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Only a few more days until October first! If you like to draw, then that means looking forward to Inktober, the 31 day art challenge. It is an art challenge, (not contest) and there are very few rules, and no prizes. But that doesn't mean you can't use Inktober (or any art challenge) as a way to help boost your art and design business a little bit. |
Sometimes when we work from home it can be hard to "excuse ourselves" to do something just for fun. Especially if that takes time away from building our other income streams or brands.
If you are creative though, an art challenge can help you in many ways, such as expanding your social media reach, attracting more people to your website or blog, increasing your productivity skills. giving you practice, and earning a little extra cash.
Here are some ways you can make Inktober both fun and lucrative:
If you are creative though, an art challenge can help you in many ways, such as expanding your social media reach, attracting more people to your website or blog, increasing your productivity skills. giving you practice, and earning a little extra cash.
Here are some ways you can make Inktober both fun and lucrative:
1. Send People to Your Website
If you are going to take part in Inktober, why not blog about it? Share some of your pieces, and anything you learn along the way. You can even include video clips of your process.
When you share your drawings on social media, you can link them to your site. If you are an artist with a gallery page or shop, then this could potentially put hundreds (or thousands) of new eyes on your work.
No matter what type of site you have, if you are doing a challenge, then your readers will probably be interested in knowing things like:
- How you make time for creating
- What motivates or inspires you
- Things you've learned
- The meanings behind certain drawings
- Ways that taking on a month long challenge helped or hindered you.
You can share affiliate links to products you used, or offer some of your creations as free sign-up incentives.
2. Sell Your Art on POD Sites
Once you have finished a drawing, there are so many places you can sell it. If it is a small drawing or a pattern, then it will probably look great on hundreds of different Zazzle products.
This Snowman hatching snowballs design from my 2016 Inktober drawings was popular last winter.
You can also try places like Society 6, Redbubble, Fine Art America, or Cafe Press.
Each site has a type of art that seems to do better than others, so it pays to browse around to see what is popular on each site. Then you can match your art to the right market.
This Snowman hatching snowballs design from my 2016 Inktober drawings was popular last winter.
You can also try places like Society 6, Redbubble, Fine Art America, or Cafe Press.
Each site has a type of art that seems to do better than others, so it pays to browse around to see what is popular on each site. Then you can match your art to the right market.
3. Etsy
You can sell originals or printables from your art on Etsy. If you've created some highly detailed artwork that isn't colored in yet, you can sell the line art as a coloring page printable.
You can sell originals or printables from your art on Etsy. If you've created some highly detailed artwork that isn't colored in yet, you can sell the line art as a coloring page printable.
4. Motifs?
Maybe your drawings are smaller, or you like to "doodle" rather than draw elaborate pieces. You can clean these up and use them to decorate other printables, such as to-do lists or planner pages.
You can even market them to other bloggers to use for graphics or clip art.
Maybe your drawings are smaller, or you like to "doodle" rather than draw elaborate pieces. You can clean these up and use them to decorate other printables, such as to-do lists or planner pages.
You can even market them to other bloggers to use for graphics or clip art.
5. Sell Off-Line
You can create affordable prints of your art (or the originals!) and place them for sale locally.
If you created something that is more of a motif than a full art piece, you could add it to crafts or other items to sell, if you prefer.
(For instance, a cute flower wreath you doodled might look amazing on a sign.)
You can create affordable prints of your art (or the originals!) and place them for sale locally.
If you created something that is more of a motif than a full art piece, you could add it to crafts or other items to sell, if you prefer.
(For instance, a cute flower wreath you doodled might look amazing on a sign.)
6. Repurpose Your Creations
If you blog, you've probably seen advice about "repurposing your content", such as taking a post and making it into a series, filming it as a video, turning it into snippets that can be tweeted, making an infographic, etc.
Basically, taking one creation and altering it to make several different creations.
You can do that with your Inktober art too! Let's say you draw a really amazing sloth. ( I know you can.) You could just sell the sloth original and be happy. Or you could put it to work in several places at once, by using the examples above:
You can also change him up. Do different versions...brown sloth, pink sloth, etc. Do a version that has some motivational text added. That can also be sold as a print, a products, or a printable.
Let's say you recently remodeled your kitchen and want to write a post about all the creative DIY stuff you did. Before you take photos, hang up your sloth art. Make sure to include it with a link in your list of things seen in your photos.
Not only will you probably sell some art, you may create a trend where sloths in kitchens are a thing.
If you blog, you've probably seen advice about "repurposing your content", such as taking a post and making it into a series, filming it as a video, turning it into snippets that can be tweeted, making an infographic, etc.
Basically, taking one creation and altering it to make several different creations.
You can do that with your Inktober art too! Let's say you draw a really amazing sloth. ( I know you can.) You could just sell the sloth original and be happy. Or you could put it to work in several places at once, by using the examples above:
- Selling the whole artwork as a print
- Selling it as printable art
- Selling the lineart as a coloring page
- Putting the sloth on several products on a POD site
- Adding the sloth as a motif to printables on your blog
You can also change him up. Do different versions...brown sloth, pink sloth, etc. Do a version that has some motivational text added. That can also be sold as a print, a products, or a printable.
Let's say you recently remodeled your kitchen and want to write a post about all the creative DIY stuff you did. Before you take photos, hang up your sloth art. Make sure to include it with a link in your list of things seen in your photos.
Not only will you probably sell some art, you may create a trend where sloths in kitchens are a thing.
7. Portfolio and Promotion
Even if you choose not to sell your Inktober creations right away, they can still help you. If you make the whole 31 days, then you've added a lot of extra work to your portfolio.
At the very least, each piece is a new way to promote your creativity both offline and on the internet.
Even if you choose not to sell your Inktober creations right away, they can still help you. If you make the whole 31 days, then you've added a lot of extra work to your portfolio.
At the very least, each piece is a new way to promote your creativity both offline and on the internet.
Are You Joining the Challenge This Year?
If you like to doodle a little, but don't necessarily market yourself as an artist, you can still have fun joining Inktober. Creating every day is good for the brain, and doodling is relaxing.
If you want tips to get ready, I wrote a post about organizing and planning for Inktober on my artist website. You can check out the official rules and history of Inktober here, and see the prompt list for 2017.
I will be posting my work on my art site, my Facebook page, and my Instagram. I hope to see you and your art around the internet this year too!
If you want tips to get ready, I wrote a post about organizing and planning for Inktober on my artist website. You can check out the official rules and history of Inktober here, and see the prompt list for 2017.
I will be posting my work on my art site, my Facebook page, and my Instagram. I hope to see you and your art around the internet this year too!
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