Marijanel (00:02):
It's Black Frida,y 2022. And welcome to the Bold Artist Podcast, where today we're gonna talk about monetizing your art, which is something that we all wanna learn how to do better. Like, who wants, who wants to make money from their art, right? Yeah. Yeah. We all do.
Charla (00:19):
I do.
Marijanel (00:20):
Yeah. So, um, Charla monetizing our, our, our art has been something that both you and I have some experience in. Um, we have both done it and lived the life of making a living off of our art, but we have done it in very unique ways. It's not always exactly how one might think. And sometimes, uh, you, we end up piecing together a little from here, a little from there, and making the picture of what our art business looks like. And so as we share, um, ideas to monetize your art today, some of the ideas on our list are ones that Charla and I do have experience in. Some of them are ones we wish we had more experience in, and others are just really great ideas for us to talk about. But it's coming from a wide range of experience here. So, um, Charla, what are some of your initial thoughts? And I'd love to just dive right into the list of ways we can monetize our art and how to do that.
Charla (01:23):
Yeah. I wanna dive in as quick as we can because it's, it can probably, with our experience and even just our friends and people that we know and their experiences, we could have a really long podcast on that. But I think that monetizing your art is, um, I don't think it's as stigmatized of a word as it used to be, making money off of your art. We we're just talking about being what it means to be a sellout in our previous podcast. But I think that there was a time where it was not words that people wanted to be strung together in one sentence. But culture has changed, society has changed, social media has changed all of that. And I think people are much more interested in finding ways to make money off of their art. And it's not because you just wanna get rich and use your art and sell it however you can.
Charla (02:07):
We want, we, I I think the message is that art is important. Art is, um, an important part of the world. People are good at it, and people want to have it in their lives. And there's more ways to, uh, that your art is important and can affect and impact the world. Then even just simply hanging a painting on a wall, there's other ways that your art can impact the world. So, it's, it's important to not just look at one way, because even as a very successful, uh, fine artist who's maybe representing galleries around the world and has sold out solo shows, you can still use your art in other ways. You, you can make money off of it. But even more so than that, the more your art travels, the more it gets out there, the more people can see it and be impacted by it. So, it's not even just about making money, but it's about allowing your art.
Marijanel (03:02):
Yes.
Charla (03:02):
To have a bigger reach.
Marijanel (03:04):
And that's one thing that I know Charla comes back to time and time again as the founder of Bold School, is your art, having purpose and a message. And that's one big thing we believe here at Bold School, which you can find out, learn more about us at boldschool.com, and the classes that we teach online, but your art having a message. So basically, one of the ways we can look at this is that as you create products and services related to your art to monetize it, you are sending your art out there into the world to make a bigger impact, which is really fun. So, fun and important, I should say. Um, but just to start it off, Charla, I know that you have a list that you can speak to, but I'll just make it personal here for a second. Um, as many of you know, I come from an illustrative background, and so a lot of the products, I'm gonna call them, products that I make from, um, from my art, tend to be in a form of prints.
Marijanel (03:59):
And one that has gone really well for me has been cards. And, um, so I can really speak to the whole topic of turning your art into cards and, and avenues in which you can sell your, your art as cards. Uh, I've taken both approaches where I've sold online, uh, my cards have been available online, but also, um, one avenue has really been just, as simple as it sounds, in my local gift shops. And I've found that my local gift shops have been an amazing avenue of selling my, my art cards, my illustrative work that way, that a lot of artists don't really stop to think. We are really trained to think about online marketing, but our local community, where someone can go in and experience a shop and pick up something that's tangible, we really need to be careful not to discount that as being a really like, viable way to market your artwork.
Charla (05:03):
Yeah. I think when we're talking through the list now, some parts of the list definitely work better online, some work better locally, but always think, I think you've made a great point. Always think local and think online in how you can do both. Like how you can try both of those things, um, and, and see which works. But sometimes local works because, uh, communities love to support people who live in them. They love to know that you live here, and you're making a living here, Especially in the arts. I think that most communities support the arts. And sometimes you can find your niche in your community. And I mean, I think there's something beautiful about the fact that you don't have to go on social media and try to sell yourself because social media has got a lot of places in our lives, and it can be really stressful to figure out how to make it work. So,, if you can find a local niche, I think there's, I think for some people that is their, their dream. So never discount that even in today's world. It still exists.
Marijanel (06:05):
Well, there's a marketing, uh, I don't wanna cross the conversation over too far into marketing.
Charla (06:10):
Yeah.
