Make Less Art to Sell More of It

An interesting article by Gary Vaynerchuk for all the business/artists out there!

"Creatives lack business skills."

How many times have you heard that? Or a variation on it? Maybe you're creative, an artist, a craftsman, and you heard that and become discouraged. Well, I have good news: it's wrong.

Artists can be business savvy, and can absolutely win in that world. But it's understandable that many artists find the typical business advice, usually geared towards entrepreneurs, bosses, leaders and nine-to-fivers, not applicable or confusing. Maybe you're having trouble figuring out how you work in that world.

To build up your business as an artist, you need to shift your daily output and reconfigure your week. Sound like a lot? It's actually pretty simple.

However, before we get deep into it, we need to determine what "one day's output" is for you. I can't speak to one artist individually, because when you work in that world, your daily output is very different from anyone else's. Whether you're a painter or photographer, the time it takes to create one piece changes so much between artists. So to explore this issue I am writing about, you first need to decide for yourself what one day of work looks like.

Ask yourself: What is the bare minimum amount I need to create every day to keep myself going? Then, stick to that amount. Only make that many pieces, and dedicate the rest of the time, the time you might have spent pushing yourself to make four or five extra things, to developing your business and personal brand.

For example: maybe you decide to make seven pieces in a year instead of thirteen. If you can live off of that (because that is the most important thing) the time you would have spent making the last six could be focused on sharpening your business skills, or really anything else you want to have time for. Maybe you can only afford to make one less piece a year. That doesn't seem like a lot of time, but all those small chunks of time will absolutely add up. By the end of the year, you will be grateful for having allocated even twenty minutes a day.

Building a brand as an artist is tremendously important. While some may disagree, you cannot ignore the power that social media holds for artists, especially with it being such a visual industry. Where do I recommend you put your energy? Pinterest. Instagram. These are the platforms that truly value creativity and put the art first. Twitter is important too, and you know I'm all about Facebook. Write a Medium post. Create content. You should work through all of these things eventually, but Pinterest and Instagram are a great start. Be smart and know the world we are in.

Bonus tip: it may even be helpful to hit up some podcasts or YouTube shows you know and admire. If you don't know any, take the time to look and learn. Networking digitally is just as important (and way more scalable) than networking in-person. Getting a short interview or even a spot on one of them could mean a sale. And hey, I said sale. There is no guarantee that one interview is going to lead you to that huge buyer who wants twenty of your pieces. But guess what? The more you put yourself out there, the more opportunities you create for that to happen. It's simple probabilities.

The more noise you create on social media, the more demand you create for yourself. The more demand, the higher your prices can be. We all know that. Use social media to your advantage. Carve out that time. Listen: as you move along, it may even become more cost effective for you to bring someone in to run all that for you. Maybe you're already there now. Evaluate.

The bottom line is this: if you're not building up your equity, you're going to be stuck making hundred dollar pieces when you could be making million dollar pieces.

https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/artist-business-tips-model-1019780168.html

A great article but I have also noticed a funny trend. The less I have in my shop, the more I have sold in recent months. I think when I had hundreds of items, it was overwhelming to customers and they probably only looked at the first page of items anyway. So I have let a lot of items sell out of my shop and have not replaced them. Good luck out there!

Auction time again!

Hand Papermaking’s 18th Annual Online Auction is well underway, and there are still some good bargains. See the lineup at auction.handpapermaking.org

To place your bids, click on "Items for Sale" at
www.ebay.com/usr/handpapermaking

Among the 55 offerings, take note of the studio opportunities in Italy and Maryland which are still open to bids well below their value. Tim Barrett's limited editions, and the Douglass Morse Howell items are also a great bargain. There are several pieces of studio equipment, including an unused Nepalese su. And there are large full sheets of gorgeous papers unavailable elsewhere.

Want to help but can't decide what to bid on? A paper-related artifact or souvenir might display nicely in your home or studio. Consider historical ephemera, or small handbound books if you're tight on space. How about a lovely little shifu artwork or perhaps a framed print?

The gavel falls this Saturday at 2:00pm Pacific / 5:00pm Eastern / 9:00pm GMT.

100% of proceeds benefit Hand Papermaking's non-profit activities. Thanks for your ongoing support, and please spread the word!

New banner for my Etsy shop

I made a new banner today to emphasize the direction I am going with my work. I am not just making plantable paper products (say that ten times fast) but also my notecards featuring whimsical figures made from my original pressed flower art designs!

