Are You An Artrepreneur? Take Our 20-Question Quiz and Find Out!

You have probably seen it before: ARTIST + ENTREPRENEUR = ARTREPRENEUR. This got me thinking a lot about all of the creative people who want to earn a good living from their artistic endeavors. Maybe you are currently a part-time artrepreneur or haven’t yet made the leap. Perhaps you are still creating art, design, animation, or characters for a company that has clients and customers.

There are so many similarities between entrepreneurs and artists, and here are just a few:

• Both groups just ooze passion. You really don’t choose to be an artist; you are created as one. It’s what you do and are!
• Artists and entrepreneurs are compelled to push boundaries in all creative directions. It doesn’t even occur to them not to keep experimenting, trying, and testing.
• Both artists and entrepreneurs have to find and walk their own paths to success. There is no established career path or road map.
• Since there is no set career path or definitive road map for either artists or entrepreneurs, both must learn from other like-minded people through education and networking.
• Artists and entrepreneurs, when first beginning their careers, are both required to compromise what they want to meet the market demands and find success. It is only after you have proven your viability to the objective working world, or have enough equity and market share for your art or brand, that you can venture off and lead the way into your own new areas. Anything else is a day-dream.

Is it any wonder the name ‘artrepreneur’ is catching on?

Today there is a lot of desire, pressure and respect put on becoming your own boss, having your own business and being your own agent. It is rapidly becoming a necessity. And, Of course, as with everything, there are pros and cons.

On the positive side, art licensing is one of the few areas where you can actually agent yourself and build a successful business. Unlike, for example, in the children’s book publishing industry, an author or artist is encouraged not to represent or agent themselves. As an artrepreneur, you are in control of your own destiny, yet it comes with a price.

On the negative side, which isn’t always negative, the price is that being an artrepreneur means having to do it all yourself. You are responsible for your own marketing, sales, production, warehousing, accounting, and distribution of everything you create, as well as having to continually motivate yourself every step of the way.

Remember, for the most part, artrepreneurialism is being ‘positioned’ as an opportunity, one that has its roots in the new information age. But in reality, it is more of a necessity, since everyone understands that today no one can count on someone else to give them a job.

Most artrepreneurs are artists and serial entrepreneurs in the same body. They have the talent of an artist and the mind and motivation of a business person. They create businesses with their creativity either sequentially, one after another, or simultaneously, several at the same time. To be an art licensor is truly the definition of ‘serial artrepreneur,’ you are creating business deals, and signing contracts, with multiple manufacturers at the same time. This is what it’s all about.

One of the great things, a good licensing contract allows you to do is to ‘slice and dice’ the rights for one piece of art into various product categories and create entire product lines with several manufacturers using the same piece of art, design or character over and over again. Licensing is also one of the best revenue generators that has no real financial cap, since it creates royalties based on usage of the art, rather than being paid per piece or based on your hourly efforts.

Artrepreneurs often need to create art licensing collections, while also illustrating books and magazines, or creating graphic design work, teaching, doing gallery shows, drawing cartoons, and animating characters, in order to generate the multiple channels of revenue needed to build a good income. It is challenging, but worth it to make a living doing what you love.

The number of artrepreneurs has grown exponentially since the new millennium. The competition is fierce. The unmotivated quickly drop away.

The most significant factor in the success of the new artrepreneur is the Internet tools which have become readily available, allowing one to create, promote, sell, and deliver directly to businesses and the end-user. Today you can reach your potential customers both at a speed, and on a scale, that in the past was only in the sphere of the bigger corporations which earlier had nearly monopoly on marketing and distribution. Those who learn and use these tools have the best chance of success.

So if you haven’t in the past thought of yourself as an artrepreneur, now’s the time to get on board and make your mark. One thing about being an entrepreneur…artistic or any kind…is that you need to develop certain skill sets in order to be successful. And if you don’t currently possess them, then you need to study and learn them. I suggest you answer these 20-questions to see what skills you have and those which still need developing. You can answer with a lengthy paragraph or simply a quick ‘agree, disagree or needs improvement’ note-to-self. But you need to be completely honest.

1. I have a strong overall drive to succeed.
2. I have determination to tackle problems.
3. I can prosper in a ‘gray’ environment, where there are more questions than answers.
4. I take responsibility for my own actions, including successes and failures.
5. In the beginning, I am willing my art to meet the needs of the market.
6. I willingly do the tasks necessary to succeed.
7. I can persevere in hard times and quickly recover.
8. I convincingly communicate with others, whether clients, vendors, bankers, freelancers or manufacturers.
9. I believe that I can solve whatever problems arise.
10. I deal with others with honesty and integrity.
11. I value and utilize the management and control systems necessary to run a business.
12. I have the ability to anticipate and troubleshoot problems.
13. I can connect with others and build strategic relationships.
14. I can scan the marketplace and assess potential needs and gaps.
15. I provide for my own emotional needs and know how to find the support I do need.
16. I believe that I have the finances required to support myself and others who depend on me.
17. I have or can get the finances to get the training and help I need from experts along the way to achieve my goals.
18. I have a basis for making effective, profitable business decisions.
19. I can pick the right people to help execute my vision.
20. I can identify the biggest obstacle in starting my own company, whether it’s knowing where to begin, finances, training or fear of failure.

