Latest / The Creative Jugglejoy Podcast / E11: Where Do I Start? Turning Creative Hobbies into a Side Business

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E11: Where Do I Start? Turning Creative Hobbies into a Side Business · The Creative Jugglejoy Podcast

• 0:05
  Kaylie Edwards: Welcome everyone to the Creative Jugglej oy podcast.
• 0:08
  Kaylie Edwards: I'm your host, Kaylie Edwards, and I'm here with my amazing co-host, Delores Naskrent
• 0:13
  Kaylie Edwards: .
• 0:13
  Kaylie Edwards: Today we're diving into an exciting topic how to turn your creative hobbies into a side business.
• 0:21
  Delores Naskrent: Yeah, that's right.
• 0:22
  Delores Naskrent: If you've ever thought about selling your artwork or crafts but you weren't sure where to start, what to do, we're here to help guide you through that process yes, you might be asking yourself why would I want to start my own creative business?
• 0:37
  Kaylie Edwards: well, there are so many reasons for starters.
• 0:41
  Kaylie Edwards: You get to be your own boss, which is a game changer, so freeing, not having to report to somebody all the time.
• 0:48
  Kaylie Edwards: You can set your own hours, make decisions about your work, create the lifestyle you want.
• 0:56
  Delores Naskrent: Exactly, and don't forget the comfort of working from your own home.
• 1:01
  Delores Naskrent: That's definitely the perk that I had for you know, just incentivizing myself to just follow through.
• 1:09
  Delores Naskrent: I loved that you don't have to worry about losing your job or being stuck in a toxic workplace.
• 1:16
  Delores Naskrent: If you've ever had that happen, you really wish there was a way to get out of it.
• 1:20
  Delores Naskrent: Plus, if your family gets sick or you need a day off, you have flexibility, and I never had that.
• 1:27
  Delores Naskrent: In 30 years that I was teaching, I did not have that flexibility.
• 1:30
  Delores Naskrent: So it's something to really covet.
• 1:35
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah, absolutely.
• 1:36
  Kaylie Edwards: But here's the thing it's also totally fine if you want to enjoy your hobby without the pressure of turning it into a business.
• 1:42
  Kaylie Edwards: There's no right or wrong, only what feels right to you.
• 1:46
  Kaylie Edwards: So, Delores, what do you think are some key motivations for beginners who are considering the leap?
• 1:55
  Delores Naskrent: I think one of the key motivators is just wanting to have something different to do as a pastime.
• 2:03
  Delores Naskrent: So a lot of the people that end up in my programs, they're there because they're curious more than anything.
• 2:11
  Delores Naskrent: They have possibly not even considered the fact that they could make money with their art.
• 2:15
  Delores Naskrent: They're just wanting to try something different, maybe have a bit of a hobby, and a lot of times it's not till they have been taking a few classes that they realize that there's potential there for them to have the additional income, and I really, really believe that for a lot of them it's just a way to give themselves a better quality of life.
• 2:40
  Delores Naskrent: Trust me, getting up and out of your house every single day for 30 years of working life gets really old, and I can remember relishing the snow days where we got a surprise at home day and that delicious feeling of not having to go anywhere.
• 2:55
  Delores Naskrent: So those are all things that you're considering.
• 3:00
  Kaylie Edwards: Oh, yeah, when you decide to work on your own yes, yes, I used to love snow days, even at school, so the kick is off.
• 3:11
  Kaylie Edwards: Let's talk about the mindset shifts required for starting a side business.
• 3:15
  Kaylie Edwards: Cultivating a growth mindset is essential.
• 3:19
  Kaylie Edwards: If you haven't heard any of our other episodes, there's a few that go on about growth mindset and some of the mindset shifts.
• 3:24
  Kaylie Edwards: There's a few that go on about growth mindset and some of the mindset shifts you need for a business, so go back and listen to them if you haven't already.
• 3:30
  Kaylie Edwards: This means believing that you can develop your abilities over time.
• 3:34
  Kaylie Edwards: If anyone wants to dig deeper, I think it's in episode seven, where we explore it in detail.
• 3:41
  Delores Naskrent: Yeah, yeah, and it's so true.
• 3:43
  Delores Naskrent: Most of us learned all about math and science, but where was that class on emotional intelligence or business skills that we all really should have taken?
• 4:07
  Kaylie Edwards: the workplace or even started running my own business or life in general.
• 4:09
  Kaylie Edwards: Like budgeted, we didn't do that in school and you have to learn that when you get your own place.
• 4:11
  Kaylie Edwards: I was lucky in the fact that I had supported living when I first moved out of my mum and dad's and I had a support worker that helped me fill out forms and do some of that budgeting.
• 4:26
  Kaylie Edwards: But if I hadn't had her, I would not have had a clue how to keep my expenses in check.
• 4:32
  Kaylie Edwards: So, when you first embark on this journey, it can feel like you're stumbling in the dark.
• 4:38
  Kaylie Edwards: Your mindset can really hold you back.
• 4:40
  Kaylie Edwards: I remember having those moments where I'd take two steps forward and then two steps back, because I was constantly doubting myself and my ability to really start and run a successful business.
• 4:53
  Delores Naskrent: I totally get that.
• 4:54
  Delores Naskrent: I mean, imposter syndrome really just kind of sneaks up on you, especially, you know, when you don't have a lot of experience.
• 5:01
  Delores Naskrent: You just kind of don't know if you're doing the right thing.
• 5:06
  Kaylie Edwards: What was your biggest mindset shift daily, uh it come into terms with my own mind being against me and trying to hinder my progress, was a big one for me.
• 5:17
  Kaylie Edwards: Right, it's still, it's you, it's still a thing that you've got to go through, no matter how far on the journey you are.
• 5:27
  Kaylie Edwards: You know yourself that your mind can play tricks on you and try and hold you back, and you can do something that you've done a million times before and you still feel jitters going on, live or something.
• 5:39
  Kaylie Edwards: And yeah, I think just reminding myself that my creativity and my hard work will lead to success as long as I don't give up and I keep persisting, that's what kind of reminds me and keeps me going, Delores what about you.
• 5:58
  Kaylie Edwards: What mindset changes did you experience when you transitioned from crafting to teaching?
• 6:05
  Delores Naskrent: Well, it was know that little bit of imposter syndrome would sneak in, but I would not let it take over.
• 6:12
  Delores Naskrent: At that point I think I was just determined and I felt confident in what I was teaching because I had taken the time to hone my skills.
• 6:22
  Delores Naskrent: But I do admit, just like you, I still get those butterflies in my stomach when I have to do something live.
• 6:29
  Delores Naskrent: As soon as I get talking about whatever it is, I'm okay.
• 6:32
  Delores Naskrent: But it's just that those, you know, the few seconds before and then just those few seconds when you start, I kind of would get that flop in my stomach.
• 6:41
  Delores Naskrent: But now I try to interpret it differently, like mentally, I make my brain interpret it as excitement rather than fear and it's kind of like a trick.
• 6:53
  Delores Naskrent: It makes me think to myself this is going to be great, this is going to be great, rather than thinking, oh no.
• 7:01
  Delores Naskrent: You know, I think the mindset shift has made a huge difference in the way I show up for people.
• 7:07
  Delores Naskrent: I've really noticed that recently anyways.
• 7:11
  Kaylie Edwards: Oh yeah, I think it was Mel Robbins who did like.
• 7:16
  Kaylie Edwards: I think it was a TED talk and she went on about changing that fear, because she had a fear of speaking and she had to I think she I can of speaking and she had to.
