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The Road to Artist Alley Part I: Falling in Love
Road to Artist Alley is a blog series dedicated to, well, being a part of Artist Alley at conventions. Each entry in the series is meant to discuss different aspects of preparation but are not necessarily hardcore tutorials. Their aimed at making you think, hopefully chuckle, and encourage you along the way!
I'm sure we've all heard the adage "Find what you love and you won't work a day in your life," yes? Well, it's not quite right. The truth is, you will never work harder than when it's on something you're in love with.
If you're new to Spice & Rose family, you missed out on some interesting years. Seven of them in fact. You see, when I was a wee lass with a glimmer of hope in my eyes and a song in my heart, I wasn't an illustrator. I was a sculptor. For seven years, I filled my Artist Alley booth with hundreds (and boy do I mean HUNDREDS) of cell phone charms, jewelry pieces, and sculptures all handcrafted by yours truly. I went through block upon block of polymer clay creating everything from fandoms I thought were sure fire sellers. And I have the carpal tunnel to prove it. I had no name for myself, no business sense, and committed many, MANY awful mistakes along the way. I've gone over some of my reasons for getting away from clay and changing my studio name in the past, and I'm not going to waste your time going over those reasons again. If you're interested, you'll find that blog entry linked in the side bar. No, I'm here to discuss the #1 motivator for artists in the Alley: Love. Love is why people create art. Love is what draws them to the convention floor. Love is why artists attempt to sell in the Alley, why they stay, why they change, and why they keep suffering through gas station hot dogs. And, much like any romance, falling out of love is the top reason for artists leaving the Alley and their craft.
I'm here to tell you, the fastest way to fall out of love with the Alley is to only focus your energy on what's popular and what's going to sell.
I see it happen all the time when a new artist hits the scene: they blow up their feed and pick their friends' brains on what's popular right now. They hyperfocus on franchises they normally wouldn't have any interest in, forcing themselves to expend their creative energy on art they only feel "okay" about. I am guilty of doing the same thing. Time and time again, I would freak out right before a convention, worried that I didn't have the right amount of popular stuff. I would make charms from the franchises my social media feed told me to make and--shocker--they didn't always sell.
One year in particular I created a ton of Evangelion charms, convinced that the Internet wouldn't lie to me. I didn't sell a single one, and spent the next 3 years trying to get rid of them. Those attempts often ended in confused pre-teens asking "What's an Evangelion?"
I'm not even a fan of the anime. I like the visual style, but the story just isn't my thing. I couldn't even inform these youngins about one of the most infamous anime of all time. I just couldn't care less.
And don't even get me started on what happened when I filled the art binder with League of Legends prints. I have so many prints left over, I've started giving them away for free. And I still have enough left over to start a sizeable inferno.
Only creating what is popular, regardless of how you feel about the franchise, is a shortcut to burnout city. Your art will suffer, and your spirit will suffer more. Over time, you'll feel so drained, you'll begin to wonder why you go to conventions. You'll stop having fun or seeing any benefit to creating anymore. If you're new to the Alley, or even a war-grizzled veteran, I encourage you to find the right balance between what is popular and what you actually love. Go ahead and create that original drawing you've been dying to. Indulge yourself in a creating an old school anime collection, or art from that niche video game franchise. Go all out and show your D&D loving self! Whatever you love, make room for it on the table.
Of course, if you only offer what you love, you run the risk of not having an audience. So, offer a few prints of that shiny new anime that's popping up everywhere. Open commissions during the convention and let the commissioner decide your fate. But limit how much energy you spend on what you don't love. Think of popular titles as an appetizer for new patrons browsing your table. That badass Attack on Titan poster can lure new patrons in, and then you can have a great time showing them all you have to offer.
Better yet, when you have a patron who's over the moon that you offer that poster, engage them. Ask them why they like that anime so much, or who their favorite character is. Who knows? Maybe their enthusiasm will encourage you to give that series a go, and you'll find something new to fall in love with too!
After all, the Alley is all about showing what you love and sharing that love with everyone you meet!