Marijanel (06:10):
But there's little tidbit I'll throw in here that there is a marketing principle where they say, um, red water versus blue water. And what that means is that if you're swimming in the ocean and you're with like a school of sharks that are all, like, attacking each other, it's red water. Like, there's just too much of a market there, that they say swim to where there's blue water. Like no sharks, no one is attacking and, like, I don't know if I'm painting a good picture here, but they say, go to where there's good water. And for me, and, and what that means is go to where you have an open market. Where your work shines, and you're not fighting for attention, which that can often be the internet as much as as, um, I am an advocate of online sales.
Marijanel (06:55):
And I think it's an excellent skill that we learn how to sell and market online. But I found that there was some beautiful blue water for me as an illustrator, right in my local community. I have a couple of really beautiful, strong, supportive gift shops that love me, and they love my work, and they sell a lot. And it's amazing that I don't have to be online with that strong online presence to, to sell my cards. And so it's a suggestion for artists to consider where there's blue water for you, a place that you're loved, uh, that you can sell in person, if that's a, a good avenue for you. But let's dive further into the list, charla of ways we can monetize our art.
Charla (07:42):
Yeah. And while we're talking, um, think about ways that you can even use several of these streams, because I think it's a business principle that if you can be making money from more than one place, it's less, um, dependent on that one way to make money. And, you know, if you have one job, and you go there every day, and you lose that job, you suddenly have no way to make money. It's the same with art. Like, there might be one stream that works the best for you, and you're gonna put your effort in. But we have the opportunity as artists, I think we have a unique opportunity above a lot of other people in the world to make money along different streams. So, then when one ebbs and flows and goes down, maybe another will come up.
Marijanel (08:26):
Yes.
Charla (08:26):
Or you at least have still some support coming in. And artists, we have times of struggle and times where things aren't going particularly well. So, several streams are, are really, really good.
Marijanel (08:37):
Yes. And I can speak to that as well because I, I have always relied on several streams, and, um, and, and I guess we should be clear that we're talking about streams of income where you don't just rely, I don't only rely on my art cards to sell, to make that income. I have several streams. But one thing that as we go into talking about ways to monetize our, our art, one thing we really have to bear in mind is that streams to maintain a stream actually takes work. So, sometimes we have this, this thought like, Oh, if I, I'm just going to use this as an, this is purely an example, but we'll have this idea like, Oh, if I put my cards on an Etsy shop, it'll become my income stream or an income stream.
Charla (09:23):
Passive income.
Marijanel (09:24):
But to actually learn the art and process of selling on Etsy and marketing yourself on a, on a, a platform like that, takes dedicated focus, thought, time, and work. And eventually, as you pick a pace, that stream may run a little more passively or become like a free flowing stream, but to, to create a stream. And if we even think of it practically, like if you're gonna dig a manmade stream for yourself, you're going to get out the shovel and start to dig and work. And so, I have been very careful in my art career to not just take ideas from people like, Oh, you should have this stream of income, and think that it's going to be without its work. I like analyze the decision ahead of time and say, Am I actually willing to work for that stream? And does it align to my characters and what I want to do?
Marijanel (10:21):
So, some of the ideas that we're gonna put out here today might not align to you at all. They, they might not sound like a fun way to make your work.
Charla (10:29):
Yeah.
Marijanel (10:30):
And I'll, I'll throw this one more example out there. One of the artists that we, um, we interviewed here on the Bold Artist Podcast last year, actually has, um, she, she's branched out to where her art is on different kinds of unique home products. One is including pillows. And if you follow her Instagram, you probably think, Wow, she's done so well. She sells so many pillows. But I can guarantee you that behind the scenes, she's worked very, very hard and strategically to market her pillows. It's not just an instant stream.
Charla (11:08):
Put your art in a pillow and it will sell.
Marijanel (11:10):
Yeah. You don't just put your art on a pillow, and it will sell. You have to be intentional and choose your stream wisely and according to where you wanna put your energy.
Charla (11:21):
Yeah.
Marijanel (11:21):
That's my little tidbit. So let's dive into the list.
Charla (11:24):
Yeah. I think it requires business sense, right?
Marijanel (11:27):
Yeah.
Charla (11:27):
Like you're, I think artists, it's one thing that we kind of don't think about as an artist, but I think however you're going to do your art, if it's not gonna just be a hobby that you do on your own, your studio, if you ever want it to be seen, if you ever wanna make money off of it, it re is going to require you to run a business to some level and to some degree. Degree. So, learning business in, in the art world and in the online world is really, really important. So, I think you spoke to like the stamina that takes to get everything up and running, and the business sense that that takes. So, all of this has that underlying story of you're gonna have to put yourself out there, and you're gonna have to build up these things. They're not gonna happen overnight or instantly.
Marijanel (12:13):
Yeah. You have to be patient.
Charla (12:14):
But sometimes they will.
Marijanel (12:15):
But yeah, you'll have to be patient and work for these dreams, but it's worth it. And so let's start, um, Charla, what are some of the dreams here?
