Working with Other Artists - Ink Nest

This post will conclude the series on Artistic Collaborations and Business Partnerships although I will publish similar types of articles on this topic in the future. It has been a fabulous opportunity to meet many artists and I hope to see them in person at Surtex this coming May.

Speaking of art licensing, some of you might be interested in the upcoming Art Licensing Academy by Tara Reed. You can learn a whole lot within a short time, so save your spot here!

This week I am happy to introduce the Ink Nest, which consists of artists Sabina, Iglika, Rhian, Denise, Rachel, Emma, Nicole, Rebekka, and Sarah.

Sabina says, "the Ink Nest was a single artist shop initially. However, it quickly attracted more artists with a similar hand drawn style. The benefits of selling together became obvious to us - attracting attention to the shop collectively with our work and through our personal channels, such as our blogs, social media and personal websites. The traffic to the group shop is higher than to our personal websites and results in better sales. It also makes sense to centralize the technical and customer support in one place and free the individual artists from having to deal with shop maintenance and customer communication."

She then adds that as a group "we motivate and inspire each other to create new graphics. New sets are coordinated according to current trends and customer requests." Some of their members help with the social marketing and updating the blog. "It is really impossible for a single person to maintain such an active shop. Our success is only the result of our group effort," she concludes.

So I asked what's their creative process like: "Each artist in our group has freedom to create the graphics that they want to make and this is one of the benefits of making clip art images," adds Sabina. "The creative process itself is rather independent. Only the initial direction may involve the group. These are established artists with experience and published work. They don't need much direction or help." The final designs go through the approval of the shop manager (Sabina) to make sure the style fits the rest of the products. Sometimes feedback is given to modify the set to make it fit better.

"As a team what helped initially was to agree on a common system for packaging our clip art, explains Sabina. We developed an internal standard which keeps all our files consistent and easy for the customer to use. The customer knows what to expect when they purchase several sets from different artists in our shop. All sets have the same technical specifications and quality."

Rhian added, "I enjoy the different creative aspects of each artist. Working with other artists exposes me to different styles and design approaches and as a result it enhances my knowledge of art. Each artist at the Ink Nest has her own style and uses different tools and methods to approach her design projects. The results are original designs even though we sometimes start with the same subject."

She also enjoys the sense of community and feeling more connected to the design and art world, she says. "Sharing and discussing projects with other artists motivates me to be a better artist. It's also good to know that I am not the only one that faces challenges as a freelance designer and that I am likely doing the right things for my business since other artists are following the same methods I use to run mine."

Nicole then adds, "definitely there's a motivation to be awesome. When our group is doing such great work and producing quirky and cute and useful sets it actually makes me feel more creative myself. There's so much talent in our group that it can't help but motivate us to be our coolest."

They use Google Groups for their internal group messages. They also recently opened a Facebook group. Email is their main channel of communication to keep connected.

The advantage in working together, says Rachel, is "being in a group full of artists I admire, which is a huge motivation. I want my work to be as strong as the others in the shop. We are also able to be cheerleaders for each other and it is so fun to see the other ladies succeed in their personal work. Working as a freelancer can be quite lonely but being part of a group is great for bouncing ideas around and learning from each other. We can also discuss problems in our business lives that our families may not want to hear about constantly!"

I wanted to know what excites them to work together. Denise says "being in a group like this is very motivating. It's exciting to see new work we create. And it's really exciting to see how much The Ink Nest has grown and how each of us has grown because of it."

Rhian added, "working with other artists is very inspiring! Every one of us has her own unique style, it is always fun to see how each member of the team interprets design trends and ideas and comes up with her own unique set of graphics."

I have been getting emails from other artists who have been learning more about this topic of collaborative teams and partnerships after reading the recent articles and interviews so any suggestions or tips for starting up a group was my final question for this lovely team.

Sabina said, "working together can be very powerful. My advice to other artists is to be curious about people online. Take the opportunity to network offline and online. You can meet very interesting people and if you show interest they will often respond back. Send them a message, comment on their blog, make a connection. They are much more willing to start a project with you or help you if they know you already."

