Art. Business. Etcetera.

by jimiyo

TL;DR: Don’t neglect the fact that pursuing a livelihood as an artist is the same as running a business, and to excel, you will have to incorporate business strategies to maximize market saturation and exposure. Yet don’t reduce your interactions with your fans down to a rigid business transaction as being an artist means being in a relationship with your fans, and to maximize symbiosis, it must be a mutually beneficial and rewarding exchange.

GIVEAWAYS

If you follow me on Facebook, you know I run giveaways. Giveaways are when I give away free stuff made from my art (stickers, posters, art, etc) to fans to help me promote a shirt or some thing that I need to expose to a larger audience than my social network. Or sometimes I just give away free stuff, because it feels good to know that I caused an unexpected, pleasant surprise in someone’s life.

I know there are some artists out there that erroneously perceive my actions as a cheap method to “get fans,” as if I am “buying fans.” I know there are artists out there that think like this because I’ve seen comments in online forums that express this notion, and I’ve heard artists snipe about other artists in such a way.

That… is epically small minded and idiotic. It probably stems from jealousy and envy that another artist is successfully getting attention. Don’t listen to them.

The fact is, it’s not cheap even in the literal sense, because it costs money to give away free stuff that costs money/time to make, and there is nothing cheap or wrong with the methodology.

The fact is, if you want to make a living creating an income from art, there comes a point where you have to come to the realization that ART IS A BUSINESS.

Let me veer off the topic a moment, I’ll come back around.

I started giving away free stuff years ago, because at the beginning of my artist career after thinking I could never make a living out of being an artist, people started buying my stuff, and praising me for my work. You know how good it feels when after you feel like you’ve been climbing up some humongous mountain all by yourself, and all of a sudden you find yourself on the climb up with an audience cheering you on? I can honestly say it’s utterly the one of the most brilliant moments of my life. It’s as if the clouds opened up, and the universe proclaimed, “You are not a turd.”

Giveaways became a way for me to return my gratitude. There are fans who still follow my work who knew me when I was just making $10/hour at my first art job in podunk Gallatin, TN designin Nascar tees.

It wasn’t until I recently stumbled onto some business and marketing literature that I realized that my actions were apparently somewhat related to basic business practices with terms like Cost of Acquisition, and Reciprocity.

Defined:

Cost of Acquisition “is the cost associated with convincing a consumer to buy your product or service, including research, marketing, and advertising costs.” SOURCE

Reciprocity “is a mutual or cooperative exchange of favors or privileges. It is exemplified by the American expression You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours (unless it’s really pimply) and the Latin Hannibal Lecter expression Quid pro quo… Clarice…” SOURCE

Upon discovering the terminology, I started to understand why artists would have an aversion for giveaways, and perceive that running giveaways were some underhanded method to attract new viewers.

I would assume they think it’s subversive or disingenuous, that the person running the giveaway has an ulterior motive, which is money money money (which “Cost of Acquisition” seems to indicate), which is also some odd ethical topic that artists love to mull over as if the connection of art to commercialism is somehow evil and takes away from the pureness of creation. But they neglect the truth that, if you are going to utilize your artistic ability to sustain a livelihood or for any sort of reciprocal reward like praise or recognition, you have already stepped into the realm of commerce and exchange.

Being an Artist is Being a Business is Being in a Relationship.

Unless you’re a hermit that creates art in a vacuum and you show no one your work, you can’t deny the fact that creating art is at least partially motivated by the pursuit of some need, whether it be praise, money, fame, etc from another party.

I’m not saying that you need to look at everything in a rigid, business transaction point of view, but unless you view being an artist as encompassing some business aspects, you might as well forget making a livelihood from your art and go work your 9-5 and lie to yourself that you are an artist because you don’t do art for money, you do it for love, after you spend 8 hours a day selling out your artistic abilities making unexciting brochures and leaflets or whatever you do because someone told you too… for money.

So I give away free stuff, not because I’m in the mentality of thinking if a guy takes a woman out for three dates that he is entitled to getting laid, but because I’m seeking to serve my fans because I appreciate my fans because I know I’m in a relationship with them. I also know that inherently, by being gracious and sharing the success they’ve helped to create by giving back (reciprocity), it will foster a healthy, trusting relationship and help to build new relationships (cost of acquisition).

