Creating Art and Designing Products - Artists Eric and Julie Comstock

I have been working on new collections that I want to show next year at Surtex, although I am sure I will propose them to some specific manufacturers before then. My mind has been drifting off in the Surtex world for the past couple of days for some reasons, and so I thought it would be a perfect time to share with you this great interview with the Comstocks. I met Eric at Surtex this past May and Julie via Linkedin - very lovely people and talented artists.

Artists Eric & Julie Comstock TMFMA: Please introduce yourself. We are Eric and Julie Comstock. In college, we met and fell in love almost instantly, so after 5 months we got married. We've been happily working, drawing, painting and raising our four kids and dog ever since. Our careers began as art directors at advertising agencies. When our first child was born, Julie quit her job to be a stay at home mom. Ten years later we began our own company, manufacturing products for the craft and hobby industry. Two years ago we sold that brand and now license our work full time. © The Comstocks TMFMA: What brought you to art in the first place? Eric has been an artist his whole life. There was nothing else for him. Julie grew up around art, but didn't decide to pursue it until college as a creative hiatus from advanced academic classes in high school. TMFMA: What's exciting about your creative work? Hopefully the work itself! And, of course, seeing it become real. TMFMA: Who or what has inspired you in your art? Eric has been inspired by Richard Diebenkorn and his good friend, Nate Williams who has been like a mentor to him. Julie has been inspired by Eric who has really great taste in design and women. © The Comstocks TMFMA: How long have you been doing art licensing? We started licensing artwork seriously in 2007. We had done a little before that but felt that we had been taken advantage of. There's always risk for the artist. However, we had some opportunities with new companies asking for our work in industries we would never want to pursue manufacturing on our own. It was a win-win situation because we could leverage our designs to generate more income and our new licensees had great success for themselves as well. Our favorite thing about licensing, though, is that we get to focus on the part we love and do best - creating art and designing products. © The Comstocks TMFMA: What brought you to exhibit for the first time and how many shows have you exhibited in - if any? It was Julie's idea to attend Surtex in 2009. We had just designed a beach line and she was sure it would look great on lots of products. We have attended Surtex ever since as well as the Las Vegas licensing show for the last two years. TMFMA: Do you work with an agent or do you represent yourself? We have always represented ourselves, but at this very moment Eric is working with an agent on a potential product in a new industry. TMFMA: What do you suggest new artists do to present themselves to the world of licensing for the first time? Take your business seriously and present yourself professionally. As an artist you can get away with a lot of quirkiness, but people will take you more seriously and feel more secure with you if you have a level of professionalism. We all know the creative mind can have a hard time with follow through and many licensees have had bad experiences with artists for this reason. Don't ever let a potential client assume you are one of these artists. Take notes, remain focused and try not to let your mind wander onto your next great idea!   © The Comstocks TMFMA: What advice would you give other artists that are considering the art licensing field? The best advice is to consider where your art fits in the market. If you can't think of a market for your art, you won't be successful with licensing. If the market that would love your art is extremely niche, it will be much more difficult to be successful licensing it. There are many talented artists that create great work who will never be licensed because there isn't a market for their look. If you are one of those artists you will either have to change your art or change your expectation of licensing success. It's not fun to hear, but it's true. See more of Eric and Julie's art here: Website: http://thecomstocks.us/ Blog: http://thecomstocks.us/blog/ © The Comstocks

Mid-Century Design - Artist Caleb Gray

This has been an unusual week for me, several new life and artistic challenges presented themselves all at once! So I pondered more about some topics and asked myself these simple questions: what's my vision for what I do? What am I trying to accomplish?

As my understanding of art licensing has increased and has changed as a consequence, I think the direction is going to be a bit more tailored for what I want to do. Chatting with artists and friends has also inspired me to try out new ideas and techniques of painting which I want to pursue.

And as for new and unique ideas and looks, I am very happy to feature artist Caleb Gray, who I met at Surtex this past May. His style is just very fun and engaging!

The Moon from My Attic: What made you want to become an artist? Even as a kid, I was always imagining, creating, and drawing so I knew I wanted to be some sort of artist when I grew up. Then, once I realized all my favorite artists were illustrators, it helped me hone in on exactly what kind of artist I'd enjoy being.