After 20 years of teaching and training hundreds of artrepreneurs, I know that the successful ones all have passion, confidence, self-discipline and a great willingness to learn. I know that you can do anything that you truly want to do. If it is indeed becoming an artrepreneur, then go for it!  Don’t let anyone or anything stop you.

Fall is Here; Time to Prepare for New Growth

Fall is a profound time of year for me.  While the leaves of the trees are dying, in reality I know that it is simply preparing itself for renewal. I find the falling leaves a comforting and productive movement.  It feels right to clean out the cobwebs and clutter of our lives and thoughts and shed the old as we get ready for growth. So I went on the internet to look for quotes which express this inherent inspiration.  What I found was a Japanese proverb, not exactly related to autumn, but inspiring, nonetheless. The proverb is: Fall down seven times stand up eight.

So, if it feels like fall is here and you are ready for something new, but aren’t quite sure where to find it, I collected and put together these guiding principles to help you with your endeavors. These will guarantee you make the most of September through November, traditionally a very productive time period, before enjoying the holidays.  I strongly recommend you take advantage of this advice, or before you know it, Christmas and then the New Year will be here (…I mean didn’t summer just fly by? And here it is mid-September already).

Take just a few minutes and review these tips and then answer each ‘biz question,’ as honestly as possible and apply the principles directly to your business.  I am quite sure many or all of them will hit a nerve and create a new connection.

1. Attitude is everything. – Your frame of mind affects every action (and inaction). Don’t let you’re your moods control your life, or you will be overtaken by the current and forced down stream to a destination you never intended. Only your inner force and self-determination can keep you on track and get you to your ultimate goals.
   Biz question: Is there anything I need to change about my attitude, perspective or life to improve my business? If so, what?

2. Stay focused on your goals. – It takes belief and a strong desire to concentrate on the changes necessary to achieve success. If your goals are clear, then it is easier to stay focused.  So begin by clarifying your goals before you get so frustrated you can’t or won’t take action.  If you are unsure of the process, or the next steps required, then seek the advice you need.
   Biz question: Do you have clear and measurable goals for your business and specifically for this fall time frame?

3. Spend time wisely. – Time, unlike money, is something that you can’t get back. So every day you want to be as fully present as possible in each task you do, as well as choose those activities with care. Make sure your time and efforts are contributing to the wonderful aspects of your life, relationships and business endeavors.  The worst thing you can do is to spend your time on auto-pilot.  There is very little joy (or productivity, for that matter) in it.
   Biz question: How can I spend my time right now to get the best results for my business, both now and in the future?

4. Be open-minded. – You never know where the next inspiration, great idea or deal will come from. To be open-minded you need to find ways to stay mindful and aware. Take the time to explore new activities and people and be open to new influences and experiences. A closed mind, frankly, has nowhere to go.
   Biz question: Are you open-minded to the fact that you might not know where the next awesome idea, opportunity or contribution to your business may come from?

5. Pick a path. – There are many pathways leading to your ultimate goals. But to get anywhere you need to pick one and stick with it long enough to get there.  Then along that path, there will be many obstacles of varying degrees and nature which require decisions.  One time you may feel that breaking that obstacle down, bit-by-bit, is the right answer.  In another case, going around it works fine.  And sometimes you even have to find a new path. My father used to jokingly say, “You can’t get there from here, you have to start someplace else.”  And often that’s true. If the path dead ends or goes off course, then you MUST find a new way to achieve your goals.
   Biz question: What’s keeping you from achieving your goals?  Can you identify the top five reasons in priority order?

6. Read between the lines. – Whether you are enjoying this blog, having coffee with friends or meeting with business professionals, reading between the lines is an imperative skill. Always go deeper than the surface. What do you need to learn, know or understand about what’s happening to get the most from the experience? Everything is happening for a reason and seeking the essence and purpose of the moment may be exactly what you should be doing to find the wisdom you need.
   Biz question: Can you look beyond the obvious tasks throughout your day and find the non-apparent insights that provide guidance for your business?

7. Never lose hope. – Hope is the energy that drives all ambition and motivation. It is an essential element in all our endeavors and losing hope is like losing your engine. You must constantly be on guard against the negative emotions that deplete hope and eventually will prevent you from succeeding. No matter what the challenge; don’t  give up.
   Biz question: Can you identify your hope and how it powers your progress in business?  If hope is waning, what can you do to refuel?

8. Create awesome habits. – What you do today and every day will become the habits of tomorrow. It’s important to choose actions that create the right habits. Discipline yourself to create the specific habits that you need to grow.
   Biz question: What business habits would you like to create or improve upon that will help achieve your goals? (You might want to read or revisit my blog titled: “An Art Licensor’s Continuing Education” to help you think about the wide variety of topics and skills needed to build a licensing business.)