Meet Sarah Jane Wright, Founder and Owner of Sarah Jane Studios

The count down continues to this year’s 4th Annual Touchpoint Conference with only 14 days left! We are so excited for this years line up of talented and successful women who will be participating, one of which is Sarah Jane Wright who will be sharing tips on increasing online sales. If you haven’t purchased your ticket yet, you can still register here. We look forward to seeing you!

Hometown: North Potomac, Maryland

Current Residence: Provo, UT

Education: I have a BFA in Musical Theater.

Professional Background (brief, please): (THE VERY BRIEF VERSION:) I don’t really have one. (THE NOT SO BRIEF ONE)  I have been an artist all my life, and have been drawing and creating since I can remember. I studied art privately until I went to college where I chose to get a BFA in Musical Theater (another love of mine!) I graduated from college and actually started my private studio teaching voice lessons both at the university and in my own home studio where I started to get a feel for what it takes to start my own business. After the birth of my first child, and being pregnant with my second, I decided it was time to move back into my first love, illustration, and start my dream which was to illustration children’s books and create artwork for children.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: A children’s book illustrator and artist.

What you are: I am an artist and owner of Sarah Jane Studios: art and stationery for children

Brief Summary of your Start Up: I illustrate and sell vintage inspired original designs as giclee prints, stationery and paper goods both in my online shop and to retailers worldwide.

Company Website? www.sarahjanestudios.com

What inspired you? our family needed extra income, and I wanted to create art for children. I was inspired by other female artists who turned their art into companies, and thought “I could do that!”

How long have you been in business? 3 years

How did you fund it? I had very low start up costs which we paid for with our savings. Since then, we’ve boot strapped…investing more as we made more.

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? Kelly King Anderson! Other ETSY artists and businesses as well as gracious people in the publishing and licensing industry who have shared their knowledge

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? Startup Princess!

Current Business Challenge? Balance. But who doesn’t have that challenge! For me, it’s challenging to know where to best put my creative energies: books, design, fabric as well as my managing energy into building the business. I don’t have much time, and I know that I can’t do it ALL, so I have trouble sometimes knowing where to best put my efforts that will support my business but still leave me time to be with my family.

What are you doing about it? I have learned that it’s ok to take time to see where things flow naturally. Trying to build too fast has it’s downfalls. I have learned that pushing too hard in a direction that doesn’t seem to “fit” is usuallly  a good sign to back off. Learning to build where doors fall open naturally, or where your drive and passion is strong enough push through is important. I’m learning to trust my instincts better.

Favorite motivational quote: “Nobody told me I couldn’t”  Sandra Boynton in response to being asked “What gave you the confidence to start your business when you didn’t even have a degree or any background?”

Family? I am the mother of 3 children ages 5, 4 and 1

If so, how do you balance family and business? In the beginning it was really hard…and I ended up doing family and business together all day. But after a few months, it was too draining and no body was happy. I have since confined myself to naptime and bedtime. Naptime went away for a good while, so most of my work is done at night…which means I’ve had to really simplify and cut back on all the extranius stuff that I could do for the business, and focus on the most imortant things.

Favorite book? I’ve had to cut back reading novels it seems…all my free time is spent doing productive things! But since my professions revolved heavily around children’s picture books, I’d have to choose: The Little House and Frog and Toad.

What do you do to relax? Hang out with my awesome husband, take hot baths, reading and looking at blogs/websites/magazines that inpsire me.

Thank you Sarah for the interview!

Introducing Rachelle Anne Miller, Owner of Rachelle Anne Miller Creative Studios

We are pleased to introduce Rachelle Anne Miller, owner of Rachelle Anne Miller Creative Studios! Rachelle has designed and illustrated children’s books, greeting cards, craft supplies, children’s room decor, and more. To connect with the multi-talented Rachelle, visit her website at www.creativestudios.rachelleannemiller.com. Enjoy the interview!

Hometown: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Current Residence: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Education: NSCAD University, Bachelor of Design

Professional Background: After graduation from NSCAD University, I worked as a graphic designer in various agencies for about three years before deciding to leave my job and work at home as a full time illustrator.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: I wantd to be a lot of things when I was little! Art was always in the mix though. I loved art from an early age and knew whatever career I chose, it’d be a creative one.

What you are: I’m an illustrator and designer, specializing in the children’s field.

Brief Summary of your Start Up: I have always been a very motivated and independent individual so I knew that eventually, I was going to be my own boss. I left my job as a graphic designer two years ago to start my own illustration and design company, Rachelle Anne Miller Creative Studios. I offer a full range of design and illustration services and specialize in children’s work. I have designed and illustrated children’s books, greeting cards, craft supplies, children’s room decor, and more! I also offer prints of my artwork in my Etsy store: www.etsy.com/store/RachelleAnneMiller

Company Website? http://creativestudios.rachelleannemiller.com

What inspired you? My son is my biggest inspiration but I am also very inspired by other children and nature. I love animals and cute little things! I am also inspired by the many other creative artists out there.

How long have you been in business? I have been officially in business for just over two years.

How did you fund it? There was very little need for funding my business up front. All my work is done digitally so all I needed was my computer equipment to start (which I already owned). As I achieved more and more success, I purchased more equipment as needed, such as my Wacom Cintiq and Epson professional R1900 printer. This equipment helped move my business and art to the next level.

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? Elizabeth Dulemba (www.dulemba.com) was immensely helpful to me in my very early days. She is an amazing children’s illustrator and is very established in the business. I was always inspired by her amazing digital paintings and read her blog all the time. I decided to contact her one day in order to get some advice on my artwork and how she got started in the industry. She was more than willing to offer lots of email support and art critiques. I have always been very thankful for her help in this critical time of establishing my new business.