• 7:27
  Kaylie Edwards: I think she I can't remember if she researched it or something and that the fear that you have, that stress that you have is actually the same symptoms as what you'd feel if you were excited and she was like this is how you need to do it.
• 7:39
  Kaylie Edwards: You need to trick your brain into thinking that you're excited about it rather than thinking of the fear of it, and it's trying to find something you can hold on to, like think of something in the future of that thing that you're scared of.
• 7:52
  Kaylie Edwards: How would that make you feel in a different way if it went right?
• 7:57
  Kaylie Edwards: And try and think of that before you do it and I think that's what she did in her TED talk and ever since I watched that that's how I kind of work it myself is, you know, pinpoint a moment.
• 8:09
  Kaylie Edwards: That will be really good if this goes right and just think of that and then that gets me through that's.
• 8:18
  Delores Naskrent: That's awesome.
• 8:18
  Delores Naskrent: That's a great way to think about it.
• 8:21
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah, I just love how age or life stage doesn't dictate your ability to start anew.
• 8:27
  Kaylie Edwards: It's the same with mel robbins.
• 8:29
  Kaylie Edwards: She started later in life with her, her current thing that she's doing now.
• 8:34
  Kaylie Edwards: However, I completely understand that for many older creatives, stepping into the entrepreneurial world can feel like an uphill battle, especially in the digital space.
• 8:45
  Kaylie Edwards: You're not used to the tech.
• 8:48
  Kaylie Edwards: There's often a cloud of fear looming over us fear of tech, fear of judgment, fear of failure and sometimes even the fear of success itself.
• 8:56
  Kaylie Edwards: And I feel as women, we face unique challenges as well.
• 9:01
  Kaylie Edwards: Societal expectations can weigh heavily on our shoulders and unfortunately, we don't always receive the support we deserve to chase our dreams.
• 9:11
  Kaylie Edwards: It can be incredibly disheartening when negativity arises from our own loved ones or inner circles.
• 9:19
  Kaylie Edwards: Their doubt can seep into our minds and create a barrier to pursuing what we truly want.
• 9:26
  Kaylie Edwards: And I see it so often with creatives that have hobbies and just don't want to pursue a business or pursue selling their art because they have that negativity around them and they don't want their family to pull them further down.
• 9:43
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah, in moments like these, it becomes even more crucial to nurture our mindset and commit to self-development.
• 9:50
  Kaylie Edwards: Remembering take that first leap can be the hardest part, but it's always where the magic begins.
• 9:58
  Kaylie Edwards: Overcoming those fears starts with small, courageous steps, like sharing your work with a trusted friend or family member, and if you don't have any, seek out others who are at a similar stage to you.
• 10:17
  Kaylie Edwards: Building a supportive community is vital.
• 10:20
  Kaylie Edwards: Surrounding ourselves with encouraging voices can provide the strength we need to push past our doubts and negativity of others.
• 10:29
  Kaylie Edwards: Embrace the journey, I'd say, and the challenges that come with it, because that is how we grow in life every step, no matter how small, is a move towards your dreams.
• 10:43
  Kaylie Edwards: That's why I say remember.
• 10:44
  Kaylie Edwards: Many successful creatives begin their journeys later in life, proving that it's never too late to follow your passion.
• 10:51
  Kaylie Edwards: When you embrace your creative journey, you open the door to rewarding experiences and profound personal growth.
• 11:01
  Kaylie Edwards: And it's just so rewarding and.
• 11:05
  Kaylie Edwards: I feel a lot of people are missing that because they don't push past them doubts and the negativity I had such a shame.
• 11:14
  Kaylie Edwards: Delores, from your experience, what advice would you give to someone who might be feeling held back by fear or doubt, especially if they're navigating this journey later in life?
• 11:27
  Kaylie Edwards: How can they find the courage to take that first step?
• 11:32
  Delores Naskrent: You know, two things jumped out while you were talking, and one of them, when you're talking about the support especially the support of someone who understands what you're trying to do, especially the support of someone who understands what you're trying to do I found that really made a huge, huge difference for me, and I am really trying to create that same thing for my students Because, you're right, a lot of them are feeling a little bit what's the word for it?
• 12:01
  Delores Naskrent: Tentative, about taking that next step.
• 12:05
  Delores Naskrent: And I think that if you are in a group with other people and you actually talk about that, talk about that feeling, that it can make a huge difference, because you're not the only one feeling it.
• 12:17
  Delores Naskrent: I can guarantee you that there are many people feeling it.
• 12:21
  Delores Naskrent: Our group is fairly small, you know.
• 12:23
  Delores Naskrent: If you have a group, that's, you know, 10 people or less, or thereabouts, it's great because everybody has a chance to share.
• 12:33
  Delores Naskrent: And what I have found in the last few months in groups like that, and especially in our Thrive group, is that people are so eager to actually share what they have done, what they have created, and it helps them to really build up their self-esteem.
• 12:53
  Delores Naskrent: So I love it.
• 12:55
  Delores Naskrent: I love being a part of the group and hearing all of that, and one of the things that happens is that these people are encouraged to do more, and the more that they do is the more practice that they get.
• 13:13
  Delores Naskrent: And I really find for myself personally that practicing helps me so much, like even something like reading the script for a class that I'm about to record and maybe reading it two or three times out loud that it really helps me to be more courageous.
• 13:32
  Delores Naskrent: No one else can see that I'm nervous at that point, you know.
• 13:36
  Delores Naskrent: I'd have gotten over the worst of it, but I feel like, just having said it out loud a few times, that it really makes a difference.
• 13:45
  Delores Naskrent: And so I do that, both in my practice right now as a teacher, but also in my practice as an artist, and I think that the repetition of something is going to get you feeling more confident and then that will, you know, help you get into that first step or get you to at least have the courage to continue stepping in that one direction, you know.
• 14:11
  Kaylie Edwards: Oh yeah, practicing is such a key thing as a creative and in life itself, like everything you do you need to practice to get good at things.
• 14:21
  Kaylie Edwards: You know, not many people are born with an inherent talent for everything and with with art you can tell with people the difference between artists is can be.
• 14:35
  Kaylie Edwards: A lot of the time is down to practice.
• 14:36
  Kaylie Edwards: It's not all down to education either it's.
• 14:40
  Kaylie Edwards: You look at some artists.
• 14:41
  Kaylie Edwards: They haven't had that education formally, but because they've spent hours and hours practicing and they spend hours and hours on a piece, you can see it, the detail they've gone into it.
• 14:53
  Kaylie Edwards: And there was one lady I found um I can't remember what she, what she's called, um it was.
• 14:58
  Kaylie Edwards: While I was scrolling on Instagram I found it.
• 15:01
  Kaylie Edwards: Uh, it was.
• 15:02
  Kaylie Edwards: She'd done this big, this huge canvas and it was just.
• 15:06
  Kaylie Edwards: It looked like a bokeh effect that you know from photography.
• 15:09
  Kaylie Edwards: It's just such a beautiful effect that she'd created and they were just such round circles, but she was doing them freehand.
• 15:15
  Kaylie Edwards: I thought that's incredible how she's done.
• 15:19
  Kaylie Edwards: I know a lot of people would just be like would scroll past and wouldn't care, but it's so hard to do circles freehand.
• 15:27
  Kaylie Edwards: And the fact that she's got these circles almost perfect and there's hundreds of them on this canvas, I thought that's just how you know the difference between an artist who you know practices and practices, and one that just throws it out there.
• 15:44
  Kaylie Edwards: And I'm not saying to anybody anybody, if they're starting out that you should just practice the practice for hours and not put your art out there.
