so when I sell on the sidewalk I set up
a little stand I sit next to the link
and I see machines free Wi-Fi and free
charging
I bring portable art supplies I set up a
little table foldable table I set up
next to this and I just wait for people
to come by it's best to smile so you're
gonna have a lot of people looking at
you because not often are people selling
art on the street so when you see people
are making eye contact with you you want
to smile because it shows that you're
approachable and it makes people want to
come to your stand
some people are nervous and they don't
know whether they should approach you or
not they don't know I mean they have the
idea that you're gonna be that you're
selling your art but they don't know for
sure some people are unsure but honestly
most people get the idea so while you
should be friendly and approachable and
you should smile you shouldn't force
people to come to your stand it's okay
for every once in a while to say oh art
sale or whatever but don't force it too
hard because the people that are
interested in art they will come to you
because those are the people that you're
trying to attract anyway those are your
customers those are the people that are
most likely to purchase art from you so
you don't want like people to just buy
your art out of pity you want people
that are genuinely interested in your
work so don't stress too much also it's
best to introduce yourself and ask
people their name so you'll be like so
I'll be like for example hi my name is
blue what's your name
they'll tell you their names they'll
tell you their name and then you want to
remember their name and then you want to
use it one more time later on in the
conversation so you'll be like for
example oh my god my name is Pam or
whatever so you'd be like oh thanks for
stopping by Pam and or like it's nice to
meet you Pam you want to repeat it back
to them because when you I learned this
in a book that I read I think it was
called how to make friends and influence
people a very great book people like
their own names so when they hare there
they're going to feel happy they're
gonna feel like a little bit closer to
you and they'll be more likely to
purchase art I found that whenever I
would try to have a genuine conversation
with people and I would remember their
names they felt more comfortable around
me so you know you're a stranger to them
so you want them to feel comfortable you
want to feel like you're approachable
also always have a paypal a cash app
venmo seems to be really popular have a
few of those options because not
everyone carries cash with them and when
it comes to pricing your work have a
variety of prices but also make it like
easy to remember and easy to have change
for so I'll have like stickers that are
a dollar for people who don't really
have much cash on them I'll have
something that's $5 I'll have something
that's $10 and then I usually don't go
over $20 because people don't really
want to spend more than 20 on the fly
but my prices are usually $1 $5 $10 or
$20 and I'll always have change for
those amounts
see I have stickers pins framed art
prints
a sign
it's harder to have weird prices like $8
or like $12 that just gets confusing
it's confusing to have change for like
if you want to do it do it but I suggest
against it also people are more likely
to buy when the number is more like you
know a friendly number it's great to
have stickers because with stickers you
know it's like simple and if someone
can't buy from you at the moment but you
see that they're very interested in your
art you give them a sticker like it's
not a big loss if anything you're making
them happy and if they see you again
they might buy from you next time you
know it's about like building it's about
like making friends in your community I
would set up somewhere in your
neighborhood it's cool to do it around
like 14th Street you know downtown for
not 42nd Street that's too saturated but
like for me personally I rather do it in
my own neighborhood because these are
people I'll be seeing people that will
be returning customers I'm a unique spot
where the market isn't overly saturated
but also make sure that it's a spot that
has a lot of traction so me personally I
usually stay around the Broadway area
because that's where most of the trains
are you'll have more people coming in
coming by every time a train stops by
it's just more convenient I sit next to
the link and my seat the link and my
seat things that give free Wi-Fi where
you can charge your phone um the only
real inconvenience will be when you have
to use the bathroom so before you go set
up your stand use the bathroom what I do
is I will call my mom since I set up
nearby I'll tell her if she could like
just hold down the spot for me so that
no one like takes my stuff or whatever
and I don't have to pack back up and
then I'll go to like the nearest
Starbucks or something um or you can
have like a friend come with you um but
usually when you have to use the
bathroom that's
kind of an issue but if you can find
someone who can hold the spot for you
then all the better
it's definitely legal to be selling your
art so it falls under the First
Amendment rights of freedom of speech
you just can't like spit sit like right
in front of the door the door of a store
obviously like just obvious places like
as I'm sure as long as you're out of
people's way you're fine um I've only
really dealt with Authority like once
and they asked me like are you allowed
to do this I was like yeah it's legal
and they just kind of left me alone
after that no one has really bothered me
yet about it just make sure you consider
it you're not in anyone's way you're not
being disruptive it's okay to play music
just don't blast it and play something
