Is Etsy a good online marketplace to start selling your art? What are the essential things to know about as a newbie just starting out on this popular platform? Selling art online is as easy as just uploading your work and waiting for the sale, right? As an artist just starting to make the transition from selling my paintings locally to selling online, I know how confusing and overwhelming it can be to try to make sense of all the information available to us about selling art via the Internet. Even picking a platform to start on can seem like an impossible task. What if we start on one and it turns out to be a huge waste of money, time and effort? And there's so much to wrap our heads around, even beyond selecting a platform or marketplace. We need to learn about online marketing, which is a monster topic in itself that consists (among many other things) of creating a personal brand, building up an audience, learning what works on different social media channels and selecting the one(s) that works best for us, as well as consistently sharing our work/message with the world. We need to learn about taxes and accounting because, make no mistake, as artists we are creative entrepreneurs. If we want to get to a point at which we're creating a consistent income from our work, we need to start seeing what we're doing as a business and not be afraid of stepping into our entrepreneurial shoes. As business owners, we must be willing to consistently step out of our comfort zones, accept that we need to pivot or try something new when things are not working, and not be afraid to invest in different parts of our businesses. For some of us, this may even include looking for specialized courses and/or coaching. Finally, and most importantly, we need to consistently work on our mental and physical well-being because our brands/businesses are an extension of ourselves. The more time I spend working on building up my own business (which consists of many things aside from selling art online), the more I find this to be true. It takes a lot of mental strength and deep-rooted determination to stay persistent with learning and implementing. To show up everyday, even when things aren't growing as fast as you'd like them to. To keep believing in oneself and consistently providing value, even when negativity is thrown your way. I find caring for our mental and physical health is even more important as artists because, not only is what we do so personal, but most of us are working on both our art and all of the aforementioned things alone. We don't have assistants or a team to share our worries (or even wins) with. I share the specific things I do on a weekly basis to stay happy and productive as an artist in my blog post/YouTube video titled 5 Essential Self-Care Tips for Artists and Creatives. Because of all this, I'm incredibly thankful that we have the opportunity now-a-days to connect with other creatives around the world and learn from people who are willing to share their experiences/knowledge. Today, we have writer and seamstress Annabelle Carter Short, who's had her own handmade business for many years, sharing a lot of useful information about selling on Etsy with us. Let's get into her article! The Pros and Cons of Selling on Etsy + 5 Key Tips Many independent artists struggle to start selling their work. Not because they're not inspiring or creative, but because they lack an understanding on how to actually sell their art. If you're looking to make money off your art, consider trying Etsy marketplace for a start. According to Etsy 2018 numbers, the platform has approximately 35.8 million active users, 1.98 million sellers, and over 50 million products listed for sale. With sellers all around the world, Etsy is a marketplace that is well-known for facilitating sales of arts and handmade products. But, what are the advantages and disadvantages of selling your art through Etsy? And, is it right for you? Advantages • It is convenient and has a more accessible set up than building your own website or physical shop. • Through the years, Etsy has worked hard on its branding. It is already trusted and respected by customers looking for handmade goods. This is a huge help for starting businesses that haven't yet built up an audience or fanbase. • Etsy has a blog, forums and a lot of resources for users on everything from product photography, customer care, packaging, taxes, branding your shop and much more. • This platform has a targeted customer base. The audience here is not looking for mass products, and not necessarily for the cheapest ones either. Uniqueness (and quality) is what will sell. • You can open up your shop for free in a matter of minutes and the fees taken by Etsy when a seller uploads a new product, as well as what it takes when a sale gets made, are very low compared to other selling platforms (like Amazon and eBay) or setting up your own e-commerce website. • When you get a sale, the money is transferred to you immediately, as opposed to other markets like eBay. Disadvantages • Etsy has frequent updates and you will need to always keep learning and adapting to change. • Competition is fierce (especially for certain niches like jewelry, hair accessories, printables, etc.) and you cannot rely on the platform's search field to be your one and only traffic source. This means that you have to be very hands-on about sharing your work and growing an audience that you can promote it to. • Though Etsy's fees are a lot lower than other marketplaces like eBay and Amazon, you will have to take them into account, as well as your shipping costs, when you are setting your prices. • Having a shop on Etsy, means you have your shop on someone else's property. According to their Terms of Service, they can choose to suspend or close your store at any point in time if they feel you aren't playing by their rules. This means, you have to take time reading these documents carefully. *Verdict If you're looking to start selling your art online, Etsy is a great option. Through this experience, you'll be able to gain knowledge on the basics you need to succeed online like pricing, customer service, shipping, taxes, and marketing products effectively. A lot of handmade businesses start on Etsy and move on to creating their own website/e-commerce store after gaining such experience and traction. Many of them keep selling on Etsy even after setting up their own independent shops, because they know the unique opportunities this presence can bring them. To start on the right foot, you'll need to put some effort into understanding the platform, and how to maximize your business potential. As mentioned above, the competition is high, but that doesn’t mean there is no space for you. You just need to learn how to make people notice your shop. Here are five essential tips for you.
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4. Get found
Like with any search engine, you should make time to learn about SEO and use keywords that will help you get found. Strong keywords will help your products show up in the shopper’s queries listing.
Make sure you're using them in your title, description and filling up all available tags. Brainstorm these keywords first, try to make similar searches and check results.
- Title –Be specific and detailed in your title and use words that shoppers are actually typing into the search field (oftentimes these are very different from words we would use). Focus on using the strongest keywords here and stick to the 140 characters limit.
- Description – Describe everything you can about your product. Think about possible questions shoppers would have and reply to them into this section. Don’t forget to mention your artwork size, medium, supplies used, care instructions, and any other relevant information.
