“ART=MORE THAN A HOBBY=YOUR LIFE” 101
NAME/SCREEN NAME–“MEMORABLE”, “EASY TO SPELL”, “THE SAME SCREEN NAME I USE FOR EVERYWHERE MY ART IS POSTED”. (SOMETIMES IT’S NOT POSSIBLE TO GET THE SAME EXACT ONE EVERYWHERE–THAT’S OKAY.) LINK YOUR ACCOUNTS TOGETHER. MAKE THIS A NAME YOU’RE GOING TO USE FOR A LONG TIME, LIKE YOUR REAL NAME “+ILLUSTRATION” (+ILLUS, +ILLO), OR AN IDENTITY.
TAGLINE/MOTTO/ELEVATOR PITCH/BIO– COMPACT YOUR ARTISTIC SOUL INTO A CATCHPHRASE. ALSO HAVE A PARAGRAPH VERSION (AN EXPANDED VERSION OF THAT SENTENCE) THAT CAN SERVE AS YOUR BIO. THIS, UNLIKE YOUR NAME, CAN BE UPDATED OCCASIONALLY.
ICON/AVATAR/LOGO/MASCOT–MAKE SOMETHING THAT’S EASILY RECOGNIZABLE AT 100px X 100px (SMALL) AS IT IS FROM A DISTANCE AT 5" X 5". INTITIALS? SYMBOL?
INSTAGRAM, TUMBLR, WORDPRESS, TWITTER
…WHATEVER. JUST START GRABBING IT EVEN IF YOU DON’T NEED IT RIGHT THIS INSTANT IN CASE YOU WANT IT LATER AND DON’T WANT IT TO BE TAKEN WHEN YOU FINALLY DO.
TRY TO POST NEW CONTENT, NEW ART, AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE,
DON’T JUST COAST ON OLD ART YOU MADE LAST YEAR OR SEVERAL MONTHS AGO FOREVER.
DON’T SPREAD YOURSELF THIN EITHER, IF POSTING EVERYWHERE IS TOO HARD JUST FOCUS YOUR ACTIVITY IN ONE PLACE.
OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD YOU CAN LINK INSTAGRAM TO TWITTER AND TUMBLR ETC. MANY PLACES LINK TO TWITTER.
PORTFOLIO/GALLERY– POST YOUR ART IN PLACES THAT AREN’T LITTERED WITH $#%^POSTS, NON-ART POSTS, CONVERSATION, AND COMMENTS. YOU NEED A PLACE WHERE ONLY YOUR ART LIVES AND NOTHING ELSE (EXCEPT CONTACT INFORMATION). IF MONEY IS NOT A PROBLEM, GO WITH
IF IT IS JUST NAB A CARBONMADE, OR A BEHANCE,
OR MAKE A SEPARATE BLOG. YOU CAN DISABLE COMMENTS ON SOME SITES TOO.
KEEP IT SHORT, SIMPLE, AND TO THE POINT WHENEVER WHEREVER POSSIBLE UNLESS YOU ARE ASKED TO ELABORATE OR PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.
#TAG, #TAG, #TAG, #TAG, #TAG,
THINK ABOUT THE AUDIENCE YOU’RE AFTER–ARE THEY GOING TO WANT THE WHOLE STORY OR A PREMISE-SIZED SUMMARY?
DO THEY LIKE DOUBLE SPACE OR SINGLE SPACE?
ALTHOUGH YOUR OWN PREFERENCES SHOULD BE PART OF THE EQUATION TOO, IF YOUR ART IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO REACH OTHERS WITH, THINK ABOUT HOW TO BEST PRESENT IT TO OTHERS.
CONTACT LINK BAR COMPACT AS THIS THE BOTTOM OF POSTS:
FOLLOW ME | HERE | THERE | EVERYWHERE | BUY MY STUFF | THANKS
IF IT FITS LEGIBLY ON A BUSINESS CARD THEN IT’S EFFECTIVE. APPLY THIS RULE AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE TO ALL THINGS YOU SAY OUT LOUD AND TYPE OUT.
WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER AN ONLINE STORE–SOME PEOPLE LIKE FRAMING ART AND POSTERS THEN MOUNTING THEM ON THE WALL. EVERYBODY ELSE WOULD RATHER HAVE AN ITEM TO SHELF, WEAR, OR A STICKER, OR A MAGNET. THIS WILL MAKE YOUR ART MORE ACCESSIBLE. SCAN YOUR WORK (OR CREATE IT) AT 600DPI WHENEVER POSSIBLE. IF THE PIXEL DIMENSIONS IS IN THE 100s THEN WHATEVER IT IS, IT’S TOO SMALL TO PRINT.
SUPER BASIC RULES OF TAKING COMMISSIONS*
TAKE WORK ONLY FROM CLIENTS WHO HAVE SEEN YOUR PORTFOLIO OR ART EXAMPLES. THE BETTER THEY’RE ACQUAINTED WITH YOUR ART THE MORE THEY CAN TRUST YOU, THE MORE YOU CAN TRUST YOURSELF, TO DELIVER THE BEST WORK YOU CAN DO.
