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Want to fund your dream life by creating and selling your art? Check out: https://www.theartistappeals.com/go Welcome to the Artist APPEALS podcast! My name is Erin Sparler, and I want to teach you how to make money as an artist WITHOUT making compromises. Each week, my guests and I will break down the secrets for turning your art into revenue! We have tons of great episodes in store, and I’d be thrilled to have you join. So if you like the vibe of our show, be sure to give us a follow so you never miss an episode. If you’re ready to start making money with your art, visit: theartistappeals.com/go Thanks for the visit! Until next time -- keep on creatin’!
Episodes
Wednesday Jul 17, 2019
Wednesday Jul 17, 2019
In the Artist Appeals Podcast today, Erin Sparler delves into the ‘Appeals' acronym for this podcast. Erin shares more on Art; what art is, how to market your artwork and much more. Listen up and hear from her. Go to theArtistAppeals.com to get free artist resources.
In this episode you'll listen to:
[00:30] The full meaning of the ‘appeals’ acronym for this podcast.
[01:28] What artwork is.
[01:33] The different terms used when referring to art.
[03:02] What to do next after creating a collection of your artwork.
[03:09] What makes the theme of your body to your artwork.
[03:26] The difference between theme and style in artwork and how they relate.
[03:50] What your voice is in the art industry.
[04:35] Why it is essential to share your artwork.
[06:08] Erin’s advice on how to make money using your artwork.
[07:50] Why developing artwork is therapeutic.
[08:43] Why it is essential to know the reasons why you create your artwork.
[ 09:05] Ways on how to amplify the ideas why you create your artwork.
[10:36] What Ensos are in the Zen artwork practice.
[12:04] How to deploy Zen tangling to create your artwork.
[12:47] More ways on how to journal your artwork.
[13:32] A to-do assignment checklist for artists.
Links
Wednesday Jul 10, 2019
Wednesday Jul 10, 2019
In this episode of The Artist Appeals, we're going to talk to the founder of ArtBizJams and seasoned licensed fabric designer, Phyllis Dobbs! Phyllis, has been in the textile and service industry for over 15 years. Her fabric was first featured on Hancock Fabrics and she's been designing patterns, textiles, and working in the licensing field for quite some time. About seven or eight years ago, she helped found a new event that has limited numbers and it's called ArtBizJam. Go to theArtistAppeals.com to get free artist resources.
In this episode you’ll hear:
[03:45] How Phyllis founded the Art Biz Jam.
[06:27] Why Phyllis niched down to fabric art.
[09:06] The challenges that Phyllis and her team fought through when creating Art Biz Jam.
[09:26] How the licensing process went down when founding the Art Biz Jam.
[13:00] The behind the scene series on presentation at a the Art Biz Jam 2019.
[14:59] How the Art Biz Jam community amplifies their buiness through social media.
[16:40] The different shows that artists go to, to showcase their art.
[19:13] Erin Sparler’s experience at Surtex in San Fransisco.
[ 20:56] How Phyllis organizes her art work.
[22:41] Software that Phyllis uses to create her artwork.
[26:07] How to present your art work for licensing.
[29:41] Phyllis’ advice on the best ways on how to present your artwork.
[32:12] Phyllis’ advice on the best methods to market your art work.
[33:25] Phyllis’ experience with licensing agents and why she fired them.
[37:21] Phyllis’ advice on licensing and contract terms for your art business.
[40:18] How Phyllis defines and celebrates her success.
[46:31] Different ways on how to diversify your art business to create multiple revenue streams.
[47:26] Amazing sites you can sell your art on to expand your business.
[54:50] Advice on what to do when your art work copyrights are infringed.
[59:22] Books recommendations by Phyllis Dobbs.
LINKS
Thursday Jul 04, 2019
Thursday Jul 04, 2019
‘When it becomes about money, it loses pleasure.’- Jean Charmed I’m Sure.
Jean Van Brederode, the founder at Charmed I’m Sure Studio, shares tips on how to build a successful art business.
She has an Etsy shop that's been online since 2007, and has sold thousands of items through her Etsy shop.Jean, has an in-home workshop to train artists in her home.
Jean is a retired teacher who continues to be a part of the noble profession today, training artists and learning more on art too.