- Tags – Tags are a word or combination of words used to describe your product briefly. You can add up to 13 tags per item listing (use all of them!). Etsy suggests a few keywords to your tags, which you shouldn’t ignore! They are based on the audience’s searches to related products and are extremely useful. Without these tags, chances are your work will be hidden from potential customers.
If you need some extra help into deciding which keywords are best, you could try EtsyRank and/or Marmalead.
5. Get noticed
Every time you publish a new product, it will be displayed on the top of its category for some time. Use this in your favor and don’t upload all your products at once. Choose the best time, when most of your target audience will probably be scrolling on Etsy, and upload your products then.
Another way to get noticed is by driving traffic to your store through social media. Make good use of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and so on. Learn about what works best with each platform and select the ones that are right for you. These tools are the best solution to create awareness and engage with your potential customers.
Remember, social media is all about engagement, not only posting. Use them to create connections with potential customers and stay away from only promoting work you want to sell. Reply to questions, ask your own, and always think of what your possible clients would like to see.
Finally, start to learn about paid promotion to amplify your reach. Think of investing a small amount in targeted campaigns via Facebook and Etsy's own promoted listings and testing out different strategies.
Final Thoughts
Etsy might not be the perfect platform, but it's probably the easiest for beginners. You will have to learn about technicalities and selling strategies, but this is applicable to any other e-commerce platform.
Put some effort into understanding the algorithms, using keywords appropriately, having great photos, managing finances, and driving traffic through your social media. When you feel more confident, you could even open your own website and sell your products directly.
Annabelle Carter Short is a freelance writer and seamstress of more than 7 years. She’s passionate about selling on Etsy and starting a handmade business. In her free time, she likes to make DIY projects with her two kids. Annabelle also works with few organizations to provide the best resources for raising and educating a special needs child.
Follow Annabelle on Facebook here.
I'd like to send out a huge thanks to Annabelle for sharing her expert advice with us.
And I want to encourage you, fellow artist, to make time to establish your own artistic goals. Set a plan for yourself and get to it. Do whatever research you feel you need to do, but don't allow yourself to get stuck or overwhelmed with contradicting or confusing advice.
Take action and implement what you learn because otherwise, you'll never really know if that path will work for your specific situation.
Inform yourself, make a decision based on your gut feeling, and get to it.
As one of my business coaches always says:
"Clarity comes through engagement, not thought."
And even if a platform doesn't turn out to be the best for your own goals, you'll have learned a whole ton from taking action.
Finally, if you're passionate about your art and it's your dream to one day make a living from selling, step one is to get your skills up to a level at which you're able to offer original, quality work with confidence.
Helping aspiring artists progress their skills and find their voice is one of my passions, and I'm here to help you.
Become a member of the Becoming Artists community on Patreon to gain immediate access to a library of classes on Art Fundamentals, exclusive drawing and watercolor painting tutorials that I don't share anywhere else, as well as live Q&A's in which I answer all your questions.
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How does one go about making a living as an artist? How do working artists manage to juggle their art production, marketing, all of the administrative tasks that come with running a business and their own personal life? What does it really take to be able to sell art online? How can we deal with artistic burnout/creative block in order to keep producing consistently?
Podcasts and YouTube videos created by working artists and art-business experts have been invaluable for me ever since I first started planning on leaving my last "normal" full-time position, up until today, as I navigate the challenges of online creative entrepreneurship (while still teaching and selling locally).
Today, I'll be sharing my top five.
Honestly, if it weren't for all of these amazing people sharing their own experiences and advice so generously, I don't think I'd be here today. I simply wouldn't of had the courage to leave my many years of working as an employee and starting my own art business.
Check out my past blog post/YouTube video titled How I Became an Artistpreneur to learn everything I did to prepare to leave my last full-time job.
I absolutely love listening to these podcasts as I draw or paint and I highly recommend all of them to anyone who's just getting started with selling their art or wants to make any amount of income through their artistic skills.
All of these are both inspiring and incredibly useful as they provide practical, actionable tips to help get your art career up-and-running.
I talk more about each of the podcasts in this video and you'll be able to find direct links to all of them below.
If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a brand new video every week with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and mindset/productivity tips for artists. *Subscribe HERE*
Best Podcasts for Artists
1. Creative Pep Talk
http://www.creativepeptalk.com/episodes/
2. Art Biz Coach Podcast
https://artbizsuccess.com/podcasts/
3. The Jealous Curator (Art for Your Ear)
http://www.thejealouscurator.com/blog/art-for-your-ear-podcast/
4. The Thriving Artist
https://clarkhulingsfund.org/chfpodcast/
5. Beyond the Studio
https://www.beyondthe.studio/
Hope you enjoy them and find them inspiring and helpful!
1. Creative Pep Talk
http://www.creativepeptalk.com/episodes/
2. Art Biz Coach Podcast
https://artbizsuccess.com/podcasts/
3. The Jealous Curator (Art for Your Ear)
http://www.thejealouscurator.com/blog/art-for-your-ear-podcast/
4. The Thriving Artist
https://clarkhulingsfund.org/chfpodcast/
5. Beyond the Studio
https://www.beyondthe.studio/
Hope you enjoy them and find them inspiring and helpful!
Are people starting to show interest in your work, but you're a bit nervous about getting into a paid project? Have you started taking commissions and have been disappointed with the experience of working with clients? Interested in streamlining your commission processes and getting others to see you as a professional working artist?
As artists, it can be difficult to tap into that business-mindset, but it's an absolute must if we plan on making a consistent income with our art.
In today's blog post, I'll be sharing six tips that will help you look professional in the eyes of prospective clients, ensure your art commission processes go as smoothly as possible, and help you build a positive reputation that will attract more clients in the future.