Zig Ziglar, a successful author, motivational speaker and business man once said, “You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

And you know what, it’s true. Being an artist isn’t some one sided, look what I made, I’m so original, you should buy it, and make me rich scenario, it’s more like…

Hey Ya’ll,

I’ve been in the lab working mad hours trying to perfect my craft, this is what I made for you guys, I hope you like it. [Curtsey Curtsey] I’m going back in the lab and gonna try harder to make some more stuff you guys hopefully like. THHHHAAAANKKK YOOOUUU!

Love,
Your Favorite Artist.

_____________

Til Next Time, Be Good, Do Good, Spread Good. And as my parents always used to urge me, Ganbatte!
;j

by jimiyo

Do you want to make more money?

Or if you have an aversion for the thought of making money,

Do you want to be more creative?

Stop reading right now. Go make art. Rinse and Repeat. The End.

If you need a not-so-swift kick in the ass… Proceed.

I recently saw this infographic showing the abundance of trade deficits the United States has with other countries. The basic overview is, the United States imports (buys) alot more than they export (sell).

I’m not sure what a trade deficit means for the US economy, but I can confidently say, the habit of consuming more than producing can be a reason why artists don’t become successful.

What? You’re going to compare an artist to the US economy? Yes.

I try to be productive, but on some days, I surf the internet trying to “get inspired.” I view and consume other people’s art, surf Twitter, and watch endless streams of other artists producing work, while I waste away piddling my thumbs wishing I had something to pimp to get some internet love.

I don’t stay in consumption mode long, because I know it’s not beneficial, both financially and for artistic growth.

I’ve been active in artist communities for several years now. Having been an art director for a few years, I get to scrutinize artists and their work habits. I’ve never seen an artist who has a great work ethic fail… ever. In reality, I’ve seen them make a lot of money and garner some internet fame.

I’ve also seen artists who had the skills and raw talent to succeed disappear into oblivion (aka lifer at an uncreative 9-5) because they just didn’t want to work hard enough.

That’s partially the reason why I’ve started to write these blogs. I’ve seen talented young men and women, who, for Fear of Failure or for some other reason, gave up on the prospect of earning a livelihood from their art (their passion, the whole reason, if there be an omnipotent being, they were spawned into existence!?) If they would have just worked just a little harder, they could changed the whole direction of their lives and become a shining beacon and inspiration to others.

When I see this, it makes me sad, disappointed, and angry.

It’s never too late. I’ve seen noobs go from obscurity to internet famous, quitting their jobs, working from home, creating more art, spending more time with their family, in as little as 2-3 years of pounding the pavement.

This ideal isn’t just for people who want to be artists. It’s for ANYONE who wants to get out of the 9-5 and start livin their lives with purpose instead of being another cog in the wheel of someone else’s Master Freedom Plan.

So you have a choice: Do you wanna be a Consumer, or do you wanna be a Producer?

Do you want to watch everyone else strive to do great things? Or do you want to be the person producing great things that inspire people?

There’s much fulfillment and financial reward for those who decide to produce.

It doesn’t really take alot of effort to be a high producer either.

I received a great newsletter today from StevePavlina.com that raised an interesting point of view on how small actions can add up to a lot over the years.

“If you average 30 minutes per day processing email, you’ll spend the equivalent of 23 8-hour days processing email this year… over the course of 50 years, you’ll spend the equivalent of 4.6 working years doing nothing but processing email.”

Keeping that perspective in mind, check out how some artists leveraged their free time to be producers, not only just creating a secondary stream of income for themselves but building a fanbase which they could help them on their way to 1000 True Fans.

Shirt.woot.com is a website where artists can submit t-shirt designs into derbies for which they can earn $1000 plus commission per winning design. In a little over a year and a half, PatrickPens has created an impressive 115 pieces of art, resulting in a minimum of $31,000 in extra income from 31 derby prints. Typically, shirt.woot pays $2 per shirt sold after the first day of sales usually increasing the possible commissions to significantly more than 31K. Teefury has sold his non-winning designs increasing his overall income from his artwork.

