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Communication
In this episode, I want to challenge you to have conversations. Go out of your way to communicate with others. Make a difference in your day and in the day of others. You may change your life while you are at it.
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Critiquing Your Work
Do you work on a project, and you get that feeling that something isn’t quite right about it, and you aren’t sure how to fix it?
There are a lot of factors that can affect how you edit your project so it feels right. What is it that is making you feel like something needs to be edited or adjusted?
o Is it the right fit for your home?
o Is it something your customers will want?
o Are you concerned about what others will think?
o Is it a good design?
o Some factors in design can be Unity, Balance, Color harmony, eye flow, etc.
o Are you rushing the project?
o Take a break and “sleep on it” as we call it.
o Check it in different lighting
o Don’t be afraid to let it go too
o I am regularly reminded that someone will love it.
o One of my repeated goals is that I remind myself to do is to battle through the project and get it done. I am not usually one to recommend that you put it to the side a while. But maybe that is your style.
o We have a threshold of when we want to quit and give up on a project.
o I face it often. I want to get to the next FUN project.
o Don’t let the one you are working with beat you… Or come to grips with it and move on, don’t let it linger.
o You need more victories and not so many defeats.
o Editing your project may give you the victory you need.
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o I often say that if I don’t like it, I will paint over it. That rarely happens. Usually, I’ll just make subtle edits to the project to solve the issue
o Be sure that you aren’t under
o stress,
o pressure,
o or lack of time.
o You’ll most likely find that you won’t be creating your best work.
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Balance
· In this episode, I want to not only discuss balance, but I find it important to talk about goals or purpose.
· This is one of the top topics that affect all of us.
· Where in the world do we find time to do furniture life
· We all would say we are already busy
· I find the most likely reason we have this topic crosses our minds is that we are looking to do more.
· Where does the more come from?
· Over the past 5–6 years I have gone round and round with the concept of going full-time with furniture, and I must admit the conversation in my head doesn’t happen as much of late, here’s why
o I have come to grips that I like my secure life with benefits, retirement, steady paycheck.
o There is no doubt to be successful in the furniture artist life, you need multiple streams of income. That takes time.
o I am actively pushing efforts to multiple areas. 1. Youtube 2. Multiple Booths 3. My overall brand 4. This podcast and more
· So, for us to talk about Balance, it’s critical for you to decide what it is you need to balance.
· My last statement is critical because if you look at the mountain of work ahead of you, I will be honest and tell you that you don’t have time.
· You need a reason to sacrifice time and other things you enjoy.
· It comes down to that. Sacrifice.
· There is no reason to pressure yourself into sacrificing time if it won’t get you to your goals.
· What are your goals?
· If you aren’t sure where things are headed, then take it slow. You’ll never get where you need to be tomorrow. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
· When I started, I had no idea why I was painting furniture. It’s taken a long time to find what I can handle and what I can’t.
· Honestly, please don’t try to set goals if you are just starting out, have fun, make sure fun is there. Without fun, the rest won’t matter.
· Your passion will drive you to put in the time, make the sacrifice, and ignore the pain.
· Balance—
o Here is how I look at projects and get them done.
§ One step at a time.
§ No matter what happens, when you do one step at a time, it’s going to get done.
§ A lot of the furniture art process is that there are many steps and often time is critical between these steps.
§ I recommend having multiple projects if you want to fill time.
o Then—get ready to have complete pieces. What will you do with them next?
o You’ll have all your pieces in your home that you want to be done, then you’ll be looking for other things to paint. —that’s great
· Overall—
o Take breaks
o Have variety
o Family first
o Have fun
o Start slow and easy
o Don’t let others push you to not follow your passion
o Define you
o You will never be someone else—be inspired by but don’t duplicate
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Studio Space
How’s your studio space looking? Are you ready to get one set up?
With any creative space, they typically take on the needs of your creative style.
The number one goal of any space is efficiency. If you can’t access what you need quickly, you are making extra work and then there is less time to be creative and do your craft.