A great amount of self-employed artists make the majority of their income by working on commissions for clients who demonstrate a liking of their work and ask them to create a piece based on their particular needs. This said, I want to preface this post by saying that there is a vast amount of ways that we can create an income for ourselves through our art and our artistic skills.
There are artists who only sell their work through galleries, others who make the majority of their income through teaching (online or offline), artists who create YouTube channels and/or blogs and become ambassadors for art supply brands, artists who have Etsy shops through which they sell original artwork and/or prints, artists who sell at local art markets/events... The possibilities are literally endless.
And I 100% believe that you can become successful at any path you wish you pursue, as long as you're willing to put your entrepreneurial shoes on, are willing to step out of your comfort zone to make your dreams happen, continuously learn from other artists that have become successful in what you wish to do (and actually put that knowledge into action), and stay persistent.
Be aware that things take time, though, and that you have to be smart about how you go about pursuing your dreams.
Whatever combination of paths you decide to pursue is entirely up to you and what you're personally willing to do to make your goals happen. I do highly recommend you look into setting up a variety of income streams for yourself, as this will help you always have something to fall back on.
Not to mention, this will allow you the possibility of turning down commissions when they don't align with who you are as an artist and/or you feel the potential client on hand doesn't entirely respect your work.
Working with clients is definitely an experience all beginner artists should go through, as it helps us develop a vast array of skills such as artist-client communication, time-management, etc.
However, every artist should give serious thought to what his/her professional long-term goals are, so that he/she can go about establishing short-term objectives and focus on making them happen.
Check out my blog post titled Time Management for Artists: My Secrets for Staying Consistently Productive to learn how I go about establishing goals for the different important areas of my life and plan short-term objectives/weekly tasks to ensure I'm consistently moving towards them.
If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a brand new video every week with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and mindset/productivity tips for artists. *Subscribe HERE*
Tips on Taking Art Commissions
1. Have a set method for pricing your artwork
There are two common methods that artists use to price their work:
a) By hour: Amount of hours worked on painting x hourly rate
This method requires you to determine your hourly rate, which will be completely dependent on your experience and skill level. I always add the cost of supplies to this total afterwards.
b) By size: Set cost per square inch x amount of square inches in painting
This method entails you set a particular cost per painted square inch, which will be dependent on the quality of the supplies you're using, as well as the level of detail rendered in your work.
Think about which option would be best for your particular situation and stick to it. This way, whenever anyone asks you how much you charge you have a clear, definite answer, which will make you seem a lot more professional.
In my particular situation, I use both for separate situations. When I create artwork to sell at art shows or to sell through my Etsy shop, I go by size. This tends to make the pricing/buying process less confusing for both myself and my customers.
When I do commissions, however, and I'm asked to create a piece in specific dimensions, using specific materials and perhaps even different subjects from those I'm most used to painting, I price by hour.
A few extra things to ask yourself when establishing your prices:
-How comfortable are you drawing/painting the particular subject on hand? Is your lack of skill with that particular subject going to make you take longer? *If so, consider how you'll be lowering your prices to keep things fair (cost per hour wouldn't make sense in this case).
-Is the work urgent? Will it entail you working long hours or weekends? *If so, consider raising your prices.
-Will this project help you expand your knowledge and/or skills in a particular area your interested in developing? Would it be a great portfolio piece that will help you get the projects and clients you'd like to work with in the future? Is it fun/meaningful for you? *If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, consider taking the job even if the pay isn't as high as you'd like it to be.
2. Plan your time wisely
As a working artist, it's absolutely imperative to learn about time management, get systems in place, and stick with them as best as possible.
We have to treat creating art as our job if we intend to make a living from it, which entails, among many other things we have to do to keep out business running, sending our customers/clients updates and turning in work whenever we've promised to do so.
As a general rule, I never promise I'll get something done by a certain date if there's even the slightest chance I won't be able to finish on time. I like being as transparent and as honest as possible, right from the beginning.
I love the idea that I heard from a business specialist a while back about "underpromising and overdelivering", and I apply this when it comes to estimating a delivery date. In other words, I almost always tell my customers that the painting is going to take me at least a couple of days longer than I think it will and do my best to finish before that day.
This way I can surprise my customers and even make the unboxing experience more special by making the packaging extra awesome and maybe even adding small gifts.
Whether I'm going to be working on a shorter project or a longer one, I like creating a time table that I send to my prospective clients and include in the document I will be talking about in point number 3.
I make time to sit down for a few minutes to create a calendar/timeframe using InDesign (whatever software allows you to make tables will work perfectly) and give thought to how many hours I'm going to have available to work on said project, day-by-day, throughout the next few weeks. *See example of an estimated project timeline I sent to a prospective client below.
I never commit to any due dates and take my other responsibilities into consideration when creating this timeline, as well as the time I need for my mental and physical health (this info is omitted in the version I send of course!). As I mentioned, I add in a couple of extra days just in case any emergencies happen, clients don't send feedback when requested, or if I have to re-do something.
Creating this time table is especially important when you're being asked to work on a longer project that will take over a month to complete.
3. Have information available on your website for possible customers, as well as a formal document to send whenever you're asked for a quote
It's extremely useful to have a section of your website in which you share information about your creative process and any general terms pertaining to how you sell your work. Some artists do this in the form of a Frequently Asked Questions section in which they list common inquiries they receive.
For a solopreneur like me, this is incredibly useful, as this helps you not have to answer the same questions over and over again and serves as a type of tripwire, so that only those that would seriously be interested in working with you seek further communication.
One suggestion is to make this area of your website fun and actually educational. Add pictures of yourself at work, your workspace, your supplies, your work in progress, etc. Actually use it to help educate non-artists on what your creative process actually entails. Make it known that you love your work and make an effort to provide quality drawing/paintings.
Some information you should definitely include in this section:
-Your method(s) for accepting payment (bank deposit/PayPal/etc.)
