When things weren’t going so well, what was the one thing that gave your business a boost?

When someone with a lot of presence in social media shared my work on Instagram or Facebook, that was really helpful.

How did you know it was time to hire someone and what was the first thing you outsourced?

With the exception of manufacturing, such as printing, I have never outsourced anything. From the beginning I was in charge of everything, from my website, photography, social media, etc. I have experience in design and brand management and now that I do it for myself I love it!

Now is probably the time to start thinking about getting help, but to be honest I enjoy the whole process too much. If I ever decide to hire someone it will be someone to manage the administrative part of the business such as answering emails or processing orders.

Now is probably the time to start thinking about getting help, but to be honest I enjoy the whole process too much. If I ever decide to hire someone it will be someone to manage the administrative part of the business such as answering emails or processing orders.

What steps did you take that really helped your business take off? What helped your business grow?

Giving it the time that it required and getting ready all the things needed to run a business. I did a lot of research, took time to build my brand and website,

Underwater 6: Purple Dream

bought equipment, painted every day and remembered to take photos and videos during the process.

I found that doing it part time or as a hobby was not going to take me anywhere. I learned that in business like in anything, you get what you give.

But the biggest help that I got came from social media, especially boosts that I wasn’t looking for.

For example at the very beginning Buzzfeed DIY shared one of my watercolors and that event put me on the map for social media, but the most important thing: I was ready for it.

Everything was in place, my brand and social media were ready, my Etsy shop was up and running.

How do you grab people’s attention and get them to buy?

I share the whole process of how my art comes to life until it is up in my shop. I’m not sure if this is the reason they buy, I try not to push my followers to visit my shop. I don’t organize games or giveaways, I like my account to be organic and authentic.

I have taken the decision not to market in ways that annoy me, so for example I don’t write weekly newsletters or have periodic sales.

Awake 7: Richmond

How did you get consistent sales? What other income streams do you have?

From workshops to art prints and originals, I have different incomes but as you can see all of them come from my art.

Sometimes I collaborate with other artists or brands, these are exciting projects that bring new energy to my process.

I don’t feel worried about getting constant sales, I know that by offering other services like my workshops or accepting design projects I’ll be ok.

‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket’, this is the best advice I can give you, that way you can truly enjoy your art or process.

How long did it take you to make a living wage and what resources helped you make it through the beginning years?

From the moment I decided ‘I want to make from my painting a business’ it took me around two years. But don’t get me wrong, I am talking about a business, I painted since I was very young and it was always my goal to live as an artist.

I did it by stages, first I had a full time job and I dedicated some hours to my business idea, when the time felt right I moved my job to part time.

Eventually I decided to quit my job, but I kept some clients to keep a constant income until it was not necessary anymore.

Now I am able to decide if I want to take a client or project; most of my time is dedicated to my art.

About Ingrid

Ingrid is a Mexican artist based in London, UK. She illustrates and paints every day using watercolors and mixed media, gaining inspiration from nature and a daily dose of meditation. Ingred loves the moon, plants of every kind, good weather, yoga, and tea.
From her art, you can expect rich colors with lots of textures that is only achieved with a lot of patience and love. Ingrid does not rush her paintings as she believes in giving all of her attention to each piece in order to make it unique and special. You can find Ingrid’s work here.

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