Give this podcast episode a keen listening and learn more on how to come out victorious in the art industry. Go to theArtistAppeals.com to get free artist resources.
In The Artist Appeals Today, you’ll hear:
[02:40] – Jean’s backstory before Charmed I’m Sure.
[05:10] – What inspired Jean’s business name, “ Charmed, I'm Sure."
[06:30] – How Jean settled for jewelry art and the enameling inspiration.
[10:00] – How Jean developed her first Art class.
[13:00] – Methods deployed by Jean in educating people.
[14:00] – Jean’s current business goal.
[17:00] – Jean’s input on pricing in the Art industry.
[22:03] – Jean shares on the power of presentation of her products in the business.
[24:36] – The power of storytelling in sales.
[25:51] – Benefits of amplifying your art business through networking.
[27:40] –Jean's take on contracts, licensing, and protection rhythms in business.
[32:00] – How Jean measures and celebrates her success.
[33:40] – Jean's favorite story that lured her into enameling.
[37:00] – Book Recommendations.
[41:42] –The attempt to have Jean sell off her business.
RESOURCES
The Art of Enameling- Linda Darty
How to Steal like an Artist- Austin Kleon
Artist Appeals Resources - Link
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
On the Artist Appeals podcast today, we engage Debbie Saviano. She is one of the three founders of Women’s Leadership Live. Debbie is a social media design nerd, who navigates the gates of social media and global travel showing others how to develop and keep relationships through social media by connecting, engaging and relating to those they serve. Go to theArtistAppeals.com to get free artist resources.
In this episode you’ll hear:
1.[00:03:26] – Debbie’s professional life before creating Women’s Leadership Live.
2.[00:05:46] – How Debbie started on helping people with social media and public speaking.
3.[00:07:18] – Debbie’s meeting with Women's Leadership Live, co-founders, Stacy Schieffelin, and Linda McMahon.
4.[00:10:01] – Women’s Leadership Live, goals, and strategies laid out to achieve them.
5.[00:11:00] – Women’s Leadership Live, collaboration with Buy Live.
6.[00:19:56] – Women’s Leadership Live, four pillars.
7.[00:25:43] – Women's Leadership, presentation designs, and implementation.
8.[00:29:05] – Why educating your markets through communication is vital.
9.[00:31:28] – Women’s Leadership Live, training sessions. ‘Real secrets to business success Masterclass and the Artbiz retreat jam.
10.[00:35:18] – Debbie shares the social media strategies that she deploys on different social media platforms.
11.[00:38:46] – Debbie's social media challenge to listeners on connecting with any five mega brands, they'd love to collaborate.
12.[00:43:47] – Examples of positive outcomes that came from amplifying other brands by Debbie by use of social media.
13.[00:47:05] – Debbie’s advice on licenses and contracts within Women’s Leadership Live.
14.[00:49:45] – Debbie’s manner to rejuvenate herself when feeling overwhelmed.
15.[00:51:52] – Debbie’s favorite failure.
16.[00:55:38] – Debbie’s favorite book and social media channel.
LINKS:
Artist Appeals Resources - Link
Thursday Jun 20, 2019
Thursday Jun 20, 2019
Interview with an Author, Craft Shop Owner and Former Model
The host, Erin Sparler, gives an overview about the Artist Appeals’ 7 Step System. She uses the format of the Appeals acronym APPEALS. It stands for Art, Product, Presentation, Educate, Amplify, License and Success. Go to theArtistAppeals.com to get free artist resources.
The Appeals acronym
- tries to summarize a big amount of information into seven chunks
- allows you to organize what you need to do as the next step in the process
Art
- we start as artists by creating art
- the artwork is the starting point the idea the theme the style the thing that we are creating
Product
- We talk about the difference between brand voice theme
- you need to be able to divorce yourself from the artwork and begin to turn it into a product
- when you start to think of your artwork more as work and as a product then you can divorce yourself from it emotionally and this can help this can help get it out to the world
- when you're creating your artwork as a product you want to create it as a product that has three different price points.
Presentation
- you need to present that product in a professional manner
- how you present the work conveys the value of the work
- from hanging it on the wall, how it's displayed on the shelf or how you ship it all together taken all together convey the value of your work
Educate
- all of this is for not if you don't get the word out by educating your audience
- you have to educate your audience even to the extent of the importance of art
- we have to educate our audience to the benefit of our work.