I have been painting furniture for almost 6 years at this point and I am happy to share more about my space.
My studio is a converted, enclosed porch with central air.
There are key pieces of furniture that I use, you may need more depending on what you do.
· A desk. I use a Jacobean dining table that I bought at a thrift store for $15. It’s in rough shape but it’s perfect since I don’t care if it gets paint on it and there’s a lot of space. I actually have an IKEA shelf on its side to add organization and height. My computer, extra monitor, light, and other tech items are also on this desk.
· Storage cabinet or dresser. I have an Ethan Allen dresser that I had to replace a couple wide drawers and make them storage spaces with baskets.
· Shelf or cabinet for paint
· Work table—I have 2 small folding tables, one square one, and one wide one. Options.
• Don't forget about a good chairYou need room for furniture. Size of the furniture is up to you—haha.
Things in my dresser
· Tools
· Sanding items
· Small clamps
· Pads, felt, glides
· Heat gun
· Small knobs
· Furniture wax
· Touch up pens
· Screwdrivers, needle nose pliers, small hammers, pliers,
· Skewers, mixing sticks
· Can openers
I have 3 stand adjustable lights. (see my website amazon page for the link to the lights I use)
Rolling cart
Brush Holders
Screws and other small fasteners
Small organization cart
Extension cords
Hanging organization—something I am working to add.
Carts—lots of them.
Sounds—Music
Maybe some LED lights—add some fun and energy to your space
Diffuser
Collectables
Room for others to join you and hang out.Support the Show.
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· White, Cream, Gray—that’s what sells—right?
· If you are making a living and killing it, and you love that, then you are good to go
· Is that what you want to do?
· Are you just going through the motions?
· Consider diversifying your portfolio. There’s can be a balance of making money, selling furniture the public wants, and then also painting what inspires you. Find that balance of keeps your customers happy and maybe find new customers.
· If you go all in, you could alienate yourself from the customers. You’ll find out quickly, painfully possibly. You may need an online market for your creative approach and style—which is totally fine too.
· Find the customer that loves you. Or create more to love.
· You can find a balance.
· Make sure you give yourself an opportunity to love what you do
Pitfalls
· You are pressured into doing what others are doing —pier pressure
· you think others expect you to do?
· you are just keeping up with what others are also doing.
· Yesterday I walked through the business where one of my booths is located. It’s always good to keep up with what is going around you, pricing, colors, styles, etc.
· This can be even evident doing commissioned work.
o They want the normal looks
o They want the hard looks outside of your skillset
o You really want to please the client
· It’s possible you are in the early stages of your creative development, and you aren’t sure what you want to do yet
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When you agree to purchase furniture on your favorite sale site like Marketplace. It’s time to go get the piece. Maybe you are even at a garage sale or estate sale. Are you ready to take a piece home?
Here are some items to have ready
· We have a tool bag. It is also what we take when we go fluff or work in our booth.
· In the bag
o tape measure
o flathead (antique screws)
o Phillip's head
o Screwdriver with the ability to change bits
o Scissors
o Small drill
o Markers
o Tape
o Small hammer
o Box Cutter
· Blankets
· Plastic wrap
· Plastic bag or container for screws
· Back brace or support brace
· Gloves?
· Shoulder Dolly Moving Straps
· Cash?
· If go to an estate sale, make sure to bring a copy of your tax-exempt form
Meeting
· Communicate
o What time you can be there
o Be flexible
o Provide ETAs Use maps
o Let them know you are there
o If you have a trailer—where can you park and how will you get out
o Be super polite
o Realize they aren’t comfortable for you to be there
o The piece you are buying may be special to them
o Easy on the questions
o Don’t be in a hurry
o Scope out how you might need to get it out of the home
Second level
stairs
tight turns
rampsFloor condition
Gravel
Sand
Grass
Overall, be prepared. Think it through
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Branding
· So, you are ready to get serious with your craft.
· You want to start social media platforms, get some business cards, maybe even a booth space.
