Examine Your Motivation For Joining Faa.

money


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

that's the short answer, many people sell for many reasons but since you can display them any place, money will be the main factor... or at least the hope for money.

---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

I got laid off three times in a short period of time and was tired of relying on an employer for a paycheck. I wanted to create a business where I could make a living regardless if I had a traditional job or not. FAA was just one of the avenues of doing that and one of a few I explored as an online outlet for my work. It has been by far the most lucrative of my ventures and the only online venue I upload to or promote now.

money


---Floyd Snyder
http://FASGallery.com

It's satisfying to be able to sell your work in addition the forum is an information highway for artists. There is so much you can learn here. Just researching images at FAA and what shows up in different areas has brought me to new levels of appreciation for all kinds of art and continual inspiration for my own work.

To sell my work. The entertainment provided by the forum is just an added benefit.

Whenever I see people sharing goodness and hope with each other it makes me happy .... then I make a picture of it. Art is not a luxury, making the world smile one person at a time is my thing! Sales are the by product of this. ..... Money is a certificate of performance.

I'd like to know what motivates people to put work up on a print on demand site who have no interest in selling prints.

David, I'd like to know that answer too :)

We joined under the invitation of JC and hoped to showcase our work and perhaps have a few sales to supplement our income. Wow, have we ever been blessed!
We are thankful today for the opportunities to display and sell our work that Fine Art America has afforded us, as well as having a whole world-full of folks finding us here for licensing deals. We are thrilled, grateful, humbled, and honored.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!
Celebrate life, Debra and Dave

I am a current art teacher, my motivation is a place to exchange ideas and a site to promote my work for exhibitions. David, this site has been here for a while and is useful to artist for much more than print sales.

This is a Print on Demand site.... POD

So people mainly should be joining to sell work. However, the members and staff here are simply the best around so we draw in all artists, and some non artists, to chat and mingle also.

But it is a business site firstly so most are joining for that reason

She didn't say she was against selling, just that it wasn't her main motivation.

Mine was money...but...I haven't sold much here....but...my work was only fair to average initially. I have sold a little bit and I think overtime that will improve, particularly as I continue to upload new work. However, I quickly realised the value of the forum and community which actually has been invaluable to me in terms of improving what I make, etc etc which in turn HAS helped me earn more money in the long run, just mostly on another site. Now, I don't really promote any sites so much, I think it partly comes down to the difference in shoppers on different sites and what type of art they are interested in. I think mine just gets seen better elsewhere so far.

Ronald

My understanding is that FAA has been a sales platform since it's inception. How long it's been around has no bearing on my question, unless the capability to sell work was something that was added at some point after it was established.

David that is true, I joined as a way to promote and sale original works of art. It sounded like they would make the shift where originals could be purchased from this site as well as prints. This never materialized and so I could have just tossed the site out as being a waste of time but found other areas of use to me. FYI, ironically you can buy prints of my works as well as originals from my gallery.

Ego. Validation. Fun. Money.

- Richard Reeve
ReevePhotos.com

Organic free range chicken is my motivation. If I get a sale I'll have organic free range chicken instead of regular confined space factory chicken that month. Whole roasted organic free range chicken with light coating of fresh herbs, Himalayan pink salt and Indian black pepper is the greatest thing on earth. I'll convert my sale into free range chicken.

I'm with Richard. Honestly, it was to test the waters and see if my work would draw any interest. It's been a mixed bag. Some say they really like it, some find it pedestrian. I've seen way worse and way better here so that makes my work average. I'm OK with that for now. Odd thing is, my stuff that sells isn't anything I would choose, with one exception. Ironically, now that I finally have decent equipment my life has taken a turn and I don't shoot any more. Hopefully I will get back on track next year when I get back on the road.

The real benefit of being on FAA has been improving my skills. There is a wealth of talent and experience among the regulars that share here and that is invaluable.

I have been selling limited edition prints of my oil paintings for years. I have a couple sold out editions which led me to retire my "day job" to create and sell art prints full time. Unfortunately, illness forced me to scale way back. I was no longer able to adequately manage production, QC, packing, shipping, paperwork, etc., full time. Thankfully, POD services now handle most of this for me. I get to continue selling while no longer stressing about fulfilling orders myself. I can spend what energy I have creating and promoting - what I'm best at anyway.

Everybody wants sales, and that is a primary reason for joining FAA. I have a few other reasons though. First, we have 1400 images up, and when my wife's hard drive failed, all her best images were recoverable, now for 30 dollars a year that's not a bad deal. Also we want to show case our work, and enjoy seeing what others work is like, it's inspiring. We make the occasional sale, and enjoy that, but we enjoy comments and favs too.