TMFMA: What's exciting about what you create? Little things like a perfect color palette or a character's expression with just the right twinkle are always exciting to me. In general though, balancing the mid-century and contemporary aesthetics I enjoy so much along with carrying a kid-at-heart vibe through my work keeps it all fun for me too. And if it's exciting to somebody else as well then it's a success!

TMFMA: What medium(s) do you use to create your art? Why did you choose it? I start out sketching everything by hand before moving it on to the computer, so the finished art is digital. Call me old school, but I enjoy sketching things out with pencil first and getting fluid lines or funny character poses just right! Then fine-tuning it on the computer cleans everything up and gives it the bold, graphic nature of so much of the mid-century design that inspires me.

TMFMA: How would you describe the art you create? My art definitely has a retro vibe, but with a contemporary twist. Most importantly, though, I hope my art is as fun and cheerful for everyone else to see as it is for me to create!

TMFMA: Is there something that inspires you to create art? While mid-century design and illustration is a big source of inspiration for me, random things like funny dialog, sassy characters, catchy music, or a color combination that catches my eye can also get my imagination going. Such fun sources of inspiration make creating art fun, which hopefully also translates into a fun and entertaining final product!

TMFMA: How do you hope your art makes people feel? On first glance, I hope the overall impression is cheerful and fun. Hopefully my art also tells a story or makes people smile that sticks with them afterwards!

TMFMA: Can you tell us about your art licensing journey? My introduction to art licensing came when I was designing in-house for C.R. Gibson. Seeing the huge range of art being licensed and the equally huge range of applications for that art really opened my eyes to possibilities for illustration that I hadn't realized. The projects where I got to create the artwork in-house and then design products using my own art were always my favorite, so that let me know I would really enjoy creating art for product design.

Also during my time at C.R. Gibson, I attended the Surtex trade show which gave me great insight into creating a portfolio and presenting it to manufacturers. Even still, there was a learning curve once I went out on my own. I was lucky to have met several more established licensed artists during my time at C.R. Gibson, though, who were very helpful and encouraging as I started out and still continue to be today.

TMFMA: What advice would you give to someone new to this industry? Create, create, create! Not only will you improve your skills as you go, but you will also begin to realize what your strengths are so that you can emphasize them. Also, as you start out building your portfolio try to stick with subjects you enjoy. If you try to force themes you don't particularly enjoy it could show in the final product, but if you enjoyed what you're working on, that comes through too!

Caleb Gray Studio:

www.calebgraystudio.com
www.facebook.com/CalebGrayStudio

Bringing Joy and Smiles to Art Licensing - Artist Kim Gann

Submissions, submissions, submissions. I have been working on several proposals and it has been fun and surprising how much I've learned by doing this; focusing on specific product categories has made me figure out the best way to utilize design elements, colors and layouts and improve my work overall. So I advise all newbies to try this out.

Research out several manufacturers that are a match for your art and carefully read their submission guidelines. Then create collections based on their specifications, if any. Do this a few times and you'll suddenly find yourself with many new collections ready to be shopped around!

Artist Kim Gann

Creating submissions tailored for potential clients is a an enjoyable aspect of this job and it is also a thrill to meet so many fun and friendly artists at trade shows. At Surtex this past May, for example, we had a good time with our entertaining and super-nice neighbors. I will publish each one of them in a near future. This week I'm happy to start with artist Kim Gann. She had a corner booth across from ours and it didn't take very long before we started helping each other out.

The Moon from My Attic: What made you want to become an artist? Art is me! I have drawn, painted, crafted and taught art for many years. My new venture in art is Licensing, with iPad and Kindle cases available this fall and fabric coming out in March 2014.

© Kim Gann

TMFMA: What's exciting about what you create? The most exciting thing to me is that nothing is ever the same. The chickens take on their own individual personas, they are just one big happy family.

The Flying Sweetly Series (see below) begins with rich colors painted like an abstract all over the canvas before the flowers and butterflies are outlined and encircled with wispy whites and teals. The Pink Oranges is the most intuitive line. They begin with yellows, oranges and reds tossed across the canvas, then I flip and turn the painting looking for something to pop out. Usually, I find birds and trees. These take the longest to complete but are the most gratifying.

TMFMA: What medium(s) do you use to create your art? Why did you choose it? Most of my art is created with acrylics. I love the quick drying time, the forgiveness, and the texture of acrylics. Sometimes I create with liquid acrylics. As long as I can get a bright color...I'll use it.