Find out more about Ink Nest:

www.theinknest.com

Brief Tips & Tricks in Art Licensing

The quest for new clients outside trade shows has been an intriguing experience and more challenging than I expected when I first started. I have been reading Tara Reed's very handy and informative eBook "How to Find, Interact and Work with Manufacturers who License Art" as well as other books about selling and marketing my art.

I asked Maria Brophy what she thought of this question: What does marketing and sales have to do with art licensing? I thought what she said was spot on:

"When securing new licensees for your art, you are selling to them. You're selling your art, and you're also selling yourself. People like to do business with people they like. So, while I strongly advise artists to be professional and business minded, I also think it's important to be a pleasure to work with.

More importantly, Selling is never about what YOU want, it's always about what's best for your client. So when you have discussions with a potential client or buyer, spend 90% of your time finding out what's important to them, what problems they have, what needs they have. You do this by asking a lot of questions and by caring and listening really well. Then, strategize and find a way to solve their problems and give them what they need. There, it's all about them. If you can do that, then you can sell!"

Maria Brophy, CEO / Consultant

SON OF THE SEA, INC.
Representing the art of Drew Brophy

How Marketing is like City Planning, by Guest Artist Tara Reed

The word "marketing" can bring up a wide variety of emotions from artists - some cringe and think of marketing as a necessary evil. Others look at it as a fun challenge and others may wonder if they really understand it. Regardless of how you feel about the concept, it is an absolute necessity if you want to license your art - or do anything at all with your art other than create it and give it as gifts to friends and family.

Marketing simply means letting others know what you have to offer. If you sit in your studio and create and never tell a soul, you have no need for marketing. If you want to earn an income with your art, you need to figure out how to make marketing work for you.

When Alex asked me to write on this very broad topic of marketing, I thought about it for a few days. What part of marketing did I want to talk about? Selling? Promotion? Choosing target markets?

For whatever reason, I thought about marketing as the flow of information and how it grows and evolves with your business - especially if you are a solo-entrepreneur which many of us are in the art licensing industry. My analogy of marketing being similar to city planning was born!

Consider yourself as a house in the country - you aren't a big business, it's you and maybe your dog and your family, living in a house, in a lightly populated area. To get what you need you probably only have some 2 lane roads that get you to the store, the gas station, some restaurants, shopping. You can go to the things you need and if they need you, they can come to you too. (Gotta love food delivery when you are in the groove!)

Marketing starts out that way. You decide you want to start licensing your art. You might go on the internet and look up some companies you would like to work with. You find their submission guidelines and send some art for review. You just sent your art out on the two lane road and you hope something comes back…

As you build your portfolio and your knowledge and interest in the business, you might decide sending submissions now and then over the internet isn't enough. You want more. So just as cities need to plan for growth in their communities - more roads are needed as subdivisions of houses are built and more industry comes to the area - you need to plan more marketing avenues to grow your business.

Two lane roads lead to highways that lead to inter-connected roads and highways and city grids. Without proper planning, congestion, confusion and frustration can ensue. The same can happen with your marketing.

The time to develop your marketing message - who you are and what you offer to manufacturers - is now. It's not when you become a booming business. It's hard to become a booming business without knowing who you are and what you do!

The time to make a plan for how to tell others that you have art to license is now. What roads will you travel to connect with the people in need of art?

Three basic marketing tools every artists should have include:

1. A clear message about who you are and what you offer. Are you a coastal artist who specializes in lighthouses? Do you do surface design in Illustrator? Are you building a character brand?
2. An online presence. It's 2013. You HAVE to have a website or a blog or both. You need to set up a shop online so people can see some samples of your art, get to know who you are and contact you. You need to OWN that space - don't rely on Facebook or other social media sites as your only online location. Things happen and you could be shut down or they could change the rules and the look and you might not like how things are presented.
3. Email and a phone number. People need to be able to contact you to discuss what they need, so you can explain what you have and you can work together to find a way to make a deal happen!

Those are the basics. After that, you are building your marketing infrastructure. What other ways can you get the word out to manufacturers who need art that you have?

