What does an "art life" look like?

I've wanted to be an artist since I was a little kid, but imposter syndrome stole decades from me. (I wasn't good enough, so why bother? Everyone else was already so much better.) For last ten years, I've been fighting to win that passion back.

Now I draw every day. I draw in my journal and sketchbooks, and I'm even trying to find ways to incorporate art into my writing projects. Last year, I published a short story ("Flowers with Teeth" in Worlds of Possibility) that included an illustration by me, and my middle grade book, Puzzleheart, contained over a dozen of my spot illustrations.

I don't want to lose my joy of creating, but at the same time, I want to start making some money, since the book biz is notoriously stingy on that front. What does that look like?

What I Don't Want

I sell designs on Tee Public now, and sometimes one will take off, but I make very little on those sales – usually $0.50 per sticker and $2 per t-shirt. It's not steady and the designs that sell aren't always what excites me to create. It's a good side hustle, but not where I want to be.

I also know that I don't want to buy fancy printers and sticker cutters and package dozens of small orders. That sounds like a nightmare. I've watched some "Pack orders with me" videos on YouTube, and they fill me with dread. So if I sell stuff, it will have to be digital, or it will have to sell for a sufficiently large sum to make it worthwhile to deal with packaging.

I also don't love doing in-person shows. Interacting with people is mentally and physically exhausting for me. I lose several days beforehand to stress, and several days afterwards to recovery. If I make $100-200 at the show, it's a bit hard to justify considering I've lost over a week of work.

On the other hand, sometimes it's fun if I get to "table" with friends and sell their art to strangers, instead of my own. I'll do these when they seem appealing, but in-person shows will not be a cornerstone to whatever business I develop.

What I Do Want

To spend more time creating than managing a business. To be a part of a community. To know that I'm contributing to people's lives. To bring joy.

I don't yet know how that makes money. Maybe I'll sell downloadable designs that folks can make into cards, or turn into stickers for their journals. Maybe I'll make some zines or chapbooks that combine art and words. Maybe I'll find another print-on-demand site to sell prints.

The path forward is still unclear, but at least I have somewhere to start.

Wallpaper Freebie!

For now, this place will be my community, and it makes me happy to give you stuff. I took one of my dragons from "Jenn's Year of Dragons"– a full 365-day drawing challenge that I only managed to do for about 145 days – and turned it into a desktop and phone wallpaper.

Desktop Wallpaper (Free)

"Dragon Chat" by Jenn Reese

Artwork license: For personal use only. Please do not share, sell, or re-use in commercial works. Thank you!

Hi-Res Image for Downloaad

Phone Wallpaper (Free)

"Dragon Chat" by Jenn Reese

Artwork license: For personal use only. Please do not share, sell, or re-use in commercial works. Thank you!

Hi-Res Image for Download

I'm new to this, so feedback is welcome! Are the sizes okay? Are they easy to download and use? Do you have requests for future wallpapers?

And I guess that request goes for this newsletter in general, too. What do you want me to talk about? What do you want to see?

Thanks for listening.

Jenn