kind of tasteful you know have business
cards a website and social media so I
find personally that not a lot of people
ask for my social media surprisingly so
when you hand them a business card
they'll already have it there a lot of
the older customers tend to ask if I
have a website or a business card so
it's just helpful to have those things
set up already so that they can follow
up they can keep up with you it also
helps to have a sign that says you're
selling art so again like I said some
people are shy they don't want to
approach you so if you have a sign Ivey
still like they'll think like oh this is
an art sale but I'm not too sure maybe
this person is just crazy just sitting
there with a bunch of art just have a
sign like it's helpful be sure to take
initiative in your conversations take
initiative in the conversations because
people will come up to you and they'll
try to get you to start talking I know
for me this was my problem at first
because I was kind of shy I didn't know
how to bring up the prices and stuff
because I was like what if they don't
want to buy my art no just tell them the
price it's not gonna hurt so introduce
yourself tell them a little bit about
yourself a brief bio
you tell them about yourself a brief
little bio why you make your way from
you know just so people get an idea of
who you are who they're so they're
supporting so then you just chat a
little bit and then you'll tell them so
over here I have this I have this I have
this these are the prices this is what
this is and then from there people as
they're looking at their work and
they're deciding what they want what
they can afford and all that so don't be
afraid to take initiative of the
conversation
don't let the customer ask you um so
what's this you know just you know get
straight to the point it's okay to talk
to people get to know people because
it's also about bonding and the
connections that you make so you might
find when you first start that maybe the
first 30 minutes is kind of slow you're
comfortable you know oh my god what if I
don't make money today like those
thoughts go through my head - every time
I setup I and I don't make a sale yet I
think what if I don't make a sale today
and I'm just sitting here for nothing no
you won't make a sale you will make
sales people like art not everyone likes
art but a good amount of people like art
you will if your prices are fair and
reasonable and your work is decent
you will make a sale so my advice is
don't leave until you're satisfied with
the amount of money that you've made now
the pros of this is that you could make
more than a regular job the cons of it
is it's not guaranteed so you might not
make as much as you want to make but if
you're willing to put the time in if
you're willing to you know learn and
grow and hustle you will make the money
that you want to make you just need to
manifest that so just be confident in
yourself put your all into your work
have fair prices of course be to people
get to know people you will make your
money just have your goal in mind don't
leave until you've made that goal unless
like the Sun went away but usually I
find that like if I wait just a little
bit longer that's when I'll make my big
sale so what I personally love about
sell
my art is that I'm building my
communication skills I'm getting some
I'm working on getting some exposure
with my work I find that for me usually
I make about the same amount as a
regular job if not more and the money is
coming to me immediately so I don't have
to wait like two weeks for a paycheck or
something that's why I personally enjoy
selling my art you gain connections and
[Music]
honestly like you just have to be
willing to put in the time to work the
socializing and it can be draining but
it's all worth it because at the same
time you're doing something that you
love now the content is is that
sometimes it's gonna be a rainy day and
you can't sell art outside cuz not a lot
of people want to buy art in the rain
sometimes it'll be a cold day you don't
want to sit outside all day the weather
is a huge factor to this but what you
can do is you can sell in the train
station now I'm not too sure on the like
legal aspects of that but it's
definitely an option I guess if a cop or
two approached you I guess you can you
be let off with a warning but don't take
my word for that because I have not been
in that experience yet but yeah I think
it's worth it just in the meantime like
have some portable art supplies with you
so I usually carry around watercolors
with a water brush and I just paint
while I'm waiting for customers to come
so you're working on your craft like
you're not really wasting time because
if you're working at the same time it's
not a waste of time if you're doing if
you're reading it's not a waste of time
I would just say don't be on your phone
too much because that usually deters
people from coming to you because you
don't look focused I don't know why that
is but people just don't really come to
the stand when they see that you're busy
on your phone but if they see that
you're drawing they're more likely to
come up to ask you about your drawing or
whatever but I think when you're looking
at your phone you're
a bit more detached so people feel a
little more intimidated to come up and
speak to you but that's basically all
you really need is the foldable chair a
table and your art and you're good to go
obviously I think selling art is a
courageous thing to do it's a beautiful
thing to do and if it's meant for you
it'll come to you it as long as you put
in the work be sure you put in your work
I hope this helps someone I hope that
this inspired you to go out there and
get your art out there and so that you
could make money so thank you so much
for watching don't forget to subscribe