Here are a few other ways artists can get their message to manufacturers and retailers they want to work with - think about them and decide which might make sense for you and where your business is now.

Exhibit at trade shows. While art licensing trade shows are not inexpensive ventures, they are a way to get your art in front of a lot of manufacturers who are actively looking for art in a very short time. You get booth space and for three days, manufacturers walk the aisles and stop and talk with artists whose work they think might be a fit for their business. The two art licensing industry shows are SURTEX and the Licensing Expo.

Email Marketing. Start a list and email your clients and potential clients as you create new art. I recommend using an "opt-in" system - you won't get as many names on the list as if you just add everyone you meet or hear about, but you are less likely to get on lists of spammers. I use opt-in eNewsletter systems and STILL get on spam lists from time to time. It's a hassle to get removed and embarrassing when you can't email your own friends and clients! Do whatever you can to stay off blacklists!

Direct Mail marketing. Direct mail marketing is anything you send by regular mail. It might be a postcard, a presentation you create for a specific company or a calendar you send to clients at the end of each year. It's a physical "something" that will hopefully get into the hands of the person you want to connect with.

Advertising. If you know where the eyes of your target audience are, you could consider placing an ad. It might be on a website they visit regularly or in a trade magazine. Trying to decide how and where to spend your money to get noticed can be a bit of a guessing game so be sure to find a way to measure how it is working. If you are contacted by someone you haven't connected with before, ask how they heard about you - that's the most basic way of finding out what is working.

Use social media. Like advertising, you have to figure out where your target audience spends their time on social media AND EQUALLY IMPORTANT - where they are open to being contacted. Many industry contacts are on Facebook but put boundaries around it - they don't want to have friend requests from artists looking to tell them about their art. LinkedIn, as a business-to-business site, is a more logical place to make those connections. Also look for group discussions and boards on different social media sites and see who is chiming in.

These are some broad-stroke ideas about how to get the word out about your art. Don't try to implement them all at once. Be like a good city planner and plan for growth, while still allowing life - and art - to go on during construction. :)

Here's to your creative success!

– Tara Reed
artist and founder of
www.ArtLicensingInfo.com

Special Surtex 2013 Series – Exhibiting Artists

I am over the moon today because ... The Moon from My Attic has now reached a milestone of over 100,000 visitors!! A huge thank you to the many artists and manufacturers who have shared their stories and to the many readers who have joined us in this adventure!

To celebrate, here are more beautiful Surtex promos - have a great show, everyone!

10 Thoughts About the Surtex Experience - by Guest Artist Tara Reed

Surtex is really around the corner! About one month from now artists and exhibitors from around the world will leave their studios and will exhibit at this prestigious licensing show in NYC. This is my first year directly exhibiting - as studio•Alex - and I am looking forward to meet artists, agents and manufacturers and to present my new collections to companies interested in potential licensing opportunities!

Amongst many veteran artists and exhibitors is Tara Reed, who is celebrating something very special: 10 years in art licensing! Here is what she has to say about Surtex:

Artist Tara Reed

"There is a mystery around trade shows for those who have never exhibited and a special mix of anticipation and anxiety that is unique to each artist who does. For three days each year, our lives exist within a box on the show floor of the Jacob Javitz Center in New York. 2013 marks my 10^th Anniversary in the art licensing industry. I have exhibited at 14 art licensing trade shows and attended almost a dozen industry-specific trade shows. Here are some tidbits of wisdom I have picked up along the way.

You will never feel ready…

…but as I tell myself and others, you will always have what you need. I have yet to meet an artist who says, "Wow! I got all the art done that I wanted to bring to the show about a month ago and couldn't think of another thing to do so I've been catching up on some great shows on NetFlix." I always want to create more than I have time for. I never get it all done but it always turns out fine.

It gets easier but is never easy…

With experience comes more familiarity and confidence in the show process and a greater sense of calm. When you've come to the Javitz Center for 10 years in a row you know where the bathrooms are. You can find the elevator with your eyes closed. You see friendly faces in adjoining booths and feel like you are home.

