Just do it, in a small way

Like many artists and creators of all kinds, I’m not good at “selling” my work, to highlight it, and it’s not how I pay my bills …
Like many others, I have lots of unfinished projects, even if there is one that I am working on since a few months and that I intend to hang on to finish…
Like many others, I am completely unknown…

Furthermore, in addition to the free license, which gives the right to copy what is designed to be copied (digital), I am a supporter of Pay What You Want Prices (PWYW) as a reader or spectator, because I think you have to compensate creators so they can continue their work. And also because I believe that art should be accessible to all budgets, long before 70 years after the author died (isn’t it Anne Frank’s rights holders)! The PWYW price seems to me the best compromise today, especially for on-line sales. Moreover I am uncomfortable as a creator with the donation and sponsorship, because I consider that giving alms and play the accursed artist is the best way to devalue my work.

So I am working on this comic project since January, and it takes me a lot of time and energy. Inevitably, I ask myself questions, I wonder if I’ll go to the end, morally and financially …

This summer, however, I discovered two things that were a brain wave for me:
– The first is a little book by Gwenn Seemel, “Art Marketing”
– The second was the discover of the on-line payment service Gumroad which is the only of my knowledge to enable PWYW payment at an affordable price… and particularly a small program they offer to all their sellers and creators: the Small Product Lab

Is it a coincidence that Gwenn Seemel and Gumroad are both American? Probably not, marketing is much more common in their culture, for better or worse!
But in any case, both have taught me beautiful lessons …

Be “artist” is not being talented, inspired by the gods, above the mass… It’s just working every day to his projects, training, practicing to improve his drawing, to document… There are always 95% perspiration and 5% of talent. Exceptionally, maybe 6% genius. And the hardest part is to grit, to set his own resources.

Gwenn Seemel taught me that I needed a paywall. And she taught that selling his work, it’s to accept to interact with people who are interested in what you are doing.

In addition to tons of tips that help incredibly, the Small Product Lab taught me that in 10 days, we can go out a small project, make a small product, be proud, and meet a very small public, who may grow if we continue to work, but especially that you should not expect it to be perfect, aim for little, small, gradually, step by step, and that it is possible, but only like that.
I believe that if I continue this job, and I intend to do it, it will be the most valuable lessons that can be sent to me as a creator, simply because they allow me to live from what I loves in a sustainable way!

So here is the result, a small 8-page comic about a subject close to my heart…

… that allowed me to meet people from around the world at the Lab, all with beautiful projects, and also to meet my first readers … thanks to which I now feel myself a little “recognized” and its a great motivation!

Gwenn thank you, if you allow me to call you by your first name, thank you to the Gumroad’s team and thank you dear first readers!