Charla (12:22):
I think one of the, maybe I might jump to say this and, and get in trouble, but I think one of the easiest ways to make money off of your art, depending on if this is your thing or not... Marijanel is an illustrator. I'm a graphic artist. These are ways that we have taken our art into the world as either working for a company or becoming a freelancer. With your illustration, with your graphic art, I worked for a company straight out of school for about three years where I did web design, graphic art. It morphed into like video editing, uh, photography. You know, I did all of that working for a company, like as an employee of a company. And then I quickly, um, started freelancing. Like, I was freelancing as a photographer on the weekends, and I was loving that. So, I gradually morphed into, uh, photography full time, working for myself.
Charla (13:18):
That's kind of how I really became an entrepreneur, or whatever you might have wanted to call that at the time. So, you may have the type of skills that you can actually go out and get a job, and or go to school and get a little, build those skills. Like, I went to school to learn graphic design, web design, and I built some of those skills up and then I could actually get a job. And I, that was a great way for me when I was 23 to kind of begin my life, and be able to pay my bills. And I had a car, andn an apartment, and I even had a leather couch, You know, I was living the life. And then
Marijanel (13:51):
Yeah. I think you still have that leather couch, Charla.
Charla (13:54):
I, well, it might look like it
Marijanel (13:55):
Is it the same one? The same, the same old leather couch that you have in your studio with some paint on it?
Charla (14:00):
No, that story, I know it looks bad, that couch, but it's not the same one.
Marijanel (14:04):
We can talk about that another day.
Charla (14:06):
That couch. Yeah. He has a story, but not much of a history.
Marijanel (14:09):
Okay.
Charla (14:11):
Yeah. So anyways, I, I, so I, you know, I built some skills. I got a job, and I did what I love to do, and I did visual arts, and I made money off of visual arts, and I became a freelancer, and I started my own photography business. I think that's a way, it's, it is a huge, um, overlooked area. There's tons of freelancers out there, but I think many artists don't think of it, don't think of that as an option. I think that it's, if, especially if you're young and you wanna go to school, or you're maybe looking for a career change and you wanna go back to school, it's one of the, a really good skill to learn. In today's world where we are online and we're tech.
Charla (14:49):
Right.
Marijanel (14:49):
And there's places like Fiverr, F i v e r r.com where you can actually put your freelance services on there and just get hired, um, to do freelance work. And there's all levels. Bold School actually uses Fiverr. We just kind of came into it recently. I think it's just such an incredible service. But as an artist, you can go on there and sell your services, and you can do that on the side if you've got a day job elsewhere. So, I think that's one of a great place to start when it comes to monetizing your art and needing to make money so you can pay your bills and not be stressed about selling your fine art.
Marijanel (15:24):
Right. Okay.
Charla (15:26):
Yeah. So then of course, sell your original work. I'm a painter. Marijanel now is also a painter, but also an illustrator. And we make original work from our, from the depths of our heart.
Marijanel (15:40):
Yeah.
Charla (15:41):
And our dream, I think that we're lying to ourselves. We wouldn't say our dream is that somebody buys our art and hangs it on their wall, that somebody else loves that so much is impacted by our work that they buy it.
Marijanel (15:52):
Yeah.
Charla (15:53):
And we exchange our art for their money. My husband always tells it to the kids, you're just trading, you're trading. You're, you're trading the money in your bank for something that you actually want. Um, and, you know, I think that's, that's a dream. And you can run your career as, uh, an artist who sells original work.
Marijanel (16:11):
Yes. Now I'll, um, I'll speak to selling original work a little. The one, the, uh, medium that I have the most experience in selling original work would actually be my clay sculpture. And that's the, the, uh, field I was in where I would sell in galleries, and I would sell sculptural work in several of the BC galleries. It was a dreamy time. Uh, I'm not in that season of life right now, but it was a dreamy time where, you know, I had set the benchmark in my mind that when I, when my sculpture sell for hundreds of dollars, I'll have arrived. And I accomplished that goal. But what I found was that even though I had that income stream, and even though I had reached that benchmark, it wasn't necessarily enough to be my entire livelihood. As you can imagine, sculptures selling in galleries, it can be slow and there are slow times.
Marijanel (17:09):
And I found that I needed the other streams to fill in the gaps. And, and also, uh, I don't mean to make it sound like it was boring to only do that, but you know, you make a sculptural piece, you send it off to a gallery, well what then? Like, I needed a little bit more like interaction and interest. And so all of the other ideas added to that made the art career so much more spicy and alive. So, um, selling original work is so important, but I'm not of the mind like, at least for a personality like mine, that it's the only thing that feels satisfactory. I needed, I needed more interest than that.
