#10 Art is Therapy

When I head upstairs to work in my art room, I get a calm but excited feeling. It is my sanctuary, a place where I can escape all the stresses of the world. A place where I have control over my creation, and nothing else really matters. Working with my hands, I am creating something from my heart. It gives me a great sense of self and accomplishment.

In this world of stress, I wish everyone had a room or place to go to, where they can truly be themselves, forget the outside world, and immerse themselves in something gratifying.

And you know what the bonus is??? That someday, this piece of art will make someone smile, whether as a gift to someone else, or a treasured keepsake for themselves. Nice thought.

I encourage everyone to find that in themselves....to let go....and let your creativity out.

#9 Managing Your Time

I have often heard people say that if they were to work at home, they wouldn't get anything done. There can be a lot of distractions, and creating a strict schedule can be hard.
I have worked at home for many years, and yes, I have had challenges. Especially when there were 4 kids running around the house.

The trick is, to find what times of the day that work best for you to create. These should be times when you have the space and quiet to really get into your work, without distractions. When the kids were in school, I had all day to do my work. I work best in the mornings, but many artists love working late at night.

If you can create a "work schedule" as if you were working outside the home, and let people know that these are the hours you are busy (and they respect that), then you really can get a lot done.

I even give myself a regular lunch break, which usually involves checking my e-mail and other mail.

When my children were teenagers, they would sometimes help me with some of my projects. This would give them a little spending money. I also designated one day a week when it was each of their night to cook dinner. It was good for them to learn how to cook, and gave me some extra time to spend with my family. My children also helped in maintaining the house...doing laundry, mowing the lawn, cleaning and other chores.

Time to me is the most valuable thing we have, and managing your time wisely can help things go smoothly and relieve tension in the home.

#8 A few words about Researching Shows

I am sure we will get into more details about this subject later, but for now, I wanted to just touch on a few suggestions about getting started doing Arts and Crafts Shows and Festivals.
RESEARCH!!!! Go to area shows and browse around. (I spent a lot of time doing this before I ever started doing shows. )
Take note of how big of a crowd it draws, how well the show is advertised, what types of things are offered for sale, and how well organized the show is.
Are imported items allowed, or is it all hand-crafted?
Take note of what seems to be selling.
Notice price ranges.
Don't be afraid to talk with vendors, of you meet some who are open and friendly. (you can gain very valuable information this way...and learn of other good shows)
This is the perfect time of the year to do this (plus you might get some Christmas shopping done!)
You can find shows listed in local newspapers, and on-line.

#7 Fairy Door

At the base of a tree in my yard, a fairy door provides a special portal for magic to enter my realm.
Wood is a wonderful thing to work with. It is agreeable, and lives on with the efforts of our hands.

#6 A magical view in the mountains in Mexico

Keep your eyes open, you never know what is around the next curve.

#5 Heading to Mexico

The road stretches out before us, into the unknown. It beckons us to see where it leads.

#4 Coming Soon!

I hope to add a lot of useful information to this site, so please check back often. And, please, if you have some good input to add, feel free to do so!

And if you have any questions, just ask!

In the coming days and weeks, I want to talk about these topics and more:

• Managing Your Time
• Getting Paid for Your Time
• Teaching Classes for extra Income
• Piece work
• Contract Work
• Free Demos = Good $
• Managing Your Money
• On the Road (traveling to shows)
• Types of Art
• Artists I Know
• Pictures
• The Challenges of Working at Home
• Supplies
• The Value of YOU
• Children in the Home and managing your family and work
• Shows/Galleries
• Inspiration
• Tutorials

Follow along....this is gonna be fun....and we are just getting started!!!

#3 How to get started selling your art

Chances are, if you like your art, and your friends like it, others will buy it. One of the first things you can do to find out how well it will go over, is to do a local art or craft show.
Be prepared with some nice business cards with pertinent information on them (so people can contact you for repeat business).
Have all the equipment you need to set up a nice display. You might want to set it up in your house before-hand to see how it all looks. Keep in mind, that the attractiveness of your set-up will draw people into your space.
Be ready for sales with bags, any special packaging material, and a receipt book. Don't forget your calculator and plenty of change. Have a notebook ready to record your sales. And a sales tax chart if needed in your area.

On the day of the show, allow yourself plenty of time to set up your art.
During the show, relax, and greet the customers with a friendly smile. Don't try to push your art. Sometimes it can drive people away!
It really helps to have a friend along, so you can take breaks.

Above all, keep your spirits up. All artists must suffer a few disappointments. Believe in your art, and your confidence will attract people to you!
Good luck!

Feel free to post comments about your show experiences!

#2 How I got started selling my art.

As you may have read in my other blog, I have always dabbled in different forms of art. Back in the early 80's I was a stay-at-home Mom with 4 young children. I often made little doll quilts and stuffed animals for my daughters. One day one of my daughters took a stuffed bunny I had made to school for show-and-tell. The teacher liked it, and inquired if I would make one for her to buy. Pretty soon, several of the teachers at the school were buying many of my little items.
I decided to try to participate in a local fall craft show. It went pretty well for a first timer! I was thrilled that others were actually interested in paying for my items. That started many years of doing local craft shows.
During that time, I also created my own mail-order catalog with many of my items. At that time, I had the cute little country crafts (mostly stuffed animals and dolls), plus, I had a collection of Southwest items, for which I created a separate mail-order catalog.
Those early catalogs were simple and basic. My investment was small (after all, I was just starting out!).
I mailed catalogs to shops I found listed in magazines or anyplace else I could find them. I also went to some shops to see if I could do some wholesale business. I will get into more details about those topics in later blogs.
As time progressed, I learned a lot (trial and error)...about how to market my art, which shows were the best, and how best to sell my art.

Eventually, I was making a pretty good living with my art, and expanded to out of state shows, more high quality shows and galleries.

Now, I would like to hear about how you got started! Please send your stories!

#1 Is Making a Living with your Art possible?

I am sure many have wondered if making a living with your art is really possible. Of course, we all know of famous artists who have indeed succeeded, but can you? I have started this blog for many reasons. Mostly to reach out to other artists that share the same dream. My wish is that we can share knowledge, and possibly help each other succeed in living our dreams.
I believe that each and every one of us is an artist of some form. I personally have dabbled in many forms of art all my life.
I have actually been making a living with my art for over 26 years. Now, that doesn't mean I am what most would consider wealthy, but the most important thing to me, is to be doing what I am passionate about. And I am very passionate about my art, and I do everything I can to keep it going. Even if that means being a "starving artist"! (Rich is a state of mind!)

I plan to write about all I know about making a living with art, and I hope that others will comment and share what they have learned, or ask questions.
I hope you will enjoy reading my blogs, and return often!


Quote: "Every artist dips his brush into his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures" by Henry Ward Beecher