First, a heartfelt thanks to all my new visitors and regular readers. You all rock.
Over the past year I’ve moved into the tighter, cozier space that is my niche market: children’s educational publishing. It’s nice and uncluttered in here. I can breathe a little better. My posts here have followed suit, focusing on children’s book publishing and creating educational media for the little nippers.
Anyone who knows me vaguely well understands that I am all about art being a business. That is, art that you intend to make a living from. There are some who long to live simultaneously in dual worlds; Van Gogh’s and Bill Gates’s. Hope and luck do not make an art career (or an economy). Hard work and business acumen can.
My life drawing teacher at the American Academy of Art used to gesture across Michigan Avenue to the Fine Art school and, in his crackly Lithuanian accent, tell abstract students to join their friends. He was teaching us how to make a living with objective art rather than starve with subjective doodles.
Nothing wrong with Fine Art or Abstract art. I enjoy it immensely. It’s just a chancy way of making rent.
I got carried away for a moment, forgive me. Back to the present!
I’ve been a longtime fan of Home Office Warrior, an excellent blog for, well, people who work from home. Even as one of those “artist types” I found an environment that’s all about making money from doing what you love in your own home office. It ain’t easy. At least there are others willing to share their wisdom and experience.
I was recently asked to be a regular contributor to HOW. It took me all of 30 seconds to consider before committing to a weekly post for the online magazine. I’m really excited about this and honored to be among some very smart people.
I urge you to check it out and add it to your feed subscriptions. There’s so much knowledge there, it’s crazy to pass it up.
So of course I’ll still be writing here regularly, but I can focus on publishing and children’s media here and write about freelance business issues on HOW.
It’s a great opportunity and I’m honored to accept the challenge.
Thanks again for reading and I hope to inspire some great conversations in both places.