Charla (17:50):
Yeah. And I agree. I, I think that's kind of why both of us are where we're at because we, we've sought after so many different things in our lives. I think no matter how much, uh, when painting was really my full-time gig, I guess you could say...
Marijanel (18:05):
Yeah.
Charla (18:06):
I still craved, um, making photography. I still loved photographing my work and putting it on social media in creative ways. And I still loved doing graphic design. And if a friend needed work, I was always there to jump on it. And I was, and I started recognizing that I'm still craving these other outlets. Um, but I think, so, to sell your original work, I think the go to is to get gallery representation. And that's, uh, an entire business model. There's books written about it. Uh, we won't go into details of how to get gallery representation.
Charla (18:38):
It's not always, uh, flowers and rainbows. It's exciting. And I think gallery representation can be a lot of fun, and it's a great way to get your work out into the world. But it comes with a lot of work, as well. Most galleries will want you to give them a collection. They'll wanna come and choose 10, 20, 30 pieces to take to their gallery. So, you actually have to produce a ton of work, give to them, and hope within the next year or two it sells. You don't always get shows with you when you're represented. Sometimes you get shows and sometimes you don't. You know, there's so many different things that comes with that. Um, I think a lot of people who live on gallery representation are represented by a lot of different galleries sometimes across the country. Um, and so there's a lot of work involved in creating art for all of those galleries.
Marijanel (19:28):
Right.
Charla (19:28):
And then sometimes there's clauses where you can't compete in different areas. So, if you're going to shows, if you wanna go to your own show or your own fair, like an art fair, you have to be, you have to consider the galleries, um, that represent you. So, there's a lot to gallery representation. It's a complete business model that you need to learn and understand, um, not before you start the process. I would say dive in. If you wanna start, there's lots of books written about it, and people you can ask that are knowledgeable, uh, but considered that it's not just simply, I make art and now gallery's gonna represent me. It's not quite that easy.
Marijanel (20:07):
Right. Yeah. And gallery representation isn't the only way to, to consistently sell original work. I've seen the model where it does sell online quite well, but I've also seen the dedication and time that those artists are putting into marketing online, and showing up every day, and having their presence and their artwork always being fresh and new and interesting online. And so, like we said in the beginning, no matter what streams of income of monetizing that you're choosing, there's gonna be work involved. So, then it leads us to the next one on our list. Um, and I'm motoring along Charla, 'cuz our list's actually kind of long.
Charla (20:45):
Um, but, well, actually, I don't wanna go to the next one 'cause we have the same list in front of us. I wanna jump to art fairs because it's actually a way to sell your original work.
Marijanel (20:54):
Okay.
Charla (20:54):
So, I think it kind of goes with that in that, um, I, I tried gallery representation. I was represented for a little while. A lot. I put a ton of work in. I didn't get what I wanted back from it. I don't have a lot of experience with gallery representation. So, what I ended up doing, which worked for me and kind of why I stopped looking at gallery representation, was selling at art fairs. And we live, uh, both Marijanel and I live in the Okanagan, um, region in British Columbia. Canada's a very small area, but one thing we have is an art fair each year that's called Art Walk. And it just happened last weekend, and it was one of the ones that a friend told me I should be a part of, like, 10 years ago when I started. And I did. And I, it was just an instant success for me. I would put my work up there, and I would sell, I sold every single weekend. And
Marijanel (21:49):
Yeah. I was seeing one of our, our friends on social media was there this past weekend, and it was completely sold out. So.
Charla (21:56):
Yeah.
Marijanel (21:56):
It's really a wonderful avenue for artists.
Charla (22:00):
Yeah. There's just something about that particular fair that some people do really well at. And for me it was really good. And I think there was a, there's a lot of artists there, like 150 artists, they had, they say there's 10,000 people go through or something like that in the run of the weekend. It's fun. I mean, I loved, I loved the atmosphere. I loved being there, but my work, I, especially in the very beginning, I was one of the only artists that did portraits in my style. And I think I was unique, and there was something there that the people liked and I, and I sold, That's all I can say.
Marijanel (22:34):
Yeah.
Charla (22:34):
It worked for me.
Marijanel (22:34):
So, looking for something like that in your region.
Charla (22:37):
Yeah.
New Speaker (22:38):
And getting into that kind of art show, art fair that is marketed well and yeah.
