An Artist’s Dream

Illustrator and graphic designer of cute Japanese pop culture art, Nina from Misohappy is a master at kawaii art. At the time of recording this episode (October 2018) Nina has been self-employed for the past month. How did she do it? Listen to the interview to learn how she did it along with stories from her childhood, art school days, and more!

Shop- https://mis0happy.storenvy.com/

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/mis0happy/

Twitter- https://twitter.com/mis0happy

Cornish College of the Arts- https://www.cornish.edu/

Big Bud Press- https://bigbudpress.com/

Kaiami - https://www.instagram.com/kaiami/

ChiChi Little- https://www.instagram.com/chichilittle/

1- Not all art schools are as intense as they’re stereotyped to be. Nina found her school to be no more hectic than the average college experience so if you’re worried about that, maybe you shouldn’t be!

2- Criticism can be taken 2 ways: 1) you can either be angry or 2) you can step into the other person’s shoes to see their point of view and possibly use those perspectives for future art... or you can just not listen to criticism that is not constructive!

3- Making art friends is akin to networking. Not only do they provide emotional support but they can help you in your career as well. Networking is not always as scary as it sounds!

4- Drawing fan art can attract people who share your interests. There’s a good chance that if they like your fan art in your style that they will also like your original art.

5- One way to grow a loyal following is to be genuine and share parts of your life with your community. They will feel more connected to you and become invested not only in your art but you as a person.

6- Before you quit your job to be self-employed, make sure you have things in order. Make sure you know your profits and losses and that you make enough money to not only survive but to live comfortably.

7- When you’re self-employed, make sure to have multiple sources of income. This helps when some flows of income inevitably slow down. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket!

8- Take inspiration from daily life to continuously produce new ideas. Keep track of those ideas somewhere so you have something to reference when inspiration runs dry.

9- Amazon is pretty good at handling art theft so don’t hesitate to report it if you see your art being stolen on Amazon. (This does get complicated though if it’s fan art due to copyright issues)

10- Create continuously. Be patient, when the time is right you will be able to work for yourself. Create a community who will support you and your work.

Kristina is a digital artist who creates adorable digital illustrations for her brand Cheery Human Studios. She used to do UI/ UX design for the tech industry and transitioned into creating her own personal brand. How did she go about that and what helped her along the way? Listen to her story to find out!

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WHERE TO FIND Kristina:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cheeryhumanstudios

Website: https://cheeryhumanstudios.com

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THINGS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

Danielle Boinay - https://www.danielleboinay.com/

(I also have an episode I did with Danielle! https://www.theartjourneypodcast.com/episodes/2018/12/19/ep-4-danielle-boinay-on-making-unique-art-products-and-finding-your-style)

Katnipp Illustrations - https://www.katnipp.com/

(I also have an episode I did with Katnipp! https://www.theartjourneypodcast.com/episodes/katnipp)

Designer Con - https://www.designercon.com/

Creative Pep Talk Podcast - http://www.creativepeptalk.com/

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EPISODE LESSONS:

1- The skills you learn in your day job can help you when/if you decide to build your own brand. Whether or not you currently work in art, the lessons you've learned will help you.

2- Don't be afraid to do something even before you have it all figured out. Figuring it out as you go along can be a great way to learn and there's no better time than now to start doing whatever it is you wanna do!

3- Internships are amazing tools for developing your career and skills so if you have the opportunity to do an art internship: DO IT.

Eliza Kapitan is a podcaster and creative director from NYC. Her art varies wildly and is always producing new and interesting pieces. Her art journey is equally interesting having worn many hats in her 20+ year career. Listen to how she found her way through art and how she makes a living doing what she loves.

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WHERE TO FIND Eliza:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveelizadesign/

Website: https://love-eliza.com/

Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crafthangout/

Podcast Website: https://www.crafthangout.com/

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THINGS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

Lila Rogers painting class: https://makeartthatsells.com/online-courses/lillas-art-recipes-drawing-faces-self-paced/

Don’t Keep Your Day Job podcast w/ Cathy Heller

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EPISODE LESSONS:

1- Don’t be afraid to gettin scrappy. People will tell you a career in art is not viable unless you become an art teacher or something else that’s socially acceptable. Forge your own path in a way that feels most authentic to yourself and your career will grow and follow

2- Push past the weird, ugly phase. Sometimes you feel like your art, or career, has reached a point where you feel like you ruined it. You haven’t. You need to relax and keep going. This is where the real magic happens

3- Find the sweet spot where your art and what’s popular meet. This is where you will most likely find success

Nicolette Leigh is an artist from North Carolina who produces colorful and whimsical art both in the traditional and digital worlds. She's a part-time artist who dreams of going full-time. Learn what steps she's taking and where she is in her own art journey!

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WHERE TO FIND Nicolette:

Instagrams:

https://www.instagram.com/nicolettelyarts/

https://www.instagram.com/earlynerdstudio/

Website: https://www.nicoletteleigharts.com/shop1

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THINGS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

"Notice what you notice" - Allen Ginsburg
What's pareidolia? https://earthsky.org/human-world/seeing-things-that-arent-there

Creative Pep Talk podcast w/ Andy J. Pizza
Don’t Keep Your Day Job podcast w/ Cathy Heller
The Saavy Painter podcast
Positively Creative podcast

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EPISODE LESSONS:

1. Start building an audience with your friends and inner circle.

2. Don’t be afraid to change your path even if you think you’re too far down a different path. it’s never too late to try changing your path back to art

3. The more no’s the better. it means youre closer to your next yes

4. Plan things in advance. you want to be in art show? you need to start planning now! take action

Kolbie Blume is a hand lettering and watercolor artist from Washington DC. Kolbie’s art is very much inspired by the beauty of life and nature coupled with inspiring quotes. Learn about her art journey from being a kid who thought she was terrible art to having a unique art business that combines hand lettering, painting, and communication!

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WHERE TO FIND Kolbie:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thiswritingdesk/

Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThisWritingDesk?ref=search_shop_redirect

Website: https://www.writingdeskcreativeco.com/

Skillshare Classes: https://www.skillshare.com/profile/Kolbie-Blume/3373158

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THINGS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

Andy J. Pizza’s Dad’s Quote Art- https://www.instagram.com/p/BpjtcizAbdV/

“Everything is figureoutable”― Marie Forleo

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EPISODE LESSONS:

1. The most important step to becoming a good artist is believing that you can be a good artist.

2. Handlettering is closer to drawing than it is to handwriting so if you’re an artist interesting in learning how to do it, go for it!

3. The fear of making the leap of becoming a full-time independent artist never 100% goes away. So make sure you have your financial affairs in order (make sure you’re making enough money to sustain yourself + accumulate some savings) and any remaining fear might just have to be ignored!