© Kim Gann

TMFMA: How would you describe the art you create? My art is bright, colorful and whimsical. It makes people happy. It's always such a nice compliment when I see smiles pop up on people's faces as they look at my art.

TMFMA: Is there something that inspires you to create art? I find inspiration every where I look. My husband inspires me with ideas everyday - mainly he points out what my art should be on. My family is always giving me ideas for The Chicken Coop Series. I try not to look at other art for inspiration because I have such a desire to create my own without being influenced by others. I painted landscapes for years and was always compared to Bob Ross with my happy little trees. Now I create my own whimsical, fun art.

TMFMA: How do you hope your art makes people feel? I hope it brings joy to their heart and a smile to their face. I hope it puts them in a happy place.

© Kim Gann

TMFMA: Can you tell us about your art licensing journey? My journey into licensing began in February 2012 when I read about this show in New York called Surtex. I emailed about it and received a call to let me know they had a place for me, so I jumped in. I had 10 weeks to get ready. I read everything I could to find out how to set up my booth and what to take. The show was great, I created a little book with contacts of interest then dropped the ball when I got home. Before the 2013 show I discovered the key to a successful show is follow-up. This year was even better with a contract with P&B Textiles.

© Kim Gann

To further my knowledge of Licensing I signed up for Make Art That Sells with Lilla Rogers. I learned some of the keys to help break into several markets such as Gift, Wall Art, Home Decor and Textile. Throughout the five weeks I have a start on five new collections expanding my portfolio in directions I may have never gotten into. I learned how to look for trends in a not so pricey way and heard from leaders in the markets on how they discover new artists and what they prefer for submissions.

I also worked with Licensing Coach Deb Eiseman who gave me the tools to be my own agent. I am now licensed with two companies and talking with several others in partyware, needlecraft, 3-D sculptures, flags and other gift items. Look for the Autumn edition of GreenCraft Magazine, where I have an article on recycling old lamps. My goal is to eventually be Licensed worldwide with my own brand. Why dream small?!

© Kim Gann

TMFMA: What advice would you give to someone new to this industry? Research the markets you are interested in and find the companies that manufacture items your art would be a good fit for. Follow their submission form. Get in front of their face without being in their face. The secret ingredient is continual submission, every 2-3 weeks. Show them your new art. Be respectful! If they turn you down, thank them for looking and ask if you can send new work for review in the future.

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Find out more about Kim at:

www.kgartstudio.com

www.facebook.com/kgartstudioonline

www.twitter.com/kimgannart

www.kimgannart.blogspot.com

Developing Characters and their Stories in Art Licensing - Artist Lucky Nielsen

It seems that time is just flying away. In fact we already are two months past Surtex and it's time to renew next year's contract for the show. It's also time to create new art or join an art retreat during these sunny months of summer when licensing seems to slow down a little in between trade shows.

Starting September, the pace will pick up and the next show will be around the corner all of a sudden...

Lucky Nielsen - Surtex 2013 Press Kit

Speaking of Surtex, while there this past May we were able to quickly grab a few unique and colorful press kits of artists I wanted to feature as a follow-up to the show - I thought their presentations were adorable. One of them was for sure artist Lucky Nielsen. So refreshing and fun!

Lucky has also recently participated in the Global Talent Search by Lilla Rogers and the great news is that she was just selected as part of the final 50 artists. Brava! Lucky is definitely a rising star and we wish her the best in the final stretch of her competition!

The Moon from My Attic: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your art? My name is really Lucky Nielsen. In fact, my full name is Lucky T Nielsen and it is my middle name (or lack of) that has given me the most trouble, especially for official documents.

For instance, my high school threatened to not print my diploma unless I provided a "full" middle name.

Artist Lucky Nielsen

By now you can probably conclude that I was born to hippie parents in the mid 70's. As a child I was a shy introvert with no siblings or television. Drawing would transport me into my own little world where I could amuse myself by creating characters and stories.

Thinking graphic design was a practical choice for an artist, that is where I began my career. I started freelance designing and illustrating when I had my daughter and continue to do so presently.

A few years ago, I was accepted into a hip and coveted art fair in Minneapolis. It was here that I was introduced to a gallery owner who was interested in my needle-felted sculptures and store owners who wanted to carry my cards, prints and pillows. Between the gallery work and illustrating, I really had no time to produce products for stores, which is what brought me to the beginning of my latest journey: licensing. Why not just make artwork and allow others to manufacture products?

