Inspired by the cover illustration of the Spring SCBWI Bulletin by Sophie Blackall

Sketch of the Day - Drawing is FUN! Dear Cintiq 24 HD, I love you already. We're in for the long haul. xoxo

A video blog by Molly Hahn based on her web blog series "Transcending Survival" at http://www.mollyannehahn.blogspot.com

Onward with Bravery!

I recorded this earlier today and had to learn some video tricks in order to compress & upload it. Nevertheless, I am honored to share my first video blog, "Up Close & Personal with Molly Hahn, aka Mollycules", inspired by a blog series I've started titled "Transcending Survival". In today's broadcast, I recount the affects of not being "allowed" to have friends growing up and how I've been able to transform trauma into opportunity and inspiration. Enjoy & Namaste.

Inspired by my blog post earlier this week on "How to Make Money Doing Art...or Anything Else That You LOVE: Lesson 1 - Support is Everywhere".

♥Have a Beautiful Day♥

totally felt like the little purple guy early this morning :0)

I've had a number of requests to start a blog or podcast about how to make money doing art. Initially I the avoided the subject because it seemed daunting...there really isn't ONE answer.

Personally, I identify less with what our society thinks of as an "artist". I am a storyteller.  I choose illustration and children's fiction as my primary medium and it has evolved to become my business.  

I am grateful to share the tools that have helped nurture the garden of prosperity and thus have given me the space and time to explore my creative desires.  But I ask of you just one thing:

Please let go.

Of everything - YES - I mean everything that society has told you about right brains verse left brains. About not being able to be good at numbers.  That artists must starve and suffer to be good.  That our economy totally sucks and that it's really hard to get anything off the ground.

What you believe in your mind is transmitted into a behavior.  That behavior becomes an engrained belief and then becomes an action.  If you really think that you can't do something, then that becomes a reality. If you believe in yourself that you CAN, the tools and support to get you there will clearly be revealed.

Lesson #1: Support is everywhere.

Learn to ask for what you need. Relationships are soooooooo important.  I couldn't have started out without the support of my friends and community. My first book was funded by a small group of people that I had developed good relationships with.  I put together a business plan (I winged it!), projected my expenses, created a video blog to pitch my idea, and then emailed a group of friends that I knew believed in me with the attached plan and link to the video.

In two days I raised $2,500. 

That capital gave me the kickstart to get my first 50 books printed for a major trade show.  I sold out the first day.

Looking back, 50 books is really not that much...but a majority of those 50 people that purchased those books?  Well, they are returning customers. Some of them post about my work on Facebook.  It all comes back.

And continues to grow.

If your starting from scratch, get really specific about the project that you want to complete and itemize what they expenses are.  Don't get scared....remember - LET GO.  Think of it like baking a cake and needing to go the grocery store.  Basic materials.  Paper? Pens? Software? Graphic Tablet? Computer?

If you get caught up in the "But it's so hard to make it as an artist, how will I ever make it?", give that voice a hug and move on. 

So you have your basic materials listed that are needed to make it happen.  Now, how much time do you project that you will need to get this done?  Consider what you would pay yourself per hour to work on it and then multiply it by your hourly.  Factor that into your cost. 

I want you to add the "needed materials cost" + "how much you would pay yourself for your time cost" and write it down somewhere.  We will call this figure A.

Now, divide figure A by two.  This is figure B.

Add figure B to figure A.  This new number is figure C.

Now, write this following sentence down, "I will need about 'Fig. A - Fig. C" to get this project started".

If your feeling sassy and your brain isn't hurting at this point, I challenge you to project further down the road and consider things like fees for exhibiting at a specific convention (Wondercon? Alternative Press Expo?  A trade

Happy Valentines Days From Mollycules