My second interview with an artisan blogger is with Marisa Haedike, the creative and enterprising author of Creative Thursday. Marisa is a prolific artist, who sets herself the considerable challenge of producing one painting a day for her blog Creative Thursday. She has only been blogging since July 2006, but is already an established and highly succesful artist blogger. I’d like to thank Marisa, for taking the time to answer these questions:
As you know Marisa, I am an advocate of blogging for Artisans and am trying to encourage more Irish artists to use the medium. I think you are a perfect example of someone, who fully exploits the internet as a means of promoting and selling your work. Not only do you have an excellent blog, which highlights your unique art, but you also podcast, run work shops, host an online gallery and sell your art on Etsy. You also put your art on prints, cards and furniture. How central to your efforts is blogging, both from a social and business perspective? Do you have stories to tell about connections made through blogging?

First let me say thank you Paul for contacting me and inviting me to share my thoughts with you in this interview!

Now,to the short story of how I got started blogging. I had heard from several people that blogging is vital to anyone’s business these days.I already enjoyed following other’s blogs, so I thought I would give it a try. I officially started my blog in July of 2006. At this time I was already podcasting, and felt that blogging would be another way to connect with my expanding listener base. The blog really kicked into gear when I started daily painting a month later. It became the perfect place to showcase the painting of the day.

I would say that just in the last two months, coinciding with the start of my Etsy store, I have made my blog one of the most important parts of my efforts.

As I started gaining an audience, and people were leaving comments, I was simultaneously discovering so many inspiring blogs, especially other artists whose work I follow and admire. I love how they really shared a genuine portrait of themselves, and their lives along with their art. I love how they have their own community with all the comments left on each blog. I also noticed that, the blog is a place where they communicate with their buyers. So this combination of influences inspired me to make my own blog more dimensional.

I also have to say, that my blog has become a place for me to share the best parts of myself and my life with me. The fact that I am taking the time to notice and record what makes me happy in my life has become wonderful reminder on days when I don’t feel myself, that indeed I already have such a wonderful life and that I’m not missing it. I honestly had no idea that I would enjoy it so much.

Socially,blogging and reading other’s blogs I have made so many new internet friends, even new friends here in Los Angeles. And as I mentioned before, I have discovered so many people who lead such tremendously charming lives and share their day to day in such beautiful and creative formats. It’s sooo much better for my spirit than reading the news everyday.

You obviously have a busy time of it, given all the activities I mentioned above, yet your art is gentle and uncluttered in nature. How do you manage to do this, especially given that you do a painting aday?

Thanks Paul. And it’s true, that I sometimes I have a busy time of it. I pride myself on finding balance these days. When I take time to cook and take walks everyday, I know I have found it

Hmmm, as I sit here writing this to you, among the clutter of my messy desk….It is this attempt to find more balance that inspires my uncluttered backgrounds.I live in a big city, Los Angeles, California, filled with millions ofpeople. Some days, life can feel a bit hectic here and definitely crowded. I began to think about how I want my own life and surroundings to have less clutter and to flow easier. This idea gradually translated into my art. Also, I find the idea of negative space very interesting.Just because the space is there, why do we sometimes feel the need to fill it, whether it be our home, our art, or even our conversations with others?

I realize now as I am answering your question that the uncluttered backgrounds really allow me to showcase the little characters I am presently so fond of portraying. And the simplicity in developing each background works beautifully in completing a painting a day.

The gentleness that you mention, that is my simply my nature, on most days. Feisty for sure, on other days! (I usually don’t sit down to paint when I feel feisty )

In one of your podcasts, you make the interesting point that artists need to break free from the stereotype of the ’struggling, impoverished and misunderstood artist’. Artists should be ‘thriving’. This kinds of coincides with my thoughts on blogging for artisans. I think we are at a unique point in history, where artists have the ability to publicize themselves at little expense to the world and without having to go through intermediaries. The artist, who may have struggled 100 years ago, because he lived in a remote area and didn’t have an audience or a publisher for his/her art, now has access to the whole world because of the internet. What kind of steps can we take to convince more artists to avail of this?

Good question Paul. One thing I am learning is you can’t really “convince” anyone of anything until they are ready to listen. You just learn to lead by example and most importantly live a life that you are happy with. When other’s are ready they’ll catch on and if they’re not, they’ll hang with the other “struggling” artists and have a grand time! (I think)

I agree with you that the internet is amazing and has opened the doors to countless opportunities for those in the arts. There no longer are intermediaries that decide what they think is “good” and this goes for writing, filmmaking, music, painting, basically all of the arts!!! Now,really as a creative person the only thing standing between you and sharing your work with others is you. Exciting for some and scary for others. Life takes on a different meaning when you can’t “blame” others anymore for why you didn’t do something in your life.

In the meantime, Paul we can keep sharing our ideas of the “thriving” artist.There are inspiring examples everywhere of those of us who are doing it!
Of course, it is perhaps a bit romantic to think that you can just publish yourself on the web and get instantly the kind of publicity you need to thrive. You obviously have to work on it. What kind of steps did you take, to make yourself known in the online world? What kind of things do you do to build your audience?

