That’s right.
One decision.
The decision that moves the needle forward in whatever it is you’re pursuing.
I was asked last year what it mean to me, when it came to being an artist. Now that can be a complex answer in itself. Except for me now, it’s about being able to do the type of work I love, while sharing and inspiring others to also do the same things in their lives.
You might read my emails purely for entertainment or to know that there’s someone in your corner on the days you don’t feel like existing.
Or you might read my emails in hopes of following along in your own creative pursuits to do the same.
Being able to make a bit of $ while doing art, or even turning it in to your full time gig has always been dream for a lot of us.
So I’ll let you in on the little secret they keep holding from you and it’s not really a secret, but you’ll be like “duh, why the hell didn’t I think of that in the first place???”
It’s starting. That super simple decision of just starting.
It only takes one of those moments to get the ball rolling. Yes there’s a lot of little mechanical things (That are learnable) that goes in to building a super simple system to generate a few $, but the first decision is just about doing.
You can do it. Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t.
Writing, selling prints or Mongolian throat singing…
Create some work. Share the work and get people in to your world. It’s that easy. When they’re in your world give them the opportunity to buy something from you.
Prime example is fellow artist and good dude Stephen Holder Art
Now what Stephen does is what he’s learnt from another buddy of mine, which in essence is just pure old direct response marketing.
Give people the opportunity to buy something at a very low cost, to get them in to his world (aka email list) in this case. Just super cool micro prints for $5 which covers the postage.
He also gives them the chance to upscale and get bigger prints framed or not. Either way, you’ve paid a few bucks to get some really cool stuff. If you bought the upsells even better for him and for you.
Now that you’re on his list. He will do what I do and that is mail the list as often as he can with his day to day goings on. Then also give people the option to buy original work or massive scale pieces. Which in turn when they do, they become collectors of his work.
This is all fairly simple to do, but it all starts with the decision of just starting and figuring it out as you go.
TL;DR version:
Decide to start today
Make some content and pick a platform or two to go all in on
Get people on to your list
Give them the opportunity to buy
When they buy, give them something else to buy
Be a good human
Share stuff to your list about you and the things you enjoy
Rinse and repeat…
You can do it.
Start today.
Stephen Walker.