What is your style, character, business focus?
· I recommend you write 3 words that describe your business
· Ex. Fun, Quirky, Exciting Casual, Cozy, Country Classy, Refined, Sharp
· Consider making a mood board. Maybe a Pinterest board. What does your business look like?
Name
· I am sure you are wondering—what in the world should I name my business.
· What’s in a name anyway?
· Be able to tell your story in your name.
· Does the name require learning to know what it means?
· Have a reason?
· Search social platforms and the internet to see if others are using your business name as well.
· abbreviations
Design
· Why does a good logo matter?
· A logo and brand design are the face of your brand
· The colors
· Typeface
· Textures
· Shapes
· and more
· Where to get a good logo?
o Start local—build a relationship, with someone that can understand what you are trying to accomplish, what you need to do with your brand
o There are affordable online options, but they won’t have a passion for your business.
o A professional or experienced designer should provide the critical options you need for the work you need to do.
o Options like Dark, light, transparent, scalable, stacked, wide
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Thrift store shopping
· Advantages
o Safe
o Regular hours
o Get to know the Manager—make a deal. Not long ago, I bought 5 pieces.
o No Pressure
o They Help Load
· Inspect
o Low quality—be prepared for extra work
o Watch for damage
o Missing hardware—be creative with other items that might match
o I don’t like that they often store the pieces on their ends and use hand carts to move them around
o Be sure to check for smells, odors, stains, water damage
o Always look at the back.
· Tips
o I often see the prices set but the idea in retail is to list it high so there’s profit on sale days so…. Wait for the days when furniture is on sale
o Caution—there’s a mental/internal urge to buy. Discipline yourself—go often and you’ll get better at it over time.
o Follow them on social media
o Keep an eye on the competition in the store—it happens—have a good chat but don’t get in the way
o Look at the tags for names of who is buying —might be able to meet others in your community
o Come prepared to load a piece of furniture
o Walk around 2–3 times.
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Passion
Why are you a furniture artist? Or let me ask, why are you still a furniture artist?
o Have you found what you really enjoy doing? Are you still searching?
o I was listening to a voice coach on YouTube the other day describing a musician's voice and song selection. He mentioned that a musician needs to be at one with the selection. Needed to feel the music and his passion come through the music.
o Does that apply to us, furniture artists?
o Do you have to be at one with your project? It’s deep that I feel has excellent accuracy in what I do.
o Passion can drive you so fast into a project that you soon become so stuck your project is hitting a wall and you don’t know what to do. Or is that adrenaline?
· You can be good at something, but does it mean you enjoy it or have a passion for it?
· What’s the difference between gifted, skilled, and passion?
· Sometimes I feel you can judge the level of passion by the ability to conquer difficulties.
· For example, if you come up with a difficult challenge with your project, do you put it to the side or do you say—"I got this, I will not be conquered by this”?
· There’s a choice you make, a mindset and state of mind that puts you in a path for success.
· Passion brings you back, it drives you to keep going,
· to keep reaching
· Passion for growth
· Passion to have success?
· Passion to do the craft regardless of what others think?
· Have you ever used the phrase—“I’m waiting for the piece to speak to me”? I am sure we all have.
· Be careful you aren’t just too spread thin. A passion for what you love should clear the way for you to get back to the goal or the prize. You might need to simplify the path.
· You should find more joy in what you do if you have an open slate to let the passion drive.
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In this episode, I'll be interviewing and continuing my recent topic of Community. We'll talk about taking the next step, how community affects your next step, and how to view negativity. Be sure to follow Kari and check out her website https://thrivecompanyfl.com/ & @thriveco.shop
traits of an entrepreneur Successful avenuesGetting startedBusiness OwnerBalancing timePassion for your careerBuilding your own businessNegativityStaying positiveCommunity
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Community
· What is community? COMMON UNITY
· Common interest
· Common enjoyment
Things that should exist in a community
· Positivity
· Encouragement
· Honesty
· Collaboration
· Culture
· Helpful
· Motivation
· Kick in the pants
· Energy
· Goals
· Helps
· Get-togethers
· People who understand when most do not
· Great Advice
· Ideas
Give First—the Get will follow
Reach out—don’t wait for the community to always come to you.
