​

By the time some of you read this, I'll be standing in my studio, talking with droves of people about my artwork, hoping to sell every last piece.

That's right, it's the Long Beach Open Studio Tour, and if you're anywhere near me on October 28th or 29th, between 1-5 p.m., please stop by.

After that, I'm saying NO (more on this later).

Artist Tears

This week, Society6 announced their new tiered structure for sellers on their platform, and though there was some backlash, it wasn't nearly as noisy as when RedBubble made a similar change in April.

Does this mean that sellers are becoming more complacent about the subscriptionization of everything? When all apps and platforms start raising prices, is the answer to roll over into a fetal position and wait for things to return to how they were?

In this week's deep dive, I wrote about the new status quo of selling on marketplaces like Society6 and how this may become a trend for all the popular marketplaces and social media platforms you use on a regular basis to get your art into the hands of customers.

If you want to know where I believe the creative world is headed and what you can do about it, check out the article. [ READ MORE ]

A Season of No

On November 1st, I'm closing my gate and locking myself inside (proverbially). Please do not call the authorities to check on my mental state—I promise this is a good thing.

Over the last several years, I have tried to be many different things to many different people.

• I shared graphic design work for my design friends.
• I shared collage art with my art friends
• I made videos on two different YouTube channels
• I had multiple Instagram accounts
• I sold work on my Shopify store, Etsy, RedBubble, and Amazon
• I wrote and published two completely different newsletters
• I tweeted, snapped, TikTok'd, and posted all for the 'Gram

To the surprise of nobody, that strategy did not work, but I have a new strategy now, and it means I can't come to your party.

[ READ MORE ]

Art Snacks: Michele Morgan​

This is where I use my executive privilege and share an artist based on my personal connection because Michele is my mother!

Michele is the legitimate source of my creativity; her creative spirit has driven me since I was young. We both found our own pull toward art at a late stage and couldn't imagine a world without a creative outlet.

As a side note, this is Michele's birthday weekend, and I'm sharing her today as my birthday present. Please do me a kindness and pay her a visit on her Instagram account.

Say hi, tell her I sent you, and maybe wish her a happy birthday.

Big thanks from Michele's favorite son (I'm an only child).

Biz Bites

• Love reading but not a fan of the largest river in South America? With BookBub, you can get deals on ebooks for up to 95% off.
• If you make and share content with your audience, sometimes finding new things to share can be strenuous on the gray matter. Perhaps you need a new approach to your ideation.​
• I get it; writing body copy and crafting product images is one of the most mind-numbing aspects of running a Shopify store, but WorkMagic is looking to make that easier with...yep, AI.
• Look, I'm not saying you should start an art blog, but BrightEdge Data reports that blogs often appear in the top 5 positions of Google search results.
• ​Twitter is dead, and Threads is thriving. Platformer discusses the drama of X and how Threads is the future (paywalled content, but I promise, worth the price).
• Speaking of Threads, they have been busy. This week started by announcing their sharing Threads to people on Facebook and Instagram. They also added polls and (hard G)IFs.​
• ​Printify made some significant changes to their mockup generator.​

Art Bites

• From studio walls to large corporate halls: Artrepreneur looks at the most requested types of commercial art.​
• A lot of people are talking about zines these days, but they are vastly different from the roots of the craft. Hyperallergic has your zine history lesson.​
• If you're a freelance Figma designer missing some design direction, the Jony Eye plugin can be the AD over your shoulder.
• Looking to make your Canva designs pop? Lottie Files can bring the power of motion to the work in a few clicks. Sidebar: I'm not a Canva user, but Lottie Files looks cool enough to try.
• I know people can be scary (Stranger Danger), but what if I told you the answer to your creative success lies in the warm embrace of your fellow artists?
• I know I have some monster freaks in the audience, so how about a map of monsters for some scary inspiration?
• Speaking of Halloween, Tanya Schultz's art may give you a toothache.
• ​Getting over Rejection.​

Desert

• ​Get your nails done in time for Halloween.​