-What percentage of the total cost you need to get started (make this non-refundable)
-Do you offer refunds?
-Whether you ship your work internationally (if so- what are your shipping terms/costs?)
-Will you require anything specific from the customer to get the work done (high-resolution images, etc.)?
Aside from having this information available on your website, it's also very useful to send over a formal document whenever you're asked for a quote. It doesn't have to be overly complicated, especially if the commission on hand is a simple project.
However, when projects are a bit more complex and/or will entail you working on it for over a month, I do recommend spending a longer time on this document.
It should establish the specifics of the project on hand (what it is the client is asking for-exactly), state the cost (I like clearly describing how I arrived at that total by making my hourly rate and cost of materials known), and provide at least a general timeframe (I like including when each "phase" of the project will be finished by and when I'll be sharing progress notes and/or attending meetings).
In this document, it's also very useful to re-state important payment terms that were already stated in the informational section of your website, along with any other notes you want to make extra clear (i.e. how much extra changes or meetings would cost, etc.).
If you're starting to work on more complex projects that will take a longer time to complete, or are taking on a project commissioned by an established business, I highly recommend starting to read into Client Agreements and actually getting a contract signed before starting to work on anything at all.
4. Make sure your prospective customers are aware of your artistic style and aren't expecting something you can't/won't do
Having a portfolio available for customers to see and keeping it updated with the kind of work you're interested in producing is very important. I would say that your portfolio should have at least 10 different pieces so that people can have a good idea of what it is you do, as well as what range of subjects you'd be willing to work with.
By sharing your portfolio and consistently sharing what you're currently working on, there will be much more of a chance that people who like your work will reach out with their inquiries.
Get business cards made that include your website and social media channels on it! Have them on you at all times when you're out and about, and don't be afraid to tell people you're an artist and let them know where they can find your work.
5. Ask questions and make sure you clearly understand what you're being asked to do
Make sure you ask a ton of questions and have a clear idea of what you're being asked to do. Don't be shy about it, either. I've had people reach out to me thinking they know what they want, but as soon as I start asking specific questions, they realize they don't.
Getting started on a project in which the customer is unsure of what they need will leave you guessing, and this is a surefire way of making the art-making process way more stressful than it should be.
I've also found that I'll if I actually take time to get to know my customer a bit before getting started, there's more of a chance that I'll create a piece they'll absolutely love.
Here are a few questions I always ask:
-What art styles do you like? *Have them send over a couple of pictures of specific artworks that call to them.
-What color schemes do you enjoy? *Do they like warm colors? Cool colors? A combo of both?
-What area of your home/office will you be decorating with this piece? *I've even had customers send over pictures of the space that will be decorated with my painting(s) to have a good idea of their decorative style, the color of the furniture, etc.
6. Be responsive and make communication a priority
If a prospective client emails or messages you with inquiries in regards to a possible commissioned piece and you don't respond quickly, you may loose the opportunity. Make yourself as accessible as possible and always try to answer back within a reasonable amount of time.
Also, make communication a priority throughout the process. This isn't to say you should be calling or emailing back and forth every-single-day, but make sure you don't let a long period of time go by without informing them about your progress, possible setbacks, etc.
This will help avoid confusion, surprises, and prevent any negative ideas about you and your working process pop up in your clients' heads.
Put yourself in your customers' shoes. Think about what it would feel like to pay for a job and have no idea of what's going on.
I once hired a photographer who let months go by without sending me any information in regards to his progress editing the photos from our photoshoot.
My mind couldn't help but wonder if he was prioritizing other peoples' projects over mine, if something had happened (i.e. did he lose the photos?) or if he simply didn't care about getting the job done on time.
And, yes, I could have simply called him to ask him what was going on, but I'm always very busy and also wanted to be respectful (I know how time-consuming editing photos can be as I've done it myself).
Not to mention, I really believe that if you're the professional getting paid to do the job, you should take it upon yourself to keep the client informed about what's going on and not rely on them calling you.
*Final bonus tip:
Don't be afraid to turn down prospective clients if you feel who they are or what they are asking you for doesn't align with you.
If you feel that what they're asking you to do goes against your moral compass or beliefs, or if you feel there's any possibility that the person doesn't respect your work and your creative process, it's not worth it! Avoid getting into these high-stress situations in the first place.
Always remember that it's your decision whether to take a project on or not. Never to let anyone minimize your passions and undervalue your work.
If you feel that what they're asking you to do goes against your moral compass or beliefs, or if you feel there's any possibility that the person doesn't respect your work and your creative process, it's not worth it! Avoid getting into these high-stress situations in the first place.
Always remember that it's your decision whether to take a project on or not. Never to let anyone minimize your passions and undervalue your work.
I hope you found this post helpful and wish you tons of success in your artistic endeavors.
Do leave me a comment below letting me know if you've had any negative experiences while working on commissions. I'd love to hear about it!
For a list of my favorite art supplies and books, go here.
*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)
Are you eager to start selling your artwork online but perhaps feel overwhelmed with all the options out there? Wondering if print-on-demand platforms like Society6 and Redbubble are right for you? Do the technical aspects involved in creating on online shop and uploading your artwork effectively keep you from moving forward?
In today's blog post I'll be sharing my entire process for creating products to sell on Society6, as well as essential information you should definitely know if you're thinking of opening a shop of your own on this platform.
I'll also be providing a list of pros and cons about Society6 to help you make an informed decision on whether opening this type of shop is right or you.
Society6 is an online marketplace that allows artists and designers to easily create their own shops and sell their work not only on prints, posters, canvases, and other kinds of wall art, but on a large variety of accessories like phone cases, tote bags, apparel and even furniture!
One of the reasons why I decided on Society6 over other platforms is because, in my research phase, I heard great things about the quality of their products from other artists.