• 15:52
  Kaylie Edwards: You should, because that's how you'll get good is putting it out there and just starting, and then you get feedback from other people as well, and you know then how to adjust and find your style.
• 16:07
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah, and that leads me on to another thing that we we need to look, look at identifying your creative niche.
• 16:17
  Kaylie Edwards: So, yeah, finding a niche is crucial for turning a hobby into a business.
• 16:25
  Kaylie Edwards: There's no point just putting things out that you just like, because, yes, you might find some people that like the same things that you do, but you still need to find a niche that you can focus on, because you'll see better results with a niche.
• 16:39
  Kaylie Edwards: To follow through with A niche is simply a specific area of focus within a larger market and it helps you stand out by targeting a particular audience or your artwork or your other creations and products.
• 16:55
  Kaylie Edwards: It's about discovering what makes you unique and your products unique and how you can offer value to others.
• 17:03
  Delores Naskrent: Absolutely.
• 17:04
  Delores Naskrent: I agree with you 100%, because I think what's kind of written into that, what you're saying, is the idea of developing a style that's recognizable, and the more you repeat that, because you've decided to specifically target that audience.
• 17:24
  Delores Naskrent: That goes right back into that repetition and that development of you as an artist and of your art.
• 17:32
  Delores Naskrent: So it really helps you stand out In the long run.
• 17:36
  Delores Naskrent: It really helps you stand out in the crowded marketplaces because you've got that specific audience that's going to be specifically looking for that thing and it's all about discovering what makes you unique.
• 17:53
  Kaylie Edwards: I encourage our listeners to reflect on their skills and passions.
• 17:57
  Kaylie Edwards: You know what do you love to create?
• 17:59
  Kaylie Edwards: You know you can do a quick market check on sites like etsy or pinterest to see what's trending.
• 18:07
  Kaylie Edwards: Fun fact, etsy even sends out trend reports as well, so you can even look at what's trending for the next year coming, which is super helpful but don't just run with whatever's trending.
• 18:20
  Kaylie Edwards: You know, what do you like doing?
• 18:22
  Kaylie Edwards: What styles do you like creating?
• 18:24
  Kaylie Edwards: What topics or themes do you like to do?
• 18:27
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah, you know, I get it.
• 18:31
  Kaylie Edwards: Some people just love painting everything.
• 18:33
  Kaylie Edwards: Like I am one of those people.
• 18:35
  Kaylie Edwards: I love to paint everything apart from people.
• 18:37
  Kaylie Edwards: I'm not very good at people, so so that's kind of a thing for me, like I don't like doing people, although I'm very good at drawing eyes for some weird reason.
• 18:46
  Kaylie Edwards: But there we go.
• 18:49
  Kaylie Edwards: That was one thing I had to focus on in art was hands and eyes, because those are the two things I couldn't do, um, but then, yeah, I got really good at doing eyes.
• 18:58
  Kaylie Edwards: So, yeah, but I love, like I love creating, painting and drawing animals and nature, everything to do with that, like that's my favorite, and fantasy stuff, that's kind of my thing, right.
• 19:14
  Kaylie Edwards: So it's trying to find a style.
• 19:16
  Kaylie Edwards: If, if your style is like you like seascapes but you like other things as well, try and hone in on one topic to start off with and then start to expand as you start getting customers.
• 19:32
  Delores Naskrent: Yeah, I love that.
• 19:33
  Delores Naskrent: I mean, my journey in digital art was all about that experimenting, you know like just trying to figure out exactly what I enjoyed doing, and for me, in most cases, it often ends up as being some kind of a mixed media piece, which, ironically, was what I liked doing when I was doing more analog kind of art.
• 19:57
  Delores Naskrent: So it's kind of come right back to almost the same thing, except I'm now doing it on my iPad rather than doing it in an art journal.
• 20:06
  Delores Naskrent: So it's interesting how that all works.
• 20:09
  Delores Naskrent: And I really love your idea of checking out those trend reports, and almost every site that sells art has some kind of trend report.
• 20:21
  Delores Naskrent: So if you are really into doing large abstract art, for example, then go to a site that sells large abstract art and they'll usually have a trend category that you can take a look through, and that's a great way to just kind of get your creative juices flowing oh yeah how did you discover in your niche?
• 20:45
  Kaylie Edwards: I'm curious, Kaylie, I've never asked you this I started off with my candle business, so that was a different story.
• 20:52
  Kaylie Edwards: Then I had to pivot again whilst I was on maternity leave and I set my Etsy shop.
• 20:57
  Kaylie Edwards: And with my Etsy shop I did a lot of that trend research, looking in what was trending and like themes and colors and things that were popular at that moment.
• 21:10
  Kaylie Edwards: But then I also looked at what I liked and what I could have done with at the time, because I just had my son, so obviously I was a new mum.
• 21:20
  Kaylie Edwards: So I looked at things that new mums might want, so like a baby journal and things like that.
• 21:27
  Kaylie Edwards: That was the thing I started to look at.
• 21:29
  Kaylie Edwards: I could target for mums.
• 21:31
  Kaylie Edwards: I didn't really know what I was doing.
• 21:32
  Kaylie Edwards: The new mum I don't think anything prepares you for being a parent.
• 21:38
  Kaylie Edwards: no, no matter how many people tell you what you do, what you should be doing and what you shouldn't be doing, and I think I just kind of went for things that I would like to have.
• 21:51
  Kaylie Edwards: So, like pregnancy journal or like a custom name, nursery prints I did.
• 21:58
  Kaylie Edwards: I did a few of them on my Etsy shop.
• 22:01
  Kaylie Edwards: I went through like themes of like boys and boys and girls.
• 22:04
  Kaylie Edwards: I was setting up a template with the theme and then I would put the letters and then I'd do a customization option on Etsy so people could contact me and get it customized as well.
• 22:18
  Kaylie Edwards: So basically, I could just open my Canva dot, which was my template, and just change the name and then re-download it and then send it to them in the email because I was doing the principles.
• 22:27
  Kaylie Edwards: So that was kind of how I did some of the wall art.
• 22:32
  Kaylie Edwards: And then, obviously, this, this business kind of started off with.
• 22:36
  Kaylie Edwards: Just I was a bit hesitant about doing it because I was trying to do it quite quickly.
• 22:41
  Kaylie Edwards: I started off with just targeting females in entrepreneurship, which is actually quite a broad category, and then, yeah, I was just searching around and I found I was taking a course for freelancing and then found somebody who showed me how to find other people who.
• 23:03
  Kaylie Edwards: I could contact and get hold of, and then I came through Skillshare and Udemy and finding people that I could get to know and I obviously that's how I found you.
• 23:14
  Kaylie Edwards: Yes.
• 23:16
  Delores Naskrent: I think it was through Udemy, but that is true.
• 23:18
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah, Udemy, yeah.
• 23:20
  Delores Naskrent: Yeah, and I don't even really post anything there anymore, but it's interesting.
• 23:26
  Delores Naskrent: It's always interesting to hear others.
• 23:27
  Delores Naskrent: You know how they journeyed into the position that they're in and you know, really, that's exactly what happens.
• 23:34
  Delores Naskrent: You start kind of exploring a certain thing and then it leads you to something else.
• 23:38
  Delores Naskrent: And I had been working with my one agent out of the blue that was the name of his company and I was doing large kind of abstract art pieces and I was liking it there was nothing wrong with it and I still work for him, I still submit art and I still get royalties from anything that's sold on the sites that he has secured for me.
• 24:07
  Delores Naskrent: But I also wanted to try my hand at print-on-demand.