TAKE WORK ONLY FROM CLIENTS WILLING TO PAY YOU UP FRONT. IF THEY’RE NOT WILLING TO PAY YOU UP FRONT THEY MIGHT NOT INTEND TO PAY YOU AT ALL. THEY MIGHT NOT REALLY LIKE YOUR ART IF THEY QUESTION YOUR ABILITY. AND IF THAT’S TRUE THEY ALREADY DON’T VALUE YOUR WORK. (SOME PAY HALF NOW AND THE REST AFTER THE WORK IS DONE, I TAKE WORK ONLY FROM CLIENTS LIKE THESE IF THEY’RE REPUTABLE.)
CLOCK YOURSELF. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR YOU TO GO FROM SKETCH TO FINISH? I HOPE YOU ARE AT A POINT IN YOUR ARTISTIC EXPERIENCE THAT YOU CAN GUARANTEE THE TIME, BECAUSE THERE’S PRINT DEADLINES TO BE MET, HOURS OF SLEEP TO LOSE, AND CLIENTS WHO WANT A REFUND WHEN IT TAKES YOU TWO MONTHS THIS TIME WHEN LAST TIME IT WAS TWO WEEKS. BE DEDICATED!!!
*I COULD WRITE MORE BUT TRUST YOUR GUT AND DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH INTO THE MARKET.
ON “MANAGING” COMMENTS, CRITICISM, LACK THEREOF, AND THE INNER VOICE OF NEGATIVITY
I USED TO TALK TO PEOPLE ONE ON ONE ABOUT THIS AND THIS IS WHY–EVERYONE’S LIFE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT AND A VARIETY OF OUTSIDE FACTORS CAN AFFECT HOW YOU MAKE YOUR ART. I STRUGGLE… AND I DON’T WISH THESE STRUGGLES ON ANYONE, WHICH IS WHY I’M INTENT ON PROVIDING AS MUCH SUPPORT AND RESOURCES AS I’M CAPABLE OF…
SOME SKETCHES WILL STAY UNFINISHED.
SOME DRAWINGS YOU’LL END UP THROWING AWAY.
MISTAKES AND MISSTEPS HAPPEN. THESE THINGS DON’T MEAN YOU’RE A BAD ARTIST.
LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES, LEAVE THEM IN THE PAST, DON’T DWELL, DONT REHASH, MOVE ON, KEEP DRAWING.
NO ONE IS PERFECT. REPEATED MISTAKES HAPPEN TOO. JUST KEEP PUSHING, KEEP DRAWING–EVENTUALLY YOUR ART WILL SMOOTH OUT.
TO COMPARE IS TO DESPAIR.
EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES.
EVERYONE LIVES AT THEIR OWN PACE.
DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR HUMAN NEEDS (FOR YOUR ART’S SAKE)
YOU NEED A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT AND YOU NEED TO HAVE POSITIVE INTERACTIONS WITH PEOPLE TO THRIVE.
A NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENT, CONSTANT INTERACTIONS WITH TOXIC PEOPLE, WILL WEAR YOU DOWN AND AFFECT YOUR ABILITIES TO DO THINGS.
(THIS APPLIES TO ANY. IF YOU CAN’T ESCAPE… CARVE A SAFE PLACE OUT, BUILD YOUR SANCTUARY, BURY YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND. ISOLATE, CONTAIN, QUARANTINE, ZONE OUT. PERSONALLY, I LIVE IN MY HEADPHONES AND I DRAW… )
REMEMBER TO EAT. ALWAYS HAVE WATER BOTTLES, CANDY, OR SNACKS WITHIN ARM’S REACH.
ENTERTAINMENT, GAMES, COMICS TO READ, CARTOONS/ANIME TO WATCH.
MUSIC TO LISTEN TO. LIKE FOR THE ABOVE, SOME “WHITE NOISE”. AMBIENT SOUNDS???
IF YOU ARE RATHER HOMEBOUND OR SOLITARY, THEN A COLLECTION OF SOMETHING TO BRIGHTEN UP YOUR ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME (DESK). BOOKS, TOYS, PLUSH ANIMALS, FIGURINES???
COMMUNITY, BELONGING SENSE, GROUP ACTIVITIES… MAKE FRIENDS WHO SHARE YOUR INTERESTS, OTHER ARTISTS, ART FRIENDS. THIS IS HARD WHEN YOU’RE DEPRESSED BUT IF YOU’RE NOT OPEN TO ART TRADES AND COLLABS, THEN MAYBE DO REQUESTS OR!! DO ART CHALLENGES!!! FOLLOW ALONG EVEN IF YOU’RE SEPARATE. THE POINT OF THIS IS NOT LEAVING YOURSELF OUT.
OBJECTIVES, GOALS… CLIFFHANGERS TO GET YOU OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING AND CONTINUE DOING NEXT DAY.
PEOPLE BREAK DOWN AFTER THEY ARE WORN DOWN.
TO BE WELL AND STAY STRONG, YOU HAVE TO REST OCCASIONALLY TO HEAL.
REPAIR YOURSELF TO PREPARE YOURSELF. DON’T JUST BRACE FOR THE IMPACT.
X. RAPIDPUNCHES –I HOPE THIS ROUNDED UP MOST OF YOUR QUESTIONS. PART TWO.
⇆ ♡ ? FIGHT ME | o(･д´･+)９” | (ง •̀_•́)ง | (ﾉﾟДﾟ)ﾉ !!!
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