Amplify (Automate)
- you want to get bigger in the world of business
- how do you do that if you're one person and you're bootstrapping; if you're spending your own money, your own time, your own labor, your own efforts.
- for example email outreach that's one of the most common
Licensing
- licensing is where you take your work and you let a manufacturer use your work on their product
- it's supposed to be a win-win situation. they get a beautiful product that has more appeal and then in turn they pay you a percentage of the profits on those products
- the very important thing to remember about licensing is that it's supposed to be a win-win
- you have to read the contract and understand the terms
- I highly recommend getting a lawyer to read it as well
Success
- how do you define success?
- success is relative to you
- you know what you can achieve and what is an amazing successful goal that you've achieved for you
- it is very important that you sit down and define what your goals are and what is going to define success for you
Resources:
Artist Appeals - Website
Erin Sparler - LinkedIn
Artist Appeals Resources - Link
Wednesday Jun 12, 2019
Wednesday Jun 12, 2019
Interview with the VP of Product Development at Spellbinders Paper Arts
Denzil Quick, the VP of product development at Spellbinders Paper Arts, LLC, sits down with Erin Sparler to talk about APPEALS and the process of figuring out what products they’re going to develop next. Go to theArtistAppeals.com to get free artist resources.
What do you look for in a product to help facilitate communication with an audience?
- I like teaching people and I like giving back
- I really enjoy helping new artists become better and knowing what it takes to be successful
- some of the things that we need to look at, to be successful artists in in a marketplace, are different now than they were 10 years ago
- Social media is kind of where it's at when it comes to influencing people educating people, people buy products, and we're in the business of designing products that empower people to be more creative
What do you look for in a piece of art or in a concept that you makes you resonate with it and makes you select it?
- one of the things you have to do as an artist is be your own marketer
- engagement is everything, because the old school marketing just doesn't turn the dial anymore.
- Education is a part of engagement.
How do you go about producing your products?
- We we work with about 50 different factories all over the world
- We want to come up with a concept
- The best thing to do is to create a collection, an idea, a theme
- If you can, make it so you make it fit the brick and mortar concept and then you can work with online
- if you have an idea for a line of products, you want to design thematically, it all looks good together and all feels right together and the packaging goes together
What is Pog?
- It is an actual true representation of what is it going to look like
- If you have a product that fits in different aisles, categories you have to find the right buyer and the right fit.
What kind of activities do you see as most effective for educating and communicating with your market?
- It's a lot more work for the artists, but I think ultimately, it gives you greater control
- It also helps you deliver your brand better and it gives you long term stability helps you carry on your brand
- Education now is key to everything
- Social media really allowed artists to really put their stamp on their brand and be authentic
What are your most effective ways that you reach out to your audience?
- It's going to depend a little bit on you your style, your personality, what you like to do
- Video is so important now, showing people what you can do, showing your hands
- Don't worry about production value
Advice about licensing and contracts
- Intellectual property, your ideas, are the same as physical property, you own it, it's just like owning an apartment building, and you lease it like you would an apartment
- There are three primary ones, you have patents, utility patents, and trademarks
- If you get into business, you will probably file a trademark so you'll own your business name
- What artists primarily deal with is copyrights
- When you make something, you own the rights to that particular work of art. Then you can rent those rights out, you can lease those rights out, just like you would an apartment building in the terms and conditions that you want to do that.
Resources:
Artist Appeals - Website
Erin Sparler - LinkedIn
Spellbinders – Website https://www.spellbinderspaperarts.com
Spellbinders – Blog https://www.spellbindersblog.com
Spellbinders – Instagram https://www.instagram.com/teamspellbinders/
Denzil Quick – LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/denzil-quick-01129890/
Artist Appeals Resources - Link
Thursday Jun 06, 2019
Thursday Jun 06, 2019
Interview with the owner of a lip balm and body scrub skincare company
Ashley Monney, the owner of Cire d’Abeille, makes inspired lip balms that are locally sourced and partners with wineries, distilleries and coffee roasters to make infused lip balm. Go to theArtistAppeals.com to get free artist resources.
