Business Models

When I first started my art business, I was wide eyed and naive about the business world.  I think this is normal for most creative types.  Artists really are not motivated by money.  Frankly, I don't think anyone is actually motivated by money.  I think some business types and moguls are motivated by the chase or the game of getting money and then just become hoarders of it.

As for me, money does not motivate me.  I like having it and spending it occasionally but I have no desire to devote a third of my life to acquiring it.  I can happily devote nearly every waking moment to my art though and I need money to support that obsessive habit.  I enjoy sharing my creations with the world. Thus, my art business is born.

I had to figure out how to get my creations out to the public.  I started with researching what others had done.  I joined the local arts councils to build a name and following.  I began to participate in juried exhibitions and contests.  I offered pieces to retail stores and galleries on consignment.  I participated in art co-ops.  I had developed my style and a good reputation. Within a few years, I was traveling all around the area trying to keep track of what I had and where I had it.  Then shops started closing during the recession and I was losing my inventory and income. I was losing control of my business. It was time to change and redefine my model.

I made the decision to pull everything back and get control of my work. Since I really am not adept at running a business, I decided to spend a year or so selling my work myself and doing in-depth research of my market.  I had to get into the "muddy trenches" so to speak. I don't have a store front so I am still out on the road. Now though, I have my art, my pop-up, and a privy tent.  I do the craft shows in the mid-Atlantic region.  I keep detailed logs of what sells in which areas and at what prices.  I tailor my exhibitions to the region. For example, in rural areas, I sell rustic and more nature oriented art such as old barns, antique vehicles, eagle paintings, and natural stone, wood or antler jewelry.  Near the coast I sell sea bird or beach paintings, lighthouses and ocean motif or bright colored jewelry.
   
Nowadays I have almost nothing out on consignment.  I feel like I have a better handle on my business and feel knowledgeable about the markets in which I serve.  I learned that any business owner must be able to wear many fashionable hats for success which include logistics, accounting, marketing, management, sales and human relations.  I am sure that my model will change again in the future but for now, I am happy and in control of my work life.
 

Managing Chores and Work

Running a small business is a difficult task under any circumstances.  I believe that working from home requires a certain amount of self discipline and a passion for the work in equal measure.  My own measure of success has very little to do with the economic growth of my business, but has everything to do with what keeps me happy and motivated.  The monetary aspect comes automatically with my own happiness and motivation.

We all have heard of the self absorbed workaholic but have you ever heard of a person just obsessed with their work?  It has been my experience that the workaholic is so because they are trying to escape something in their social or home life or both.  It is a negative state of mind.  The obsessive worker loves what they are doing so much that they sometimes forget the world around them with no intentional neglect. An obsessive worker is positive and a pleasure to be around.  It reminds me of an old saying; "If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life."

Now, you may ask 'What does this have to do with managing chores & work?'  Well, I would say; 'Everything!'  As a person that has worked from home as a workaholic and as an obsessed worker, I am much more pleasant to deal with on every level and I get so much more done with my simple obsessions!

Sometimes, we must live in the moment and take advantage of the fruits available at that moment. In the late winter/early spring here in the Potomac Highlands, it is Maple tree tapping time. Without going into too many details of making Maple syrup, once your trees are tapped you must gather about 35- 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup.  To make that gallon requires boiling for many, many hours a day.  On those days, you must be able to multitask.  As I write this blog, I admit that today is one of those days. So I am sitting at my kitchen table with an eye on my maple sap boiling on the stove while I write my blog and make earrings and necklaces to sell for an upcoming show on Saturday.

So, for two days it is about getting chores done and getting some artsy/crafty stuff done simultaneously.  This is another example of cycling through various mediums. The jewelry design is a good one for me to work without too much thought - it is a more instinctual medium when multi-tasking. I don't have to dwell on design details other that if it is appealing and stylish. I can just focus on the quality of the product while I get my chores done.  Some would argue that making maple syrup is an art form too and I would agree.  However, my chores also include a hike with my old dog, some laundry, house cleaning, and planning meals, etc.

I know that my hubby likes me much more now even if I am rather obsessive.  He even teases me on occasion about it but the difference is that he seems happy now too. Even though I am working just as much and as hard as I did when I was a workaholic, I am getting my chores done, being sociable and managing my art business with a happy family life too.   I think I must be doing something right nowadays.  Being driven to succeed does not mean you must sacrifice the joy of living in the moment.

My Medium?

As a professional artist, people often ask me; "What is your medium?" I find that question to be one of the hardest to answer.  Often, I jokingly reply; "Well, that depends on what day it is?" The truth is that I cycle through a wide variety of mediums at various times.

I have my studio mediums which are more crafty such as decorative gourd carving and painting, oil & acrylic painting, stained and fused glass work, jewelry and sculpture.  All of these types of art are done after my morning workout.  I spend 4 to 6 hours a day in the studio. Many of my art projects take several days or weeks to complete because there are often multiple processes required.  For example, gourds must cure,paint must dry, glass must melt & cool, etc.  Sometimes I may have as many as 3 projects going at different stages of completion.

All of my art work began when I was about 2 years old with a pencil so it should come as no surprise that the medium to which I gravitate most is drawing.  I enjoy doing design work and realistic drawings and portraiture. In fact, that is how I got into photography.  I would take a photo and learn all the details of an object, a leaf, an eye, whatever from drawing and comparing to my photo.  Then I realized that many of my photos were works of art.

As a photographer, I prefer to shoot at dawn and dusk and my subject is primarily wildlife and natural landscapes.  However, in spring, I shoot raptors like eagles and hawks before the leaves hide them.  In summer I shoot amphibians and insects like dragonflies & butterflies during midday hours at rivers and ponds.  I love fall foliage and waterfalls and winter is ideal for ice falls and beautiful sunrises.  In the afternoons in most seasons I like to go for a hike with my dog or to one of several nearby lakes with my kayak.  I take my camera along on these trips and have gotten amazing wildlife shots. I often use my images as
templates for my drawings.

My art is more than an exercise in drawing  or photographing or sculpting what I physically see.  I try to communicate an intangible emotion or meaning in a captured moment or a visual piece. Sometimes removing the color of a composition or adding a bit of color in an otherwise monochromatic image can illicit a reaction from my audience. Sometimes a complete abstraction works better than something realistic.

In any given piece, I am obsessively trying to convey or illicit something in its creation to the viewer.  It could be an emotion, or a memory, an appreciation or even just a smile.