In this episode, you’ll find out how a joke turned into a micro-niche… and then into a successful full-time business for artist Alice Tams!
Alice sells prints of her iconic birds in hats, as well as doing custom artwork, and currently, painting murals in public spaces as she travels around the world. In this episode, she shares how her art career evolved from drawing funny pictures for friends into a successful business over a period of 5 years. We talk working in your pyjamas (and why she’s not a fan); how to grow slowly by re-investing into the business; why word of mouth is so important; and much, much more!Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Quotes and highlights from this episode:
- “It is really good to have a project, no matter how small it seems, to begin with” {Alice}
- Chipping away with a project allows you to really quickly build up a body of work.
- As soon as you can separate your work space from your home space.
- A change of scenery can help energise, focus and refresh you.
- “There is a different energy when you get out of your own space” {Jess}
- Alice utilises a fulfilment business to check and packs orders. This allows her to work remotely, spend more time on the creative and travel.
- It took five years from Alice’s first sketch to illustrating full time. She started with weekly markets and reinvested all her profits straight back into the business.
- At the end of the day word of mouth is a keystone to marketing. Recommendations help build a strong following.
- “Everyone makes mistakes, everyone feels really unpopular. They just don’t talk about it that much” {Alice}
- It is essential to get your accounts in order no matter how small or large your business is.
- “It is better to put your prices up to an amount that is fair for you and have less orders. You’re going to do less work for more money and that makes sense” {Alice}
- Carve out time and space for your creativity.
- “Your work will stagnate if you are stagnant” {Alice}
- Find Alice on her website here.