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? I am a member of ChildrensIllustrators.com and have past been a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Current Business Challenge? I am currently working on expanding my Etsy store (www.etsy.com/store/RachelleAnneMiller). I opened this store late last year and this is where I’ve been selling prints of my artwork. I enjoy working for clients but even moreso, I enjoy interacting directly with customers. I hope to create many more pieces for the store and have it become a larger part of my business.

What are you doing about it? In order to achieve this goal,  I’ve been working on promoting the store through my blog and through other advertising outlets. I am also attempting to add new prints on a regular basis so the selection of artwork appeals to a larger customer base.

Favorite motivational quote: “Never settle.” – Steve Jobs

Family? I have a wonderful and supportive (and also very creative) husband who is always very encouraging of my work. I am also blessed with a super active and happy little toddler, Isaac who makes me smile every day

If so, how do you balance family and business? This question is everything right now! Having a toddler at home makes it very difficult to get any work done. I do as much as I can during his naps but get the bulk of my work done in the evenings and on the weekends. My husband is very understanding and helps take care of Isaac during these times. I also make sure to set aside some family time on the weekend. We usually go on a family outing on Saturday and I also try to keep 1 or 2 evenings free per week to spend time with my husband.

Favorite book? Would it be cheating to name a children’s book? I love children’s books and that’s about all I have time to read lately since my little one adores them! Our favorite series right now is the Duck and Goose series by Tad Hills. Ok, so they’re super simple and there isn’t much ‘reading’ involved but the images are too cute and Isaac loves them!

What do you do to relax? A hot cup of tea and a good magazine on a rainy evening sounds like a perfect relaxation time to me.

What do you want to change most about your world? I think it would be very beneficial if we all slowed down a bit. It’s hard sometimes when you have a lot to juggle. But when you slow down, you can think more and that’s very important.

What are you most proud of? I am proud of the fact that I’m living the life I dreamed of. I have a wonderful family and a fullfilling career. I couldn’t ask for more.

What advice would you like to offer other Start Up Princesses? The best advice I can offer is to learn from your mistakes. Your first business idea may have failed but there is always something to learn from it and to put forth into your next idea. We all make mistakes but what you do with those mistakes can determine the outcome of your future pursuits.

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? The internet! There is so much information out there and there is nothing that can’t be answered. I find inspiration and information on the internet and it’s become an integral part of my business.

If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use? Hmmm every girl loves diamonds eh? A diamond tiara sounds good to me

Essential Facts for Business Success in Licensing Your Artwork – THINK PRODUCT

Hello, my name is Carol Eldridge and I have been licensing my artwork for products for over 20 years to major manufacturers through out the United States and overseas. I’m also a consultant for artists who wish to license their designs. My work has appeared in major retail stores along with smaller gift shops and has been seen on TV shows, catalogs, on line shopping, and in fund raising catalogs. I have exhibited at Surtex for over 20 years, serving on the show’s advisory board and giving seminars on art licensing. I have also exhibited at the Brand Licensing show in London, England and the CHA show in Las Vegas. My work has been licensed for calendars, dinnerware, fabric, giftware, Christmas ornaments, rugs, wallpaper, clothing, stationery, wrapping paper and gift bags, ribbons, books, tiles, pottery, stickers, scrapbook materials, sheets, cotton throws, ceramics, kitchen textiles, ironing board covers, floor mats, aprons, mugs and just about anything else you can think of. My designs have sold in the millions at retail.

I am very fortunate to have a good business head and intuitive marketing skills that have enabled me to stand above the crowd. It is not enough today to just be a good artist in order to make a living licensing your artwork. It is important to understand the business, the facts and terminology, what should be covered in a licensing contract, marketing strategies, trends, building a brand, websites and blogs, other social medias such as Twitter and Facebook, how to think product, how to communicate with your companies and if you should use an agent or not.

My hope is to set some standards in the business and help other artists be aware of the business of art, be smart, be savvy and be very professional.

THINK PRODUCT

Lots of artists have talent…they can paint a beautiful watercolor of a landscape or beach scene, but how does that translate to the retail market?

You need to THINK PRODUCT…the more vision that you have to show the manufacturer what the line or product could look like, the better chance you have to get their attention.

This ties into trends and what is going on in the market…I think you need to be aware of everything around you so you can be on target for what the companies might be looking for.

Shop the retail environment, take notes, notice what the companies are manufacturing, what are you seeing for trends, what is showing up in shelter magazines, what is happening in fashion, what types of products seem to be selling well. How can you design an image that will work well on dinner plates or tabletop? How can you design a Christmas collection that will translate to ornaments as well as holiday tabletop? Can you draw up an actual product with your design image applied to show what the possibilities could be? Can you think outside the perimeters of the drawing pad?

In developing designs, you need to work on images that can expand into patterns, borders and other accessory pieces to make a collection that will merchandise well. A single image is not the answer. You need to think COLLECTION and how the pieces can coordinate together to tell a story.

You need to be able to create a scalable image that can be used on a multitude of products. How will it apply to the retail market? Will it sell and who will buy it? Does it have a general appeal? Is it a design that will appeal to a broad range of people?

Think of a design concept that is clever and trendy, is innovative with a fresh approach, has a broad appeal and has an application to a myriad of products that the consumer will just feel that they have “Got to have it” and you will be on the way to licensing your designs.

Thank you Fairy Godmother Carol for sharing your expertise with us! If you’d like to contact Carol for consulting, say hello  through her website.