Charla (22:46):
Yeah. You need to research the fairs. There's a lot of different fairs around Christmas time in the fall usually is when art, local art fairs really pick up. You often have to apply if they're juried or curated. Um, you have to apply ahead of time to get in. Sometimes there's a small fee. This one I'm talking about, we would pay like $200 and that was it. And then we, we, we sold the work, and we made the money off the work. Other fairs aren't like that. Each one will have their own rules around the, their fees, their, their booth prices, their fees, their commissions, stuff like that. So, you wanna look at all of those options. Holiday fairs are a little different. Holiday fairs, um, like I used to bring cards, card packs, and book, art books to holiday fairs, kind of what Marijanel was talking about. And that sells really well, like, around Christmas time. You know, having gi, having art that's priced for gifting, those types of things. And you gotta think about the market you're going to. Um, then as far as art fairs, I have very little experience, but between me and a couple of friends, we've gone to some of the really large art fairs where a booth can cost, uh, $2,000, $4,000, $8,000. I mean, in New York, I think you can...
Marijanel (23:57):
I accompanied you during one of those big fairs.
Charla (23:59):
You did.
Marijanel (24:00):
Yeah.
Charla (24:01):
And my one experience with those big fairs was I spent a whole ton of money, had to leave town for the weekend. Marijanel came, I went with another friend, and I sold one painting and it, I didn't cover even a quarter of the cost of that weekend.
Marijanel (24:18):
No. So if you are looking at it like recouping the cost of that expense right at the fair, sometimes those, uh, those kind of investments are like, they're difficult because you don't always recoup that investment right then. But I know that I, I was with you, and so I know that you were looking long term, like, you were looking at it like, yes, this was a big investment, but my name is out there now. I sold a painting to a collector, and I'm gonna ride out, you know, this expense in, in the course of my career.
Charla (24:50):
Yeah.
Marijanel (24:51):
Um, so you can't,
Charla (24:52):
And it was a lot of fun.
Marijanel (24:53):
It was a lot of fun. Very memorable. And actually at times we've talked about it being like, uh, one of the ways that we developed the foundation of our relationship and friendship that, of what we're doing in Bold School.
Charla (25:06):
Yeah.
Marijanel (25:06):
So it was, it, everything has meaning and purpose in, in that kind of way. But one thing I'm just like, kind of throwing in here is that if you're going out to these fairs, these events, and you're paying for a booth and then you, you're discouraged 'cuz you're not recuperating your, your investment right away. Um, sometimes we have to look at these things as long term. So, um, go in with the mindset, like you don't always make it back right away. Um,
Charla (25:38):
Yeah.
Marijanel (25:38):
But, these other ways, these other avenues of income streams can help to offset some of those costs. So, we have other things on our list, Charla, we have... I'll just say a few, and then you can come to the one that like, sort of strikes the cord. But we have, um, everything from selling prints, selling items like cards and books. Um, we have having online like shops between Instagram, Etsy, um, you know, those sort of things. So, what are, what's something there that you'd like to speak to as far as, um, these ways of monetizing our art?
Charla (26:15):
Well, I think with some of the online shops like Etsy and Instagram, I mean it always depends on the type of art that you do and that you sell. For me, I paint paintings. Um, so you can sell your original work, but they don't always, um, they're not, that's not usually how best to use some of those tools. Prints is a, is a thing that actually is really good for online sales. One reason is because you usually sell prints at lower costs than original work. And there's, people look at a print differently than original work so they think they feel like it's more attainable. You wanna be an art collector, but you can't quite afford to spend lots of money on lots of original work. So, people look to print sales, uh, which you can offer in different sizes at different price points and can often be a place to, to make more money. Um, now with prints, there's several different business models. You can sell your prints like on art cards, on pillows, um, on canvas, on paper. You could frame them.
Marijanel (27:17):
And even on canvas. You can have your prints on canvas.
Charla (27:21):
Yeah. So, there's a, a lot of different models there, and a lot of different ways that you can make that work. Um, and I mean, to some degree the lower the price point of some of these things, the more you can sell, or maybe the more often you could sell, sell them. So, there's this business model if you're going in that direction where you can actually make more money because you're selling cheaper a cheaper cost price point.
Marijanel (27:46):
Or yeah, you're selling quantity. Quantity at a lower cost versus a higher cost and perhaps less of, of the
Charla (27:54):
Yeah. Yeah. And then there's also the business model, or a lot of people wanna stay kind of in that fine art realm. So, instead of, uh, having every your, your work printed on all of these things and selling prints of all different sizes, some people will stay within the fine art realm where they only print on canvas, you know, so that, so that it's an, a limited edition, signed print on canvas. They only sell it stretched already or framed already. And then they have a limited edition of 50, a hundred of each. So, there's still a lot of value within what you're selling. And oftentimes that type of a model will, um, make your original work even more valuable because you're limited prints are out into the world. And then there's only one person that can own that original. So, that business model can, um, work very differently and work for you depending on your style and what you really want, how you want your art to be viewed.
