I feel that artists, unlike other professions, do not really need to spend a lot of time writing up detailed business plans. Yes, it helps to goal set, but I prefer to keep things more flexible.  I have gone the “detailed” route in the past, but a lot that I had planned on never happened, or changed. Sometimes this resulted in a loss of money. Its not that I planned poorly, or did not plan enough. On the contrary, maybe I planned too much. In any event, I have changed my stance to not having things set in stone. To map out ideas, not definitive details.  However, I have learned to just put some simple principles into play that are good for any artist to follow.

Projecting Costs

When I decided to turn my art hobby into a business, I looked into a lot of options. I weighed my options between dedicating a work space out of my home vs. renting a space in a more commercial part of town. I looked into having a dedicated business line vs. making my cell my work number. I looked into paying a marketer to get my name out there, being as that I was new and all. I actually really wanted to have a space outside the home, a studio with all the bells and whistles. In the end, I opted to keep my overhead low, and I have one room in my house as my artist space. Ultimately, I have learned it is not necessary to have a brick and mortar commercial studio. With the advent of the web, online galleries, email, facebook, blogs, etc, one can also take care of a lot of their own marketing as well. AND save a lot of money in the long run. I would have incurred a lot more debt at a faster rate the other way. It works for some, but in the end, I am grateful I remained flexible and did not push hard for the other plans, that might have made me close my business doors when the recession hit.

Keeping Overhead Expenses Low

Artists are pretty lucky! These days, it’s not too difficult to keep our overhead expenses low. With a website portfolio, online store, email newsletters, blog and home studio, my expenses are fairly manageable. When I have taught classes, I have done so at a location where everything was set up and all I needed to do was appear! I don’t need that expensive store front, an expensive 800 number. For me, I too have the luxury of not needing artist’s supplies, being as that my fractal art is created with the computer. I do have upkeep of my machine, however, so that in the end does balance out. But all in all, it is fairly easy to keep expenses managed.

I do have to make sure I do have a bit of an inventory on hand, as I like to do art shows. However, I have learned along the way. Tents and grids can be rented, vs. purchased outright. It is a thought to bear in mind that might be more feasible for some. I was lucky enough to find a store that sold used grids. They looked like new, but were half the price! It is not important to have an overkill of prints. Unless you do a lot of shows a year, you do not need to print hundreds of prints. I learned this the hard way. I printed a LOT of prints, but only do a handful of shows a year. I still have inventory from four years ago that has not moved yet. It’s hard to justify printing more, newer items, until the older ones sell. At the very least, I do alternate where I do shows, geographically, so the older images are new in towns I have not had an art show at before. One artist I saw at a show had a wonderful idea. He had a banner printed, filled with his art images. These were available then for special order. On hand, he had lesser expensive items that sold like hot cakes. Everything $20.00 or less. I have done something similar; I have a CD slideshow with my entire portfolio on it that I run on a small DVD player at shows that offer electricity. I can then focus on having some of my most popular pieces available for purchase within the booth, but I can keep my printing expenses lower, by having a visual of all else I have to offer in an eye catching video.

Yearly Projections

Any good business plan begins with an accurate projection of the annual costs to run said business. As an artist, this means how much you will spend on supplies, printing, framing, education, promotion, advertising, showing or exhibiting your work, and keeping in contact with collectors. Try to spend realistically as you are starting out. It is ok to dream big, but do not spend emotionally because of it. If you do not plan out the things you need ahead of time, and keep an eye on your annual projections, you could end up wasting money and overspending. Eventually you will want to make a profit! Sooner than later, preferably!

Being Professional

As stated earlier, artists are blessed to not have to spend a lot on overhead. In comparison to other businesses, our start up costs are minimal. However, if you decide to become a professional artist, you do need to make sure to take care of a few things. Like register your business in the state you live in. Get your tax ID number. Hire a good accountant that specializes in small businesses. This is an investment I would recommend not skimping on. I understand a lot of bookkeeping basics, but when it comes to things you can and can not write off, and keeping it all in order, it is sooo helpful to have a professional make sure that all my ducks are in a row.

There are so many tangents to branch off on; I could write a lot more on this topic. But for now, I will leave you with the above thoughts, and will add more blog entries expanding upon things, should there be a need or a request for it. J

Go out and make it a Fractalicious Day!

~Kimberly

Technorati Tags: art, art business, Business, Business Plans, Cost projection, Digital Art, Fractal Art, Fractalicious, Kim Hansen, Kimberly Hansen, Kimberly R. Hansen, Kimberly Rae Hansen, managing, overhead, professionalism, projections

Most art marketing coaches will tell you to focus on ONE style or type of art.  Business coaches will tell you to focus on ONE business idea. To master and do ONE thing well, before moving on to the next project. To wear just one “hat” so to speak.

Over the years, I can not say that I have really done that. I have stuck to predominately creating just my fractal art. I have removed my photography, digital painting and photo manipulations from my art web site, and am focused on my most successful line in my fractals. I still play with the other styles now and then, but I have at least narrowed my focus, art style wise. For now.

However, I am branching out. I have taken on the Fractalcious accessory line. It has become more than just art. It is now art, fabric, clothing, accessories, bedding, etc. That’s a lot of marketing, creating, and selling. . . different markets, different audiences.

It also means that my budget and expenses (not to mention time) is stretched all across the board as well.

So why do I do it? Because everything is just falling into place. I am going with the flow. It feels right. It makes me happy.  This feeds my passion to keep going and I find I want to just keep marching forward, creating new items to carry in the Fractalicious line.