· Social media is a great place to find a group, a page, local classes, shops, etc.
· Look for local classes
· Look for Videos
· There are Mentor Groups
· Don’t be shy or the journey will be a quiet one.
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Sept, 2020—Experience—Grant, David Lee, Eric & Tiffany
· I came across a listing on Marketplace for an antique buffet. It looked in rough shape.
· For the price, it was listed at, it was worth checking out.
· My wife and I jumped in the Bow Tie Treasure chariot and headed over there
· The house was an old run-down simple house. Weeds, no up keeping here at all.
· The buffet I came to look at was near the street pretty much in the ditch amongst a lot of weeds.
· I quickly realized the picture was not telling the whole story
o I quickly realized that heat and humidity have done a job on this piece. The doors wouldn’t close, the drawers weren’t sliding.
o Based on previous experiences I concluded that I could probably get past the wood issue.
o Since humidity is common in Florida, that’s not a surprise for a piece of furniture that has been exposed to it.
o I bought an Ethan Allen dresser set some time before this and I was saddened by the fact the drawers were really stuck. I took them home. At the time, my inventory was kept in an extra room. I discovered after leaving the dressers in my house for a couple of months, the moisture left the wood, and everything slide just fine.
· I agreed to go ahead and purchase the buffet.
· While we were there, there was a couple taking items from inside the house and throwing them into a large dumpster. You could tell they were emptying the place out.
· Not something I would do but my wife was quick and wise to ask….. do you have other pieces for sale?
· You could see an old beat-up chair sticking up in the dumpster, so it did make us wonder, what else is in the dumpster or the old house.
· He said we could come in and look around.
· It was a mess; you couldn’t really see the floor—but you could feel how soft and moving the wood floor was. There were carpets laying all over the wood so you could at least walk on the floor. Super dusty and dirty everywhere.
· Most of the large items were out of the main front spaces.
· David Lee—in the back room under cover of a pile of books, tapes, bags, and more.
· This has had to be the largest piece of furniture I have ever come across. I went into rescue mode. The gentlemen asked me how much I would pay for it. Of course, knowing how much work it would take to get it out and repair it. I didn’t offer much. He agreed.
· While I was looking at the piece and how I was going to get it out of the house, my wife had ventured to other rooms of the house. There was another bedroom that had several modern pieces of furniture. It wasn’t clear why they were all in there, but we wound up purchased to modern-built dressers which you can find on my page by searching for Eric & Tiffany.
· We inquired why they were emptying the house out and the story we were told was the young couple was looking to live there once they got the house emptied. Unfortunately, I don’t recall exactly whose house it was but based on what was to come, other parties were not in agreement with what was going on.
· We loaded up the buffet in the SUV and took it home, but I needed to return later with the trailer to get David Lee.
· When I returned, It did take about 30 minutes to get all the stuff off, out, and from under David Lee. It was a storage unit for a long time and…
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Pricing
· This is not an easy subject because pricing can run the full spectrum.
· There’s a lot of emotions that can go with pricing your work as well.
· Let me offer some reminders and suggestions to keep in mind and just express how I feel about pricing my furniture.
· I am especially going to come from this as a furniture artist that sells most of my work in local shops or booths or from my residence.
· This isn’t the fun part of any business or hobby.
How to come up with a price for your work.
· Before we think about what you have in your piece as far as time and supplies, etc. Let’s think about our competition and the artist community where you are.
o I recommend you go on Marketplace and set your range to like 100 miles and look for pieces like yours. Find 10 items similar to yours, then average the prices out and see where you are. Does that match up with where you need to be?
o Walk through some local shops and check prices there as well. Make notes.
o Etsy most likely isn’t the place to look since those items often have shipping included. If you aren’t selling there, don’t overly look at that as an option—it’s not your competition.