I’m so happy you consider me one of the thriving ones!!! Yay!!! I’m thrilled to say that I am. I’ve really only recently been able to support myself solely with my art and it feels AMAZING. Honestly, the gratitude I feel never wears off and grows more everyday. I can still remember how much I wanted my life to be this, what I now get to experience everyday, the freedom to create what I love most.

Here’s what I think you need to thrive. Believe in yourself, even if the rest of the world hasn’t caught up with you yet. If you are creating art, love what you create! Decide that you will thrive no matter what. No matter what anyone else thinks about it and no matter what’s happening with your personal life your “career”. It will come together if you decide to thrive now! And this way you won’t be wasting beautiful days, while you “wait to thrive” sometime down the road, when things “really” start happening.

When you make the decision to thrive, it’s a powerful intention and the world begins to meet you and support you. It always has really, it’s just that you notice it now.

When you set this intention, you will be lead to take the next steps you need to continue to thrive. Everyone is different and every path is different. A mistake I think that is often made is when people who “succeed” in an area of their life, tell others “Now, this is how you HAVE to do it”. It is so personal really that each individual is the only one that has the answer to that.

The actions I did take was to build an online community, really because it was fun! Because it resonated with me, because I will say again, the people I find online are people I want to know better. The daily painting started because I read an article in a magazine here in the states called “Domino”. I thought “Wow, that’s impressive, I’d like to try that”. And as it turns out daily painting is perfect for me. I’m a prolific and fast creator. I had no idea, how much I needed that daily creativity boost. Committing myself to daily paintings, and to the audience that waits for the paintings every day, has made me more creative overall, especially on days where I thought I had no inspiration.

The daily painting practice along with the podcast and reaching out to other bloggers via email and commenting on their blogs, has really helped me to have an online presence. Because many of those bloggers have shared my work and then their readers have passed it on….and on…. Ultimately building an internet presence is all word of mouth and it can travel very quickly,so believe in the romantic, Paul!!!

Just like anything else, the internet feels like a small world sometimes. I find I read about a lot of the same people who are putting themselves and their work out into the world. You just start somewhere, and I can’t stress this enough…Be the most genuine you can be. Spread love and support wherever you go. And your community will grow.

Your podcasts are very inspiring and authentic. You are obviously a champion of the creative life and following your dreams. There is a constant theme in your writings and podcasts of people who have switched from ‘9 to 5′ to a creative life. Of course, you live in an area famed for its positive, ‘can do’ ethos and one might be tempted to say that it does’nt translate so well to less ’sunny climates’(although thanks to global warming, its getting very sunny here in Ireland;-)). Yet, the internet creates a virtual environment of its own, and with a positive and supportive community in place, you can almost replicate the moral support, you need to be able to follow your dreams. What are your thoughts on this?

Yes,absolutely! This community you make via the internet can be incredibly supportive. And living in a sunny climate helps, although some of my favorite artists live in Portland where it is misty and rainy quite abit. Living in this country helps too, because you feel like you are almost entitled to follow your dreams. Having family in Germany that still remember what it was like to live under difficult conditions, I realize that the opportunity we feel here in the states is something to be very appreciative of. But, this is also where the internet is amazing. There really are no differences anymore. The internet has removed all the lines between us. We can learn from one another and support one another. I also love that the feeling of competition is beginning to subside as the feeling of support, and encouragement begins to be the accepted and cherished norm among my “internet colleagues”!

Do you have any ideas on how we can create this kind of community in Ireland, or is this something that has happened organically for you?

It has happened organically for me, but I wanted it to and I took steps to connect with people. In fact I always have, it happens to be a part of my nature that feels easy. I’m never afraid to reach out to someone and say hello. So to answer your question, just keep doing what you are doing and you’ll find it begin to evolve in Ireland I am sure. I tell everyone to never be afraid to “reach out to people” who inspire you.The internet makes this so easy now, too.

If you were an artist starting out with a limited budget, and had to choose between a website and a blog, which would you go for?

A blog definitely!

They are so easy to build and personalize yourself. Most of them are free.And technically it is very easy to update. You can be “live” in 5minutes and then add as little or as much content as you like. It’s all up to you!

Finally, you’ve written a book about being creatively self-employed, which people can get on amazon. Again a great extension of your online presense. You are constantly evolving. Any plans for the future? Can we expect a Marisa Videoblog:-), at some stage?

Actually, the book titled “Creatively Self-Employed” is by Kristen Fischer. She interviewed me to be a part of the book that features many insightful self-employed creatives! I highly, highly recommend it!

I have written an ebook, that I also Illustrated called “Choose a SunnySpot, Life Lessons learned in Improv Class”. It shares a lot of the philosophy that gave me the courage to live the life I now lead, that funny enough I did learn in Improv Class.

And so what can you expect next? I may be collaborating on a children’s book soon. I would love to have a Creative Thursday TV show that I host, as I originally came to LA to pursue acting which I am also still involved with. Always more painting, and now that I am working with clay in 3D, more to explore with that. Since I worked as an interior designer, with a love of the home and home furnishings I would love to have an entire Creative Thursday line - what that will include, we’ll just have to see!

I’ll leave with you a line from one of my many bios that is floating out there in the vast internet.

To sum me up:

An entrepreneurial spirit who will never be boxed in; my wish is that everybody find what makes them happy and always follow their heart.

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technorati tags:Marisa Haedike, art, artisan blogging, creativity, creative life

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