• 24:14
  Delores Naskrent: So it was at about that same time and because I had been doing these big digital art pieces, I just kind of took that and took them and used them as backgrounds and started to add lettering to them.
• 24:28
  Delores Naskrent: I had done that with my craft sale stuff, you know, adding quotes to some kind of a painted background or some artwork that I'd done in my art journals, and so I had.
• 24:40
  Delores Naskrent: You know, it was kind of an easy transition to taking some of those backgrounds, adding lettering, setting up the artwork efficiently so that I could use it on all kinds of different shapes and sizes of items on POD sites like Society6, I think was the first one I tried.
• 24:58
  Delores Naskrent: Then I did Red Bubble and the third one that I got into was Zazzle, and surprisingly, out of the three of them, Zazzle ended up being where I was selling the best, and so, of course, that's what I just.
• 25:15
  Delores Naskrent: I ended up, just you know, exploring that whole thing about market demand and looking at I would be stalking the site where, when they'd be putting up the list of the most popular items, Well, as soon as I saw what the most popular item was, then I would try to figure out ways to do it myself.
• 25:35
  Delores Naskrent: So it's kind of funny how you know you're, you're looking at something and you're experimenting with something and then all of a sudden that becomes something sellable.
• 25:48
  Kaylie Edwards: It changes everything oh yeah, it does like print on demand.
• 25:53
  Kaylie Edwards: I think just opened my eyes so much the possibilities of what you could do online when I came across demand.
• 25:56
  Kaylie Edwards: I think just opened my eyes so much to the possibilities of what you could do online when.
• 26:00
  Delores Naskrent: I came across it.
• 26:00
  Kaylie Edwards: I think I was on Etsy and it was somebody put in their description.
• 26:04
  Kaylie Edwards: I was looking at some of the stuff they were doing.
• 26:06
  Kaylie Edwards: It was like how are they selling so much?
• 26:10
  Kaylie Edwards: They're not selling it from their own place, like they're not making this stuff themselves, because it was just this little, it's just this woman, not I remember like illinois or something like that I mean, I think she's doing all of this custom t-shirts and mugs and things if she's not, if she's not creating them herself.
• 26:33
  Kaylie Edwards: And then that's how I got onto print on demand, I think and then I found YouTube videos on how to do it and yeah, and then I started with Printify integration and my Etsy shop.
• 26:42
  Kaylie Edwards: It's a bit time consuming, but it is.
• 26:46
  Kaylie Edwards: But the fact that you don't have to hold your own inventory and make your own things, I just find it brilliant, especially when you have a toddler well, a baby I was.
• 26:56
  Kaylie Edwards: I had a baby at the time, but, yeah, that was such a game changer.
• 27:00
  Delores Naskrent: It totally is.
• 27:01
  Delores Naskrent: If you're that person who was making all of your stuff by hand and trying to keep up with producing enough stuff to have a good amount of stock to go into a pop-up or a craft sale or even to put into stores, Once you realize that you don't have to do all that work yourself, you can get somebody else to do it, and I mean that really was like wow, like mind blowing.
• 27:29
  Delores Naskrent: And then when you didn't even have to ship it, that was so huge ship it.
• 27:40
  Kaylie Edwards: That was so huge.
• 27:41
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah, that, that because I did when I did my handmade candle business that was the one thing that I absolutely hated shipping my.
• 27:47
  Kaylie Edwards: So that's why I loved going to the craft fairs because I didn't have to ship them.
• 27:50
  Kaylie Edwards: I didn't have to sit there for hours putting them all in boxes and making them up pretty.
• 27:57
  Kaylie Edwards: And then, because obviously I don't drive, so it was so much more difficult because I had then had to lumber all these boxes and find somebody to take me to the post office.
• 28:06
  Kaylie Edwards: So, yeah, I'm glad, I'm so glad that that bit's over with um.
• 28:12
  Kaylie Edwards: But, Delores, I know it's all about exploring and finding that sweet spot where your passion meets market demand.
• 28:19
  Kaylie Edwards: How do you realize digital art was the first sorry, the right niche for you?
• 28:27
  Delores Naskrent: well, it was that journey, that exact journey, because I had been always a person that would, you know, love just sitting and drawing and sketching and, of course, originally it was in analog form and I was taking stuff to craft sales and having stuff in local shops, even had my own shop for a little while.
• 28:50
  Delores Naskrent: But you know, it was super time consuming because I would be hand painting these things and then also just to try to figure out what was the thing that you're going to hand paint that the person is going to buy.
• 29:02
  Delores Naskrent: So you could be great at hand painting, but if you're not creating a product that a person wants, they are not necessarily going to be buying from you.
• 29:12
  Delores Naskrent: You know, just your flat paintings weren't, for me anyways, were not the thing that would sell.
• 29:18
  Delores Naskrent: If I painted a chair, like I would take a wooden chair and refinish it and spend two weeks painting with just a lot of detail and just a gorgeous finished piece.
• 29:31
  Delores Naskrent: But it had taken me two weeks to do it.
• 29:35
  Delores Naskrent: And no matter what I sold it for, I was probably losing money every single time I did that.
• 29:41
  Delores Naskrent: So I think for me, once I realized that I could really increase my production by doing things digitally, it changed everything, because even at first, I wasn't painting and drawing in the software so much as just scanning or photographing some piece that I had done and then putting it into the software and then adding lettering or quotes of some sort.
• 30:09
  Delores Naskrent: And it wasn't until, really honestly, until the iPad came along that it really made everything gel for me.
• 30:17
  Delores Naskrent: Anyways, I was completely comfortable with the sketching and drawing already, so that was a completely new thing for me was to take it instead of doing it in a sketchbook or journal or on a piece of wood or whatever I was painting journal or on a piece of wood or whatever I was painting.
• 30:41
  Delores Naskrent: It was so different because I think it made everything just feel new again and it put the excitement back into it for me.
• 30:45
  Delores Naskrent: Honestly, I was so excited when I was first illustrating on my iPad and this was well before Procreate you guys, if you're listening to this, it was prehistoric.
• 30:58
  Delores Naskrent: I think the first software that I was able to do that with on my iPad was called ArtRage.
• 31:04
  Delores Naskrent: I think it still exists.
• 31:06
  Delores Naskrent: It's a really simple program, but it was amazing.
• 31:09
  Delores Naskrent: I was able to do a lot of the stuff that I could do with natural media stuff that I could do with natural media and the more excited I got about it.
• 31:18
  Delores Naskrent: And at that time in the schools students didn't have iPads, like nobody owned iPads, only the teachers had iPads and I had gotten one for Christmas and I was so excited about this project, this product and what I was doing that my students started to get excited about it.
• 31:37
  Delores Naskrent: And next thing, I knew my students were bringing iPads from home or we would have a single iPad in the entire school that we could sign out, bring it into the classroom, but people were excited about it.
• 31:53
  Delores Naskrent: So I think that it's just something that gives you really good energy and the more you get excited about it, the more everybody around you gets excited about it.
• 32:04
  Kaylie Edwards: Oh yeah, I remember doing Photoshop and things on the laptops and the PCs at school and I was so excited when I got to play around with digital things, but then when it came to actually doing it for figuring out how to sell I was.
• 32:22
  Kaylie Edwards: I felt a little bit like I was cheating.
• 32:25
  Kaylie Edwards: What I mean?
• 32:28
  Kaylie Edwards: Um, yeah, I was so used to painting and sketching and using clay and and doing sculptures and things.
• 32:36
  Kaylie Edwards: When I actually came to doing digitally, I thought this is, it feels like I'm not actually doing art.
