Got another review on my Etsy Shop. How fulfilling!
Writing a review is time-consuming and sometimes boring, but when we buy stuff we make sure to read the company’s reviews.
In today’s market, reviews are an essential part of the business. Whether you are buying or selling online, this is valuable information. It is part of the purchasing process to make informed decisions, to check if their service is reliable, trustworthy, and responsive.
Online stores depend on this feedback to create sales and attract new customers. Shoppers rely on these unbiased comments. Haven’t you ever relied on a review?
So, come on! Pay It Forward, help your fellow humans, and small business owners. I promise, you will feel great about it. Leave a review next time you buy online.
Think of the Love you could be spreading!! ❤
Thank you all! Have a 5 star Tuesday!!! 😉
PS. Here’s the review my customer left on my shop.
We just came back from Salt Lake City, a week-long vacation. The experience was fantastic! 😀
I was in awe by the breathtaking views, wonderful highways and beautiful people. The vast landscape and snow peaks were expected. The intricate and well designed roadways took me by surprise. However, I was blown away by the welcoming attitude of most residence and the integrity of one FedEx store employee, named Vance.
I included below some of the pictures I took on our way to the mountains and the story about Vance.
Although, I tried to capture the vast plains and gorgeous scenery, it is impossible to convey the impression of being surrounded by these tall and massive rock formations, the sounds of walking on the white blanket of flaky powder nor the feeling of being there connecting with nature.
Some of you asked me, when am I going to post new paintings? 😀 The truth is that I delayed the new posts in purpose for a very simple, yet important reason: Copyright issues.
I took a few weeks off last December to do some remodeling around the apartment. I did not paint, but I did read and listened to instructional videos about marketing, licensing and sharing art online. To tell you the truth, the information was overwhelming.
In short, I decided to copyright every painting I create from now on.
Below, I included a list of sites to explain some of the whys and the hows in connection to this subject. I e-filed my first copyright a couple of weeks ago through the US official site. The step by step process was easy to follow and they do have a link “How to Register a Work“. Nothing to be afraid of 😀 ! One thing I should mention is that it costs $35 for each time you submit a request. However, the good news is that you may include multiple unpublished pieces of art in one single application.
The keyword is “unpublished“.
To make it simple:
– Published Art: A single application must be file.
– Unpublished Art: As long as all pieces have never been published, you may include it in one single application.
This is the reason I am holding off on posting new paintings. My plan is to file an application by the end of each month. I also want to copyright some of my published pieces, but that will take time.
Remember, this includes photography, illustration and any type of visual art.
Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week! 😀
It is a rainy day in sunny Florida, leaving me no option but to stay inside to exercise.
I know I am supposed to be posting new paintings, but I had to share this excellent website with free yoga videos.
Mat on the floor, yoga pants on and CD in hand, I realized I didn’t have the CD Player connected… oops! Without delay and before I make it an excuse not to exercise, I Google yoga classes online. The search came with many options, so I clicked on the first one, www.doyogawithme.com, where it offered yoga classes, of all levels and for free 😀 . A great concept, because it lets you try it out, and eventually, if you like it, you may buy the CD or download the video in HD for a small fee.
Anyway, I did it!!! A beginners class of course and LOVED IT!!!! If you have wondered about taking some yoga classes, this could be a great start.
It was Fantastic, not because I sold some pieces of artwork, but because I had the most amazing experience and (tent) neighbors.
We (Rob and I) started to set up at 5:30 am, just like all the other artists. My level of enthusiasm was high. I greeted everyone that passed by. It helped break the ice and introduced ourselves to our neighbors. However, it was not the time for chatting. Everyone was on a mission to build their tents and get ready before the crowd arrived.
Once the art hanged neatly and the cars out-of-the-way, I changed my clothes and got our coffee fix. It was time to relax. Then we realized, we didn’t have chairs… heehee. Thank God the metro-rail was close by. Rob went to buy a couple of comfy chairs at a near by Sporting Goods Store. He saved the day! 😀 (lesson learned!)
