Managing this website has been fun. I actually enjoy writing about my creative journey, choosing colors and playing around with image and text design. Squarespace is an easy platform for novices like me but sometimes you need to call in the pros. And luckily, I have been granted some money from the Regional Arts and Culture Council to do just that.
I found Outlaw Creative on the Squarespace website. They have a list of specialists and Sasha's company jumped out at me for the simplicity of her websites and the educational aspect of her business. She provides not only the services to create a great website but also helps clients manage their own websites through video tutorials and design sessions. We chatted about what would be the most beneficial area of my website to work on with my grant money and decided to focus on the shop. So, I am gearing up to sell my work online!
Currently I am scanning and editing the photos of my artwork to put in the shop. I had no idea how much work it took to simply put your products on a website to sell! I have to figure out how to do this because I am going to be the one managing the shop and the original pieces that will be selling, so things will constantly be changing. First, I tried to photograph my artwork in a light box. The photos turned out okay but it is difficult to get the lighting to show the correct colors of the artwork. Aaron, the professional photographer I worked with at the beginning of the month, suggested that I scan my artwork instead. So, yesterday, I tried it. I spent the entire day working on scanning and editing the images. Some colors were easier to match than others (that bright pink would not get bright enough!) but I used several tips that Aaron gave me when editing and I think they look pretty good.
Keep an eye out for the opening of my store in April! I'm excited to finally be able to sell work to customers from near and far!