You get to know what works in your booth and what wasn't worth the time or money. You get to know manufacturers and have a rhythm to your business.

There is always some level of anxiety…

A sense of familiarity with the process doesn't exclude anxiety however. I remember seeing artists having mini-reunions in the aisles during setup and thinking, "WOW! They have it all figured out! They know what they are doing and aren't nervous at all!” Now that I too have people to hug and catch up with in the aisles and have gotten to know lots of amazing artists I realize that most of us become anxious about the show in one way or another.

For me, there is always that worry in the back of my mind that I didn't get enough done or I didn't use the right colors or choose the right themes … what if I have spent all this time and energy and money to get here and don't make those connections to move my business forward? Intellectually I know that art licensing is a process, that I know what I'm doing and that everything will be fine. However, my emotions sometimes have a different interpretation of the situation!

It's an emotional roller coaster…

There will be times when things are popping! You are having great conversations, the booth is busy and you are feeling full of amazing potential. Then there will be the time when it feels like no one has come down your aisle for hours and you wonder if it was all worth it…

I go through a wide range of emotions at each and every show. What I always tell myself is this: "You are as prepared as you can be. You will meet the people you are meant to meet and all will be well." It's a great mantra for the down times … you'll be just fine without it during the busy times.

When you are in your booth you are a sales person as well as an artist…

It's important to remember that. Most artists don't want to think about themselves as sales people but when you are in your booth, your main job is to connect with manufacturers and retailers, find out what they need and show them how you can fit their needs. That's sales and guess what? 9 times out of 10, no one can do it better than you when you get aligned with the process. No one knows your art better than you, your style, what you are working on that might not be done and what you are capable of. No one is more invested in your success either.

If you are exhibiting, prepare your mental mindset as much as your booth design before the show. Know how to answer basic questions and know that you should ask questions too! SURTEX is a time to learn about what a company does, who they work with, what they make and where it is sold, how they work with artists and more … we don't do this every day so it is important to think about these issues ahead of time.

You will make new friends…

When you spend three days next to or staring across the aisles, you often form a bond. You will make new friends who actually understand what you do – go figure! Maybe you will meet the people you've been chatting with on Facebook or LinkedIn or Twitter. SURTEX isn't only a great place to meet and interact with licensees face-to-face but also a place to meet artists.

Your leads are like gold…

Artists don't invest in a trade show just for fun. You come to meet people, build relationships and get new leads. Treat your leads like gold. Don't leave them in your booth overnight and don't leave them out on the table unattended. Sadly, I have heard of instances of leads and notes "going missing" – how devastating! Don't take a chance and treat them like cash – because they are what will put cash into your business.

It will be over before you know it…

Before you know it you will be exhausted and ready to tear down your booth. But not before 6 pm – those are the rules! It will all be over but the follow up … and that's the most important part.

Follow up is key…

Very few licensing deals are finalized on the show floor. Most of your leads will involve sending art for review, tweaking some things, creating new art, etc. Without follow up, your business isn't going to go far.

Have a system in place before you get to the show for how you will follow up afterwards. It is the rare licensee who contacts you before you first follow up with them – but if you do have that happen, celebrate and get back to them pronto! If you don't follow up, you might as well have stayed home. There is a lot of competition in this industry and always more than one choice of art that can work – so your professionalism, follow up and follow through can be the difference between getting a deal or not.

SURTEX is a piece of an ongoing process…

The SURTEX trade show is a huge part of the marketing and relationship building process in my business. I never get everything done that I want to before any given show. If I get stressed about it, I remind myself that art needs are continual and manufacturers will want new Christmas, Coffee or Wine art next year too if I don't get it all done this year. Everything is going to be OK…

Final thoughts

If you are exhibiting at SURTEX – I'll see you in May! In these last few weeks remember to be kind to yourself. Work consistently, get ready and then enjoy the process. If you have a crisis of confidence, figure out what to do or tell yourself to get back on track. The mental game of the show is as important now as creating art. Breathe, eat, sleep, create … and have a great show!

Here's to your creative success! ~Tara

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