TMFMA: What is exciting about your creative work? I find the entire process of creating a piece of art exciting. I love developing the characters and their story, then playing with the composition of the space and color. I like exploring new ideas and pushing myself. It's challenging, frustrating, rewarding and surprising. By the time I am finished with one piece, I am already madly infatuated with my next project. I refuse to acknowledge the impossibility of developing, in my lifetime, every single idea I have listed in notebooks.

TMFMA: Is there a person or thing that has influenced you in your artistic efforts? What inspires you? I absolutely adore the mid-century children's illustrators: Mary Blair, Alice and Martin Provensen, and Roger Duvoisin, to name a few. They certainly influence my style. But I find inspiration in everything I see: a shape, a color, a particular juxtaposition.

I find my daughter, Violet, awe-inspiring. She has no preconceived notions of art nor does she follow any rules. Her thoughts, ideas and artwork are the epitome of unbridled creativity. I wish for that to never change.

TMFMA: What project are you currently working on? Currently, I am having a blast working on needle-felted sculptures for a show that will be opening on November 16th at Gallery 360 in Minneapolis. I am calling the show "Misfortune at Mansfield Manor." Set in the early 1900's on an English estate, illustrations will tell a humorous story of how characters (anthropomorphized, faux taxidermied animal wool sculptures) met their unfortunate, untimely demise.

TMFMA: Tell us of your experience as an art licensing artist. I am very new to art licensing. I first heard about Surtex about a year ago and immediately signed up. I then spent 10 months researching everything I could find on the internet about Surtex and licensing. I took advantage of the Surtex webinars and even bought Tara Reed's book on licensing.

At Surtex, I met so many lovely artists who openly shared licensing advice. I also had the pleasure of meeting potential clients, even dream clients. I definitely hope to explore these relationships further.

TMFMA: Any important tips and tricks you can share or anything else you’d like to share? All I can really offer is the advice I have given to my little girl: Find your passion and chase it to the ends of the earth. I can't imagine anyone has ever regretted spending their life doing what they love.

TMFMA: What are your future aspirations and goals? I would love to finally finish a children's book that I have been slooooooooowly working on for over 4 years. My daughter helped write it and I am absolutely in love with it. It's completely written and drawn, it just needs color. Sadly, the problem with personal projects is that they always get pushed to the bottom of the list.

My ultimate goal in life is to live fully in the present moment. I get to spend every day in that magical creative place I created as a child and I get to share the journey with my beloved daughter/soul-mate. I have a lot to be thankful for and I want to relish every ounce of it.

You can find out more about Lucky here:

http://happygoluckycreations.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Happy-Go-Lucky-Creations/114067698657307?v=wall

Creativity and the Artists Behind our Doodle Board

There seems to be an explosion of excitement about eCourses, eMags & eBooks, art retreats/camps, workshops and editorials that teach about painting, creativity and styles - how to become a successful you, or how to find your true creativity and style, and so on. So many options in fact that it makes it impossible not to find something interesting to sign up for!

I am having a great time doing my own thing, you know, taking some time to explore new tricks and passions. My latest one has been to hand paint on linen. It was a pretty spontaneous experiment that has caught me by surprise, it is so fun!

Love Bouquet Collection - © Alessandra Colombo

So I'm learning that it is absolutely best to focus on creating art that makes me happy - not just in the final product, but also in the act of creating itself. I'm also learning that exploring my creativity means that I may have to pass on some manufacturers who I love and admire but I know are not the right fit for that art.

It makes me really happy to share stories and tips from this great community of artists as I move along on my art and licensing journey and I hope to share more about blogging and marketing as I have learned a lot about it in the past couple of years. I do have a big surprise in the works and can't wait to share it, I hope by the end of the year - meantime I want to thank you for your continued and amazing support, it makes this journey much more pleasurable!

As promised, although with a bit of a delay, I am publishing the names and links of all the artists that stopped at my booth at Surtex and left their magic doodle on our Artist Doodle Board! It took me a while to get this list together because I had to find all the business cards and postcards connected with the names. Some I wasn't able to locate so if you know you are one of the artists without name, please email me and I will add you in!

