At the end of last summer I was struggling financially. I didn’t tell a lot of people, but while I expected to make $2,000 at markets June and July, I only made a little more than $200. It was a perfect storm with the rain, client vacations, new market locations, and economy, but it was a surprisingly low summer that I will anticipate better next year. I’ve never been happier to start substituting again. While those months were very tough, I had to be smart about spending, budgeting, and even grocery shopping, but I learned a few things, some of which I’ll share here, and some will wait for later.
Walking
- How writers write podcast
Though it is no longer active (yet still available), How Writers Write Podcast was thoroughly entertaining and informative. I started walking for 30-40 minutes mid-morning and started at the beginning of the series, gathering author insights and best practices, perfect for someone who always has two or three writing projects going at once!
- Gets me out of the house
There are limited options if I am choosing not to visit a coffee shop (which I missed so much). I don’t always want to walk a mile to get to a park, the library has weird hours, and sometimes it just feels confining to be in the apartment gym. I can walk outside while it’s still cool and I get to choose one of several routes each day. As a bonus, walking allows me to see other people, rest my eyes, and to put a different spin on some writing problems.
Writing – a lot
- Not even so much in my journal…
more often than not, I was writing part of a chapter for a realistic fiction series I’ve started. It was easier when I wasn’t drawing for my graphic novel to stay in the world of fiction, rather than use the pages to mull over my busy life. Writing calmed me and reminded me of how much I love it.
- Published art book
It took many MORE hours of writing to have this out on time, but I’ve created an art book, set up in a comic book style, that meets you wherever you are in your artistic journey. Inspire is a collection of five shorter books, designed for young artists and visual learners. It focuses mainly on the visual arts, but can be used to begin any creative endeavor. This is split into five sections, each an increasingly more difficult process. It begins with a newbie artists and ends by explaining some art history behind the pieces we enjoy. Available now!
- Decided for fall to focus on ONE book
I put aside the historical fiction that I had begun editing to the side for next year. Instead, I’m focusing on my contemporary YA graphic novel, Voices, set to be released soon. Creating a graphic novel has way more moving parts than I was anticipating, but it’s beautifully coming together and I am excited to share more with you in the next couple months.
Budgeting
- Yes, actually sticking to a budget and saving!
This was stressful and freeing at the same time. I think with time this is absolutely the best option and gives me a detailed look at how much I actually make each month and (more importantly) how much I am spending. It reminds me that just because I have the money in my account doesn’t mean I need to spend it.
- Makes me be creative with things I already have
Now instead of buying something off Amazon because it’s quick, I evaluate my spending choices and see what I can use in my own house that would be sufficient for the moment, instead of convincing myself that I need the newest model of something. Yes, I can choose the smaller table that I already own instead of the larger table online that would be more convenient. Yes, I can carry around the heavy version of something instead of buying one lighter. Yes, I can create a new piece on an old canvas instead of buying a new size. Yes I can fix my own pastry and coffee (I’ve experimented with biscuits, naan, dirty chai, and new coffee flavors). Yes, I can use previous art pictures for practice instead of purchasing the newest figure drawing class. Yes, I can spend extra hours creating my own social media photos instead of paying for professional.
Some of this is just temporary, but it reminds me of what I can actually do, reminding me of personal strengths, even if it’s not “fun”.
- Giving myself a salary every month
July and August were especially challenging for paying myself, especially when I was trying to continue growing my art business and putting money towards savings with smaller income. However, I am determined not to be a penny pincher, and giving myself a regular salary gets me another step closer to living financially as an author and artist.
Social media personalization
- Jumped ahead with multiples scheduled in one day
It is so much easier for me now to set aside a couple days for socials and post them about a month ahead of time. Sometimes I go in and edit, but I don’t have to. My goal is to share two or three things a week, but sometimes I find some cute moments that I just have to include! It keeps me more in “monitoring mode” rather than “figure it out” mode.
- More videos with me
Since videos with the actual content creator are so important, especially for creatives, I am including more videos of myself as I work. These are not always the smoothest, but I hope to encourage those of you out there who are working towards this in your own business. We can learn together!
- Drawing as part of my advertising
This is the fun part, but one that I have not ever consistently shared. I know there are better ways to work the camera or cut the edits, but I am determined to show my process, even if it’s a little ugly as I’m smoothing out the wrinkles. Not only is it mesmerizing to watch works in progress, but it reminds all of us that a big project takes many little steps to create the final product! Keep working consistently (whether or not you choose to show your process) and you will get there.
Reading
- Setting aside time for reading every day
I’m even using my reading breaks for motivation as I push to finish my two books in the works! It helps remind me that this is my goal: to share my own books with the world, and sometimes I need to sit down and get to it, even when “I don’t want to.” This is still the most difficult hurdle for me to get over.
- Quiet moments make a difference
Sometimes it’s better to do things that I love, even if I’m not sharing them with my followers on socials. I put so much effort into getting my books and art into the world, but sometimes (like this January) it just doesn’t all add up. I can’t get discouraged. Instead, I have found that it’s better to enjoy the small things that I love—like reading, drawing and writing—without the pressure of having to share it. Somehow this small non-action helps me stay positive in the business actions.
- Sharing my bookish thoughts
Sharing here is similar to personalizing, which I shared in the previous paragraph. I am writing and illustrating my own books, yes! But it is fun and insightful to share books I love AND things I’ve learned from other authors. I’m starting out with book stacks this year, but I hope to see this portion of bookish things grow.
Conclusion
- Drawing is how to process what’s in my head and to slow down
- Writing is a way to accomplish something without needing to spend money
- Never underestimate the power of getting outside
- Find something (else) that you love and share it with others offline! Discover your personal community
- Keep trying until it gets better
In this together,
Hannah Marie.