Creation of the product
- experimented with different flavors of the coffees, of the wines.
- Lives in the Finger Lakes. It's one of the most popular wine regions in the United States. Why not tap into that?
- It’s a fun little gift or add on and if I can help those business owners put out another product that is incorporating their name and their brand, like another way to reach potential clients.
Custom packaging
- It's based on what brands and companies I’m working with.
- I'm working with them and using their logos and their fonts to keep the brand as close as we can to their line.
- The artwork is the product, and then use a custom label for the winery or the coffee roaster.
Wholesaling focus
- My primary focus of my company, I'd say about 90 to 95% is wholesaling only because I didn't want to have a retail store and have to manage.
- I'm working full time every day, but it's different things. Some days it's delivery, some days, it’s production, some days it’s returning emails all day and some days that's marketing.
- When I first started, I got a really good piece of advice from a store owner who told me you either need to be retail or wholesale.
- It's not fair if you're out trying to sell your pieces at a lower price point, and doing events and online sales.
- Why should they carry that in their store, they have no incentive. They need me to send customers to their store to help them survive as a small business.
- Retail would be a little bit like selling one unit or two units. Wholesale, I'm able to manufacture 3000 or up to 5000 units at a time and sell that bulk or have it in inventory in stock.
Presentation of the product
- I watched a lot of online tutorials, trial and error, get lots of feedback on the presentation before I roll it out.
- I can't just base it on what I think looks best, because I'm not the big picture.
- I have to take the time to photograph it and then create my marketing campaign.
- I need to make sure that obviously the first impressions matter so the first photo you see needs to be crisp and clear and bright.
- It's brand recognition already that they see an item on that they're used to and then associate my item now with the item they were used to.
- I created my own handmade wooden displays where it would be more sustainable. It actually looked so much better and bigger and more professional in the long run.
- partnered with a seamstress for creating a lipbalm holder and then create a limited edition run of lip balm holders as an easy add on or purchase or to be able to offer gift shops and online and usually at Christmas time is stocking stuffers.
Marketing tactics for educating the audience
- don't give people too many choices.
- if you pair sets together, let's say for a particular season, like a Christmas holiday or Mother's Day or Easter or graduation gifts that it's easier for shoppers to potentially pick up as an impulse buy
- for customers and creating my products, I need to convey that this is a win win for everybody. It's helping them expand their reach to new potential buyers based on a brand that they've already established and that they want to continue to grow.
- marketing is hard because my items have either a fragrance or flavor depending if it's a lip balm, or an exfoliating sugar scrub or some of the other products that I make and presenting that online or through an email, I can't convey my fragrance, or the flavor.
- I have to send out the sample sizes send out the lip balms to different vendors and gift stores, wineries, grocery stores for them to physically try the product.
How do you grow beyond the product lines?
- the biggest piece of advice I got was start small.
- make a product or two or three that you're known for and you do well, sustain you and maybe seasonally branch out and try something else.
- As far as the legal side of business, I did two months of research before committing to start my company and another LLC.
Licensing and contractual terms
- The first thing I learned is I looked at packaging of lip balms that I wanted to emulate or copy or be like, like, what are the brand standards what's required by the FDA to put on a label?
- What country it's made in, you know what city you don't need, your physical address if your business is on file with the town and the government
- There's all kinds of regulations about font sizes, fonts, you're allowed to use. Certain scripts that you're not allowed to use.
- It's actually an industry standard for all cosmetics
- you have to be aware of what the requirements and the rules and regulations are.
- I had to learn all about sending proposals and getting those approved and then sending the invoice and how do customers pay for their invoice
What does success look like?
- The best day ever that I can still remember was when I had sold to coffee infused lip balm, where I was even officially like under a new LLC and with full blown liability insurance.
- I could remember each milestone over the past two and a half years when I'd get an order for 25. Currently I'm doing orders for more than 3000 at a time.
- I'm so busy that I have to turn down clients. They want to make a special batch and they only would like to order 100 and I say that I'm sorry at this time I can’t only manufacture 100 for you because it's not, in my best interest as a company.
What are your favorite books within the art field or the business field?
- I'm not so much doing books. I do a lot of podcasts and I do a lot motivational videos for entrepreneurs where I hear and listen to other people's stories and what have worked for them.
