Welcome to my blog! Today I’ll be sharing my journey as an “artrepreneur”, which is an artist-business person. I’ll be discussing the creation of my online store, the re-designing of my website, and the challenges and rewards that come with being a new artrepreneur.
Creating my first online store
Although I have been making art for many years, this is my first online store. This huge project was very intimidating, as I had zero knowledge or skills about how to create an efficient and elegant online shopping experience. However, after much research, hours of trial and error and plenty of patience, I managed to pull together a store that I am proud to share. Although it's not perfect and there's always room for improvement, I am happy with the results I have achieved so far. Want to check it out? Click here.
Website makeover
Originally, I created my website back in 2017. At the time, I was at a very different point in my life, and so was my art. As I grow and change, my website does too. Everything on my site was previously dark, with different colour palettes and texts. It was a tremendous task to update each page, but I’d say it’s worth it and now my site more accurately reflects who I am as an artist and the type of work I create.
Life as an artrepreneur
There have many milestones for my art business, such as launching my artist e-newsletter, registering my business and creating an online store. I never imagined I would be capable of all these initiatives, especially designing an online store. Through my experience, I discovered that I have overall enjoyed life as an artrepreneur and I find designing an online space allows me to be creative and expressive. That being said, there were undoubtedly times when I wanted to pull my hair out!
When it comes to life as an artrepreneur, there are so many small, tedious adjustments that can make a huge difference to the business. These adjustments take time and energy but are totally worth it. For example, I’ve created an e-newsletter, designed marketing campaigns, written blogs and a lot more - sometimes there are too many options! Now that the grunt work is done, I am excited to share my artwork with you, to continue this new chapter, even when times get tough and the road is uncertain. The photograph below resonates with me because it captures a sense of adventure and the inspiration of possibilities that can happen on a new journey.
In the past few years I have dreamed of working for myself someday, but to be honest, I didn't think it was possible. I often had doubts, not seeing myself as an entrepreneur or businesswoman. I was afraid to take the leap, afraid of "failure" and being rejected. However, when COVID-19 hit, my whole schedule got flipped around. My university classes all switched to being online. I was no longer working at my artistic jobs at Gail Adams School of Art and Remai Modern. I was no longer surrounded by other artists and students. While in self-isolation, I was forced to take a serious look at my goals and dreams, and how I wanted to spend my time, and hence this new chapter began. The artwork below I created at the very start of COVID-19, and the start of my journey as an artrepreneur.
A couple of weeks into self-isolation, my mentality shifted, as I realized that I owe it to myself to take this new step, and learn the skills needed to help make this dream a reality. Through this new business, I am able to work flexible hours while remaining in school and returning to my other jobs. As part of my contemplation, I realized that I want to focus on offering original artworks, prints and cards and 1-1 online art classes for ages 7-adult. This meant making some difficult decisions and letting go of other artistic endeavours such as murals, body painting and photo sessions. This journey will certainly be challenging, but it is valuable to me and feels aligned with my heart. I'd like to thank you for your support, whether you're an old friend or a new one, I'm so glad you're here.
Much love,
