit to. It doesn't do me any good to sign up for 50 stores or sites and not be able to put in the time at any of them. I think it's much more productive to commit to a couple sites and really work my you know what off to promote them.
So that's what new in the life of The Artist Michelle. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and have a great week! :-)
Michelle
Thursday, August 18, 2011
ArtFire Studio Heating Up!
I am happy to report I have had 5 more sales on ArtFire since my last post! And I finally managed to get my ArtFire studio banner working -------------> Yay! And I have curated my first collection on ArtFire. http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=collections&op=details&cid=26108 This collection is a small token of my heartfelt thanks to some of the lovely artisans on ArtFire that have helped me with words of wisdom and encouragement. I have belonged to many online communities in the past decade or so. And I can honestly say that the ArtFire community is without a doubt the most helpful and supportive community out there.
The best part of this community is that having none of the censorship and heavy handed policies that other forums have in place has in fact created the type of community the other sites wish they had. Sure, once in a while someone feels the need to vent. We all have those days sometimes. But instead of the "feeding the troll" attitudes I've seen elsewhere, this community tries to empathize with the poster and remain supportive. They offer sympathy and words of advice. The "kill them with kindness" theory of community management seems to work amazingly well.
So my unsolicited advice for the day is this; if you are looking to sell your handmade wares online, and have no idea how to start, check out ArtFire. There you will find a truly supportive community of artisans and admins that really want you to succeed. If you decide to join I would check out the 45 day guide, the help guide index, and the business talk sections on the forum first. Just these 3 sections will probably answer any questions you may have about listing, SEO, taking great photos, pricing your items, and anything else you might need help with.
Referral link for 3rd month free on ArtFire.
Thank you all and I look forward to seeing you over on ArtFire and checking out your art!
The best part of this community is that having none of the censorship and heavy handed policies that other forums have in place has in fact created the type of community the other sites wish they had. Sure, once in a while someone feels the need to vent. We all have those days sometimes. But instead of the "feeding the troll" attitudes I've seen elsewhere, this community tries to empathize with the poster and remain supportive. They offer sympathy and words of advice. The "kill them with kindness" theory of community management seems to work amazingly well.
So my unsolicited advice for the day is this; if you are looking to sell your handmade wares online, and have no idea how to start, check out ArtFire. There you will find a truly supportive community of artisans and admins that really want you to succeed. If you decide to join I would check out the 45 day guide, the help guide index, and the business talk sections on the forum first. Just these 3 sections will probably answer any questions you may have about listing, SEO, taking great photos, pricing your items, and anything else you might need help with.
Referral link for 3rd month free on ArtFire.
Thank you all and I look forward to seeing you over on ArtFire and checking out your art!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
WOOT! I sold my first painting on Artfire!
I can't tell you how happy this makes me. It really isn't about the money. For me, it's about another person finding value in my art. I am blissfully happy right now. :-)
What I need everyone who wishes they could do this....quit their job....sell their art....to know is...you can! Trust me when I say that I know how hard it is to have confidence in your art. You think to yourself, "What if I'm just a hack? Maybe I have no actual talent. What if people just point and laugh?" I have had all these self defeating thoughts and more. But you seriously need to let it go and think about how much creating art makes you happy. If making it makes you that happy, there are bound to be people out there that are happy looking at your art. And there are people who want to take that happy feeling and have it in their home.
There is no "right time"! There is only today! You matter! Your art matters! I'm not saying you should all go out and quit your jobs. But somehow you need to make the time to work on your art. Only you can make it happen. I believe in you. Now you only have to believe in yourself.
Be The Artist!
What I need everyone who wishes they could do this....quit their job....sell their art....to know is...you can! Trust me when I say that I know how hard it is to have confidence in your art. You think to yourself, "What if I'm just a hack? Maybe I have no actual talent. What if people just point and laugh?" I have had all these self defeating thoughts and more. But you seriously need to let it go and think about how much creating art makes you happy. If making it makes you that happy, there are bound to be people out there that are happy looking at your art. And there are people who want to take that happy feeling and have it in their home.
There is no "right time"! There is only today! You matter! Your art matters! I'm not saying you should all go out and quit your jobs. But somehow you need to make the time to work on your art. Only you can make it happen. I believe in you. Now you only have to believe in yourself.
Be The Artist!
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