About a year and a half ago, when I first started learning about different options for selling my work online, I was taken aback by the amount of platforms available and the differences between each.
Some of them require artists to go through application processes, others ask for fee payments for each artwork uploaded, others keep a huge percentage of the artist's earnings, etc.
Of course, there are marketplaces like Etsy through which the artist assumes all responsibility for customer service, packaging and shipping orders, which you can go for right-off-the bat if you want more control and direct contact with your customers.
I decided to create shops on both Society6 and Redbubble, as they are fast to open, easy to use and require no monetary investment. However, since before starting with my online art business journey, I knew that my end goal was to eventually sell my original artwork through Etsy.
The way I saw it, these smaller shops would be a great way to start developing a habit for creating new pieces and uploading them on a semi-regular basis.
They would also enable me to test out what people liked most and to start marketing my different products through social media.
I saw these shops as a stepping stone, as I knew I still had a ton to learn about before opening my shop on Etsy. Also, I'm all for creating a variety of income streams and plan to keep these smaller shops running even after my Etsy shop has gained some traction.
Setting up multiple income streams is a total must for artists of all kinds, in my opinion.
There are three things that you should do before deciding whether a platform/marketplace is right for you or not:
a) Research, research, research (but don't get stuck there)
This entails visiting the site yourself and reading the information the company provides. You must know what their terms are, the support they provide, how/when you're getting paid, the quality level of their products, etc. I also recommend listening to reviews from at least three different artists or designers that have been on the platform for a decent amount of time.
Also, think about whether the company's overall vibe (the mood and attitudes they transmit through their site, social media channels, advertisements, etc.) meshes with yours.
b) Give thought to what goals you have for your artwork
There are so many paths that an artist could go down.
Is your dream to sell paintings for large amounts of money and getting into galleries? Are you primarily a commercial illustrator working with clients? Would you like to venture into surface pattern designing? Would you like to have your own larger shop on Etsy (or on your own website) through which you'll take care of all production and shipping to your customers in the future?
You have to know what it is you want to do before investing too much time and energy into something that may or may not be right for you.
What does your gut tell you?
Listen to your intuition and what feels right for you. Then take serious action and stay consistent. As you continue learning, don't be afraid to veer off the path you initially chose if you discover its not right for you. This is normal!
Check out my free masterclass on Goal-Setting and Time Management for Artists here.
c) Actually do it and give it a decent amount of time
Once you've come to a decision (be careful not to spend such a long time in the research phase that you never actually get to anything), it's essential to put in consistent effort and be patient. You might be doing everything right and still see nothing happening for months.
Remember it takes time to see results on any platform and it's essential to stay consistent for a while before arriving at any conclusions. Always continue learning what aspects you can improve about your shop and how you can get your work out there effectively.
If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a brand new video every week with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and mindset/productivity tips for artists. *Subscribe HERE*
How to Scan, Edit and Upload Artwork Onto Society6
1. Creating Your Artwork
You can upload any kind of artwork onto Society6 and choose any (or all) of the items available to place it on if you so desire. However, it's important to take into account that not all kinds of artwork will look good on all types of products.
And, of course, the less amount of items you make available, the less options you will offer to your visitors, which translates into less sales.
With my limited amount of time, I decided to create patterns using the watercolor illustrations I was already creating for the calendars I send out to my art email insiders every month! With one same pattern, I would be covering most of the items offered by Society6 at once and they would look awesome.
I know creating patterns might not fit your own artwork but, if you wish to create patterns with your illustrations as I do, I highly recommend creating your artwork with little to no background so that it's easy to "clip out" in Photoshop (or the photo editing software of your choosing).
As you upload your first drawings or paintings and start placing them on products, you'll find what types of items suit your work best. As much as it's great to have more products to offer, don't feel obligated to create products that don't make your artwork shine.
And, of course, the less amount of items you make available, the less options you will offer to your visitors, which translates into less sales.
With my limited amount of time, I decided to create patterns using the watercolor illustrations I was already creating for the calendars I send out to my art email insiders every month! With one same pattern, I would be covering most of the items offered by Society6 at once and they would look awesome.
I know creating patterns might not fit your own artwork but, if you wish to create patterns with your illustrations as I do, I highly recommend creating your artwork with little to no background so that it's easy to "clip out" in Photoshop (or the photo editing software of your choosing).
As you upload your first drawings or paintings and start placing them on products, you'll find what types of items suit your work best. As much as it's great to have more products to offer, don't feel obligated to create products that don't make your artwork shine.
2. Scanning Your Artwork
In terms of the scanning process, there are a couple of things that you should have in mind. Firstly, the products you're intending to place your design on will be printed, which means that the resolution and quality of your scanned artwork matters a lot. Thus, you should make sure your scanner's settings are at at least 300 dpi (dots per inch).
There are artists that scan their work at higher resolutions, but this is the minimum. If you decide to scan at an even higher resolution, your scanning process will most likely take longer and your files are going to take up much more space on your computer.
Below are a couple of scanners that have been recommended by other artists who've bought these specifically with the intention of scanning their work and creating their own prints. After having read so many great reviews, I'm definitely going to be investing in one of these in the near future as I expand my business.
Great scanners for artists:
There are artists that scan their work at higher resolutions, but this is the minimum. If you decide to scan at an even higher resolution, your scanning process will most likely take longer and your files are going to take up much more space on your computer.
Below are a couple of scanners that have been recommended by other artists who've bought these specifically with the intention of scanning their work and creating their own prints. After having read so many great reviews, I'm definitely going to be investing in one of these in the near future as I expand my business.
Great scanners for artists:
3. Editing Your Artwork & Creating Your Designs
Once I have a high quality scan of my illustration on my computer, it's time to open Photoshop and move onto the cleaning/editing process, as well as creating any sort of pattern I'd like with it. If you don't currently have Photoshop, and don't want to pay for the software, don't worry!
