Goals can keep us on a trajectory. They’re tools that help lead us to important benchmarks and accomplishments. Having them is great, but they don’t work as well without a game plan. And they’re harder to reach when you’re run down and in a bad mood. Some things that may prevent us from following through are goals being too big with no clear roadmap, losing sight of our timeline, or something higher priority coming along and having to pivot. The following pointers should help alleviate some of that stress.
Read moreMy Favorite Resources: Books, Blogs, and More
I wanted to put together a list of my favorite resources for you. The books contain interviews, strategies for artistic income, tips for building professional relationships, and more. The blogs have great insights into social media, and the two regional non-profits offer various services for artists. I come back to these all the time for reference and highly recommend you have them on hand, too.
Read moreWhy I Stopped Using Hashtags on Instagram
I want to share what I noticed since I came back from my Instagram break. The places people may find you outside of their home feed are from hashtags, their explore page, your location, and maybe if someone shares your post. I popped up most on everyone’s homepage, and since hashtags have always been tricky for me to master, I ended up chucking them for my photo posts altogether.
Read moreWorking in a Small Space
Having a designated space to create is one of the most important things for an artist. When I was in college, I took full advantage of the studios on campus, often staying late into the night to work on projects. But at home, I only had a small desk for work. So if I had to bring a big project home, you’d find me laying on the floor in my living room, which carried through to a couple of different apartments. If you can manage to have a desk or table to work on, I have a few tips that can help expand your creative space without overtaking the floor.
Read moreThe Pros and Cons of Wholesale
In 2019, I stumbled upon a wholesale website and decided to apply. A big goal of mine at the time (and still) was to sell through my existing inventory. If wholesale went well, a lot of great things could come from it. There are a lot of things to consider when wanting to work with storefronts. It’s essential to figure out the pros and cons and what works best for you.
Read moreWhy I Won't Share My Artwork on Social Media Anymore
As an artist, I obviously want to share my artwork, but I made a fatal mistake with my Becoming series last year. I shared all my finished work ahead of the reception because I was excited and needed ✨content✨. But artwork is ALWAYS better in person. The details are never given justice through a computer, or worse, someone’s phone. No one was excited about the show.
Read moreAn Introduction: Welcome to the Blog
I’m Ashley (she/they), an artist, business coach, and single mom. My hope for this brand-new blog is to be both a resource and an archive. I decided it’s a much better use of my time to start a blog where you can easily find what you’re looking for and come back to it again when you need to. I’ll be sharing business and artist tips here, along with behind-the-scenes work, musings, and more about myself.
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