- I listened to a lot of Gary Vaynerchuk. I love him I have his book and it just gets me excited. It reminds you stuff doesn't happen overnight. You need to just keep plugging away.
Resources:
Artist Appeals - Website
Erin Sparler - LinkedIn
Ashley Monney - LinkedIn
Cire d’Abeille - Website Instagram Facebook Etsy
Cire d'Abeille Interview - Blog Post
Artist Appeals Resources - Link
Wednesday May 29, 2019
Wednesday May 29, 2019
Interview with an Author, Craft Shop Owner and Former Model
Sandra Evertson, the owner of Relics and Artifacts and author of Fanciful Paper Projects, Fanciful Paper Flowers and Memories of a Lifetime: Weddings, sits down with Erin Sparler to talk about how she developed her business and came to this space. Go to theArtistAppeals.com to get free artist resources.
Was there some sort of defining moment that led you down this career path?
I was selling antiques and then I started making things from these little bits and parts of antiques that were too good to toss out. I would put these pieces together just different assemblages and people were buying those more than they were buying the antique pieces.
what was your biggest fear or hurdle you had to overcome in making that transition?
That's a huge move to go from LA where things are going well and you're being successful. Move to Texas, which I know can be rural in some areas. My whole life has just kind of been about diving in. I never thought about it. I was going to make it work no matter what. I had to put the work in to get it to happen.
What is your goal in what you do now?
It's all kind of ever evolving. I more or less have kind of followed that little thing that clicks inside you that makes you go Oh, well, I'm going to do this. And now I'm kind of gonna do that. And that's kind of what I still do. The more I work and the more I create, the more ideas I get to create new things. Those ideas are all laid out there kind of ahead. I just have to make those moves towards them.
What do you look for in an art piece?
Sometimes it is a gut feeling. I've also had really wrong gut feelings. I do have to guess what the general public is going to like more. I'm getting better at that because my tastes are fairly eclectic. I am working gradually into a market where there are more people. I want to bring these people along and give them more unique taste as well, instead of all the kind of generic things that are on the market.
I didn't want to damage the art pieces so I started making castings that I could then paint and add the stones to and mosaic and different things. Those blanks became a product that was just obvious to me that this needed to be on the market. That's where the whole thing evolved from.
How do you cast your molds?
It's got to be something sturdy enough to be cast. If it's not something I can actually cast, I'll resculpt it. I'll make myself an original copy of it or as similar as possible so that it still retains that charm of an old piece. I will cast it either with plaster or with a silicone rubber. Then I make my molds. I make my castings from those original molds that I create. Also, I'll take an antique piece and I will make a few things out of it or I’ll make one piece and add pieces to it. Then I cast those in stone resin so that they have a nice textured feel almost like porcelain.
How many do you make in a run?
I'll make hundreds in a run. I have a couple people that help me in our shipping department. It's a small business. The thing I like about doing it myself, I was working with a large corporation, and we were making them in China and I just didn't feel really good. I didn't have a lot of control over it.
How important is the tactile element?
The tactile element is hugely important because it it allows the craft artists to then finish it with whatever they want to finish it with. Iit gives them so much flexibility.
How do you work with your employees to present products and make it a an experience for the end user?
That is really what it's all about from the beginning of the process to the end of the process where the customer has the piece in their hand at home. I tend to have to take a lot of control over it because all the photographs are my own, the way that it's presented, that way I can control exactly the way that I want it to look.
I do want it to be protective when packaged, so it's in bubble wrap. It's also in this beautiful little shredded paper that surrounds it so that it looks like it's an antique already. Then the shipping box it goes in. Also, the whole computer thing and being where we're at with internet right now, Shipstation. You can track every single thing for every person and you make sure that everything gets shipped out the next day or the same day that it was ordered for customer service. You get ratings on it. I just want my customers have a good experience from the beginning to the end, as well. We actually get our mail picked up, pick it up every day, and we ship out packages every single day.
How do you educate your audience to the benefits of your blanks and the quality of your blanks?
