Whether you’re a fine art tutor teaching from your own back garden studio, or an illustrator taking commissions from multiple clients, an artistic career can often involve home working. But it’s not all creativity and free spiritedness. Planning, admin and other less exciting tasks take up a lot of time and working for yourself means being incredibly disciplined.
Keep your hands in Art
Brush up your skills
Even if you aced art college and you have an impressive professional portfolio, it’s important to keep learning even when you don’t have colleagues to interact with face-to-face. Sites like Folio Academy provide online resources so you can keep your hand in.
Don’t waste time
Inspiration can be tough to come by, and it’s tempting to avoid sitting down to work when you’re experiencing a block, especially if it’s a piece you’re intending to sell without a fixed a deadline. It’s important to make sure you keep busy, though. Use this time to do some admin, or try a little exercises to get your creative juices flowing. It’s best to plan your week in advance, but there’s no harm in juggling a few tasks around if you need to when it comes to doing your best creative work.
… But do take breaks!
Equally, it’s easy to get obsessive when you’re in the zone and the ideas are coming thick and fast. Don’t be afraid to step away from the canvas for 10 minutes, though, and have a cup of tea. Burnout is the last thing you want.
Network
Attend gallery openings. Sign up for conferences where they’re showcasing the latest digital illustration packages. Ask friends if their companies need to outsource any graphic design work.
Showcase your work
Make yourself profiles on sites like Etsy. Be clear about your skills, your availability, pricing structures and if you’re capable of a diverse range of styles, show them all if you can.
Find other income sources
There may be times when your art can’t earn you a living, so try and have back-up plans for those “dead” periods. Extra income sources such as paid survey sites can be a real life-saver when your bank balance is looking peaky. Sign up for a few and fill out surveys as and when you have a free moment.
Stay positive
People may laugh and sneer when you tell them you work at home as an artist. What they don’t understand is that this can be a satisfying, lucrative and highly legitimate career if you’re willing to put the work in and be savvy about business opportunities.
The blue line, Right by us, is the Center Path of Totality.
OK, this is a shameless ad, BUT, Will and I have been planning on seeing this eclipse now for two years, and Hey, we have found the perfect spot and we want to offer the same deal to our friends and fans. My aunt Lillian is renting up to 200 spaces out for people to camp with their tents, RVs, in their car or on the ground. I have asked her about a FRIENDS and Family rate and she is letting me and my direct family camp for free and is renting the other spots for as high as $160. But my friends, that’s you, can camp for $50 per night.
Solar Eclipse camp as low s $50 per night.
This could be you
In a nutshell you can camp for just $50 per night as our guest. These spots are going for $150. So if you can get to Rexburg Idaho, and you know you can if you put your mind to it, then you should come out and see the Great American Eclipse in the second best place to view it.
Where? 5803 S 3100 W Thornton Idaho. just south of Rexburg, easy to get to and closer to the center of the path of totality.
When? The Partial eclipse will start happening August 21, 2017 at 10:15:42 AM, the Total Eclipse begins at 11:34:24 and goes til 11:34:25, (2 min 18 seconds) and the rest of the partial eclipse ends at 12:58:22 PM. Here is a cool site to look at.
TOTAL Solar Eclipse has been on my bucket list for 48 years.
When I was a boy about 7 years old a leaned about the Total Solar Eclipse from a cartoon and it has been on my bucket list ever since. About five years ago there was an Annular Eclipse in southern Utan, so I packed up my wife and kids and a bunch of neighbor kids and drove a few hundred miles south to see it. It was cool but not cool enough. The moon was too far from the earth so the sun shone around it just a little and it ruined the effect. It was not completely dark, this time it will be. And you should beable to see stars.
Meet Will and Wayne
Yes we will be there but we’ll be with our families etc. so Will and Wayne will try to be at the concession stand on Sunday evening from 6 PM. (Will doesn’t know about this yet, but I will try to get him there on time) So if you want, bring a Will Terry book or print and a pen, he can sign something for you
Solar Eclipse Camping Available up to four nights.
Camping available up to four nights, Friday until Tuesday The eclipse will be Monday morning but here will be a LOT of traffic and I recamend you come at least one day early and go the day after, don’t want to fight that kind of traffic coming or going home.
Best spot ever to view The Great American Eclipse.
You can look at it with the naked eye, but bring special glasses for viewing pre and post totality.
Partial phase start: 10:15:42AM (MDT) you need the glasses for that.