• 32:42
  Kaylie Edwards: But then obviously that over time you start realizing actually how much you can do with it and how arty you can get and how creative you can get with digital art, and it then becomes so freeing because then you don't have to get all your supplies out, you don't have to tidy up after yourself after you've finished and with the toddler it's yeah, it's just a murder.
• 33:10
  Kaylie Edwards: I cannot get paint back with my toddler because he's just in everything.
• 33:14
  Kaylie Edwards: So now, yeah, affinity designer is my favorite and canva I'm in all the time.
• 33:21
  Kaylie Edwards: Great, yeah, I love them.
• 33:24
  Kaylie Edwards: So, yeah.
• 33:25
  Kaylie Edwards: So starting small is essential for minimizing risk and building confidence.
• 33:29
  Kaylie Edwards: When I began my journey, I focused on creating small batches of candles, and this approach allowed me to experiment with scents and designs without overwhelming myself.
• 33:42
  Kaylie Edwards: It was a great way to learn what worked and what didn't that's.
• 33:47
  Delores Naskrent: That's a good way to go, you know when you're first starting out.
• 33:49
  Delores Naskrent: Especially, what do you recommend for newbies?
• 33:53
  Kaylie Edwards: I recommend starting with one platform to sell your product.
• 33:56
  Kaylie Edwards: Payhip is a fantastic option for beginners.
• 34:01
  Kaylie Edwards: It's a free website hosting platform.
• 34:03
  Kaylie Edwards: It's user-friendly that's what I started off with and allows you to set up a shop without any upfront costs.
• 34:09
  Kaylie Edwards: So if you're selling digital products anything like that that's brilliant.
• 34:14
  Kaylie Edwards: You can also sell physical products on there.
• 34:16
  Kaylie Edwards: You can even do courses and memberships within payhip.
• 34:20
  Kaylie Edwards: It takes a small percentage of the sales, but they offer various pricing plans as well if you want to reduce the cut they take.
• 34:29
  Kaylie Edwards: Personally, I just went and stuck with the free plan because it provided a great deal.
• 34:34
  Kaylie Edwards: Um, there's like I tried with wordpress and I just went down a complete rabbit hole with it.
• 34:39
  Kaylie Edwards: You probably spent more on on wordpress even though it's free, but the plugins and the themes and stuff they don't.
• 34:47
  Kaylie Edwards: They're not always free, so it does mount up after a while, yeah.
• 34:51
  Kaylie Edwards: So I would say find a website that you can start with, like Payhip or Squarespace.
• 34:58
  Kaylie Edwards: They integrate with print-on-demand sites as well.
• 35:02
  Kaylie Edwards: So if you want to go that route, you can do through Squarespace.
• 35:06
  Kaylie Edwards: I found out the other week Wix.
• 35:09
  Kaylie Edwards: They do the same, depending on the pricing plan that you choose.
• 35:12
  Kaylie Edwards: But once you're settled, you can branch out to other marketplaces like etsy and zazzle and hard aisle all those you.
• 35:20
  Kaylie Edwards: You can start using them, but I would highly recommend getting a website up and start putting products on there and drive traffic to that and then obviously start with like the likes of etsy, because at least then you're securing the fact that you own the website, not renting space on Etsy and potentially being shut down.
• 35:42
  Kaylie Edwards: This strategy in particular is beneficial because if one platform encounters issues, you'll have others to rely on.
• 35:52
  Kaylie Edwards: I learned that the hard way.
• 35:54
  Kaylie Edwards: I had over 135 products listed on my Etsy shop when I was creating printables and designs for clothes and decor.
• 36:01
  Kaylie Edwards: When I had to step away, my shop listings went down and now I have to start all over again.
• 36:07
  Kaylie Edwards: I renewed my listings the other day on my Etsy shop Great.
• 36:12
  Kaylie Edwards: But then I realised after I'd done it I was like do I really have the time to go back to it?
• 36:19
  Kaylie Edwards: Um, well, we'll see.
• 36:21
  Kaylie Edwards: I renewed my Christmas listings and everything, so maybe I'll get a few sales from it, but if I don't, then I'll just have to wait until I've got some more time to work on that.
• 36:30
  Kaylie Edwards: Right, you know it's a reminder that diversifying where you sell your products can be a crucial step in protecting your efforts as well, because if they're all gone, they're all gone.
• 36:42
  Kaylie Edwards: You know you want to be making sure that you've got what they called a backup plan when it comes to a business.
• 36:51
  Delores Naskrent: Absolutely, it's great advice.
• 36:53
  Delores Naskrent: Anybody listening today, you know, just try not to put all of your eggs in one basket.
• 36:59
  Delores Naskrent: Yes, have you got any other advice, kayla?
• 37:03
  Delores Naskrent: Because you're just like on the advice.
• 37:05
  Delores Naskrent: You're on a roll.
• 37:06
  Delores Naskrent: What other small steps like when you're first starting out?
• 37:10
  Delores Naskrent: What are the small steps that someone can take?
• 37:14
  Delores Naskrent: It one of our listeners here.
• 37:15
  Delores Naskrent: If you could even offer one of the juiciest little tidbits that you have, that would be great well beyond choosing where to sell.
• 37:26
  Kaylie Edwards: There are other small steps to focus on.
• 37:28
  Kaylie Edwards: When starting one, set realistic goals, because I've done it before, I'd set too high a goal.
• 37:41
  Kaylie Edwards: Start small and then work your way up.
• 37:43
  Kaylie Edwards: Obviously still have something that is ambitious, because you want to be reaching further than you're comfortable with, because that is how you grow.
• 37:53
  Kaylie Edwards: So begin outlining what you want to achieve.
• 37:56
  Kaylie Edwards: That could be as simple as creating a certain number of products each week, setting sales target for your first month.
• 38:05
  Kaylie Edwards: Setting small, achievable goals can help keep you motivated and give you a sense of accomplishment as well.
• 38:11
  Kaylie Edwards: And a focus.
• 38:17
  Kaylie Edwards: Two I would create a routine.
• 38:22
  Kaylie Edwards: So establishing a regular routine for your creative work can help you stay focused and productive.
• 38:26
  Kaylie Edwards: Whether it's dedicating specific hours each week to creating or marketing your products, consistency will help you build momentum and even if it's only small things, if it's consistent over time, it will compound and you will see results over time.
• 38:44
  Kaylie Edwards: Uh three seek feedback.
• 38:48
  Kaylie Edwards: Don't be afraid to ask friends or family or online communities that you're part of for feedback on your creations and your business.
• 38:55
  Kaylie Edwards: It can help you on your creations and your business.
• 38:56
  Kaylie Edwards: It can help you refine your products and better understand what resonates with your potential customers as well, which is invaluable if you know what your customers want.
• 39:08
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah, Four, I think four.
• 39:12
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah Keep learning.
• 39:16
  Kaylie Edwards: Embrace a mindset of continuous improvement.
• 39:19
  Kaylie Edwards: People Look for online courses or workshops related to your craft and your business skills, because that is one nobody has business skills to start off with, and you do need to work on them.
• 39:31
  Kaylie Edwards: I still work on mine.
• 39:32
  Kaylie Edwards: The more you know, the better equipped you'll be to succeed.
• 39:36
  Kaylie Edwards: But don't fall down the rabbit hole of just buying a load of courses and never actually using them or implementing them, because I have so many courses that I haven't actually finished yet, or I've gone through them and then actually not implemented it, but at least I've still got the knowledge in my head.
• 39:53
  Kaylie Edwards: Exactly Another one I would do is document your journey as well.
