Very early on, it was clear that I was not a blockbuster artist. I was successful on a local scale with events and engagements, but art sales were not the foundation of my micro business when I formed an LLC in 2018. In fact, I sold more vintage clothing than art, and even my dad’s homemade pickles! Here are a very ways that I’ve ‘turned lemons into lemonade’ and made the most of my personal reality as an artist while participating in the push for what an artist can do outside the gallery setting and without dealers or curators. Here are ways that artists like myself are creating well rounded art businesses that are becoming the norm online and in real life.

MERCHANDISE
Because my art was not in high demand as a product, I created merch and books with my images instead. I focused on turning an inanimate object meant for a wall, to a useful object people could hold and use.

VINTAGE RESALE
Since the beginning, I’ve had art and vintage churning at the same time. Having a ‘gift shop’ of sorts for my art helped fund my art making process while being an extension of my creativity. I’d always gone thrifting, garage sale hopping, or antiquing with my family growing up, so it was part of my everyday lifestyle as well.

ENGAGEMENTS AND EVENTS
Before COVID-19 quarantine, I had a consistent roster of paid events and programming. I would teach workshops or guide crafting activities at institutions. I also booked a number of artist residencies where I would often live onsite for a short period of time. During 2020 quarantine, these engagements slowed and I gained a heightened awareness of how such institutions mistreated me. Nowadays, I focus my artistic efforts online, but I’d love to continue teaching in a new capacity.

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