There are legends that say that one participant at shirt.woot was able to pay his mortgage payments due to a winning design. The shirt has sold nearly 35,000 units which means that the artist got $2 per shirt after the typical first day sales of 3000 shirts. Do the math. Have your mind blown.

Teefury.com, a similar shirt a day site (where I work as art director), artists can earn $1 per shirt sold. Ian Leino has earned over $15,000 with 7 designs in a year and a half, and increased his Facebook fan following from a few hundred to nearly 3000.

In approximately four years, Lisa Gagné took her love of photography, and leveraged the internet and the microstock industry to earn a six figure income. With all the products already created and earning money as she sleeps, it’s safe to assume she’s coasting on the residuals while trying to figure out how to hit a million downloads for a cool 40% royalty.

Forget large numbers. Let’s start small. I made a few stock vector sets from the pieces of the designs I’ve created over the years, and sell them through TheGoldenBlack. I don’t earn a lot of money, but a few hundred bucks every few months ain’t too shabby for doin nothin! Imagine, if for the last 5 years I had continuously created stock vector to sell to other artists how much I could be earning passively? Obviously I took another path and I didn’t follow through on that idea, still, it’s not hard to see when you decide to choose to be a producer, amazing things will happen.

Maybe you don’t know where to start. There are plenty of opportunities. Just start. You’ll figure it out.

Until next time: Be Good. Do Good. Spread Good. Get off your ass and work.

;j

Two Tone Halftone Tutorial by jimiyo

I saw this (above) Marc Ecko design the other day. I’ve been seeing halftoned photograph models/objects being incorporated into illustration designs more often these days, so I wanted to share a tutorial on the technique.

I grabbed the stock photo above from Infidem on Deviant Art for the purposes of this tutorial.

Let’s Begin!

1. Isolate and cut out the image you want to halftone onto it’s own layer from the source.
There are many ways to cut out an object from a photo. You can use quick mask, pen tool for clean masks, quick selection tools, magic lasso, levels. Different tools for different problems. I recently found this great tutorial on the new CS5 quick selection tool, which I found to be useful for images that require detailed selections like hair. Otherwise I use quick mask and pen tool to make shape selections.

2. Make a white layer under the cutout. (Keep a copy of the original under the white layer just in case you mess up.)

3. Make a duplicate of the cut out. (CTRL-J) and desaturate the duplicate layer. (CTRL-SHIFT-U)
4. Using levels (CTRL-L) move the manipulators for the input histogram to increase the contrast and blow out all the non black details like the skin tone. The end goal for this step is to isolate the darkest parts of the image and rid the non-black details.

This step assumes you know how to utilize levels. Moving the white manipulator to the left takes the lighter parts of the image and adds more white essentially blowing out the white. Moving the black manipulator to the right makes the darker parts of the image and adds more black. Once the two manipulators meet, you should have an all black and white image.

5. Set the layer (CUTOUT1 Copy) to Multiply Layer Mode.

6. Desaturate the main image layer. Using levels again on the main image layer (CUTOUT1) move the manipulators for the input histogram to blow out most of the skintone, but not all of it. The end goal of this step is leave some of the gray areas which will be converted into halftones. You might need to come back to this step, because your halftones depends on how you handle the levels.

7. Run a Color Halftone Filter on the aforementioned layer. FILTER > PIXELATE > COLOR HALFTONE

Make sure to have all the screen angles the same for all channels.

You may have to play with the pixel size on this step. The smaller the pixel size, the more detailed and realistic it will look. The idea of this technique is to purposely create a halftone pattern aesthetic so you will want to choose a larger pixel size so it gives it that look. It will depend on your image resolution.

8. Once you have achieved a desire halftone pattern, increase the contrast/brightness of the newly halftoned layer to differentiate between the black. See the images below as an example.

9. Viola. That’s pretty much it. Throw some stock vector on and around it, and call yourself a designer/artist!

Thanks for reading!

Until next time: Be Good. Do Good. Spread Good.
;j

by Jimiyo

When I was younger, working my way through college, I hated filling out resumes for crappy manual labor jobs that even a chimp could perform. They seemed to be the only type of jobs I could get since I was young and had no experience.

