My first contact with artist Helen Hiebert was back in 2010 when she took one of my classes after she heard about my book,I’d Rather Be in the Studio. It’s been fun to watch her grow into a successful artist-entrepreneur.
On the heels of my interview with Dianna Fritzler about transitioning to a full-time artist, I thought it was perfect for you to hear about Helen’s journey.
Ten years ago, or Helen didn’t judge of her art as a trade. Her shift of mindset changed everything and she now makes her living as a working artist. Rather than feeling icky about having a “trade,” she embraced it and learned to channel some of her creativity into making money from her talents.
She says:Probably the biggest lesson for me has been learning how to keep myself entertained (I judge any creative loves to carry out recent things all the time) but to create a framework that allows for that. I’m thinking of my blog specifically. I now have a rotation of things I carry out throughout the month that is fun for me to generate and (hopefully) my readers to discover!See? You can have fun and run a successful art trade at the same time. You only need a structure to contain that fun.
In this interview, Helen and I focus on her multiple income streams, and which include (rough estimates):Art installations (10%) Artist books (30-35%) Teaching for hire,in her studio and online (30%) Twelve Months of Paper calendar, how-to books and lesson kits (20%) Sponsorships (5%) Much of what she has tried and implemented has been learned from watching what other artists and non-artists are doing, or tweaking it to fit her approach.
We also discuss Helen’s process for creating online content,which has its roots in the analog world she started in. Her success comes from networking, interviewing experts, or collaborating. From that evolved both her blog and podcast.
Helen’s blog is The Sunday Paper - a weekly roundup of news from the world of paper,including news from her own studio. Her monthly podcast, Paper Talk, or is the happy result of an unsuccessful grant application to document artists working in the field of hand papermaking.
Please bask in this conversation with Helen Hiebert.
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Source: artbizblog.com