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Stephanie Ryan - www.stephanieryandesign.com

Carol Van Zandt - www.carolvanzandt.com

Dianne Woods - www.diannewoods.com

Patty Gay - www.pattigay.com

Jennifer Parker - www.jenniferparkerdesigns.com

Cindy Lindgren - www.cindylindgren.com

Chris Reed - www.chrisreedstudio.com

Mark Gonyea - www.markgonyea.com

Ming Platt - www.mingartdesign.com

Pim Pimlada - www.pim-pimlada.com

Christine Kerrick - www.christinekerrick.com

Leah Hoelscher - www.leahhoelscher.com

Kim Gann - www.kgartstudio.com

Michelle Baker - www.majestystudios.com

Audrey Hopkins - www.audreyhopkins.com

Cherish Flieder - www.somethingtocherish.com

Cathy Hunt - www.cathyhuntstudio.net

Karen M. Beers - no website yet

Elizabeth Golz Rush - www.elizgolzrush.com

Feng Liang - www.fengliangdesign.com

Mittie Cuetara - www.mittiecuetara.com

Sarah Hudock - www.sarahhudock.com

Jessica Sporn - jessicasporn.blogspot.com

Bruce Cohen - www.lookinggoodlicensing.com

Alisha Wilson - www.alishawilson.com

Thoughts on Surtex from a Newbie - Artist Ming Platt

I want to welcome artist Ming Platt as part of our editing team here at The Moon from My Attic! We also invited her to come to Surtex this past May and help us with the show. She graciously agreed and it was a delight to have her as part of our team at studio•Alex. Ming has been doing wonderful design work for us in the background while she builds up her own portfolio and website from her studio in Seattle.

Here are her thoughts about the show:

Artist Ming Platt

"I think I have always been an artist, it is a fundamental part of who I am. It colors my earliest memories and has shaped many of my life experiences. But, I am brand new to this industry of surface design and the idea of creating art for licensing. My experience at the Surtex trade show for the first time this year was a pure whirlwind of wonderment and eye-opening delight! It was my first real glimpse into the dynamic world of art licensing. I am hooked!"

Ming also says: "It is easy to feel overwhelmed - the hum of energy on the show floor and the incredible display of beautiful work from some of the industry's best artists is humbling to say the least. But, I felt that it was also extremely empowering to see what is possible. Every artist had worked their hardest, given their all, and paid dearly just to be there. But to feel the energy, the bustle of activity - all of the agents and artists, retailers and manufacturers forging new relationships and making meaningful connections was a real light-bulb moment. It was like, 'Ah-ha! This is where it all happens!'."

"I came away from the experience energized, enriched, and excited to experience a part of this thriving and dynamic industry," Ming adds. "Most of all, I was delighted by the sense of community and the good-will between artists that I experienced - it was so wonderful to see! It was such a treat to meet all of the artists and followers of The Moon From My Attic blog who stopped by studio•Alex's booth to say hello. The friendships that were created with our booth neighbors and other fellow exhibitors made the entire hectic process of setting-up and exhibiting such a fun and positive experience."

Here are a few tips from Ming for other artists who are walking Surtex (or any other trade show) for their first time:

1. Do your research before you go to the show and take the opportunity to visit and connect with agents that you might be interested in working with as well as manufacturers over at the NSS show that resonate with you and your style.

2. Make a good impression and always practice professionalism and good show etiquette! Alex has a great post with more tips about this here: http://creativeconceptsdesignstudio.blogspot.com/2012/11/brief-tips-tricks-in-art-licensing.html

3. Allow the experience to enrich you, but not necessarily to directly inspire you. Your work should be special and unique and you want to ensure that you build your own personal brand and presence. Always look within yourself for your creative spark and find inspiration in what brings you joy.

Our Journey In Art Licensing So Far

© Alessandra Colombo

As mentioned in our first article about Surtex 2013, this particular trade show was a great experience that has given us more direct insights into the art licensing world. So we want to share here some thoughts that might be helpful to newbies that are thinking about joining the ranks.

Art licensing to us isn't just something you learn how to do with time and experience, but rather a constant evolving of creativity and relationships. It can shape and evolve in so many ways, as you progress in it. There is no set way into licensing as many veterans have already said. You can do it through trade shows, online contacts and social media, networking, by being a manufacturer yourself first and then switching sides, you can do it through an agency or solo, and so on.

