Joe Mills

I Am Trying to Turn My Artistic Skills into a Business

Well, I have talked about this before, and I think I am ready to do it…I want to turn my artistic skills into a business. Now, the goal is not to quit my position as a teacher. I’m hoping to make this something that is more of a side business. I have built this portfolio over the past 5 years, and I am ready to see if I can turn it into revenue. While my blog will still be dedicated to inspiration, I am also going to talk about my journey as an artist into the business world and what I am finding out. Hopefully, it will help me connect with other like-minded individuals. We will see.

My first thought/concern is probably the thing that I will have the hardest thing dealing with…are my designs worth being purchased? It is not that I do not have confidence in my skills, but all I have learned has been outside of the classroom and professional world…for the most part. As a school teacher, you are not always in a place to be creating work every single day or dealing with people in the design world. I know I have done some amazing work over the years, but how will others view it? I realize that people have different aesthetics, but I will have to deal with rejection and not being noticed. There are MANY people vying for attention in the design world, so I need to stand out and get noticed.

Which brings me to my next point, how will I get noticed? I realize that I need to re-work my site in a number ways. First, I need to edit my site so I am showing only my best work. Second, I need to figure out a way for people to contact me. If I do not say that I am looking for work, how will I get work? Third, I need to publicize and network. There are many sites like Behance and IllustrationMundo where designers and illustrators can get noticed. Also, how can I use social sites like Facebook, YouTube, or LinkedIn to get my name out there? Plus, how can I use services like Technorati and Google Analytics to make sure that people are getting to my site? It is one thing to just make a web site, but it is a totally different thing to get people to it. Shouting to the world that I am available for work is probably going to be a tough obstacle for me. I tend to think I lean more towards being too modest.

And then, what services do I offer? My first thought is to create an identity or brand that I can sell on t-shirts. I figure that could be a quick way for people to see products I already have available and what I am capable of. The t-shirt market, though, can be over-saturated so I am not sure how successful that will be. On the other hand, if the design is fresh enough, it might not make a difference. Or, I have thought about creating a self-published book, but I need a good idea for that before setting forth on that journey.  Many places exist on the Internet to sell your work, but selecting the right one will decide where I center my energy. Plus, the goal is to get design or illustration work from actual companies and the best way to do that.

And finally, I have the nuts and bolts to consider. How much do I charge? Do I need any other paperwork? That might be down the line, but it is important to think this could actually be a business instead of something to pass the time.

Well, I will try to update this as much as possible. It looks like I will have to do a lot of socializing anyway, so I don’t expect it to be a problem.

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The League of Ignorance

Here is one of the videos my brother and I finished a couple weekends ago. It’s short, but I like it…

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Scanwiches

Image courtesy of Scanwiches

I’ve been trying to figure out a way to involve sandwiches into my artowrk. I just haven’t thought of a good idea yet. I like how this artist worked it in. Basically, Scanwiches are cross-sections of sandwiches scanned in. Simple. Smart. And, it brings out the glorious goodness of sandwiches in JPEG form.

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Former Student

A former student of mine has been posting some stuff on Deviant Art, so I wanted to highlight her work. I’m not trying to say she learned everything from me, but it is always great to see my students continue drawing and creating after they leve my classroom..

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Steve Martin

I just finished reading Born Standing Up by Steve Martin. It is a very quick read, and I think worth reading for anyone who considers themselves creative. I was really struck by one quote…

“What if nothing happens?” I had never really imagined success; I was just trying to be a performer, but I could not see myself playing dreary nightclubs into my thirties, forties, and fifties.

I think this stuck with me because it summarizes my feelings on my own artwork. I have not attacked a career creating art day in and day out with the same drive that Martin did his performing, but I have always wondered if I could. At the same time, though, I’m not sure what it would look like if I were successful in that capacity…I just like creating art and want to continue creating art. I seem to be moving in that direction because I feel the need to “publicize” my work and try to connect with people who might be in the same position as me, but I’m not sure what that would look like. Part of me just wants it to just happen organically, but at some point, you have to make a concerted effort to make it happen. Right now, it will be in the back of my head until I move it to the front.

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Announcements

It has been awhile since I made an announcement, so I thought I would give an update…

My YouTube page has a slight overhaul. As you might have noticed, I have added a video journal which I hope to update around 3 times a month. Also, I am not using B: The Hip Hop Puppet as a playlist anymore. I’m just going to make it Short Films. Even though the use of the songs was strictly being used as a way to honor them, I have had multiple copyright issues.  So, I’m going to try and keep just the one up and add some other films. I have two that have already been shot that I just need to edit and they will be up this week.

Finally, I have two more illustrations up here. Prop Bets and I Don’t Look At Your Stuff can be viewed there now.

Enjoy!

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Great Line from The Wire

For some reason, this had my brother and I cracking up this weekend. It’s just a throwaway line from The Wire, but Delaney Williams nails it. I figure any show with good writing can make throwaway lines seem bigger then they really are.

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A New Vlog Before I Expected It

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You are a Beslubbering, Clay-Brained, Dewberry!

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