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Embracing the Suck | How to Get Featured | Digital Finger Painter
This entire edition was written while listening to Sinead O’Connor, the most beautiful and haunting voice of my youth. The only thing I wish was different about this tragic news is that I wish more articles were written about her impact on music instead of the story of her tearing up a picture on national television.
Embracing the Suck
There’s this gap between the joy of finishing a creative project and the moment someone pays us for it. That gap can be instant or a long, drawn-out process that requires multitudes of work and dedication.
This gap is The Messy Middle, a phrase coined by the founder of Behance.net, Scott Belsky. In his book of the same name, he talks about how building anything requires dwelling in the muck and mire of the least interesting parts of the project.
When making our art, we cannot be bothered by thoughts of what happens once we’re finished. I don’t want to think about the promotional images I need to make, the product description I need to write for the shop listing or the numerous social media apps I need to share the work on. Nobody enjoys That messy part unless you’re a masochist that routinely flogs themselves with monotony.
Within these messy parts of any project, we may find out the most about ourselves, including whether we even have what it takes to get to the finish.
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Get Featured in The Hungry Artist
Below is a feature of an artist that is NOT a subscriber to the newsletter, which is all well and fine, but an actual subscriber asked if I would be more open to sharing artists from the group. I told them I had no problem with that, but there were some qualifications.
I’m trying to showcase the work of artists who I feel are producing interesting work (in my opinion) and are doing the necessary things to take themselves to the next level, leaving behind clues for us to follow. And like my friend, you need to be daring enough to ask because I may not see your work regularly and need a reminder.
NOTE: You don’t need to be a subscriber to be considered but it increases your chances a LOT
That’s one way to get featured potentially.
The second way to get shared in The Hungry Artist is to refer a friend. If that friend shows up and subscribes as part of the referral program, I will give you a shout-out at the bottom of this post, including a link to your website or Instagram page.
The referral program is young, and the rewards currently are fun but, admittedly, not the most functional, but I’m working in the background to make them a bit more exciting and worthwhile. Don’t worry, all referral numbers will be retroactive, so if I change something, you’ll get the new stuff too.
Art Snack: Matthew Custar
Matthew Custar has an iPhone and tremendous talent. What he doesn’t have is limitations. Every illustration on Matthew’s Society6 page was made with his iPhone: no high-powered Macbook, expensive software, Apple Pencil, or AI-generated content.
All Matthew has is his fingers and a dream… one making him good side money on Society6.
Small Bites
YOUTUBE: My wife is a killer sales strategist who gave me insight on how to sell to people who aren’t compelled to buy.
The 23 top-selling print-on-demand products for 2023, according to Printify, and #6 legitimately surprised me.
UNREPD is a curated marketplace and gallery for underrepresented artists. I had the pleasure of seeing their opening show at their gallery in DTLA, and it’s clear that these curators have a talent for finding emerging talent. Maybe that’s you.
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Area is a music app that allows musicians to collaborate in a group chat setting, like Slack but for tunes. That’s cool; even cooler is Area’s Instagram, where they prop up unknown musicians in a meaningful and fun way.
There was never an article more on point about the creative experience than Building a Creative Practice by
.I read dozens of newsletters each week to pull new ideas to share with you. For The Interested newsletter is a secret hack for creative businesses that I’m willing to share with you. Just don’t tell anybody else.
”The Emperor’s New Clothes” - the song I was listening to as I wrapped this edition. Rest in power, Sinead.
Dessert
Shout Outs
Big thanks to Teresa Capaldo for being a legendary supporter and bold enough to ask the tough questions.