This industry brings lots of joy to your life when you score a good design that ends up in a profitable contract, as it gives you a rare yet odd sense of accomplishment when you see your art on a product. It's absolutely thrilling!

But it also puts an unkind pressure on your everyday life that builds up over the months, as you go through some wild-ride ups and downs. Sometimes it feels like you lost a major battle, although most of the times it feels like so much fun, too. It's crazy-competitive. It's also really exhausting. It's undoubtedly risky and requires some financial investment upfront. It takes years to build up a both portfolio of art AND contacts, even if you get licenses early on. There are no set rules, only the ones established by yourself and your clients in a confidential agreement, which are put in place to regulate the licensing deal. It's a business based on trust. The licensing community, inclusive of both artists and manufacturers, is one of the most friendly and inspiring bunch of good hearted people I have known in the design industry.

Art licensing should not be viewed as a race against other artists. Many have pioneered the field so well that they know how to keep their licensing deals going for many years and make a good living at it. We can all learn from them, but as they will tell you, they are not experts either.

In short, licensing is a very subjective, entrepreneurial adventure, whether you do it solo or with an agent. If you like to keep doing it despite the tough times, a few serious emotional melt-downs and many sizable mistakes, then you will feel you have reached the top of the world. It's only then that you realize, it's not the top...! It is challenging, unpredictable, and seemingly capricious.

From our point of view, the path into art licensing and the experience and opportunity of a trade show like Surtex can take hundreds of different routes. That is part of what makes this whole field so exciting and dynamic...and difficult to understand! If you like changes and a flexible lifestyle, art licensing is a perfect job for you! From what we've learned so far, though, here are a set of rough guidelines that we've tried to capture for ourselves and which we'll certainly continue to refine the more we learn about this field. We are no experts; remember, we are just learning through this multi-faceted journey and we speak out of our personal experience so far. I am sure we will refine our tales as we move on and get more and more familiar with it all.

The steps below are not in any particular sequence and although we tried to make it somewhat a flow, remember that it's a very fluid, dynamic flow.

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Roughly, a Route into Art Licensing

1. Do a preliminary research of this industry by reading basic art licensing books, trade magazines, forum threads and by walking a show or two. Define for yourself what art licensing literally means, what it is all about, and then honestly set a purpose for yourself: why are you doing art licensing? Hopefully money is not your answer because it might not work out, even if you work really hard.
2. Build your own brand based on a true story that is representative of you and your core values. This might include your brand name and logo.
3. Create beautiful artwork for commercial use, starting from the product and working backwards. Create your own unique look - don't copy or model off of others, be your own self. It will not only create goodwill within the artist community, it will be noticed by manufacturers and that will increase the reputation of your own brand. Commit yourself to creating quality work and high integrity. Have fun with it!
4. With your unique and stunning art tell stories that can be commercially used. Product development is your password! You want to get really good at that - licensing is a land of opportunities and if your art is product-ready through developed product concepts the opportunities to score a contract are higher, providing that your art matches the company's needs and style, and your timing is right. So it takes years to accomplish, because you will need to build up your portfolio, fix it, tweak it and make it better and better and then do more of it!
5. Design a suitable presentation for your art that also promotes your brand and tells your message. This might include your portfolio, website, blog, social media profiles and interactions, press releases, tear-sheets, trade shows, promotion pieces, etc. Maintain a consistent look while you tweak it over and over as you learn more about licensing.
6. Professionally connect to art licensing groups, forums and trade publications; learn more about the many facets of the business and continue to expand your knowledge as you balance your creative work and your business efforts. It's best to not ask for proprietary information from your fellow artists or take some "elements that you like" from their work. Figure out your own interpretation and creative path and look out for free tips. They are published about everywhere, so read up on them. Not just once but many times. The same information will become more clear as you get more experience under your belt.
7. Research out and decide what categories of products and manufacturers you want to license with; by matching your art to their product's styles you have better chances to get a license. We advise to not shoot broadly or just sign up with a rep without understanding what you're doing. By being professional in anything you do and by recognizing that you have to be in it for the long-term you will help your business through the tough times.
8. Brand yourself and your business through effective but sensible marketing. Beware of spamming others and instead provide relevant and value-added contributions to forums. When you help others to grow, they will help you back. This implies that social media and forums is about participation, not just lurking. You have to get involved, and just reading threads doesn't count!
9. Ask for legal advice or read up about legal matters, don't just enter a contract without understanding what you're signing. Make sure you know what you want out of an agreement. It's your art and you want to set the rules.
10. Represented or not, make sure you understand what is being done with your art and licensing contracts. Ask questions, be pro-active and learn the business for yourself. You never know what will happen next. Be willing to experience anything and be ready for any and all future circumstances.
11. If you decide to exhibit solo at a trade show like Surtex (there are other licensing shows to also consider), plan a low-cost design to keep down the overall expenses but keep a high quality presentation that reflects your story and style. Make as many pre-show appointments as you can, by emails or phone calls; if you can't confirm the clients before your show don't worry too much, they might stop by anyway or if they see art they can use for their products.
12. While in the midst of the show, don't forget to smile and try to enjoy the experience and be present in the moment; you never know what the next encounter will bring or how significant it might become. A show is like the land of opportunities, you just need to look out for them and then ethically seize the best ones for you.
13. After it's all over and you've finally torn down your booth, enjoy a great hard-won show!
14. But don't stop now, immediately follow-up on any commitments or opportunities that presented themselves during the show. You want to build relationships and work with companies that like your art and that you like. It's better to have no contracts than bad contracts that tie up your art and time.
15. Hopefully sign lots of good, profitable contracts! Again, makes sure you know what you're signing and if you don't, look for legal advice.
16. And throughout the above steps, work really hard and don't stop! Keep your eye on the horizon and the long-term view of your goal.
17. Remember that until you sign a contract and your design sells on products you won't get paid ...
18. If a design fails to sell or it doesn't work out, find out what went wrong, review the situation, learn from it and try your best again.
19. Creating a partnership with your clients makes this a fun and creative adventure.
20. Relationships, relationships, relationships...