• 39:59
  Kaylie Edwards: That's one thing I wish I'd done more of is keep track of what I'm learning, how my journey's going, any challenges I faced.
• 40:09
  Kaylie Edwards: That this can not only help you reflect on your progress and give you a little boost as well, because once you start seeing that you have had progress, it also serves as a valuable resource if you decide to share your experiences with others in the future.
• 40:24
  Kaylie Edwards: Yes, one lady I love is Carrie Green, and she's fabulous at doing it.
• 40:32
  Kaylie Edwards: She has journaled and had a diary for years, like, I think, the first diary entry that she ever had was like 2011 or something like that, and I love, I love Kerry Green because she goes on about it and she sometimes goes if she's doing a live and it's relevant.
• 40:51
  Kaylie Edwards: She will go back through her journals from past years, of when she first started a business and will show you the progress that she's made and what she said on those days.
• 41:01
  Kaylie Edwards: Some of it's a lot of swearing, but that would be in my journal as well if I, if I journaled enough but, you know you journaled her ups and downs and I think that is an important part of business that you should do.
• 41:16
  Kaylie Edwards: I didn't do enough of it and I wish I had and even the bad days.
• 41:20
  Kaylie Edwards: If you can look back and go, I was a really crappy day but I carried on.
• 41:25
  Kaylie Edwards: I got through it.
• 41:27
  Kaylie Edwards: The next day wasn't as bad then.
• 41:30
  Kaylie Edwards: I think that's it's a progress that you can look back on and share with others yeah, yeah, oh.
• 41:36
  Delores Naskrent: I agree with all of that, Kaylie, even just sometimes, the fact that something that was so big and so significant, when you look at the big picture, like you're looking back at your last five years, you're sometimes looking back at that thing and going, why did I think that was such a big deal?
• 41:52
  Delores Naskrent: Because in the end, it really wasn't.
• 41:54
  Delores Naskrent: So I totally agree with it.
• 41:57
  Delores Naskrent: Everything you've said here, like those are five what I think it was five great points, and I agree with every single one of them, and I love the idea of putting systems in place, because I think that's what helps you to be consistent, you know.
• 42:11
  Delores Naskrent: So keeping, keeping a list of all of those strategies that you just listed there, Kaylie, is a great way to start and just revisit them on a regular basis, maybe at the beginning of every month or something.
• 42:26
  Delores Naskrent: Put it at the beginning of your journal, your diary or your planner.
• 42:32
  Delores Naskrent: Just stop yourself at the beginning of every month and just reflect on that previous month, and I think it'll get easier as you go through that process, because you're going to be seeing these different things that you are doing on a regular basis and you'll get to know which one of those things are really benefiting your business and I think it gets easier as long as you keep at it and you're going to get much better and much more comfortable at working within that rhythm.
• 43:07
  Delores Naskrent: So even somebody like you, Kaylie, with a toddler, you know you've got things worked out now in such a way between all of your sort of scheduled things that are going to happen no matter what, when your husband's home, when you're making dinners, when you're putting your son to bed, all of those things kind of play into that whole idea of having a routine and a rhythm.
• 43:34
  Kaylie Edwards: And I think when you have that that, you are able to worry less and work more yeah, all I'll say is with when you've got a toddler, sometimes the transitions can be a pain in the ass.
• 43:48
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah, you'll get.
• 43:51
  Kaylie Edwards: So you'll get used to getting used to a routine and then suddenly it needs to change.
• 43:54
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah, oh, then it's like scramble day oh yeah, everything back in place of what do I need to do when, how to plan everything out again yeah but that that just comes down to.
• 44:10
  Kaylie Edwards: I would say you need to be flexible when it comes to business, especially if you've got responsibilities in your personal life, like children, or you're caring for a family member or for somebody else.
• 44:22
  Kaylie Edwards: So, yeah, I would definitely say you need to be flexible and always, always, try and stick to a schedule when you can, but it's definitely a must because, running a business, you need to know what's going on.
• 44:39
  Delores Naskrent: Yeah, and it makes it easier then to shift, because if you do have to change your schedule, you just have to relocate that thing that you were doing at that time to another time slot.
• 44:48
  Delores Naskrent: But you can still keep doing that thing.
• 44:51
  Delores Naskrent: It just has to be reworked and knowing what that system is for yourself, what that schedule is, the kind of things that you have to do, then you are able to kind of work it all in if it has to change oh yeah, what small steps did you take when starting your journey into selling your art well, I kind of did that like scheduling and just saying to myself listen, if I want to make this work, I'm gonna have to figure it out, and I was still working full-time all day, every day at that point.
• 45:26
  Delores Naskrent: So I really had to be disciplined about producing art.
• 45:30
  Delores Naskrent: I would carve out as much time as I possibly could every single day and, and you know, honestly, sometimes that meant I was working through my lunch hours.
• 45:41
  Delores Naskrent: I was at work, working, but I would also, during that one hour of lunch, I would sit down and do some art, or I would take it with me and have it just as long as I had it on my person.
• 45:53
  Delores Naskrent: Wherever I was, that I was suddenly just sitting there, either waiting for something or watching my kids at a game Not really watching, but kind of watching.
• 46:02
  Delores Naskrent: I would always have art with me that I could do just anytime, and sometimes, honestly, they were like 10 minute illustrations.
• 46:10
  Delores Naskrent: But then when I had a chance, I would take and finish that.
• 46:15
  Delores Naskrent: I would finish the artwork I would be able to, because I would have already gotten the start, the idea and the bones of the project kind of on paper, and so that would help me, you know, in the long run, and at that time I wasn't still wasn't even doing any online sales at all, but I just knew what I needed to have in place for when our craft sales season would start yes, that's definitely something, um, that I think listeners can relate to.
• 46:46
  Kaylie Edwards: Sometimes you have to just find the pockets of time to do your art and get started, and when it comes to business tasks, you can split them up into pockets of time and do them.
• 46:57
  Kaylie Edwards: You, you.
• 46:58
  Kaylie Edwards: There's no excuse.
• 46:59
  Kaylie Edwards: I don't think you know.
• 47:01
  Kaylie Edwards: Sometimes you feel like there's no time in the day to do it when you've got so much stuff going on.
• 47:07
  Kaylie Edwards: But if you really thought about it, what can you sacrifice in some areas, like if you spent hours watching tv at night, vegging out your kids have gone to bed, could that be more productive time?
• 47:22
  Delores Naskrent: I know sometimes it can be difficult if you're knackered, because I feel like that all the time but but that's my most, that's my most productive art time is when I'm tv with my husband, because I kind of am watching the show, but at the same time I'm also drawing or doodling or finishing some piece of artwork.
• 47:44
  Delores Naskrent: So it, for me, is the time when I'm doing a lot of my art.
• 47:50
  Kaylie Edwards: Yes, I totally agree.
• 47:53
  Kaylie Edwards: Let's outline some practical steps for our listeners, for turning your hobby into a business, if you haven't already one.
• 48:04
  Kaylie Edwards: I would create a simple business plan.
• 48:06
  Kaylie Edwards: I know that sounds scary, but I'm telling you it's not.
• 48:10
  Kaylie Edwards: You can literally do a one-page business plan that can help clarify your goals and your actions.
• 48:15
  Kaylie Edwards: It doesn't have to be complicated.
• 48:17
  Kaylie Edwards: Just jot down a mission statement, your target audience, product offerings and some market strategies that you want to start with.
• 48:26
  Kaylie Edwards: It'll serve you so well as a roadmap and you can move forward.
• 48:31
  Kaylie Edwards: It's sometimes just getting some things on paper is really helpful.
