First to answer some questions in my previous post. I have let the gallery I was being represented by that I no long wish to be represented by they, so what will I do? I’m going to try the do it yourself approach. I’ve heard very good things about email lists. So I plan to create an email list for people to sign up to and will send out regular news letters about what work I am doing as well as when works will be made available for sale.
Next I need to look at getting my work seen more, so i have been researching blogs. Not just blogs about art, but blogs that cover my interests thus I should be able to reach audiences that will be able to relate to my work and might be interested in knowing more, now I just need to network with these blogs. As for physical brick and mortar places to get my work seen, I haven’t yet looked into that, so that will probably be my next job.
As far as other avenues to create income, other than sales of my work, I can look at grants, workshops, and in the future there is the possibility of teaching I suppose. But for now I think I am best focusing on making new work and finding an audience.
hopefully I will be able to share a more structured plan next time…
I had been toing and froing about whether to carry on this blog, as to whether I was trying to start too much at once, after deciding that I wouldn’t continue, I changed my mind…
I think it is probably a good idea to have a record showing my success, or failure, at making a living being a self-employed artist. If I post a summary each week of what I have been doing, I will then have something to evaluate, a way to focus what I’m up to. Hopefully stating what my plans are and what I have been doing I will be able to see what is working, what is not and where I need to focus my efforts, all the time honing in on the bests steps forward.
So far I can tell you that I have had a bit of a false start to self-employment. After spending a few days recovering from working nights, I then went on holiday for a week. Then after spending a few days getting over that I have yet to get myself into a good working routine, this then will be the first point to address. The second point to address is that I have recently come to the conclusion that the gallery I am currently represented by just isn’t suitable or working out right now (for various reasons). So if I cease representation with them what will I do?
Another thing I need to look at is getting my work seen more, where will be best for this and what will my plan of action be? And lastly, what other avenues of income can I explore, other than the sale of my work?
Hopefully by next week I will have some answers to these questions!
So two weeks ago I decided I had had enough and decided to quit my day job and give being a full time artist a go, I now have two weeks left and I am both excited and scared!
I started on my artist journey about nine years ago, so it is about time really. I have got a lot do do though in the next few weeks! I am by no means in a comfortable position to be leaving my job, but I figured I couldn’t go on being so miserable, and it was about time I made a real go of being a full time artist.
So I need a plan! So far my plan is to build up social networks as much as possible and try and build myself a good support network, I am carrying on drawing as much as possible and making sure I am creating things that I enjoy and not getting caught up in making what I think people want – I have been there before and it didn’t end well. I am also regularly checking what opportunities there are and making note of ones that I think are suitable, I need to start practicing writing proposals for projects that I want to do, and I need to get into the habit of updating social networks regularly. I also need to sort my books out for the past year and then start to but a side some time every week or two to keep on top of them.
I am going to try and post to this blog regularly and keep it as a diary for my journey into self employment. Any comments, advice and useful links will be most welcome along the way!
I’m Jen, am a true northerner from sunny Blackpool on the northwest coast of England! I’m an artist, although I am currently in the wrong job! I didn’t start out my life wanting to be an artist, I certainly didn’t arrive out of the womb with paint brush and pencil in hand. I did do arty things as I was growing up and as a teenager I used to paint on my bedroom walls (although I think you are suppose to grow out of that by about 3) – it just never occurred to me as a career. To be honest I did have a clue what I wanted to do when I grew up (or grow up is probably more suitable), it changed every 5 minutes. It was at 19 my long windy road to being an artist began, and probably at about 25 that I decided I actually want to be an artist. As an artist I love the traditional – drawing and painting, but I would like to bring a modern twist to it, and one day feel like I have a style. I am very much still at the learning page, and I am enjoying exploring materials I haven’t really used before, like pastel and watercolour and soon will be delving into oil. In the past I have mostly been drawn to charcoal which will always be my first love and often still spend a lot of my time looking like a chimney sweep! As for my inspiration? Well that is a much bigger tale....