Instagram is a huge thing for me. I find it's the best for showing unique artists, because there's so many companies on there. And there's so many artists and people and anything you can imagine is there on Instagram at your fingertips. It's my favorite place for advertising. Facebook,I just go through, do little posts of what the product is, what the item is, give it a little story about where the piece came from. They do all have a story and I add those stories into what the final product is, what the blank is. And then then the artists, they carry that on, they put their thoughts and emotions and designs into the piece and it becomes something of their own.
How have you grown your following?
It's just been all organic. People do show their artwork, and they'll refer back to us, and we get people like that. Instagram is like a mini job for me. I'll go and I'll find people that are interested in what I'm doing. I'll like their stuff and follow them. Then they come back and look at mine and follow me. For me, it's about growing my business and growing sales. And the way that I do it by going and following people and looking at their work and commenting on their work and getting them to come back and take a look at what we're doing. I try to give it an hour a day. I just make it a habit. It's the place where I have been able to grow much more quickly because of just dedicating that little bit of time to it.
Do you sell wholesale and retail?
We did sell wholesale for a while, but it was just too much. I want to keep it more where I can work with my customers directly. I think it's a better experience from me and them. I do become friends with a lot of my customers. They're all repeat buyers.
How do you reach out to your customers?
Once a year we give them like a $500 coupon to purchase more. I'll take the top three of all the customers we've had for the year and they always will buy double that. It's just such an advantage for us. And for them as well.
What does success look like for you?
Where I am now, where I've slowed it down, made better products, I feel successful. Putting out super good product that is not as commercial, that's maybe more individual. It also educates the buyer and makes them more apt to buy more unique things. Our whole environment of retail is changing. It's going back to how it was in the early 1900s where all these little boutiques are like the way Europe is. It's settling into more of that kind of thing and more sustainable and more of an experience, rather than just going to a big department store, buying something cheap and going home and making something out of that. People are putting more time into what they're doing making nicer things for themselves and just having a different kind of our experience.
Do you have any books you would recommend?
I love Joseph Campbell and I love the Power of Myth. If there was one book that I would just give everyone, it would be that little book because then that would lead them into all of his writings. That guy was a genius. It put everything together and made all these little neurons Connect.
Resources:
Artist Appeals - Website
Erin Sparler - LinkedIn
Sandra Evertson - Website Facebook Instagram
Relics & Artifacts - Instagram Facebook
Fanciful Paper Projects: Making Your Own Posh Little Follies - Amazon
Fanciful Paper Flowers: Creative Techniques for Crafting an Enchanted Garden - Amazon
Memories of a Lifetime: Weddings: Artwork for Scrapbooks & Fabric-Transfer Crafts - Amazon
Shipstation - Website
Artist Appeals Resources - Link
Tuesday May 14, 2019
Tuesday May 14, 2019
Interview with the Founder of Multiple Popular Women Craft Magazines
Jo Packham, the leading creative force behind Where Women Create and The Creative Connection, sits down with Erin Sparler to talk about creating a product, educating your audience and amplifying your reach. Go to theArtistAppeals.com to get free artist resources.
Tips on presenting artwork
- Do your homework and your research
- Follow companies outside of your industry
- You're not doing what everybody else is doing, you're doing something that's totally different from your industry
How do you educate and communicate with your audience?
- Quest in life is to educate the public on the value of handmade
- If the consumer would learn how valuable handwork is, then they will pay more
- Work together in a group
How do you amplify your reach?
- Who we feature is the best grassroots advertisers. They promote the magazines on all their sites and their Instagram sites and in their blogs, because they're really proud to be part of it.
The licensing process and contracts
- The only people that contracts are good for the people who can afford to defend them.
- I use my contracts as a roadmap so that the expectations of each company are known.
- Don't rely on it for for protection
What is success?
- It’s a valuable question for everybody to ask themselves
- Everybody compares their success to everyone else's high and when you read about it online, everyone is a huge success.
Book recommendation
- Compendium is my very favorite publisher of all time.
- What do you do with the problem? What do you do with an idea? What you do with a chance?
How do you find people to work with that are so far out of the realm when you need technical help?
- It's the community that I built.
- I always get a personal recommendation.
- Never work with somebody that somebody doesn't know somewhere down the line.
Resources:
Artist Appeals - Website
Where Women Work - Website
The Creative Connection - Website
Erin Sparler - LinkedIn
Jo Packham - LinkedIn
Artist Appeals Resources - Link