• 48:37
  Kaylie Edwards: You don't have to go for a full out market plan, but I would definitely get one set up.
• 48:42
  Kaylie Edwards: I wish I'd done that a bit more when I first started my first business.
• 48:47
  Kaylie Edwards: Two obviously we've already said this setting realistic goals.
• 48:51
  Kaylie Edwards: So breaking your goals down into achievable milestones.
• 48:54
  Kaylie Edwards: So, for example, aim to create a certain number of products each week.
• 48:59
  Kaylie Edwards: Set a sales target for the first month.
• 49:01
  Kaylie Edwards: Celebrating your small wins helps provide a big boost of morale as you progress, so I would celebrate small and big wins.
• 49:13
  Kaylie Edwards: Have a few rewards that you can.
• 49:15
  Kaylie Edwards: You can choose.
• 49:17
  Kaylie Edwards: Like one of my big rewards I want to do next year.
• 49:20
  Kaylie Edwards: It might sound extravagant for some people and it does to me, but I want to take my mum on a spa day.
• 49:27
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah, I've never been, she's never been, and I think that is just something that I could really do with, and so can my mum.
• 49:36
  Kaylie Edwards: And that is one of my goals for next year, but it will also be a reward for completing goals that I finish in the first two quarters.
• 49:45
  Kaylie Edwards: So that's a goal for me For small wins is I get to watch my TV show for an hour.
• 49:56
  Kaylie Edwards: That's a small reward for me if I have completed my tasks for the day.
• 50:02
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah, so it's just taking out things that you can do to get you motivated I love it, trying to sacrifice it if you do not hit your goals, because then at least then it helps motivate you to do the next day.
• 50:14
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah, another one budgeting for supplies and marketing.
• 50:20
  Kaylie Edwards: People please budget, because I've done this, I overspend, and then at the end of the month when you haven't got what you need to finish a few bills off is scary, so track your spending.
• 50:33
  Kaylie Edwards: It's crucial to avoid overspending.
• 50:35
  Kaylie Edwards: List out all your potential costs if you haven't started yet, including any materials, marketing, any platform fees.
• 50:44
  Kaylie Edwards: This will help give you a clear picture of your financial landscape and help you make informed decisions.
• 50:51
  Kaylie Edwards: Moving forward, make sure to keep all your receipts and your invoices.
• 50:56
  Kaylie Edwards: You may not need to declare anything for the first year if you're in the uk, that is.
• 51:01
  Kaylie Edwards: I don't know about any other country, I can't test that.
• 51:03
  Kaylie Edwards: Find someone who can do financial things for you but, keep it all in case you do, and make sure to check your country for the rules and laws around business tax.
• 51:14
  Delores Naskrent: I am not a lawyer.
• 51:15
  Kaylie Edwards: I only know enough to get by in the UK.
• 51:18
  Kaylie Edwards: So please make sure that you keep all your receipts and everything.
• 51:21
  Kaylie Edwards: Anything you spend, anything you think you can use as expense.
• 51:25
  Kaylie Edwards: Keep that behind as well, I would say, because sometimes you can claim for like I know in the UK you can claim a portion for like internet if you're an online business from home.
• 51:39
  Delores Naskrent: So things like that you just want to have a look at yeah, don't forget all those little things that come with being in business, and I know it can sound scary.
• 51:53
  Delores Naskrent: You've listened to us talking about all these different things today and it seems like a lot, but if you break it down it's very manageable.
• 52:01
  Delores Naskrent: And it takes a little bit of time to get all this set up, but it'll be more than worth it to just have the systems in place.
• 52:08
  Delores Naskrent: You don't want to be at the end of the year trying to figure out all that kind of stuff in retrospect.
• 52:14
  Delores Naskrent: You want to be doing it in advance and just kind of giving yourself the groundwork to do it in an organized way.
• 52:21
  Delores Naskrent: And then, yeah, most definitely, I definitely want to emphasize what we talked about today with setting up the online presence for sure.
• 52:41
  Delores Naskrent: So, if you can start early, do it like.
• 52:42
  Delores Naskrent: If you have time, do your basic website, put up a portfolio, have a few lovely pieces that showcase your work that you can use to attract potential customers and collaborators.
• 52:52
  Delores Naskrent: Like you can have all of that as a work in progress.
• 52:56
  Delores Naskrent: As you are completing your beautiful pieces, you can be photographing them and putting them online and billing up that portfolio.
• 53:06
  Delores Naskrent: I don't think you're going to regret that at all and I think that a lot of us as artists really hesitate at the beginning to do that, and I think it should be the opposite.
• 53:18
  Delores Naskrent: You should get your work up there as soon as you can, as you're starting to develop maybe a possible line of products or a style, and you can always replace it.
• 53:29
  Delores Naskrent: You can always replace it, so don't let it stop you.
• 53:35
  Kaylie Edwards: Oh, yeah, like portfolios is so important.
• 53:38
  Kaylie Edwards: If you're an artist or a creative, if you want to attract people to buying your things, or even if you want to get into people's stores and things, you want to have a portfolio of your work.
• 53:51
  Kaylie Edwards: And yeah, try not to rush too much with it, because I did that.
• 53:57
  Kaylie Edwards: I wanted to get on a marketplace called creative, a fabric I loved.
• 54:03
  Kaylie Edwards: I love buying stuff off of there and I had a subscription with them and it turns out I could sell my own digital art on there and my own templates and things.
• 54:11
  Kaylie Edwards: But they wanted a portfolio sending to them before they would accept you.
• 54:15
  Kaylie Edwards: I rushed to get it up and the problem was is I didn't.
• 54:21
  Kaylie Edwards: Some of my artwork that I'd used were.
• 54:24
  Kaylie Edwards: Some of them had little bits of clip art from other people and they flagged me.
• 54:29
  Kaylie Edwards: That was my fault.
• 54:31
  Kaylie Edwards: I didn't check my artwork, had some of the clip art from previous buys I'd done and yeah, it annoyed me because then obviously they rejected me and I had to wait three months to resubmit my portfolio.
• 54:43
  Kaylie Edwards: So what I'd say is make sure you check that if you are doing a portfolio, make sure it's your own artwork first.
• 54:51
  Kaylie Edwards: I know it's so easy to buy a load of clip art and stick it all together and add your unique twist to it.
• 54:59
  Kaylie Edwards: I do it and there's nothing wrong with it.
• 55:01
  Kaylie Edwards: But if you're going to try and get it on other sites or if you want to get your art license, make sure that it is your own or at least changed enough to be part of your own.
• 55:14
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah, that's what I would say.
• 55:16
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah, enough to be part of your own.
• 55:22
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah, that's what I would say, yeah.
• 55:23
  Kaylie Edwards: So it's wise to obviously choose one social media platform that feels comfortable for you and where your ideal customer hangs out.
• 55:28
  Kaylie Edwards: So, for example, if you're selling handmade crafts, places like pinterest and instagram might be a great fit.
• 55:34
  Kaylie Edwards: Due to its visual nature, a simple Google search can give you insights into which platforms are best for your niche as well.
• 55:41
  Kaylie Edwards: Using social media, I would consider starting with one platform that resonates with you and with your audience, to figure out if the people that you're trying to target are actually on there.
• 55:53
  Kaylie Edwards: First, facebook's obviously great for community engagement.
• 55:59
  Kaylie Edwards: Tiktok obviously a lot for fun.
• 56:01
  Kaylie Edwards: So focus on your efforts wherever you can, and you don't need to be everywhere at once, so start with one and then move off to the next.