Not everyone cares about sales, especially those who create just to create.

Roseann, I love your smile face spiral character...so cute. Thanks for asking an interesting question, I've enjoyed the responses.

I'm one of those people that sells original paintings on my Friday's that I don't work at my real job. I sigh every time I sell an original and I have to hear how much interest the customer has in my work...because artwork is a lot of work!

When I joined FAA, some of my artist friends were determined to get me involved in our local art galleries and into selling my art in wineries and I still haven't made time for any of it, but I'm well off and money hasn't been my main interest.

I don't want a hundred phone calls per day and I don't want to tell my husband every weekend that he has to box up a large painting and send it through the mail costing him time, energy and possibly money. It's a waste of time for us. Most of my artwork is the result of what others commission me to do privately and I'm happy with the work I get.

What I needed though from FAA, and what I really wanted was/is a historical account of my work and that is something I didn't have. Over the years of painting, I never took pictures. To think of all the work I've sold, given and performed on walls, I never took pictures. I must have if I take twenty years times a conservative count of 100 paintings per year, 2000 paintings out there somewhere but I never took pictures of them and I wished I had now.

No regrets though, I'm beginning a new career in art with a refreshed attitude that I love this work I do and I'm going to continue to do it. I don't have any delusions of grandeur and I'm giving myself five years to accomplish a few goals in the art world. It took at least five years to get good in my other job so that is why I chose five years. I've set some goals although none of them are money related, they have to do with exhibitions and setting higher standards of conduct, finishing things better and pricing my originals. And more but I don't want to bore everyone.

I joined to sell, to show, but I haven't kicked into marketing mode yet, though; so, showing's the thing for now. Reading Lisa's reply, I've just adopted the archival purpose, too. Thanks Lisa! And Happy Thanksgiving to all!

To firstly respond to you, Lisa...........you will never, ever be boring, m'lady. On top of which, all your Art is unique !! Keep going towards huge success away from your day job,lol........

Roseann, this is an interesting Discussion for the thoughtful who are not too busy creating, to have time to answer. Probably, it is said, only 1% of the FAA population attend this forum, fyi.

FAA is 'home' to a cross-section of Artists, is a warm, friendly place to 'be', is a font of information for the ones who need elucidation on POD procedures,sales,uploads...ALL.

Sales, to answer you directly, do not motivate me.......though I've had a few..........Rather, being in the company of like minds, supportive friends, and having this place to park my work so I can share it with those interested, is motivation enough, now. I 'retired' from even FAA, when life brought on health and mental health issues, and on each 'come-back' I was
rewarded by the Community and encouraged to carry on.........where else would one find such cameraderie?....

Thank you, FAA........et al......

The chance to sell my art must be the primary reason because without that I would have never joined.

Yes, sales ! My work attracts interest and I joined here on the recommendation of my cousin who apparently sells quite well. No sales directly from the site , but the point is I now HAVE a site to attract potential customers. I have been motivated to try marketing on social media since I started here,
I'm also with JC on this one - layoff, back in work - alternative channels for making a living - this is one.

Sales can validate in several ways. I That's nice for anyone.

I have been painting for so long and I paint so much that I am running out of room. I can't come close to selling all I produce. But produce I must, selling or not.

At first it was for sales, and promotions of my works.Yes I had sold a few pieces of my originals here but none on prints so far. Some sort of my vanity site, that I usually present as an inclusion when I present proof of works to galleries Going on my 5'th year on FAA btw. I was just so surprised how this community has embraced me and accepted me as one of thier peers and equal. As if its like family. Despite of distance, country,and beliefs and inspite of just an artsite on the net, a bond is formed here on FAA. Fellow artist willing to share thier experiences and advices on how to improve your works. Always willing to give a helping hand. You'll be amazed how fellow artist goes beyond just being a member here. Its a place of solace when one has a problem,may it be personal, financial, or a heartache.We make a shoutout when we recieve a good news! We mourn when a fellow artist had passed and had touched us as if you've known him/her for a long time. We rejoice when a fellow artist becomes a mom,a dad, a grandad, or a grandma. Or even had a new pet. We sympathize when a fellow member is undergoing pain due to a sickness such as cancer,or suffering mental stress.Here on FAA they accepts the good, the bad, and the crazies. But all in all I can say I have been a member in other artsites, but FAA just goes beyond that,as if its home, its family.