Totality (COMPLETELY DARK) Start: 11:33:14AM (MDT) and lasts 2 min 18 seconds. You don’t need your glasses for that.
You Don’t want to miss this once in a lifetime event.
Put Total Eclipse on your bucket list and then check it off this Aug. 21. Get the kids out of school, and be their unless you are dead, or in jail, and if you’re in jail, break out.
Here we will see 2 minutes 18 seconds of totality SOLAR ECLIPSE.
Plenty of space to observe it right from your campsite. Come for the whole weekend and enjoy. Campfires welcome. Bring your own toilet if possible, we’ll have a few full size portable out houses.
Leashed Pets Allowed $25
The Price is per Carload of peeps, up to 6 per site. Bring your camper, RV, tent, sleep in your car or on the ground under the stars. Bring your own food and water, and your own eclipse glasses.
Pets allowed for $25 per night, per pet. Just brint cash and pay for pets when you get here.
Fequently asked questions about our solar eclipse camp at Rexburg
Where do I get tickets? Go here and click on the green button that says Tickets
What is the address again? 5803 S. 3100 W. Thornton Idaho
How hot and cold does it get there in August? from 50-83 degrees. The 50 is a night time low and the 83 is a daytime high. So it shouldn’t be too hot for you.
Do we need to bring our own toilet? I hope most of you do, but we will have several portable outhouses. And most of you will be in RVs with bathrooms so we will be fine. You can bring a jar too if you want, dump your wiz on the ground.
Will there be fresh water? Bring your own water. If you cannot, or don’t bring enough, We have water at the house and you are welcome to use it if you really need to.
Will there be concessions? My Nephew says he will be selling cold bottled water, soda and maybe some other things. Like a little store, but come prepared.
Can we bring Pets? Yes, $25 per night per animal, but, be responsible for your pet. And bring a leash and or rope or chain. If your animal is well mannered and STAYS in your camp sipte, you may not need a leash, I am an animal lover. But for the record, all pets must be leashed.
How do we pay that $ for our pet? Just bring cash and pay us there.
Can we have a fire? Yes but be responsible. Small is better, don’t go putting rocks in a circle as we plow and plant here.
Are there assigned spots? Yes we will assign you a spot when you get here. RVs will be grouped so that tent and under the stars campers, can be away from the generators. You will get to choose from available spots.
Can we get a spot right next to our friends? Yes, be sure to let me know and we will get you next to your friends.
Will it rain? In the whole month of August we only get about 0.71 inches of rain in the Rexburg area. So. I hope not! Part of the reason Rexburg area is ranked 2nd best place in the country to view the great American eclipse.
Can we take pictures? Yes, and I would like you to send your best pictures to me. wayneandreason@gmail.com
Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event? Yes
Is my registration fee or ticket transferrable? Yes, have them bring your/their ticket
Is it ok if the name on my ticket or registration doesn’t match the person who attends? Yes
IS it ok to smoke or drink on the property? Yes, If you smoke and or drink, smoke and or drink responsibly.
What if we want to spend another night once we get there & didn’t book for Monday night? Just pay us for another night while you are there.
Is this an established campsite with all sorts of amenities? No, This is not a normal campsite, pack it in pack it out. You will want to bring your own food water and shelter.
This is a very informative video on How to View the Eclipse, check it out.
The right way, or the WRONG way, or better yet, do art YOUR WAY. Remember when owning a home was a mandatory part of a healthy financial portfolio? I think this is the first time that financial planners are backing off and saying, “owning CAN also be a good addition to a financial portfolio.”
Do art right, or do art wrong.
I bring this up because when I’m teaching people to do art, I constantly hear students telling each other things like, “you’re supposed to do it this way” or “that’s not the way that so and so said to do it.” I believe in obeying the rules most of the time…wait – that sounded like a rule!…how bout: “Obey some of the rules some of the time but not all of the rules all of the time, unless you want to, but if you want to break all of the rules that might be good too, however that probably won’t work either so don’t listen to me. But you should listen to some people if you feel they’re giving good information. hmmmmmmm. How bout some examples”:
Bill Gates – laughed at by IBM executives for only wanting to license his operating system. In other words he was laughed at for “doing it the wrong way.”
John Lasseter – Fired from Disney for wanting to introduce computer animation to Disney productions – Started Pixar – Now chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. He is also currently the Principal Creative Adviser for Walt Disney Imagineering…pssssst – he did it the wrong way.
