Episode 03: Sowing the Seeds of Success
It was an absolute pleasure to interview Puerto Rico artist Skyris!
Here is a summary of the great advice she provided as a full-time visual artist.
Working full-time means doing different things:
When we plant seeds in our garden, we don’t plant all the seeds in the same spot – we spread them out. You have to think about full-time art in the same way. Doing the one thing you love may not be the best way to bring in a steady income. Find other enjoyable forms of your art and tailor them to your audience. For example, selling paintings at a fair may not be as successful as selling fun sculptures, figures, prints, or merchandise of your art.
Think about the people who are attending where your products are displayed and decide what product would suit them best.
Talk to people – especially the people you know who already support you:
When you make something new, don’t just post it into the void of social media. Call the people who support you most. There is no shame in starting off by selling your work to friends and family. Lots of artists got their start because their loved ones and community members wanted them to succeed.
Additionally, make sure you are attending community events…and not just attending them quietly. Talk to other artists and also talk to the people attending the event. Find out why they came and what things call to them when they collect work.
You are always going to be in the middle:
This is probably my favorite way this has been explained. Look, we all do it – scroll down social media or see artists doing amazing things and wonder why we aren’t there…or thinking our work isn’t as good (therefore, not as worthy). But here’s the secret – you will ALWAYS be in the middle. Someone will always be better than you and someone will always be worse. The secret is to learn from the people you think are better than you and help those that are struggling more than you. Follow a new artist and tell them something nice about the work they are producing. Reach out to the artist you think is better than you and tell them what you like and ask for advice. That’s how this podcast journey started…I just started talking to artists.
· Be sure to give a listen to the full podcast at the top of this page – Skyris gives some amazing advice.