Are You Underselling Your Art?

When I first found out that drink and draws existed, my mind was blown. But drink and draws haven’t just saved me from the FOMO that introverted nights staying in and drawing caused me – they’ve also taught me not to undervalue my own work. At one particular drink and draw, there was a board where artists could pin their work on to sell. I decided to go for it. I slapped a $5 sticker on my drawing, pinned it up, and mentally prepared myself forRead more

How to Build a T-Shirt Business: Week 1

Building a T-Shirt Business Artist Shops is a platform associated with creatives, designers and artists, but it can be used for anything. What I’ll be attempting in this series is to create a new t-shirt business from scratch within the limitations of 30 minutes a day. Expect a lot of hacks, automation and stealing to get this done. Want to read the other parts? Week Two & Week Three Day One Brand Focus I’ve decided to focus on martial arts as a theme. I’veRead more

Don’t Let Perfectionism Hold You Back

“Nobody’s perfect” is one of the first things to get drilled into our heads as kids. And yet, we all know at least one ultra-perfectionist (even if it’s ourselves). Perfectionism is often viewed as a strength, something that makes you a better worker. And it can be. But perfectionism is kind of like a drug; in small doses, it helps you just enough to make your work better. But too much perfectionism and we overdose, so caught up in the edits and adjustmentsRead more

Introducing Artist Shops 1.5, Now With Wall Art!

Been wanting to print your Artist Shop designs on 100% cotton paper as well as 100% cotton tees? Now you can! Announcing Artist Shops 1.5, now with Wall Art! We’re as excited about this new Artist Shops feature as Apple was about the iPhone 7. Now you can put designs that already live in your shop (as well as any new designs) on art prints, framed art prints, or stretched canvases in a slew of sizes that would make for a cohesive gallery wall. How do I set up wallRead more

It’s About the Process, Not Just the Result

There’s a great episode of RadioLab where they set out to discover the secret of what goes on in a caterpillar’s cocoon while it’s transforming into a butterfly. Most of us assume that inside this chrysalis, there’s some half caterpillar, half butterfly hybrid mid-transformation, kind of like a tadpole turning into a frog. But no. When they crack open the chrysalis? It just looks like sludge. You’re probably reading this thinking 1: ew, and 2: what does this have anything to do with theRead more

Don’t Wait Around for Inspiration

We’ve all heard the phrase, “good things come to those who wait.” It’s been tweeted, tattooed on many-a body, and photoshopped on inspirational nature photos a million times over. Because it’s reassuring to say, “if I’m patient, good things will happen,” especially for creatives in times of the inspiration-less doldrums, or waiting for your first online shop sale – all of which does take patience. But there’s a difference between waiting to, say, push your online shop until you’ve got enough designs uploaded, and just waiting around forRead more

7 Ways to Sell Your Products In Real Life

Nowadays, it’s next to essential to have an online shop for your product. It’s the best way to reach a wide audience and to build brand visibility. Not to mention, ecommerce platforms like Artist Shops allow you to order your own high-quality products at a big discount, which never hurts. But whether it’s in Urban Outfitters, a local street fest, or a sandwich shop, selling your products in real life is nice… it just may just seem kind of hard to approach. How to Sell Products in RealRead more

10 Podcasts You Should be Listening to

There are a ton of helpful ecommerce and marketing books out there. But you’re a busy artist growing their business, maybe growing your online store. You don’t always have time to sit down and read Ecommerce For Dummies. That’s where podcasts can come in handy. Podcasts allow you to multi-task, maybe make some art and tend to your shop, while you passively listen and get some amazing advice. If you want lots of ecommerce answers with none of the hours put into scouring through booksRead more

14 Ways to Promote Your Band

There was a story on This American Life about a band that got publicity…from a trick. The band, Ghosts of Pasha was new in the scene and was picked out by a group called “Improv Everywhere,” who wanted to give them the “best show of their lives.” The improv group showed up, pretended to be wild Ghosts of Pasha fans (despite the band being super new on the scene), and that was that. It seems like kind of a cruel trick to play, but when the news of this happeningRead more

Case Study: Zen Pencils

Every creative dreams of being able to quit their day job to pursue their craft full time. And Zen Pencils creator (and Artist Shop owner) Gavin Aung Than managed to successfully trade his corporate design job to pursue his passion of cartooning. But while Gavin managed to turn his passion project into a successful career, his story is also humbling and realistic. It took more than simply posting a comic and gaining success – getting to where he is nowRead more

5 Ways to Support Your Cause

In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need events to raise money for causes – people would just donate! Luckily there are a million different ways to raise money and awareness for your cause, charity, or movement. Here are 5 ways to support your cause in the form of events, swag, and some important organization tips. .     .     . 1: Don’t create an event, create an experience Sometimes, the draw of a charity or cause alone just isn’t enough. Consider throwing anRead more

How to Make a Creative Cover Photo

Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and even Threadless Artist Shops may all be pretty different online outlets. But the one thing they (and most social media outlets) have in common is that you can add a cover photo to the top of your page. Cover photos are a relief for those of us who are indecisive when picking out our profile picture. But besides being fun and cool-looking, cover photos can also be a great tool to uniquely advertise your art! Here are aRead more