You can download Gimp for free, which is a very popular photo-editing software you can get online for both Mac and PC. This popular alternative is even used by professional illustrators and contains pretty much all the tools that could come in handy for you as an artist.
In Photoshop, I mainly remove the background from my illustration, do any cleaning necessary (to remove hairs, etc.) and perhaps increase the contrast a tiny bit at times. To "clip" the illustration from the background I like using the Pen Tool, which provides me much more control than the Magic Wand selector.
You want to be careful when cutting your illustrations out, because any white spots you leave outside of your illustrations will get printed on the products! I always make sure to re-check my work when I'm done.
Every now and then, I also use Photoshop to manipulate colors so that I'm able to create colorful patterns using only one "base" illustration.
Once I've successfully separated my illustration from its background, it's time to create an appealing pattern with it! I visit Society6's Pixel Dimension Requirement page to make sure I'm creating my file in the right size before working on my pattern.
In this page, Society6 lists out the document sizes (in pixels) needed for each of their products. But don't worry, you don't need to create a separate file for each!
What I do is create a new document in Photoshop with their minimum recommended size of 6500 x 6500 pixels and create my pattern there. This size is covers most of the products on the list and the platform will automatically place it on all the products that require this size or smaller, which saves a lot of time.
There are currently only 2-3 products that require a larger size than this and you can create separate files for those if you wish. There are also a couple of products like stickers and t-shirts which you'll probably find need a separate design or layout.
Once I'm happy with my pattern, I deactivate the background layer in Photoshop and save the document as a .png, which allows the background to remain transparent. This is the file you'll upload onto Society6.
Because I know I'm most likely going to have to come back to Photoshop to create separate .pngs for stickers and t-shirts, I leave it open.
3. Uploading onto Society6
Opening your shop on Society6 is very fast and easy. All you need is a PayPal account. I recommend giving thought to your Username/URL because you won't be able to change it later and filling out your Artist Bio as soon as your able. Upload a banner and an avatar image to make your shop your own.
Once that's done, all you have to do is click on the button at the top that says "Sell" and you're going to be taken through a very straightforward 3-step process. The platform take a minute to process your artwork when you upload, as it's placing it on all available products that it fits on.
Next, you'll have to fill in a title for your work, as well as tags and a description. A tip here is to put yourself in the buyer's shoes. Instead of typing in a subjective title for your artwork, think about what words visitors actually type into Society6's search bar when looking for products. Be descriptive, create a five word title, use up all the available tags, and create a good little paragraph.
Finally, the fun part! You'll be taken to the last section, in which you'll see your design on all sorts of awesome items. You get to decide which to deactivate if you wish. I highly recommend taking time to look over every single product to ensure that your design is at an optimum size in each.
All you have to do is click on each item and shift your design's size/location.
As you scroll down the Create Products page, you will see what products require a separate .png file. I usually need to create a separate file for stickers, as a sticker page has to have fewer elements and they have to have a good distance between them (stickers have a white outline around them that shouldn't overlap).
also create separate patterns for t-shirts that are usually more vertical and contain less elements than my initial pattern.
Create whatever .png files you need and upload them separately onto individual products by clicking on those items.
Finally, hit Publish and, in around 15 minutes, your products will be up on your shop!
*Next step! Market your artwork!
No matter how amazing your artwork is, if nobody knows about it, you're going to have a hard time making sales. Don't be afraid of putting your work out there!
While Society6 does a great job attracting shoppers to their site, their marketplace is saturated with incredible artists that have been on the platform a very long time and have formed a history/reputation for themselves. All of us need to go through that and have to accept and learn to enjoy the phase we're in.
If you're serious about selling your work online, I suggest optimizing your social media accounts so that you give your audience a clear idea of what you do and offer. Pick one or two and keep them professional.
Refrain from sharing personal things and stick to uploading pictures of your creative process, your favorite tools, what you find inspiring, links to useful articles that your target audience would find helpful, and share your new products!
Visit Society6's blog to find great tips for getting your work out there.
While Society6 does a great job attracting shoppers to their site, their marketplace is saturated with incredible artists that have been on the platform a very long time and have formed a history/reputation for themselves. All of us need to go through that and have to accept and learn to enjoy the phase we're in.
If you're serious about selling your work online, I suggest optimizing your social media accounts so that you give your audience a clear idea of what you do and offer. Pick one or two and keep them professional.
Refrain from sharing personal things and stick to uploading pictures of your creative process, your favorite tools, what you find inspiring, links to useful articles that your target audience would find helpful, and share your new products!
Visit Society6's blog to find great tips for getting your work out there.
Pros and Cons of Society6 (and other similar online shops)
I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new, or got inspired to go and create something for yourself.
I wish you tons of progress in your art journey and tons of luck with your sales!
*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)
Confused as to how other artists manage to stay in a productive creative flow and can't help but feel jealous when seeing incredible new artworks others are constantly sharing? Want to make a living from your art someday, but doubt whether you'll have the courage, character and determination required to succeed? Does criticism and/or lack of support make you feel so low, that you want to stop creating altogether?
If you're set on becoming an artist, and you're constantly feeling any (or all) of these things, it's imperative that you start working on yourself, alongside your artistic skills. This is going to be absolutely essential for you if you ever want to achieve lasting success.
Being an artist is tough. Not only are we entrepreneurs (which means we work a lot, wear a ton of different hats and have to be willing to push ourselves out of our comfort zones every-single-day), but we also have to consistently create quality work that people will want to buy.
Work that, in most cases, is created by us and us alone. Work that is pretty much a piece, or extension, of ourselves.
All of this makes it necessary to stay strong if we're intending to make a living from our passion.