"Everything good that comes to you is a direct result of your taking responsibility mixed in with a healthy smattering of actually doing." by Alex Mather, Red Lemon Club

So here's to an even better year!

Additional Notes on the NSS, Surtex 2013 and Our Fabulous Artist Community

We briefly walked the NSS on Wednesday morning before flying back home. Some quick notes and impressions from the show are that we didn't notice anything particularly new or different from last year but saw more of the same, such as beautiful hand drawn/painted art as well as fancy lace-lasercut and trendy chalk art. Sophisticated and fun letterpress is still big.

We also chatted with a couple of fun sales people on the floor who shared some insights into what is selling well and what isn't - owls are still hot along with deer and birds. It depends on territories. Soft lines, circles and round shapes are also trendy. Craft materials such as burlap and wool felt were also present. In all, it seems the there is an increasing interest in an artesinal style.

As for other curious insights, I was offered freelance work by one of the sales personnel while I was looking at some ribbons I liked! Another artist, who was selling cards at her booth said she licensed her art with three manufacturers right there at the show. I am sure other blogs and articles covered the Stationary show more in depth. Next year I will try to get more time to see what's going on there.

Some of the many inspiring artist Surtex 2013 press kits 

But here is the real deal – the truly fun part of Surtex, aside from exhibiting and making connections with great companies, was to hang around with some really nice and helpful neighbors. It was an incredible and unexpected pleasure to see how a great, spontaneous mini-community developed between our neighboring exhibitors. We had a great time together with Mark Gonyea, Pimlada Phuapradit, Kim Gann, Eric Comstock, and Audrey Hopkins – openly sharing experiences, tips, and insights when not working with visiting manufacturers.

Colorful cards dropped off by artists at our booth; many of them
will be featured on this blog throughout the year!

And, for us a special highlight of the show was the fantastic opportunity to meet so many new and veteran artists who took some of their precious time to stop by our booth and say hi and to those who also shared a doodle with us. I know more exhibiting artists wanted to add their magic touch to our doodle board but didn't have time to come by.

The Moon From My Attic Doodle Board was a real hit and will be made into a permanent feature at our booth in future shows.

We also had a Guest Book where artists and other professionals left kind notes to us and we want to thank everyone again for being so nice and supportive and for reading this blog! 

In the next 2-3 months we will be publishing interviews and articles with many of you who we met at the show, including agents, attorneys, consultants, and manufacturers. The list of names is too long to publish here but watch out for their so ever inspiring stories!