Steve Jobs – How many times do you think he was laughed at for all the innovative ideas he implemented. It’s easy to think, “why would I laugh at Jobs? – he created so many wonderful products.” Before he attained his unimaginable success he was often branded a nut for his strange decisions.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin created a search engine their way – a different way – they broke the rules. They were also late to the search engine party and couldn’t get anyone’s attention. All the big search engine companies showed them the door when they tried to sell their technology…. so they started Google.
The other night in my watercolor class I kept hearing students talking about using watercolors “the right way.”….
I am drained from working til 3 am so many nights in a row on this piece and even later last night. I thought I was done but when I looked at it again the next morning I realized there were quite a few more tweaks needed – I stopped having fun with it there for awhile. – Three hours at least and I think that’s when I was finally done. ..again! Success usually depends on what you do in your spare time.
I had to include several versions with various assets on different layers because there would be animations in this app. I wanted to have animation but didn’t know how to do it or set up for it but hoped that someone would come into my life to help me. Well, it happened – I teamed up with a Disney animator and he is going to be teaching me and working with me to make this project happen! Kind of the, “If you build it they will come” model.
Don’t want any unnecessary animations
I am not interested in programming superfluous animations in my e-book. One thing I’m constantly seeing in e-books and apps is animation and/or sounds that don’t move the story forward – in fact I’m guilty of that in my Monkey & Croc ipad app. On this one I wanted to create a story/interactive e-book that couldn’t exist in physical book format. Part of an on going exploration of this technology. It’s fun to think about the future and how I’ll feel about all of this ten years down the road, lessons learned, bumps, bruises, and hopefully a few smiles….ok, a lot of smiles!
So you do art work, can you call it work, when your having fun?
Because I’m “working” late and often responding to things on Facebook my friends, family, and students know I “work” late. Sometimes I get accused of being a workahalic, (I am addicted to workahal) but is it really work if I’m having this much fun? I love drawing. I love illustrating ideas – but most of all I love the satisfaction I get when I see how children and parents respond to my work. The ability to communicate with pictures is basically a part of who I am. I can’t imagine what life would be like without being able to create narrative images. I don’t want to know what it would be like….I think you know it’s not work when you’re doing something you would do regardless of the monetary compensation.
The Money is Irrelevant
So “working” on this monster app isn’t work at all – it’s therapy. I don’t feel any stress or anguish over it and that in and of it’s self is my payment. When I’m finished and it is formatted for Ipad / Iphone and perhaps the new kindle fire, the money I make, or don’t make is a distant by-product of my passion. I’m not going to be a phony and tell you I don’t want it to make money but the money is irrelevant to my joy and happiness in the creation process. I’m not going to worry about editing “this or that” in or out to please a certain demographic. All I’m going to do is make an app / ebook that I would want to buy and use with my kids – again, I’m going to be selfish.
Don’t forget, we teach workahal, I mean art and illustration and painting and stuff at FolioAcademy.com.
So anyway – working on this project is way more fun than getting hit by a car, twice. Wait, have I mentioned that I’ve been hit by a car? Twice? Well two different cars both while I was riding a bike? – not the same bike different bikes…and different cars – different years – and different drivers… I don’t think they knew each other… both times it was my fault. I did however learn two big lessons –
1) I am stupid
2) I want to be in the car the next time I get hit.
3) I don’t want there to be a next time.
Author’s not: There are three kinds of people, those who can count and those who can’t.
But wait – this is supposed to be about illustration, e-books, writing, apps, formatting, tablets, e-readers, illustratin, art wor doing, etc.
The story is about a monster
I am still working on the E-boo/ Monster app. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, the story is about a monster that keeps steeling the household pets, and the boy just doesn’t notice.
The sketches are for an iPad / iPhone App
Ok, Status: All of these monster sketches are for an ipad / iphone app that I am making. It has a story, is interactive, in color, animal friendly, eco friendly, kid friendly, and car friendly…. It will have friends. but you know what? SPOILER ALERT! It might not be really successful. But will I learn something. Yes. Am I enjoying the precess? Yes. Does the little voice try to get me down? yes. Do I let it? NO! And HEY! Maybe it will be a HUGE success. Feel free to cross your fingers for me.