In today's blog post/YouTube video, I'll be sharing the top five things that I make sure to do on a weekly basis in order to stay healthy both mentally and physically as an artist.
Since I started doing these things consistently a few years ago, not only have I been able to make much faster progress, but I'm also able to enjoy what I do much more and have been able to improve my self-confidence to a degree that I'm able to myself out there in ways I never thought possible.
It wasn't always like this though, and I'm getting very personal about my past today, which is something I very rarely do online. I do this with the hope that some of you out there will resonate with my story and really grasp how important prioritizing self-care is if you want to reach your goals.
I want to keep creating art until I'm a little old lady, and I hope that you also intend to keep inspiring and awakening others through your art for as long as possible.
It is my objective with this blog (and my YouTube channel) to help aspiring artists improve their skills and pursue their passions. However, we cannot give our all at any task if we're unwell mentally and/or physically.
Not to mention, many of us artists are inherently sensitive, which is even more of a reason to stay aware of our wellbeing and set systems in place to ensure that we're not exhausting ourselves.
Artists have had a bad rap throughout history for living in excess and having erratic personalities. I'll have none of that! Whenever tragedies that artists (from all fields) have partaken in come into my mind, I also remind myself of all the others who have led happy and fulfilling lives.
“An empty lantern provides no light. Self-care is the fuel that allows your light to shine brightly.”
-Unknown
Before getting into the tips, I'm going to share a bit about my own personal struggles with you. I truly hope that if you feel scared, lost, uncertain or incapable of making it as an artist, this helps you understand that by working on yourself, you'll be creating that solid foundation you need in order to become the artist you've always wanted to be.
If someone had told me five years ago that I would be here, putting myself and my work out there in front of so many people and building my own art business, I would have never believed it. I was there, too, feeling all of those things and doubting whether I was ever going to do anything significant with my life.
For the longest time, I ignored my health and even abused things. I didn't even give thought to how my habits could have repercussions and was completely oblivious about the underlying issues that were causing my negative attitudes and self-harming behaviors.
I ate very poorly (or not at all), drank a lot (alcohol was the only thing that seemed to relax me), and never ever exercised. Mentally, I felt detached from others around me, numb to certain things in life that others considered important, and on edge all the time.
I felt simultaneously stressed and exhausted. I went through pretty low points at which I felt completely lost and confused as to what I was supposed to do with my life.
I was jealous of people around me that seemed to function so well and didn't understand how they could do that when trivial things affected me so much. I wanted nothing more than to be able to relax and enjoy life like others seemed to be able to do.
There were some days that were easier than others, but for the most part, I felt like there was something wrong with me. I won't even start getting into the disgusting, pesky little habits that I started developing to due nervousness.
This went on all throughout my teenage years to my mid-twenties.
It all changed when I had to go to the E.R. for the first time in my life due to a severe abdominal pain that wouldn't allow me to stand up straight. I'll spare you the details, but I was in bed and unable to move for about two weeks, in a pain unlike anything I'd ever felt before.
It got to a point at which I was unable to breathe properly because it hurt under my ribs when I did.
Needless to say, the whole experience scared me a lot and I decided to make life changes.
I realized I was pushing myself way too much and that the stress level that my current job was causing in me was just unsustainable. With all this in combination with my total and utter lack of self-care, something was bound to happen sooner or later.
I started doing tons of research and learning all I could about everything health related. In small increments, my life habits started changing. I began eating a lot more healthily, exercising several times a week, drinking more water, limiting alcohol and junk food, etc.
I also started reading self-help books and actively sought information from psychologists who helped me understand more about anxiety disorders.
A lot of things became clear to me at this point in regards to past physical ailments, nervous habits and my mental processes. Once I knew what was happening and why, everything changed.
My monster now had a name and I started learning strategies to implement so that I could live my life without letting it affect me to such a degree.
I still have a lot of work to do and realize that some of these things are going to ride along with me throughout my life. However, I've embraced my weaknesses as parts that make me myself.
What matters most is doing what I can to continue moving the needle forward every-single-day and working on becoming a better version of myself.
Today, at 33, I can honestly say that I've never been in better shape, I've never been happier or more productive, and my life goals have never been clearer to me. If I hadn't made the firm decision to take better care of myself, and made mental and physical health a priority, I would have never gained the courage and confidence to be here now.
If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a brand new video every week with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and mindset/productivity tips for artists. *Subscribe HERE*
Self-Care Tips for Artists and Creatives:
1. Take care of your body. It does a ton for you and it's the only one you've got.
As artists, we tend to sit and hunch over a lot. Not only this, but a lot of us tend to get into our work to such a degree that we can work for hours on end. Some of us start to develop back pain or even carpal tunnel or tendonitis due to the amount of hours spent working.
It's absolutely imperative to set daily working hours and take breaks throughout your day to move and stretch. If you're anything like me, and get so into your work that you forget to even drink water, I recommend setting an alarm once every hour. Prioritize movement, no matter what.
Schedule in specific days to exercise every week. It doesn't really matter what kind of workouts you choose to do, just make sure that you do them. If exercise isn't something that you currently do, start slowly and incrementally. I'm a total fan of fitnessblender.com and have been working out to their videos for years now.
I highly recommend you check them out if you want to exercise in the privacy of your own home, for free and with minimal equipment. They provide all sorts of workouts for every fitness level so there's really no excuse!
*Disclaimer: I'm not being sponsored in any way. I really do love FitnessBlender and use the website every-single-week.
I'm now at a point at which I work out intensely at least five days a week doing HIIT workouts, kickboxing and strength training. As an artist, I focus on keeping my posture strong and staying limber.
I'm not going to tell you how to eat, but please be aware that what you put into your body has an effect on you at all levels. If you eat poorly, your brain and your body aren't going to work the way they should be, which leads to lower levels of productivity.