"...Motivation For Joining FAA?"


Completing my third year here the end of this month, and except for a specific thread I participate in frequently with some members I consider online friends, I'm still wondering about that motivation thing. :)

I guess the motivation is to have a place to show my photography work,....where it has a fair opportunity to be seen by others online.

I've always enjoyed the creative challenge of me against myself,...improving on work I've previously done.

Doing so with others who are more talented than I provides an interesting measuring stick as I continue to grow.

The infrequent $$$$ from an occasional sale,...provides a personal feeling of self achievement and accomplishment in my efforts.

Moreover though I am thankful to a power greater than myself,....for the gift in life of being able to persue what I love.

Thanks everybody for your remarks. I definitely want to make sales . I had a successful jewelry business on Ebay and Etsy at one time so I know the good feeling of having people like your work enough to pay for it. Just thought I'd throw out a question to get to know what some of you thought. Have a great holiday season.

At my day job it is a feast/famine relationship. I am either working 80-100 hours a week and basically am in work/sleep/work/sleep mode for a month or more orrrrr I'm working 20-40 hours/week. On days off I am out shooting/doing postwork after I have returned. Some days I'm out 2hours before sunrise, returning an hour after sunset.
I have in the past ordered canvases/prints for customers, had to pick them up, then deliver them etc etc. More time. There is never enough time.
I researched different sites, squarespace, 500pix, zen folio etc etc. None had EVERYthing I wanted. Until I came across FAA. It looks to be a really good fit for my schedule. It is only one part of the business equation, I realize this. I still have to do the ground work, market my work, contact clients, possibly start a blog. Do some social media etc, maybe even look into whitehat SEO etc. NOTHING comes easy. Including getting and post processing wildlife captures that people WANT to have on their walls at home or office.
I understand fully in joining a huge POD site like FAA it is easy to become "lost" in the crowd and no matter how good (or even if ones work is jussssst ok) no one is going to do the work for me(or you). And I am totally good with that. FAA offers everything I need andddd more!

PS: it's also just a great place to upload to for my own form of image back up. Hard drives die, computers crash. It's a good thing to have your most precious moments uploaded.

Thank you, Scott Holtslander.

Vivian, you are the best thing that's happened to me on FAA. I've always enjoyed your art and it has heavily influenced my own style or the style I want to master. Thank you for allowing that.

Dear Lisa, I thank you most sincerely. What more could one hope for than the admiration of one's peers, and seeing as the admiration is mutual !, then truly we are both inspired.
I have taken the liberty of quoting your post into my Bio, where I have just enough room now to post the treasured comments , but not all, that have become so important to me.
Thank you again, Lovely Lisa.

To create a market

Dave
http://www.bridburg.com

I joined because, yes, it would be nice to have more sales but also because art is my great escape. While I know I'm not as talented as a lot of artists on here, I can learn from them and hopefully, improve my skills and also because I think my friends on social media are sick of me posting my work on there...lol

Valerie, LOL!

Great thread topic, Roseann!

Selling my photographs and digital art prints has been my full-time job for more than a decade. But, I'm not famous -- so getting my name and work out into the world is critical to my survival. I've shown and sold my art through many sites over the years; FAA is not the first and won't be the last. It's just one of several income streams, both online and real-world, contributing to my bottom line.

The Internet is amazing for artists; at no other time in history would I have had the resources required to sell my work on five continents. With all the online options available, it's not required that I be a top seller on any one site to make the effort worthwhile . . . though I wouldn't mind that. ;-)

FAA's sales record and nicely formatted portfolios made joining this site a no-brainer.

Selling? Well yes I do enjoy selling. I enjoy just exhibiting the work too and making it more visible to more folks. I can only get so many people into my shop to see my work. The more that see it the more potential there is to sell it of course. I would keep producing it anyway but my ideal would be to make a real living with my calling as an artist. It's great to think of leaving a legacy for when I'm dead and gone but I'd very much like to enjoy something while I'm alive.

Photography (my case), unfortunately, is an expensive activity. If it's fine art, so... good lens, good accessories, etc. Forget it! Despite my conviction that good equipment is not capable of making good art alone.

But don't worry. This is for the weak ones. To make it a little harder, try living here in Brazil where everything you buy is sold as if it were made of gold 24k and everything you sell is made of cardboard. Believe me! It's hard, man...

But now, if you want to go further and do the unthinkable, nice! I like that! Consider that art here today, it is always in the background, for almost everyone almost everywhere. It's unforgiving. Artists. We're the elite, hooah! :) This is not a complaint at all, cause I know similar situations are scattered worldwide.