· I have said this a lot—the customers or market sets the price. Sometimes your patience does too.
· Creatives often get infused into the process and forget about the details. I am right there with you. But is there a living to be made?
· Is this a hobby or a future business?
· You must make a profit and pay yourself.
· Do you know how much money goes into your projects? That’s tough to figure out.
· Items that go into your price
o Supplies
o Time
o Facilities
o Furniture
o Booth Rent
o Commission Fees
o Travel
o Deliveries, and more
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· Do you find there are times you get silence, or nothing comes when you need that creativity to really kick in?
· In the furniture artist life, are you expected to keep cranking out great ideas, imaginative work, or creative solutions?
· Have you lost your passion? Passion is doing what you love.
What is it that you love to do?
Have you pulled away from that target and item that you loved?
Have you ever defined what it is that you love?
It might be the process, the finish, the hunt… or all of it. Are you still doing that?Warnings
· Be careful not to compare yourself to others.
· How is your creativity affecting your sales?
· Get dozens or hundreds of likes but the piece won’t sell?
· What you might be experiencing is more of a withdrawal from the doing.
Suggestions
· Buy something just to boost the creativity or energy?
· Take a break
· Do something not related to your creative avenue at all.
· You could try to get back to the basics so you can compare where you are and where you were.
· Change of perspective—
Do something not related to your creative avenue at all.· Try Avenues of creativity
o Friends
o Pinterest
o Creative Groups
o Your previous work
o Community
o Randomize
o Ask “who inspires you”
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Are you ready to get a booth or shop in a local store? In this episode, I'll cover a lot of topics and suggestions for you to ask yourself or to consider before you get started in your booth life journey.
Topics like:Where
· Visit as many local shops as possible.
· Visit at different times—are they usually busy?
· How far away are they?
· How often can you go “fluff your booth”?
· Think about drop off and pick up of your items.
· What are their hours? 10–5?
Products
· Is anyone else selling or having the same product as you?
· What has the best vibe for what you are creating
· Every square inch is producing profit. Walls, floor, ceiling
· Are you wanting a gallery or a retail store or a combination of both?
Space
· How much space do you need?
· Are the isles tight?
· Plan for growth
· Move from just getting into being in the prime location
· When are work nights?
· What booth types are around you?
· Are all the areas of the store the same feel?
Customers
· What’s the target audience?
· Do they want a delivery?
· Do they want Layaway?
· Are there shopping with carts?
Contracts
· How does booth contract affect your pricing?
· Contract things to consider
o Rent
o Commission
o Sales software
· Get to know the managers, the movers, the staff, etc.
Advertising
· What’s their social media following?
· Do they have a website?
· Do they do any advertising—Billboards, social media, will they feature your booth or work?
· Do they have promotional sales events, are some mandatory?
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I'll discuss one of the first moments of buying furniture from an estate and how I learned so much from that experience. Things I would never do now, and am still shocked I did then. I wound up buying 4 pieces that day, one I still have. They all needed work but in the end, I did learn a lot from that experience. I'll share a great tip on how to look over a piece without things getting too awkward.
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Have you posted an item like one of your latest furniture painted creations and someone asked if you would take half? You just want to scream, right?!!
In this episode, let’s get into accepting or rejecting offers on your creations and artistic projects.
We'll discuss common negotiating statements and offers you can expect to receive from those on posting sites like Marketplace or even Craigslist. It's a great place to sell your projects but it's important to be a professional and be prepared to react appropriately. I'll provide some tips and suggestions you can try for yourself.Support the Show.
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Let's start the journey and talk about how Aaron got into the Furniture Artist Life. We'll talk about the basic path he was taken the past few years. We'll also introduce future topics as well.
Aaron made some projects and kept going all the way to having multiple local booths that featured his furniture projects and home decor. Community and others' encouragement was critical to get into this journey.
Stay with us as we create more episodes and cover practical topics that are related to furniture artist.Support the Show.