Ebooks, Apps and Selfishness? Really? but we were always taught to be charitable, giving, and unselfish. Ok – I needed a provocative title but I’m going to defend it. How many times have you as an illustrator, graphic designer, author, artist, or creator allowed yourself to create under the umbrella of a studio, publisher, client, friend, spouse, parent etc.? In other words how often do you create for someone else? How often do you allow the parameters of the assignment dictate choice? How often are your choices influenced by what you think “they” want and not what you want? We all do it – even if you’re a gallery artist chances are you create “in step” with the body of work the gallery owner has accepted. Right?
Technology has give the POWER back to the artist
My message in this blog post is that the invention of computers, tablets, e-readers and the internet have given power back to the artist. It’s an amazing time my fellow artists. I now give you permission to be selfish – and it’s a good thing when it comes to your art. Never before in the history of the world have artists been given the ability to get their work to their audience so inexpensively. Because it’s so cheap it means we can do it on our own so we don’t necessarily need someone putting restrictions on our content. I’m not saying that it’s not good to get opinions from other professionals but now we can do what we want – the environment for complete creativity is autonomy. I’m embracing ebooks, apps, and whatever else develops in the future.
So be selfish – Have fun, your best art has yet to be created – what’s hiding in there?
Have FUN while you create your artwork for more success
I am a successful artist, Why? Because I enjoy what I do.
“Learn to love work and you will love life.” ~L Carl Andreason. “Find a way to make money doing what you love, and you will love work.” ~G. Ken Nuttall
Successful artist having a blast
I am having a blast working on this little project – I’m not sleeping much lately because I’m busy doing real stuff too, but I am having fun, or at least, that’s what I keep telling myself. As I get older I realize that we only have a short window to make it happen – whatever “it” is. I love the challenge of developing good instruction for my college classes, pleasing my freelance clients, pleasing myself on personal projects and my continued involvement on the day to day workings of Folio Academy.
I found a programmer and animator to help me see this picture book become an app, and see this vision through – I’m having so much fun – at work!!!
Just Another ARTIST???!!! What kind of a statement is that?
Didn’t you “used to think” you were amazing amazing artist?
Remember back when you were in junior high and you started making really bad copies of spider man or (insert cool character or album cover here) and because it sort of resembled what you were going for you thought you were an amazing artist? Your friends who had quit trying to draw were now propping you up – “awww WICKED”…”dude that is totally bad”. Fast forward to high school and you were determined to draw in art class amongst the stoners. It didn’t take long for you to get their attention: “Dude that’s bad ass…. (I guess you’re allowed to say ass in high school) draw Eddie from Iron Maiden on my Jacket.”
Your head was completely filled with hot gasses and arrogance as you headed off to college. Even though your teachers bathed you in beautiful images from working professionals you weren’t that impressed. Caught up in the grandeur of your graduating portfolio you excitedly started marketing your work. When assignments didn’t actually flood in you got the first twinge of insecurity but you shrugged it off. After a few years of struggling to keep freelancing you gained a partial attitude overhaul. Humility was still in short supply but you started giving a few nods to other artists. Five years in and you put yourself near the top shelf of illustration talent. Seven years and you still grossly overestimated your skills. Ten years – the internet was bringing more and more amazing artists to your attention. Fifteen years you realized you’re just another set of hands. Eighteen years you start to feel lucky to be an illustrator. Twenty years and you know you’re lucky! Being able to do what you do while there are so many artists much more talented and capable than you roaming this little rock. Fear sets in when you realize…you might not be keeping up. Embarrassing, but this was me.
Become a “WHOLE” artist: Work hard Have heroes Open mind Listen Engage
Status Update on Monster app
Monster App still on schedule (there’s no schedule so I’m right on time) Tee hee.
I’ve decided to make this e-book (see last blog) that I am working on into an iPad and iPhone app as well. Here is another sketch for the ipad/iphone app I did awhile ago.
I do not have a programer yet – have talked to a few but I want to find someone who believes in my project enough to go all in with me and share the loot we most certainly will rake in.
“We’re going to need a bigger rake!” This is certainly another leap of faith but I’ve found that if you have a dream and can see – really see the vision of it, you should go for it! I’ve been learning this over the past year and have enjoyed a fair amount of success with this method of working. I’m sure I’ll have my fair share of failures – wait – I’ve done that:
My Failed books: “The magical world Inside Abandoned Refrigerators”, “Daddy Drinks Because You Cry”, and “You Are Different and That’s Bad”…..ok ok – I lifted these from the internet but you get the picture. I’ve had failures and I’ll have more and you know what? That’s OK.
I will try to post my updates on this each week, thanks.