Saturday was slow, as the experts said, but it gave us a chance to talk to our next-door fellow artists. Mano, the artist, and his wife Cucki, which by the way he won 1st Place in his category. Two amazing souls. At the end of the day, people zipped up their tents and went home. We knew that because our tent didn’t have a front (to close it up) we would have to take the art with us. That meant upload the car again, bring it down at home, reload the next morning to take it back to the event. In other words, a mission!! But like angels in disguised, Cucki and Mano, offered us to leave it all inside their tent. We didn’t have enough words to express our appreciation. They saved us!!! And we’ll forever be grateful for their generosity.
Sunday was busy! The weather was cooler, but still lots of sun. The good thing was that there were trees along the sidewalk, providing shade throughout the day. I had a chance to interact with the fair goers. It was a great experience. Some friends that I hadn’t seen in years, came by to visit. It was such a joy! 😀 I also had time to talk to my other next-door neighbor Witha, the artist, and her husband Bill. Witha also won 1st Place in her category. Adorable people as well. Rob talked to Bill the day before. I spoke to Witha on Sunday and she also gave me good pointers.
Through out the event, both neighbors (to my left and right side) were incredibly kind. They gave us years of advice (the does and don’ts) about fairs, tents, set up and much more. Positive energy was flowing all around us. And to keep that energy going, below is a list with the advice they shared with us and my experience about the event.
Things I learned:
– Make a List of everything that you need and will take to the event.
– Bring comfy chairs
– Don’t seat inside your tent, be close by and let people look at your work before approaching.
– Have lots of business cards. In my case, i took my cute and a bit expensive ones (don’t do that) and the postcards with all my info. I realized that some people loved my little cards so much that took way too many. So, after a while I had to hide them and replaced them with the postcards, which cost nothing compare to the tiny cards. Below are some pictures of both types. If you would like to place an order for the tiny cards, here is the link.
– I believe on clearly pricing your art. Some people shy away because they don’t know if they can afford it.
– Also, before I forget, a sign with your name or web address is important. I made mine with canvas. It was super easy and cheap compared to banners.
– Be ready to give discounts! If I saw someone interested, I immediately offered a % discount. Yours could be 10, 15 or 20, just make sure to know how much you are willing to sell it for. Some people will take what you give them, others will ask for more.
– To make your set up fast and easy, know exactly where your art will be hanged. To do this, I put the tent up at home and hanged all my work as I wanted it, and then took pictures to remember how it was. If later, you want to change things a bit, which I did, it is much easier. The cheapest and most effective way to do mine was with chains. I will try to write about it and post it later, with pictures.
– If possible, have someone to help you through out the event. I was blessed that Rob was there the first day and my mom the second. There are times you need to go to the bathroom, eat, take a break, talk to clients or just do nothing.
– Be ready to talk about your art, the process, why you choose that medium, how does it make you feel, etc. Some people love to ask all kinds of questions, to get to know the artist. Most people buy art because of how the piece makes them feel, but remember this is also an investment. You could help close the deal by answering the questions with confidence and enthusiasm. I helped me sell four pieces. Yay!!
– A good way to break the ice is by asking which piece they like the most. Usually, they tell you and the reason why they like it. If not, ask why. Introduce yourself and then ask them their name (most important, remember – I was so nervous that the second they uttered their name, I forgot.. heehee).
– When you sell a small piece, have a bag to put it in. When you have a big one, have the plastic to wrap it around. I totally forgot about it!!!
– One of the most important lessons was the tent. First of all, it needs to be white. Not only because it is a requirement in most fairs (I got lucky this time) but because light reflects better. I opened the top of the wall in mine a bit, to help with the light. There is so much to talk about it that I thought it would be best to share with you a post about it below. This article was written by Mona Majorowicz. Check it out!
Tent: Shop around, eBay and Craigslist, are great places to get used tents. It will be much cheaper. If you are planning to attend a few shows per year, it will be a great investment to get a commercial type hut, new ones could cost up to $2,000. There is a lot of things to consider when buying a tent, but I found this amazing article by Mona Majorowicz listing all the different types of tents and the cons and pros about them.
I hope this post shade some light on how to prepare for an event like this one.
Have a great week!! 😀
These are the more expensive ones. Good to pass around to potential buyer.
Life Unbound 