I have no idea how this is going to go but there’s only one way to find out. Maybe something will come of it. It feels kind of strange. Oddly.
It shouldn’t feel weird to sell your artwork but it does. It may feel this way because I haven’t done so well when I’ve tried to sell my work before.
I can remember two attempts: PARK and Concept. It must have been over a decade ago when I put my work up for sale.
PARK was just starting out and had organized a sale at the University of Calgary. You had to apply for a spot on a field and they offered me one. I don’t remember selling anything. I remember the excitement of getting ready for it, though.
Concept was a bar that featured artists’ work on their walls. I think I got in because there was a gap in the bookings. I remember selling one piece to a friend of mine. I also remember giving away a few. Concept is closed now.
Selling myself or my work has never been a strength of mine. I don’t like the sales aspect of it. It’s not that I don’t believe in my work but I don’t want to convince anyone of its value. The truth is that you need to if you want people to buy it. I still don’t want to.
In any case, I signed up for Redbubble this afternoon and posted a photograph (the image at the top). The picture I posted is one that a friend of mine had asked to purchase after seeing it on my Instagram feed. I figured that that was a good enough reason to post it for other people to purchase – someone liked it, right? I didn’t charge him for the picture.
There’s a lot to learn about selling in an online market, especially one so large and varied as Redbubble. People are buying things based on an image of what they’ll actually receive and are judging it based on their tastes and preferences. It’s going to be interesting trying to figure this all out.
If you’re curious, here’s the link to my Redbubble shop: AlyGArt.
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