• 56:11
  Kaylie Edwards: Delores, what advice do you have for someone who feels a bit overwhelmed by the thought of creating a business plan?
• 56:21
  Delores Naskrent: just do it and just get started.
• 56:24
  Delores Naskrent: Just you know what, even if it's just a rough outline, if you see it on paper, it makes you start to think about it differently.
• 56:32
  Delores Naskrent: I can remember just kind of roughly outlining a kind of a plan that I had, and then the fact that it was on paper, I could be lying in bed at night like just pitch black and I would be visualizing that piece of paper and the next day I'd be able to go in and add some stuff you know, maybe additional points or a little bit more detailed things that I might not have originally considered and it really helped me to start gelling a plan together.
• 57:02
  Delores Naskrent: You know what I mean.
• 57:02
  Delores Naskrent: I think that process is what's important.
• 57:05
  Delores Naskrent: It's that you, you can, I think having it, you can then just dig in and start working on it.
• 57:17
  Delores Naskrent: So if you just even start it, give yourself a little bit of grace, give yourself time for that piece of paper to actually materialize into that real solid plan.
• 57:24
  Delores Naskrent: But I think having it on paper like that you're more likely to think of little things every day that you can do that are going to get you towards your goal.
• 57:38
  Kaylie Edwards: Yes, I totally agree that just starting off small and just getting your thoughts down on paper, like what direction do you want to go in, what are your goals, what do you want to achieve is so important so celebrating small victories is vital for motivation.
• 57:57
  Kaylie Edwards: One of my biggest moments was when a lady at my first craft fair bought, like several of my wax melts, candles and tea light packs in one sitting.
• 58:06
  Kaylie Edwards: This was after she had already been to my stall and she had said, oh, I'll be back, and that doubt in my mind tells you that will be the last time I will see of that lady.
• 58:18
  Kaylie Edwards: But she came back with her partner a couple of hours later, half an hour before we were about to pack up, and it was the largest order I've ever had at a craft fair and that feeling of having created something that a complete stranger wanted to buy in such a great volume that I wasn't expecting is such an incredible feeling.
• 58:41
  Kaylie Edwards: You're just so elated and feel so much joy in that moment and such disbelief.
• 58:49
  Kaylie Edwards: But I celebrate small wins with little treats, whether it's a happy dance or a cup of tea and some chocolate biscuits.
• 58:55
  Kaylie Edwards: If I have a few great wins in a week, I might treat myself to a takeaway or watch a favorite movie or tv show when aston is in bed.
• 59:03
  Kaylie Edwards: That's my win.
• 59:04
  Kaylie Edwards: And whether it's a different win that looks different to you or looks the same, yeah, find something that that's good for you and what makes you feel good and motivated to keep you going.
• 59:23
  Delores Naskrent: I 100% agree with that, because you just have to kind of view those setbacks as learning opportunities, because every challenge helps you grow.
• 59:27
  Delores Naskrent: So when you do have that moment, that exhilaration, you really want to kind of pocket some of that so you could use it later yes, Delores.
• 59:42
  Kaylie Edwards: Can you share a setback you faced and how you overcame it?
• 59:48
  Delores Naskrent: yeah, I mean I hate to dwell on those.
• 59:52
  Delores Naskrent: You know things happened.
• 59:54
  Delores Naskrent: But I think one of the worst setbacks that I endured when was when I had a gift shop with a couple of what were my best girlfriends.
• 1:00:03
  Delores Naskrent: At the time we had decided to partner up in creating this little gift shop and when it broke apart, I mean it was really, really heartbreaking.
• 1:00:14
  Delores Naskrent: Honestly, it was a difficult time because suddenly I had no place to retail my product and we had been so intertwined, you know, just in our friendships and I don't know.
• 1:00:28
  Delores Naskrent: It was just a really a big turning point.
• 1:00:32
  Delores Naskrent: Like, looking back, I can see it was a big turning point because I had to kind of start thinking about my production and if I wanted to actually sell anything that I was making, I would have to figure out a way to do it faster.
• 1:00:46
  Delores Naskrent: There was just no way that I could, you know, keep doing it the way I had been doing.
• 1:00:51
  Delores Naskrent: And you know that was a whole messy incident in my opinion.
• 1:00:57
  Delores Naskrent: But it forced me to go out and look at other gift shops and ideas kind of started coming to me and at that time I bought myself a good quality printer.
• 1:01:10
  Delores Naskrent: So before that I didn't have my own printer.
• 1:01:12
  Delores Naskrent: We had one collectively as a business, but at that point I decided to buy my own printer and that kind of started me on that whole journey of creating my artwork, like digitally, or either photographing or scanning it and then adding quotes or whatever.
• 1:01:31
  Delores Naskrent: But at least I was able to make art in kind of groupings of, let's say, six or eight pieces.
• 1:01:39
  Delores Naskrent: They were at that point I was still hand cutting them with a little fret saw, if you can believe it, but I figured out how to mount the artwork onto the boards and then I had kind of a varnish that I would put on them and it really at that point had forced me into developing my first product line, A first that was like the first of me ever producing something that I could produce in quantity, that didn't require me to hand paint individually, that didn't require me to hand paint individually.
• 1:02:21
  Delores Naskrent: So it really helped because it had me then getting into these other gift shops in our area and stuff started to sell.
• 1:02:26
  Delores Naskrent: So that changed everything for me because it gave me the confidence that I needed to sell my product.
• 1:02:33
  Delores Naskrent: And that was before I ever even started doing craft fairs.
• 1:02:37
  Delores Naskrent: So really that setback ended up being quite a boost.
• 1:02:41
  Delores Naskrent: Once I looked at it later, you know what I mean.
• 1:02:45
  Kaylie Edwards: Oh, yeah, setbacks are unfortunately part of life, but, yeah, we all go through setbacks and it is awful when it happens.
• 1:02:56
  Kaylie Edwards: But then sometimes you can look back and go okay, yeah, it was horrible, but it helped me grow in a different way and gave me opportunities I probably would never have saw if I'd carried on with that, and I think that's one takeaway you can take.
• 1:03:11
  Kaylie Edwards: Yeah, to wrap up, turning your creative hobby into a side business is not just achievable.
• 1:03:19
  Kaylie Edwards: It's a journey filled with excitement and growth and, yes, setbacks, but it is full of joy if you really look at it, and by identifying your niche, starting small and celebrating every step along the way, you can build something truly beautiful.
• 1:03:37
  Delores Naskrent: Absolutely, and I thank you for joining us today listening to us talk on and on about this.
• 1:03:45
  Delores Naskrent: But remember, no matter what point you're at right now, it's never too late to pursue your passions and turn them into something truly rewarding.
• 1:03:55
  Delores Naskrent: Absolutely.
• 1:03:56
  Delores Naskrent: If anybody wants to hone their creative digital art skills, definitely check out my school.
• 1:04:01
  Delores Naskrent: You can find courses for all skill levels.
• 1:04:05
  Delores Naskrent: Honestly, I start at the very basics and take you into some really involved kind of projects.
• 1:04:12
  Delores Naskrent: I'd love to have you there.
• 1:04:15
  Kaylie Edwards: Yes, she has an awesome school, so I will link that below.
• 1:04:17
  Kaylie Edwards: If you found this episode helpful, please leave us a review or share it with someone who might benefit.
• 1:04:24
  Kaylie Edwards: Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode Until next time.
• 1:04:28
  Kaylie Edwards: Keep creating, keep juggling and, most importantly, keep finding joy in the process.
• 1:04:33
  Kaylie Edwards: There's a joy in the journey, even on the craziest days.