How Rhiannon started making money with her art

For anyone with ambitions in creative work, this is a great video full of legit information.  It's a little over 20 minutes long, but well worth the watch.  You can check out her Etsy shop: Giggle Goddess Create

As many of you know, I started focusing on building my art and writing into a small business a little over two years ago.  I started without a dime, and I mean that literally, not a dime.  I had a cheap tablet of sketch paper, a bunch of Sharpie markers, and a crappy old $60 refurbished laptop still running Windows XP in late 2015.   I was 49, and living with my mom in a small apartment in Kernersville, North Carolina, and unable to find any job.  What I did have was a weird (and completely unique, I later realized) way of coloring and shading drawings with Sharpies that I call "scribble style."  I'd been drawing in that style for ten years, but I didn't really like the drawing styles I was doing with it. So I spent a couple of hours looking at all kinds of art online, asking myself, "What would I want to put on my wall?"

I found a stencil picture of Bruce Lee, who was my first hero as a kid.  I printed it out, transferred the basic image, and did it in my style.  I liked it, I actually did tape it up on my wall (no money for a frame).  After that, I was off to the races.  I've been drawing for money ever since.  I've improved a heck of a lot.  But I'm still not a business, and I make enough money to scrape by.  But don't make very much money at it... yet.

As I type this, I'm nursing a senior Diet Coke at McDonald's, which seems to be the best thing about hitting 50 years old.  I finished a commission drawing last night, dropped it off where the people pick it up, and I don't have food money until I get paid.  I know that's not the fault of the people who ordered the drawing.  I could have skipped that (delicious) sandwich at Jimmy John's the other day.  Or saved a couple of bucks elsewhere.

I'm living homeless right now, sleeping in a tent in the woods, and working at the local library or fast food joints.  But I am working consistently.  I'm working non-stop right now.  The homeless thing sucks, but it was the step I had to take to keep going with my art.  I want to get past this phase, but I know that will happen as I am able to start selling work besides the original drawings I'm doing for people.

But I've been at this long enough, and intense enough, to know that the advice Rhiannon shares in this video is REALLY GOOD ADVICE.  OK, I've got some drawing and other work to do, and you have a video to watch.  Talk at ya later.

While I was writing this post, my last drawing got picked up.  I love it when a plan comes together.