Shelley Hitz Artist Interview

Please tell us what you do.

I’m a lettering artist and earn income by teaching classes on Skillshare as well as on my website YourCreativeAdventure.com. In just 11 months, I have published 24 classes and the list keeps growing.

I also sell lettering practice sheets and prints on Etsy, but have many ideas for other products.

Please tell us about your art.

My art currently focuses on lettering and watercolor, but I’m always learning and stretching myself.

How did you get started with brush lettering?

I first discovered lettering while writing my book, “Broken Crayons Still Color.” I wanted to hire an artist to create adult coloring pages to correspond with each chapter of the book. However, I clearly sensed I was supposed to do it.

When I began researching online, I found classes on Skillshare and other platforms to learn brush lettering. I don’t have a formal university art education, but I have invested a lot of my time and finances in online and in-person classes to continue learning and increasing my skill as an artist.

After illustrating my book, I continued the journey of creativity and color through my newfound love for brush lettering.

How do in-person workshops compare to teaching
online courses?

I have taught both in-person workshops and online classes. The in-person workshops give the opportunity for immediate feedback from the instructor as well as accountability to finish the project. Online classes are great because you can fit them into your schedule and can learn new skills even if there are no in-person workshops available in your area.

Why did you choose Skillshare over other online
teaching platforms?

To be honest, I published my first class on Skillshare in December 2016 simply to win a free one-year membership (as you can see, I love learning from Skillshare myself). However, not only did I win the one-year membership, I also earned over $500 my first month teaching.

Therefore, I decided to continue teaching classes and the rest is history!

Do you have any advice for designers considering
creating their first Skillshare class?

It was very helpful for me to be a student of Skillshare classes first before I began teaching my own classes. I learned the culture of Skillshare, how successful classes are set up and what I liked and didn’t like about the classes I took. I also recommend joining one of their monthly challenges when you publish your first class as they provide a lot of support and help to you as well as offer extra bonues. A link to the monthly teacher challenges can typically be found on this page: https:// www.skillshare.com/teach.

Is Etsy a good platform to sell your work?

Etsy is a great starting point for selling your artwork. I literally had my shop up the first day and started selling prints right away. You can get discovered on Etsy through keywords and searches. I also think that many people who buy artwork are familiar with Etsy and feel comfortable buying on that platform.

They do charge a small fee to use their site, but the costs are low for those just getting started. Paying a monthly fee for your own eCommerce platform can get expensive, especially if you don’t know how much you will sell. However, it is an option as you grow to transition to a shopping cart on your own website.

Do you have any advice for someone interested in
selling their art on Etsy?

Take the classes on setting up an Etsy shop offered on Skillshare! I did that in the beginning and it helped me get started. Also, look at what other similar successful shops are doing. Success leaves clues! Don’t copy them, but you can model what you do after someone who is already successful.

What advice can you offer someone interested in
an art career?

Let your passion lead you. I encourage you to look for trends and what is selling, but be careful about creating only what will sell. It may cause you to burn out fast.

Look for opportunities online and the skills you already have. For me, I’ve been teaching online classes in other niches for years and so it was a natural fit for me to teach online art classes.

Consider investing in a business mentor. I have several mentors in my life that have helped me to grow as an artist and in the business of art.

Finally, one thing I think has helped me be successful is that I choose to focus on one thing at a time. I didn’t create this acronym, but I do live by it. FOCUS = Follow One Course Until Success.

In this past year, I didn’t try to be successful in multiple things. I focused on what was working (teaching) and focused on growing that part of my business. It led me to create my own brand, Your Creative Adventure, and also sell classes on my own website.

However, write down all your ideas and come back to them as you can. I have many other ideas for products that I plan to pursue in 2018 now that I have a solid foundation and consistent income from teaching.

Please tell us what you do.

I’m a lettering artist and earn income by teach

Please tell us what you do.

I’m a lettering artist and earn income by teach

Shelley Hitz’s Most Popular Art Class: Brush Lettering for Beginners

How to Get Started the Best Way for Success. By the end of this class you will be able to letter your name and will have a great foundation to continue practicing your brush lettering.  When you enroll in this class you will be able to download Shelley’s class resource list, practice sheets and more.