In hindsight, the biggest detriment to finding a well paying job was that I was timid and soft spoken. The hiring system rewards those that are good at networking, and have an outgoing personality. It’s almost as if work ethics and skill are secondary.

It wasn’t until I got my job as a sales representative at Dell Computer that I felt I was finally on a level playing field despite my timidity and lack of networking skills. (Yeah, how did I go from being a sales representative to being an artist/art director/online persona? It was a long winding road I might write about in the future.)

The reason I believe the playing field is level in sales is that sales companies have little risk involved in hiring since those types of positions pay based on productivity and performance. They pretty much hire anyone, and treat you like spaghetti noodles. They throw you up on the wall and see if you stick.

I did okay there. I earned several awards for being a top percentile performer. Still, although I enjoyed the thrill of sales, it wasn’t a perfect fit for my life. It was apparent that art was my passion. I would come in every day with a drawing to share with my colleagues.

It wasn’t until I attempted to transfer laterally out of the soul sucking sales position that I encountered the brick wall of cronyism and started to remember that I was powerless to the gatekeepers.

I was denied several times for lateral promotions that would have gotten me off the phone. It wasn’t that I wasn’t qualified, I just didn’t know the right people. I was always so concerned with the work of my job, that I neglected the fact that in a corporate culture, it’s also how people perceive you that’s also important. This means posturing and being visible to people who can help you.

I was young and proud. I didn’t want to play that game. I believed that hard work was all that should be required to move up in the world.

It was probably best that they cock blocked me.

I got angry.

I quit.

It was the most awesome decision I have ever made. (Except getting kittens.)

Although, after a few days of unemployment, I had no concrete plan except to create art and seek ways to monetize my passion even if it meant that I might use up my savings in the process. I decided resumes were a waste of my time. Resumes are for people who want regular jobs. I wanted something larger, something undefined.

For three months, I banged out 40-50 hours of practice sketches, paintings, and other art every week as if I still had a job, posting my work on various portfolio websites at that time.

Shortly thereafter, I got a call that there was an artist position opening at a local screen printing shop. I didn’t even need a resume. I didn’t need to kiss anyone’s ass. They knew of my work from my online postings, and they hired me on the spot.

I’ve taken several leaps of faith after that first seemingly bold exit from Dell Computer. I say “seemingly” because it may have seemed bold and rash to leave a solid 50-65K yearly salary/commission position, but it would have been stupid of me NOT to have quit. Otherwise, I might have become indoctrinated to the must-be-employee mindset instead of the solo entrepreneur/freelancer mindset, and sacrificed my passion for art in exchange for security and the status quo.

Ever since, resumes have become a minor formality.

Every income earning opportunity since I quit Dell have come to me.

They wouldn’t have come to me without my proactive decision and action to change the rules of the game, or the actual game itself.

I decided the game should be Authenticity:

Kick so much ass that people coming knocking at your door to offer you money for your talent.

When you don’t like the rules of a game, you don’t have to play the game. You can make the game you don’t like irrelevant.

Just a FYI. I’m not done changing the game and creating new rules for myself. I am always seeking ways to break the glass ceiling. Just as the journey of an artist should never end, nor should the journey to strive for improvement and personal happiness.

I want to leave you with this. I’m not a religious man, but I’ve always enjoyed Proverbs in the Bible.

Proverbs 22:29
Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.

…meaning hard work. It’s a requirement for attaining greatness.

Til next time. Be Good. Do Good. Spread Good.

;j

How to Deal with Trolls by Jimiyo

I got trolled the other day, and instead of responding to the trolling directly, I wrote this article.

Whether you are an online artist persona, help maintain a website community, or sometimes just a participant in a harmless online conversation, where there is an exchange of ideas and an open forum where anyone can express their opinions, the chances that you will encounter a troll is likely.

What is a troll?

A troll is like a heckler, someone who seems to express with great intensity such disdain and disagreement with your point of view that it’s hard not to react.

My experience with trolls covers a vast spectrum of experiences over the last decade I’ve been active online. Whether it be someone leaving derogatory comments and harsher than average critiques on my posted artworks, accusations of perceived ill intent in the comments of my personal online journals, or the accelerated experience of targeting by being the public voice and representative of Teefury.com, I’ve grown accustomed to the Haet.