Charla (28:49):
And if you're in a gallery representation, uh, world, they often aren't gonna want you putting your stuff on cards and books and pillows. They're just, this isn't always the case 'cuz the world changes. But you gotta look at the models and, and think about where you want to be, what your brand is, uh, what your future goals are, those kinds of things.
Marijanel (29:09):
Right.
Charla (29:10):
But there's so many options, and it's worth trying. 'Cuz you might be somebody who makes a lot of money off of printing art on your pillows. And why would you sit around waiting for gallery representation if you can do exactly what you wanna do with pillows? So.
Marijanel (29:23):
Exactly.
Charla (29:24):
Try it. Think about it. Don't discount those things. Right.
Marijanel (29:27):
So what...
Charla (29:27):
So, Etsy shops and Instagram shops, they all work in those kinds of realms.
Marijanel (29:31):
What about the income stream of licensing your art?
Charla (29:35):
Now that's one I'm not super familiar with. Um, I think we've had some people on the podcast that have done that. One thing that I have had a little bit of, uh, experience with very, very little experience with, but it opened my eyes up to it, was I was asked to have my art on a movie set, and in the end, it didn't work out and it's a bit of a long drawn out story. Um, but it was really interesting 'cuz I didn't go after that and these guys messaged me, and it was a fairly big production company. They had movies on Amazon that I had watched before and I was, this is really cool, you know, this is fun. But, well, I guess the reason it didn't work out was because the piece they wanted was an older piece that was sold, and I didn't have a high quality scan of that piece to send them. And I was scared that they'd get it, and it would be crap. And I, you know, then they would be upset with me. So, I just said, you know, I I just can't do that.
Marijanel (30:28):
Well, that's a real live and learn lesson there to keep a high quality scan of your art work.
Charla (30:32):
So disappointing.
Marijanel (30:33):
Yeah.
Charla (30:33):
'Cause I do that with my work now, but this piece I just didn't do it. Um, so that was sad. But then we have a mutual friend that has, is in the process right now of that happening for her. She was contacted, very similar situation and I think she's going through with it. So, if that happens and when her movie comes out, we'll have to talk about that on the podcast.
Marijanel (30:56):
That's exciting.
Charla (30:56):
Really fun. Right? It's really fun. And it could possibly... Not saying that someone, like, you probably have a dream that a movie star is gonna see your art, and now you're gonna make it big 'cause they're gonna talk about you on their Instagram. That's probably not gonna happen. But it might, if it does, let us know. But what will happen...
Marijanel (31:13):
And be ready for it. Make sure you have your website and all your ducks in a row so that you're ready for the fame when it happens.
Charla (31:19):
Yeah, be ready. Yeah. Make sure that you're available so when the movie launches, they can find you.
Marijanel (31:23):
Yeah.
Charla (31:24):
But what could happen is that could just be a whole other stream of work. Maybe you get contacted by other production companies for other movies, and your work gets shown all around. And then the more wider your work is out there, you never know the opportunities that might come, and who's on the sets that could see the work. You know, there's just so many places it could go. And that's what I like to think of.
Marijanel (31:45):
Yes.
New Speaker (31:45):
Um, so that's just a fun little,
Marijanel (31:47):
And on the list here we have, don't forget that income streams are also from things like connecting with other local artists, sharing audiences, collaborating online, which we have entire podcasts dedicated to those topics that, so just look back in our playlist. But it brings me to another, uh, one here on our list that Charla and I both have a lot of experience with. Um, and that's sharing your knowledge in the realm of your art. And it's, it is a way that is, um, a very viable stream of income. And one that, that is I think very important because here at Bold School, we, we don't have any secrets. So when, when you come into Bold School, you learn Charla's painting secrets, you get mentored by our, all of our instructors put putting into your life and, and your art and, and making sure that you grow as an artist.
Marijanel (32:48):
And so we have seen the power of sharing our knowledge and believe in it. And some of the ways we do that is through podcasting. So, I had, you know, we've, we've shared this before, but um, before I came on as the host of the Bold Artist podcast, I was podcasting, I even come from a bit of a background in doing radio voiceovers and a history and recording studios. And then I was also developing an art career. But I had no idea the two would meet, and that a source of an income stream for me has been podcasting. And low and behold I'm talking about art. Like, how beautiful is that? Right. Like what a neat, um, convergence of the two stories and public speaking, teaching workshops, demonstrations. These are all ways that Charla and I have both seen to be big, um, streams for us.
Marijanel (33:44):
Um, and I, you know, even, uh, I've talked today a few times about my, my pottery season, but I was asked many times to, to public speak not only on pottery itself, but on what I learned in life through working with clay. Um, because it's a very transformative, transformative subject in itself. And so there have been these really unique opportunities that I get paid for, that Charla gets paid for, that have to do with sharing knowledge. So, never discount your knowledge as being a way that as an artist you can, um, monetize.