So, firstly my motivation is money, at least to pay for my equipment and travel without taking from my pocket.
Second and also very important because, who creates knows who was born to create will never stop creating. No way out. So, join one thing to another and try be happy!

Those of you who thought this will work, please raise your hands!

I also wanted to make sales but getting exposure and learning from other artists has been a bonus.

I joined for three reasons.

1. To have an online photo gallery of my local images to accompany my community-oriented website http://www.montereypeninsula.info

2. To ,sell prints..

3. Because $30 per year was a great price to allow me to do the above two things on a tight budget.

If money is your motivation, I think you'll sink to the depths of either ignorance or just sooner or later all of what you're doing will be a temporary infatuation.

Art is never and has never been driven by money even if some make it big. People are driven by money, but there are so many easier ways of making money while art will always cost in terms of labor and materials and the cost will be more than the profit on most days.

A hunger for love, or being passionate about our lives or the world we live in, or even the smallest details in life is the real reason for the love of art and creating it, or buying it.

Get rich quick schemes are the allure for a desperate person in need for money, but that is just my opinion.

But you and I are on FAA together so we shall see what it brings.

A new friend (4.5 yrs ago) who was also involved in photography and saw that I was an enthusiast, suggested I come to this site and that she had sold images here. I was retired and had nothing to loose and everything to gain plus it was something to help keep me busy as a retiree. Thankfully I don't have to depend on sales for my livelihood lol, but I'm giving it my best effort, as if my living DID depend on it.

I don't know what I'm doing when it comes to marketing but I'm trying. I'm sure marketing is the main key to selling work. I can't bring myself to pester friends or relatives to buy but I'm informing everyone I can of my work. I'm trying to build up some form of good reputation so whenever I have a milestone of some kind, donate use of an image(s), place in a contest here or elsewhere, or of course sell any of my work, I try to make the information available on social media and social gatherings. I'm diligent about keywords, search tags, etc., I've had some of my work printed to carry with me to certain functions. I've worked on quality for printing purposes and I've always had a unique perspective in most of my work and do some things with it to try and set me aside from the norm.

When you do get a sale, it's surprisingly exhilarating, especially back when they also greeted you at sign-on with the first page telling you about your sale. (@Abby - I hope they bring that feature back. It must have been an issue or I'm sure they would have kept it).

The major thing I like about FAA compared to some other sites is that they seem to eliminate most of the "red tape" when it comes to showing and selling your work. In other words, I don't have to package material, deal with the client one on one, offer a selection of accessories, matting, frames, etc., since that's done for me. The customer has a 30 day money back policy that frees me from any returns or related hassles. The printing company seems to be top notch from what I have seen. Improvements keep coming in design and what is offered to the public. Whatever, etc. on and on........

Bottom line for me - I want to make as much profit as I can but If I only make enough during the year to pay for my webpage (which is very reasonable compared to some other sites), the rest is all cake and ice-cream!

So for me, it's money, challenge, learning, and passion.

Learning, sharing, passion with artists communities around the globe and exploring my inner feeling of creative art as well as If I make a sale for extra money why not!

Sales for sure! I found FAA to be the most economical site so far where I can exhibit my images and not hassle with printing, shipping and doing the accounting work that goes along with the brick and mortar scenario. I've been with FAA for over two years and have over 1000 images that probably need a good bit of image deletion, and continue to improve in quality as time and money for better equipment allows. My motivation other than money is the ease of being able to do it from home as I cannot work a regular job due to caring for an aging parent with dementia.

Although I have a few sales under my belt it certainly hasn't paid the bills. But, I continue to diligently work the social sites to drive traffic to my work hoping to get more sales from the efforts. the discussions have Been quite entertaining to say the least, and also very informative. Developing my art to a higher degree as well as marketing strategies were helped by the members here who have made it through the learning curves and been kind enough to share their experiences.

To answer you interest in why some sell more than others, it's due to quality of images first and foremost, as well as the quantity of those images, marketing outside of FAA and driving traffic to your personal site page, good titles, descriptions, keywords/phrasing in addition to a long list of criteria to get FAA's search engine to place you in a upper portion of the search results, to be seen, TO SELL.

Wishing you much success with sales of your artwork on and off FAA's site!
Lesa

@Lisa K --

While money may not be the usual motivation for creating art, it's frequently the motivation for joining a particular website . . . especially a website primarily created and designed for selling art.

