A Blog is Re-born!

It was inevitable.

I have a tendency to take something I’m passionate about and convert it into a global enterprise. Just ask my sister, who suffered through our simple lemonade stands which always morphed into lawn care and bike waxing… before the sugar was even completely mixed in. 

I started this blog as an outlet for my sketches, doodles, and new personal pieces (like those I put on Illustration Friday). It was fun and not too taxing. More of a hobby, really. Along the way it grew and developed into something more, just as I grew and developed into an independent creative artist.

Now that Sparky Firepants Images is flourishing (and still growing), I’m changing the direction of the blog to one centered on helping other artists flourish as independents like I have.

Most artists I know struggle with the question of when and how to set off on their own, cutting ties to what may have been a very secure paycheck. There’s no one way to do it and no two people’s circumstances are exactly the same. 

Most artists I’ve talked with have no experience running a business and typically no desire to open up that mysterious spreadsheet app. What the hell do you do with that thing, anyway? They don’t cover this stuff in art school, but you sure find out really fast when you’re on your own.

I’d like to share my experiences as an independent artist, former Director of Operations for a nationwide graphics/presentation consulting firm, and throw in a little bit of street smarts so that others can follow in my footsteps. Hey, I acquired all this knowledge; it’s time I passed it along.

It takes more than talent with a pencil or tablet to make a go of an independent creative career and I’ll do my best to show you how it can be done. I’ll even let you know when I screw up so can reap the benefit of lessons learned the hard way.

I have a passion for entrepreneurship and I’m a total freak about creating systems to manage a creative business.

For a long time I’ve also wanted to host the blog on my own web site. WordPress and GoDaddy have allowed me to do that with minimal fuss. I’m learning more about CSS along the way, adding to my current quiver of web skills like HTML and ActionScript. PHP will have to wait a little longer. I’m weird but not insane.

Enjoy your time here. I encourage discussion and comments, especially those that offer a different point of view. If you like what you read, please pass the word. Thanks for visiting!

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