Charla (34:24):
Yeah. I think there's a lot of deep places and future podcasts we can go with that, with because, because with it comes the idea of becoming a mentor in other people's lives.
Marijanel (34:34):
Yeah.
Charla (34:34):
Which I think is one of the most valuable things you can do in your whole life, whether you get paid for it or not, to mentor and share your experiences and your knowledge. Like not make stuff up, but what you've experienced and what you've done. And there's no doubt in your life, no matter how old are you, are that you have wisdom and knowledge and experiences in places that other people can use your wisdom. For me, this kind of developed, I was a believer in that, but it kind of developed with my work, um, showing my work in art fairs because, and I would sell at these fairs, and it was always a great experience and, and it built me up as an artist.
Charla (35:11):
And I, I recognize that people wanted my work, but also what was happening was at art fairs is that other artists come to see the work, right? We all wanna go see other people's work, and see what people are doing, and, and meet and collaborate and whatever, network, whatever the right word is. And so all these artists were coming through, and I, at first I used to think like, go away, I don't wanna talk to starving artists, I wanna talk to collectors. But it was more fun to talk to starving artists or non starving artists and discuss the art. They were interested. You know, they were wanting to know about technique and paint and, and they could talk in depth about the work. And I loved talking with the artists. And then what came from that is that they wanted to know how I did it.
Charla (35:55):
And from that I got invited to teach workshops and to do demonstrations. Every single time I did a show, I was invited to do those kinds of things. So,, then I started developing how to teach my process and my style and all of that kind of morphed out of that. And from there grew Bold School.
Marijanel (36:14):
Yeah.
Charla (36:14):
Which has been, uh, one of the most incredible parts of my life in, in my in personal journey, in my art journey, and in my teaching journey, and in my business journey. I mean, in many, many ways, right?
Marijanel (36:27):
Yeah.
Charla (36:27):
So, all of that kind of morphed to, like you said, all of it kind of found its place and it all came together into what we're doing today. But I think sharing your knowledge is not just a way to monetize your art, but also a way to just find a lot of fulfillment in what you're doing. And whether you are, um, an introvert who loves spending time in the studio and can't stand the thought of leaving or not, I think that you will enjoy and find fulfillment in sharing the knowledge that you have in teaching and, and even just talking like we're talking today.
Marijanel (37:02):
Yeah. So, just to give a real quick recap of ways to monetize your art, we've got looking at a freelance, making sure sell original work, like, gallery representation and online representation, selling prints, um, options to print, selling other things like cards, pillows, items with your artwork, selling at fairs, Instagram shopping, Etsy store commissions, licensing your art, like the example Charla gave of movie set examples, connecting with other local artists, sharing audiences, collaborating online, and sharing your knowledge. Which sums up what we've shared today as just a few of the streams,
Charla (37:46):
Yeah. Not extensive.
Marijanel (37:46):
Just a few. And there, some of them, Charla and I have experience in, others are great ideas that might suit you and your style. Remembering that it always takes work and effort and diligence to grow any of those streams. In closing, Charla, I know we need to wrap up the show, but I was wondering if you would just entertain us for a moment, and share with us a little bit about, so I know we're, you know, we're already way into the autumn here, um, in November, but this past summer you lived a little bit of a dream by visiting a gallery of one of your, um, very favorite artists.
Marijanel (38:23):
And you got to see firsthand how his business, and world, and gallery like, how it was all working, and you had an experience there. Can you just just give us a quick glimpse inside of that experience?
Charla (38:39):
Yeah. And I think it is, is totally relevant. So, let me just tell the story. I, um, there's an artist from, I'm from Newfoundland, which is a, an island off of the east coast of Canada, which is fairly unknown even by Canadians. And everyone looks at it as far away and isolated. And,
Marijanel (38:58):
Just, just to, to throw in something amusing here. When I, when I interviewed an artist from Newfoundland, Charla made me practice the word Newfoundland like 50 times so that I would pronounce it correctly. So, she's very protective of Newfoundland, and how it's, am I even saying it correctly?
Charla (39:16):
Yeah. You're saying it right. Nor most people will say Newfoundland. Newfoundland.
Marijanel (39:20):
Right. That's how it's spelled.
Charla (39:21):
But it's Newfoundland.
Marijanel (39:22):
Yes.
