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| A sketch of someone I know by the name of Lala ;) |
I took a free CreativeLive business class with Lisa Congdon, "Become a Working Artist." As I search for jobs I figure I could at least start my own business. It would be a fun side job. Being unemployed sucks, but with anything, there are positive points. I don't know if I have an entrepreneur's spirit, but then again, most artists don't. I created a shop at Society6 called Dilettante Designs. I just renamed it Amber D'Amato because I figure it might be easier. I had considered Amber Jean, but it sounded too debutante, the wrong impression of me. I feel like I chose other names to go by in the past because I was embarrassed. I felt like a business name hid me and I liked that.
There is so much involved in creating an art business. Well, that goes for any business, but there is more vulnerability involved in sharing your art because it can be personal. I feel like you need a big ego to shamelessly brand yourself, but you have to own it. I've taken so many art classes and I have taught myself so much on my own that it would not fit me to say, I am aspiring to be an artist. I make art daily and I try to show my process and I try to show my best. I just need to share it more often. I find it is so much easier to show on Instagram. Probably because I have already formed a habit sharing on that app for 2 year now.
I am so happy that I took that class though, I felt overwhelmed. I guess because I know I should sell on Etsy but those Etsy forms scare the hell out of me.
I'll share one thing I learned in that class today, Illustration Mockups!!! Ok, if you're reading this and are a fellow artist try this! Play pretend and act like you have a deadline. Draw something for a dream job or use the medium of your choice. For instance, I am going to draw pieces for beauty products I love. Like in the movie Field of Dreams, "If you build it they will come." Yep! That's right. So if a future client wants to see what you have and you know you can do it, then wouldn't be nice to have something in that realm instead of waiting for it to happen?
My favorite part of the class was learning how to say no to projects you do not want to do or do not have the time for. I don't want to create something that is not aesthetically aligned with my style and skills. Could it be like an actor who doesn't want to be typecast? We all have core values that bring us happiness and certain projects will bring joy no matter how hard I have to work.
Tonight I just figured out how to disable my photos from opening in a new window in raw dimensions. So happy about that. I wish this template I am currently using had the lightbox option. It would look so much more professional, but I am determined to keep this template because of how organized and clean it looks. I love the sidebar on the left side of the page, but I am going to switch to mosaic for a more colorful appearance that will showcase my work for a day or a week to see if I like it better.
I feel safe publishing this because people rarely comment on my posts. Ha!
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| My A's look like an Ichthys symbol |
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