I read this on my friend Betsy J's FB page today and I had to share it with you. It was written by a wonderful artist, Sharon Bratcher Cummings. Please take a moment to view Sharon's art here.
"Secret #1: Create something EVERY DAY. Whether it is digital art, drawing, painting, sculpting, writing, etc. Keep the creative flow going....do not let it stop.
Secret #2: Treat it as a career and not a hobby. Successful careers
require many hours of schooling, practice and real life experience. You will lik...ely need to devote at least 8 hours a day if it is to be a full-time job. 8 hours of creating, marketing, office management, photography, etc. And for most, at least 5 days a week
Secret #3: You will need to make a substantial financial investment via listing fees, quality materials (dont skimp as buyers are not fools!), cameras, printers, computers, etc. You are investing in a career and that requires money. You may need to take out a loan in the beginning.
Secret #4: And I cannot emphasize this enough...market...market...market...it will require many hours a day to "get your work out there"....use every site available...spend money their yearly fee, listing fees, etc. Facebook it, Pinterest, Twitter, Google Plus, Stumble...ALL of these every day. No rest for the weary. No excuses. Just do it.
Secret #5: Believe in yourself. Do not let others effect you. I have heard everything from "My 5 year old paints better than you do." to "You are a genius.".....the only thing that really matters is how you feel about yourself. So believe in YOU and others will see that energy and be drawn to it. They will buy your work because you are being authentic.
Secret #6: Do not copy other people's work. It cheapens it for everyone. You are either creative or you are not. Play...experiment and find your voice. This will give you a "stand out" body of work that people will recognize as yours. That sells very well!! Cheap knock offs do not create self respect or command good prices.
Secret #7: Give it some time. Few people are a "success" overnight. It might take 2 or 3 years before you are making a satisfactory income from your art (if you are doing all of the above!). Hang in there!
Secret #8: Be thankful for EVERY sale, EVERY compliment, EVERY Etsy Treasury, EVERY email where someone says they love your work, EVERY FB share...do not be discouraged because money isnt attached to it. Be thankful that people are noticing you....this is how it grows. Rejoice!! Say out loud "Thank you!"
Secret #9: Make friends with artists who are very successful...watch them...watch what they do....there are gems every single day...and this will also give you an idea of what kind of effort you will need to be putting in. Avoid jealousy...this is deadly to success! Instead, rejoice in their success because it means that you too can be successful. None of us are gods. We are all just people. No one is better than you are.
Secret #10: There is a "Pookie" for every painting. This is a personal belief that developed years ago when I was selling on Ebay. I painted a piece that I felt was horrible. My husband encouraged me to list it anyway. He said I was being too hard on myself. And lo and behold there was a major bidding war over the painting and "Island Pookie" won the auction for a substantial amount of money. The moral of the story is that your work has merit no matter how you feel about it. Do not insult yourself and bring yourself down. It is your voice. The right ears will hear it....The right eyes will see it. You are GOOD ENOUGH".
by: Sharon Bratcher Cummings
Good advise for all of us trying to sell our arts and crafts...what do you think?
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