I played around with various fonts and designs and finally settled on this one as my final banner:

I am a little sad to say goodbye to the banner I have had for years, with the clever little catch phrase that I love: handmade paper for all seasons and for all reasons. But the changes in the Etsy shop design have come at the perfect time for me, when I have also changed direction, or just put more emphasis on many directions that I have been heading. So it's exciting to freshen things up and embrace where I am going. Another new chapter!

10 Unique ideas for escort cards

Thanks to the "She Knows" blog for including my plantable paper in the story on "10 Unique ideas for escort cards."

Yikes - I really need to make more of these and get them back in stock in my shop!

Pay it forward

If you read a few posts back, you know that I spent the better part of January and February getting ready for a gallery show of my Petal People. There were some speed bumps hanging the show, as there always are, but the opening was wonderful. The gallery took care of everything: hanging the show, the advertising, the food, beverages and they even hired musicians to play live. I felt very taken care of and appreciated. A lively crowd of people came and they oohed and ahhed and made me feel special and artistic. (These gallery shows are so bizarre to me because a part of me feels like I must be some kind of fraud, pretending to be an artist, having customers admire and purchase work as if it is so special and unique when it comes easily to me and seems like something anyone could create. Weird.)

I was both delighted and petrified as I saw one after another of my framed pieces have a "sold" sticker put next to it. I ended up selling half of my show during the opening and spent the following week back in my studio frantically creating more, like these:

I buy inexpensive frames that I sand and then paint with spray paint so I felt darn lucky for the crazy warm spring weather we had in early March that allowed me to go outside and paint a bunch more. I managed to make enough to replace everything that sold and give the gallery two extras. Since the show is up for two months, I need to have another spurt of making more just in case.

So all that is great. I am in it to sell my work, to make money off of what I love doing. But somehow when my work is appreciated by someone and sparks their imagination or creativity, it is almost better than a sale. During my opening reception, I talked at length to a guy, about 20 years old, from Brooklyn who was entirely inspired. I was touched that someone so young and urban would be moved by my work, which usually appeals to older people, and women, and gardeners. We started talking about his artwork and I told him ideas of something I had seen in his medium. We chatted excitedly, exchanging ideas in rapid fire, until another customer joined in and then another and soon we had become separated. I never got his name but I really liked his spirit and imagination and wished I had gotten his contact info so we could continue the conversation… I love it when people are generous with their enthusiasm, their resources, their ideas. This morning I opened up an email on Etsy and was so grateful for more of that generosity.

I have about 20 partially-made Petal People for the various markets where I sell them and this email gave me just the burst of adrenaline I needed to dive back in and get a few more completed. Hoping I can pay this generosity and appreciation forward in some other area of my life.

Classroom gift

Thanks to one of my customers for sharing this photo of the seed bombs that she purchased from me: "Love them! My daughter can't wait to give these to her classmates!"

They really do make an awfully cute gift for classmates and teachers, and one that doesn't have sugar or food allergies. And their versatility is amazing, whether displayed in a little bag, in a pot or scattered about.

The storm before the calm

All of my work is spread out everywhere at Micropolis, the gallery/market where I am having my next show (opening is tonight!), in preparation for hanging the work. I unpacked everything, started arranging pieces to see what would look good together when I realized that they have a hanging wire system and all of my work has hangers with teeth, to be mounted onto a nail, not a wire system.

Quick trip to the hardware store followed by three hours of wiring all of my frames. It made me realize that I never seem to be able ask all of the questions that I need to — and believe me I ask a lot — to prepare for a gallery show. But here are a few to keep in mind so that you can be as prepared as possible no matter how many shows you have had:

Will there be a reception?
If so, who chooses the date and time?
Am I expected to present a Gallery Talk?
Who brings food and beverages, as well as plates, cups and napkins?
What size is the area for food and refreshments?
Will I have to bring my own wine opener?
How will my work be displayed? Walls? On pedestals? On stands?
What kind of display system is it (for walls)?
What do I need to supply and what is available, such as stands, nails, hammer, level, etc.
Will the work remain up for the entire length of the show? Or can a customer purchase and take home at any time?
Do I need to provide extra work to fill in holes after purchases?
Where will the extra be stored?
Who is responsible for contacting customers to pick up work when the show ends?
Is there parking available for loading and unloading? Is anyone available to help?
Will I be responsible for hanging/displaying my show or will I have assistance?
Who handles the publicity and cost for publicity?
What kind of publicity does the gallery do - FaceBook, newspaper, postcards, e-mails?