I limit my intake of junk food and am always aware of whether what I'm eating/drinking is something that will nourish my body and make me feel good.
Finally, make sure you're sleeping enough. Sometimes we may fall into thinking we'll be able to make more progress if we stay up late burning the midnight oil, but the fact of the matter is that once we're tired, our work is going to be mediocre at best.
Unless you can get away with waking up very late and/or you can ONLY get creative at night, you'll be much better off going to bed at a good hour and getting back to work once your rested and refreshed.
2. Take care of your mind. Do whatever you have to do to stay sane in this crazy, crazy world.
Just as important as taking care of your body, you should also make time to stay as balanced as possible mentally. For me, this means writing out my feelings and thoughts every single morning, and making sure I'm doing "brain-dumps" throughout the day in list-form, especially if these ideas could be useful for my work.
It's hard for me to shut my brain off, and these two exercises are absolutely essential for me to do on a daily basis.
I highly recommend writing, as it's a great way to declutter your creative mind, organize thoughts that could be useful and let out the ones that could be bothering you.
Taking care of your mind could also mean starting your days with 10 minutes of meditation, taking a walk mid-afternoon to clear your mind, or sitting down for dinner with your partner to talk about your day.
I love waking up early and being able to take my time getting ready for the crazy day I know I'll be having. If I don't have that quiet time for myself at the beginning of the day, my entire day will suffer.
I have adopted the habit of writing morning pages after waking up and I also do my best to have another quiet moment to myself before going to bed to be thankful for everything I have.
As an introvert, having time to myself is absolutely essential for me to recharge. I don't feel guilty about missing social gatherings if I don't feel up for it. I tell others about this and am completely unapologetic about it!
The alone time each of us needs varies, but I really think that even the most extroverted people should make time for introspection and self-analysis. And wherever you're at in the spectrum, if you feel that you need help, never hesitate reaching out to others.
Sometimes even doing research on your own is very helpful, as it allows you to understand that there are others out there feeling the same way you are. Reading self-help books is something that has helped me understand anxiety and I no longer feel broken or alone.
Here are three great books that I read this year:
3. Review short term/long term goals (personal, work and interpersonal). All of them are important!
Most people go through life without really giving thought to what they truly want. They settle for what's expected and let life happen to them instead of fighting for their dreams to come true. This is a surefire way of feeling unfulfilled and unhappy.
With introspection comes getting to know yourself, and with getting to know yourself comes discovering what you truly want in life. This alone will bring you a ton of clarity.
Once you're there, it's important to give thought to your specific short-term and long-term goals in order to set the necessary steps to get there. No matter where you're currently at, prioritize those goals.
A while back I wrote a blog post titled Time Management for Artists: My Secrets for Staying Consistently Productive, which I highly recommend you check out if you feel like you're wandering aimlessly through life.
I provide a free workbook to help you set your personal, work and interpersonal goals, as well as ideas for scheduling your week to ensure you're making progress each and every week.
For me, it was imperative to learn to say no to the things that didn't align with my goals once I had set them. I realized time is the most valuable resource I have and I don't want to waste it on activities or people that aren't going to help me get closer to them.
It may sound harsh, but we absorb the negativity and positivity from those around us. As creatives, we should strive to be around people that are positive, have big ideas like we do, and lift us up.
As you work towards your dreams to come true, please don't forget to celebrate each and every small victory that comes your way!
4. Schedule time for organization and adulting. Keep your working area as safe and inspiring as you can.
Unless you're a clean freak, have people that help you with homely chores, or don't have very much going on in life, I'm willing to bet that your home and/or working area tends to get cluttered and messy pretty fast.
Most of us are directly or indirectly affected by the environment we're in, which leads to being more stressed and less productive.
It also leads to more accidents, wasting time when we're unable to find things we need, and it can also lead to more serious health problems depending on the type of artwork we create. So make sure you're staying as organized as you can, and always follow safety instructions when using materials that are toxic.
If you paint like I do, always work in well-ventilated areas and use gloves so that potentially harmful substances don't come into contact with your skin. If you can, check out brands of art products that are doing their best to provide non-toxic paints and mediums like Gamblin!
I like scheduling in at least a bit of time each week to take care of cleaning, organizing and other administrative tasks so that things don't pile up (literally and in my head). It may initially seem like a waste of precious time but I assure you you'll be saving time in the long run.
As artists, we do what we love for a living, and keeping our studio organized and inspiring to work in really helps keep things as enjoyable as possible.
5. Schedule time to disconnect from your work. Make time to socialize and set aside time for activities that relax you.
As artists, we spend a lot of time alone. It's important to make sure we're nurturing the relationships we have with people that are important to us. We can't let the connections we have with amazing people fizzle out OR keep ourselves locked up to the point that we miss opportunities to meet other great humans.
No matter how introverted we may be, we need some degree of connection with others in order to feel happy and fulfilled. Treasure the relationships you have with those amazing people in your life.
Finally, make sure you're doing things that relax you and bring you joy. As an artist, I'm sure creating art was initially something that brought you a great amount of pleasure.
However, if it is now work for you, I would suggest looking for activities that allow you to disconnect for a while. I enjoy going to the movies, planning a dinner with friends or reading a good book.
Remember that the best ideas come when we're actually living our lives and not stuck in our studios!
That's it for today, everyone!
I hope you found this blog post helpful and that you start making your mental and physical health a top priority. I promise you that your work, as well as every other aspect of your life will greatly improve if you stick with it.
www.erikalancaster.com
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www.erikalancaster.com
is a participant in the Shareasale.com Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Shareasale.com partner companies.
is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites
to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
www.erikalancaster.com
is a participant in the Shareasale.com Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Shareasale.com partner companies.