I’ve come to a few conclusions.

1. You cannot change anyone’s opinion through online discussions, especially if the discussion begins through inflammatory loaded interjections. Don’t try. There’s great advice from Steve Pavlina, a personal development blogger, who says one of the best way to respond is “You could be right,” and to leave it there. Who can argue with you when you give the person what they want which is to be acknowledged and heard? Typically, trolls don’t fight with logic. You could supply scientific facts and data to inform of them of their ill perceived point of view, but they would respond with nonsense. It’s a futile battle.

2. Responding is inefficient. Give attention to the people who love and appreciate you.

What do you think would net the most positive effects to your online reputation or community?

Spending 30 minutes writing an exposition in response to a stranger to have it debunked by endless juvenile rebuttals of disconcerting logic and negative emotions, or would it be much more efficient to spend 30 minutes going onto your social network and responding to people who are leaving positive affirmations of your work?

Choose to appreciate those that appreciate you.

3. Imagine the comments of a troll as if it happened in real life, and non-react accordingly. If it would be crazy in real life, it’s still crazy on the internet too.

I used to design, print, and sell my own women’s t-shirt designs at craft events, and one day while I was talking to a prospective customer (a hot one! in fact), one of my former friends hovering around like a vulture, muttered under breath “that’s gay.” I shot him a look of disgust and confusion, because what’s gay about pimping shirts you designed and printed to a hot girl hanging on every word you are saying?

I ignored him, and continued pleasantly talking with the customer and eventually sold her a couple shirts.

Imagine the scenario if I would have broken character and in agitation started to argue with him in front of the customer, she would have been cut off in the middle of our conversation and ignored. It would have most likely made for a very awkward situation for her to stand and watch us immaturely debate if I what I was doing was gay or not.

I would have probably lost the sale just to save face with someone who obviously didn’t respect me.

In real life that was crazy. Online it would be crazy too. Don’t react.

4. Moderate. It is not wrong to ignore or delete troll comments, and doing so does not make you a Nazi. You set the rules of engagement.

Timothy Ferris, author of Four Hour Work Week, has great advice about how to look at interactions with the online community. Alot of people have their own mini communities through Facebook or blogs, and the advice still applies even if you don’t run a website.

Imagine your blog (or other online forum for interaction) as your living room. If you invite people to your home to hang out, if someone gets belligerent and disrespectful, you don’t let them continue. You show them the door. You create and control the rules of engagement.

Crazy begats Crazy.

I’ve seen the results of non-moderation through personal experience with sites with whom I’ve worked and on which I participated as a member.

One thing is clear. Without some sort of explicit declaration of the rules of engagement, if you allow troll-y actions to run rampant they will infect the community. People acclimate to the norms set forth by the community leader, and police themselves or conversely cause anarchy.

Take for example, emptees.com. After 3 years, although the site commands a tremendous amount of traffic and activity, one of the reasons cited for the decision to close the site was stated by Indie Labs as “worst of all, the community has grown increasingly negative to each other,” due to lack of moderation features.

I used to hang out at emptees, but I did eventually stop participating as I could not deal with the drama that was ubiquitous in the discussions. It was like The Lord of the Flies and the Salem Witch Trials, with a little bit of art.

Do not be afraid to moderate, otherwise it will be your demise.

5. Grow Thick Skin. Trolls will never go extinct unless mankind ceases to exist as well. If you are new to being trolled, I know it’s tough, but their reality is not yours, nor should you ever succumb to it. If you do, you might find yourself becoming a troll yourself. That’s the way it works. If you are a good person, trying to be good, do good, and remain civil, you aren’t a shitty person.

BONUS: One of my favorite prose, Desiderata, written by Max Erhman states, “Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.” I read from many sources of inspiration seeking out truth and the right ways to live. Desiderata is one of the most simple, handy rules to live by, and to operate by even in affairs of business. Check it out here: Desiderata, written by Max Erhman

I hope you were able to get some insights from this article.
Feel free to share/link/be inspired from it as you will.
Please give credit to http://facebook.com/jimiyoart and add me if you like.

Til next time, Be Good, Do Good, Spread Good.