The final instillation in my Steampunk World’s Fair Recap series.
Writers and Artists.
Lilith Lore – This lady is not only a great writer, she is also a great entertainer. Specializing in twisted fairy tales, these have a dark and unexpected quality to them that makes them red apple fresh while making you just a little disturbed. What sets her apart is that she recites these short stories from memory. Her performance is dynamic and feels almost like a play. Although she doesn’t act out the scenes, she paints them so vividly in your imagination that the memory lingers as if you had seen it acted out in front of you.
K.W. Jeter & Paul Di Filippo – These two authors spoke at a panel about writing, getting published, and the future of the writing industry. What I came out of this with was – with the shift of the industry towards self-publishing, traditional publishers still have their place, but readers will have more control over what becomes popular. By leaving favorable reviews on sites like goodreads, it dramatically effects if other people will read your book. Make your work available. The biggest worry isn’t that someone will steal your work, it is getting people to know that you exist.
Beyond What Is Seen – I loved this lady’s fun line art and bought 6 postcard sized prints from her which I intend to frame. Her table wasn’t big, but she had these available inexpensively, at a good quality, and seemed to me like a kindred spirit.
It was around this time that the cogs inside my head began to thunk and slowly grind to life. I could do just exactly what she is doing. Make prints, setup a booth, sell my art, be an artist. Then I walked away and immediately got distracted by something shiny.
CJ Henderson – Author extraordinaire, great salesman, and fun guy to talk to. He has written a ton of books, makes it look easy, until you talk to him and he yanks your head out of the clouds and brings you right down to earth in 3.5 seconds flat. Not going to lie- I didn’t really like that when I first met him at SPWF 2012. I was stuck in the clouds happy-fluff land of unicorns and non-reality. This year, he made a statement that really had a huge impact. Below I paraphrase:
“If you want to be a writer than you need to write. Its hard work. It’s a job. It is not the easy route and never will be. If you want to be a writer, and you are not writing… what the F*ck are you waiting for?! Pardon my French there. But really, you can’t be a writer if you aren’t writing. I don’t need the competition, if you don’t want to put in the hard work that suits me just fine, but otherwise get out there and get your ass in gear!”
…blank stare. Epiphany moment. What the F*ck am I waiting for????
Felix Eddy – Shortly after my encounter with CJ Henderson, I found Felix’s booth filled with stunning artwork and prints. It was neatly organized, professionally setup, and her art was complex and engaging. I couldn’t resist purchasing an owl print (one of my fav animals) in warm golds and oranges (my fav colors.)
Head still swimming from my epiphany moment I sort of accosted her with questions that she was so friendly and helpful to answer. Once again paraphrasing, this is about how the conversation went.
Q: Can you really make a living selling your art?
A: Yes, but it is harder work than any job you have ever had.
Q: Does setting up at conventions really drive that much business or do you sell more things online?
A: Its all about getting your work out there and seen. Most things I sell online are customers that saw me at a convention. Even showing at coffee shops is a great way to get yourself out there. You never know who is going to see it.
Q: You have so much art that you’ve done and it is a really nice detailed quality. Do you do this full time?
A: No, I have a day job.
Me- 
….. Really?! That’s amazing. You get so much done.
Felix- I usually try to do about one a week.
Me- O_O
Soooooo…. The artists and authors were my biggest highlight of the entire trip. Friendly, full of information, willing to share and help, these people were amazing.
Sometimes I think we just need to hear the right thing at the right time or perhaps by the right person. CJ Henderson, your statement is the loudest ringing of the entire event. Thanks for bringing me back down to reality. I can’t be an artist/writer if I’m not producing anything.
To anyone out there, who wants to be an artist or writer (including myself) –
WHAT THE F*CK ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
Tags: Art, artist, arts, author, Books, cj henderson, illustration, KW Jeter, spwf, Steampunk, Writing
Anna Van Skike- writer, artist, steampunk enthusiast, and geek extraordinaire.
dreampunk geek 