I am enjoying the journey, but I can see why business mentors tell me to hunker down and focus on just one thing. My days can be a little scattered, a little crazy, and I am not always spending as much time doing what I simply love to do – creating art. Expenses are high. With new Fractalicious accessory lines comes new samples or product to purchase to have on hand for customers or retail buyers. I have the expense of the trademark lawyer. If I want to showcase the new Fractalicious line at art shows, I have to jury in more than one area, and that adds up costs as well.

That said, would I advise others to create art in more than one area, like this too? Yes, I would, because I’ve done it, am doing it, and it is working. I am finding success in all the different niches. Everything is being met with enthusiasm. I am able to keep up with the demands, so far too! I sometimes have to pinch myself to believe it is all real. It is happening at a fast pace, it often seems dream like. But I am happy, I am having fun, and in the end, that is all that matters. It might wear on me some days. Some days I look around me and wonder what the heck have I gotten myself into. Some days, I can feel a little overwhelmed. However, I think it’s paramount to just TRY. If you don’t, you’ll always be left wondering what if, and I think that is far worse than trying and failing. The only real failure, I believe, comes in giving up. In not doing anything. We will all stumble upon our path. How we adjust to that is what makes or breaks us. Do we lie there, and call it quits, or do we stand, brush ourselves off, and continue onward? Success will find us all eventually, if we just keep moving, just keep trying. It does not have to be perfect action. Just action. As one of my favorite motivational speakers, T. Harv Ecker says, “Ready, Fire, Aim.” Just DO something. Take action. If it doesn’t work, bow out. Or change it up. Fix it as you go, adjust as you go. Remember, you’re in charge.

So, if you are branching out in multiple directions and if one of your specialties takes off more than the others, go with it for a few months! If another falters, you can ease up on it a bit. You can always go back and revise later. The important thing is to follow your heart and just try. Besides, it keeps life interesting!

The benefit of wearing several “hats” is that even if one area doesn’t succeed, you have other options to explore; alternate avenues that might work for you later.

And when all is said and done, perhaps like me, you just might like creating different types of art, or different marketable products. In the end, the mentors mean well, but it is YOUR time. YOUR expense, YOUR vision, YOUR art.

So go on. Use the creativity you’ve been blessed with, and try on a few different hats. Get out there and dabble in the different forms of art that catch your eye or make your heart sing. If you bite off more than you can chew, you can always dial it back. Life is too short to sit and do nothing, and then wonder, what if. Follow your bliss.

Just go out and make it happen. Make it a Fractalicious day!

~Kimberly

Technorati Tags: accessories, Digital Art, Fashion, Fractalicious, fractals, Kim Hansen, Kimberly R. Hansen, Kimberly Rae Hansen, marketing

I created this piece, “A Journey Within,” four years ago. It is still one that is close to my heart. I created it for a fractal art class I was taking online. I still remember one of the questions from a fellow student, and friend of mine, as she asked “Why did you not follow the golden mean rule? Why is your image so far off center, way up in the corner? What’s with all that black space?”

Well, simply put, it is how I see my journey. A path that is not well illuminated, but I see that light, that bit of lightning like light shimmering ahead of me. It blossoms and blooms and it is waiting for me, if I just step forward and move towards it. It speaks of the dark. The isolation within. Just one flowered shape, alone in the corner. Jagged and different. Petals stretching out, reaching through the inky darkness, reaching for something to hold. The darkness itself, textured and full…choices to take or ignore. Paths to follow or disregard. But there is illumination. There is light. Color. Hope. All within that dark. Is it out of reach? I don’t know. But I am driven to move towards it, all the same.

And so I break the rules of art. And place that flower like hope in the far upper right corner, amidst all that black space, for it is a peek inside of me. It would not be much of a journey if it were smack dab in the middle. It would be a different piece entirely, needing a different title, and full of a different kind of meaning. But it is a journey of the heart. Of the soul. All that we have to work through. The dark uncertainty that is life. The isolation sometimes felt as we muddle through it all. And yet, there is light. Hope. Color. All of it, leading us on.

I hope you enjoyed this peek behind the curtain. I don’t often share the thought processes behind the art images, unless asked. I do get asked a lot, however, and so I will continue to blog more regularly about the fractal art pieces of the month!

Go out and make it a Fractalicous day!

~Kimberly

Technorati Tags: A Journey Within, creation, Creativity, Digital Art, Digital Artistry, flower, Fractal Art, Fractalicious, fractals, golden mean, heart, Kim Hansen, Kimberly Hansen, Kimberly R. Hansen, Kimberly Rae Hansen, soul, techincal art form

Over the years as the use of computers in our every day lives have grown, so has the debate over weather digital art is really art.  Some would say that if art is created with the computer, rather than say a paint brush, for example, that it is not a viable art form.

The same question arose when photography hit the scene. As we know today, however, the photographer does not just hit the shutter button, and have the photograph turn out instantly beautiful and perfect. The photographer has to understand not only how to use their camera, but also to have an eye for composition and color, an understanding of light and shadow, and with today’s digital cameras, working knowledge of Photoshop does not hurt. The camera is a tool for the artist. The camera is not the artist itself.

Today, the same philosophy applies to digital artists. Fractal, graphic and 3d software is available as an artistic tool. It is up to the artist to manipulate that tool; to create the art. It is simply another medium that would never have come to pass without the creation of the computer. It is just as much a labor of love and work of art as traditional mediums.

I am ever grateful that digital art exists as an artistic medium. It gives me a chance to express myself in ways that other mediums do not. It just resonates with my soul. I hope that my passion is felt in your heart when you gaze upon my fractal art, just as much as my heart sings while creating it. As always, I thank you for your continued support!

Go out and make it a fractalicious day!

Kimberly Rae Hansen
Fine Fractal Artist

Technorati Tags: Digital Art, Digital Artist, Fine art, Fractal, Fractal Art, Fractalicious, Kim Hansen, Kimberly Hansen, Kimberly Rae Hansen