Joining a retail-oriented site for the primary purpose of making money does not indicate either desperation or ignorance.

Art is a joy but, for many of us, it's also a business.

I joined to endlessly compare my work to those whose talents far exceed mine and thus wallow in self pity and despair, only to have died too young as a broken, unknown artist... it was probably suicide.

Or to try to make some money. Can't remember which, it was one of those.

Lisa, as said above, this is a money orientated site, being a print on demand business site. We could remove the community areas and still make money here. People should in no way be made to feel bad for being here due to monetary reasons. It is the whole basis of the site! That was uncalled for.

^^^^^^^^^

Thanks Abbie

I've been biting my tongue.

1...money...
2...to see what other artists are creating...
3...to show my images hoping an eccentric collector living in a mansion with empty walls buys a few hundred of my wonderful images...

Abbie, you are correct but since the name is Fine Art America, and since there is no consumerism movement in art to my knowledge. Money is a side issue to the entire creative process. The goal of art is communication not cash. Artist deserve to make a good living, perhaps even a great one and this site helps many do that. I love this site but if all the products were not here including prints I would still love it. I know the site would not survive without the marketing aspect, but as I said Money does not equal art. Many artist on this site have criticized colleges for not having a business section offered, but that is why. You may disagree with me and that is fine but the site should change the name to Commercial Art America if that is the sole purpose for it!

I joined to sell my products on this site to make some money.
No sales yet.

My art selling or not selling won't be a reason for me to not paint, but I want to make a career out of my talents, so yes, sales will be a big motivation, definitely!

money.

I didn't say it would survive without a marketing side. It would not survive without one as Sean would close it. Simple. I said it would survive without a community area. And it would, because it's a site to sell art.

Never said that, Abbie if you are responding to me. I said Art and money are not one and the same. I am however a strong believer in artist being able to make their living through the arts and this site helps in that way. This site is also very useful in other ways and these other ways are the reason I feel the site can claim Fine Art and not Commercial Art.

Ever since graduation, I had a hard time finding work and I hate the thought of having to work two boring jobs where I'm bossed around by overworked, frustrated ego-maniac in a retail chain or a crappy burger joint, which I really have no interest in the field I'm working in. I was hoping to earn a little bit of extra money on the side doing this one day while gaining job experience I've been earning for a while. I don't think doing it like full time is ever going to happen, but at least I live out my dream somehow with a little glimmer of hope.

I joined to have a reliable platform from which to offer products to my customers that were of a quality I would buy for myself.

The question was about joining FAA - not about why you make art. Separate questions even if there is an overlap.

Exactly James. I don't now nor will I ever make my art for FAA... I use FAA as an outlet for my art. Your mileage may vary of course, as it does for several here who choose to go the opposite route (and probably do much better than I do).

Also, it's fun, especially the boards when I can so easily get certain peeps' panties in a bunch. But that's just my fun-lovin', easily amused, sadistic side talkin' ;)

Oops, I reared the quirky blunt side of my personality again.

I usually don't mean to be so blunt and no shame is necessary for joining this wonderful site. I suppose that initially I thought it would be cool to sell prints, but it's a side kick for me. And I cannot stand the other POD sites due to many reasons. FAA is the best for so many reasons.

I get to painting and I lose all sense of time, but just having a place to post my work, good or bad, it's all good for me!

My motivation is to get my art career back on track. and of course make money.

Thanks for all your input. It's amazing that so many people have viewed and participated in this discussion.. That's another plus about this site. (:

I initially joined a stock site (not a high end one) and another member at that site recommended FAA. So glad she did. I only sell enough every year to pay my yearly fee and a week's worth of groceries, but I know my work has improved quite a bit with help from my friends here. Shooting for being able to pay for a month's worth of groceries then maybe enough to pay some other bills. Love it here. I will keep on uploading whether I sell more or not, just from the pleasure of creating work and chatting with you guys.

Wonderful discussion.

I've been considering selling my work for some time. After about two years I felt I was ready to try and chose FAA when I saw community involvement in each other's work along with the bonus of selling digital rights.

Stock is a good way to improve your skills because the screen for quality and sell-ability.

''''''

"why some people sell ....."

1. They have a product people want.
2. They have a lot of it.
3. They work hard at getting it seen.

".....and others not so much, etc"

many reasons:

1. They upload and wait for miracles to happen.
2. Their work is not up to buyers standards.
3. Their work does not match the audience of the site.
4. Prices out of proportion with what the audience expects.
etc.