Charla (39:22):
Um, yeah. And it's, it would only beca, I mean there's a whole history of course, but it only became part of Canada in 1949. And it's just kind of always been, it always feels like it's not a part of Canada, and, and us Newfoundlanders look at ourselves as Newfoundlanders before we look at ourselves as Canadians. So, there's a whole, like, series of podcasts around the history of Newfoundland. Um, so anyways, it's very isolated. Its culture is very different from Canada, and it's my homeland, and I love it. And so I went home this year, and there's an artist there that has gained fame and popularity, and his name is Adam Young, and we had him on the podcast last year, and it's an excellent podcast, totally worth listening. And his, his work is, is amazing. Like, he's just talented in so many different ways and Newfoundlanders love to love their own. So, he has just been, the word of him has spread far and wide because he's good. And when there's somebody good, Newfoundland lets, its people know. So, um, he, he, however, li he's not even from Newfoundland, he's from, um, the mainland. And he married a girl from Newfoundland, and they live in on Foggo Island. So, Newfoundland is a small isolated island off the coast of Canada. Well, Foggo Island is an even smaller island even further off the coast off of Newfoundland. So, you know, it's fairly,
Marijanel (40:44):
It's remote. It's remote. Like you, you have to be very intentional to seek out Foggo island.
Charla (40:50):
Yes, definitely. So, we're in Newfoundland, and we have to take a ferry, and we go over to this little place, and these little tiny ports, they're so tiny on this tiny little island, and this tiny little houses and these tiny little villages.
Marijanel (41:02):
The world of tiny.
Charla (41:03):
Yeah. And this is where Adam Young lives. His work is phenomenal, and he's well known, and he is running a thriving art business in an isolated town, in an isolated island already off of an isolated island in Canada. You know, like it's, it's, he's not living in New York, downtown New York where you feel like is where you could, you could sell your art and and thrive easily. And so, I went to visit 'cuz we were going there, and I visited his studio, um, which, and saw his work, and it was beautiful. And we met for the first time, like in, in person and he, he, we toured the studio, and the kids thought they had met like the king or something, and they were so excited to meet a celebrity. Um, and we had a lot of fun. It was wonderful. And as we were leaving, he gives us a brochure and he's like, this is a map of the, the town, and all of the artists here.
Charla (41:56):
And I think there was eight maybe. So, there was eight artists in this tiny little place called Joe Balt's Arm on Foggo Island. And each artist had their own niche. There was a ceramic artist, I think there was two quilters, I don't, I can't remember. I didn't get to visit them all, of course, but they had this little tour that you could now go from gallery. They all had their own galleries built. You know, like that's a dream. I don't even have my own gallery. And I live in a city. And they all have their own little galleries where they, they show their work. It's so beautiful, so professional, their work is professional. They sell them at professional level pricing. I mean, I was in awe, and I, I came home, we, we bought some of Adam's work, and the kids even bought a piece themselves, like a little print, their very first art, you know. And we took the ferry, and we went back home, and I was talking with my family about it. My parents and my dad's like, Charla, if Adam Young can do this in Joe Balt's Arm like, you should be doing way more than you're doing. I'm like, Dad, you're supposed to be proud of me.
Charla (43:00):
But
Marijanel (43:01):
He is proud of you, Charla.
Charla (43:03):
It was so inspiring in the sense that when you live in a place like that, you think, well, what hope do I have to become great, to become big, to become successful? I don't think Adam's trying to become great, but to, to succeed in your little art form. Well these artists and more than Adam are making it happen in Joe Balt's arm, which is totally worth the visit if you can go there. There's so much more to it than even what I'm talking about. But the art experience in this tiny little outport town on a desolate, remote island, stunningly beautiful at the same time.
Marijanel (43:39):
Yeah.
Charla (43:39):
They are really doing so much with, with their art, and, um, ways to monetize and make a living in this little town. It's incredible and so inspiring. We can all do it, we can all make it happen. We are creative. So use your creativity to figure out where your niche is, and what you love to do and, and make it happen, You know,
Marijanel (44:03):
Absolutely. Whether you're remote on Foggo Island or in the city of Kelowna, no matter where you live. But what I love about you sharing your experience of going to Foggo Island and seeing all the galleries and Adam Young's work is just, it brings hope that no matter where you are in the world you can be an artist.
Charla (44:19):
Yeah.
Marijanel (44:19):
You can monetize your work, you can grow your business. And so, hopefully this podcast here today on the Bold Artist podcast has inspired you to do that, given you some ideas to mull over to think about, um, how you can monetize your artwork. You could find
Charla (44:35):
By next Black Friday, you could be monetizing your artwork and making money a year from now on Black Friday.
Marijanel (44:42):
Yes. And make sure to check out Bold School's Black Friday deals. If you're listening to this at the time of Black Friday.
Charla (44:51):
There's always at least one good one out there.
Marijanel (44:52):
Absolutely. Make sure to look out, look out for our deals because we have very special, unique sales around Black Friday. So go to boldschool.com, find us on Instagram @boldschoolinc. Here on YouTube, we're on the Bold School Channel, and you can listen to this podcast on all audio apps, including Spotify. Until next time, keep creating.
