A lot of creatives struggle with this because the creative community is such a supportive place that we don’t like to compare ourselves to other. What I don’t want you to do here is get into an comparisonitis cycle - this is about YOU and YOUR ART not others. It’s about what makes us uniquely us. It’s as much about us as sole traders and creators as it is about the artwork or service that we provide.

Working on your vision isn’t just about sticking some pretty pictures on a board and daydreaming.

Getting clear on your vision is about knowing what you want to create in your business and your life.

What are you actually working for?

Your vision is your north star - the thing you’re driving towards and the beginning of knowing what action you need to take.

Work through one of these exercises so you have your vision clear in your mind…

I'm looking at you - yes you, the artist who wants to 5x their income, start charging their worth, get into more galleries and finally start living the life they’ve been dreaming of.

I know it sounds too good to be true but hear me out. I used to charge £40 for my 40cm limited edition Lino prints, now I charge a minimum of £270. So what changed?

There were a number of things - artists and collectors told me I was charging too little, I wanted to sell through galleries but I was going to be losing money and (and this is the biggest thing) I started to value what I was doing and take myself seriously as an artist.

When you want to create a sustainable art business rather than a hobby that pays for itself, you have to think seriously about the numbers. It’s no good plucking a number out of the air or simply charging what someone else does. That’s not going to ensure you cover your costs and make a decent profit. Do you think that’s what the likes of Frida Kahlo or Georgia O’Keefe would do? Hell no!

Being an artist is a ‘real job’. It can pay you a comfortable income but you have to be strategic.

People often ask me where my business name came from. A lot of artists just use their name. I often think The Peacock & The Printmaker sounds like a fairytale - in fact one of my friends wants me to write a children’s story with that name. Maybe one day but for now I’m far too busy enjoying getting my hands covered in ink.

How it All Started…

When I first decided to put my artwork on Instagram I was terrified - it was only a hobby after all. I was terrified of people’s opinions and of what to say. I had no clue about photographing my work and it certainly wasn't meant to be a business yet.

For the sake of setting up an account I chose the handle heatherdoesprints. It was very Ronseal but that’s me really. People asked about buying my prints so I set up an Etsy shop in the same name.

When I was little, I assumed that everyone looked at the world the way I did. I look at a scene and I see a colour palette - turns out not many people do.

I guess that's why I love to break down my sketches into palettes for the layers in my prints - it just makes sense to me.

The main difference between what I see and what I print IS the colours though. It's like I'm turning up the vibrancy filter in my brain as I'm looking at the sea and then putting that onto paper. There is a reason I do that though...

I'm a big believer that colour has a MASSIVE impact on our mood. Take Seasonal Affective Disorder for example - it's thought that the reduced sunlight in autumn and winter causes a reduction in melatonin production. Low sun = low mood and that's how I feel when I'm in a place that lacks colour. The shops in winter bring me down with their dark colours and I am not into muted tones and minimalist white box houses (if that's what you're here for you're in the wrong place, ha ha).

Hello my name is Emma, I am 15 years old and I have always loved drawing and being creative. I was in the studio of The Peacock and The Printmaker because I wanted to learn the lifestyle and different aspects of being an artist using this as a way to figure out what it means to be an artist.

From an early age, I have enjoyed the great British seaside - earlier than I thought in fact.

I asked my mum for some childhood beach photos and one of them was this one of my looking awesome in dungarees and red sunnies. Apparently we were in Devon - I had no idea I even been there - and my toothy grin says it all really. What’s not to love about bare feet in the wet sand seeing parents building sandcastles and getting to knock them down?

I remember a trip to King Edward Bay in Tynemouth with my daughter at a similar age. It’s a pretty similar image except she was more adventurous and decided to sample the sand as food. Luckily the north east is home to some of the cleanest beaches in the UK.

We lived in the North West of England so most of our holidays were either in North Wales or The Lake District.

Nobody starts an art business because they want to spend their life in front of a computer, right? We want to have lots of time to create but there are other tasks that we have to do in order for our clients to be able to see the work so that they can buy it. Having said that, it’s really easy to fall into the trap of doing loads of admin in order to feel like you’re being effective (I am guilty of this). So in order to save you time and stress, I’m Heather Moore, owner of The Peacock & The Printmaker. I have been selling my art for 7 years and have put together a list of things NOT TO DO so that you have more time for the art and the essential biz jobs.

Are you an artist who’s also a parent and worrying about how you’ll keep the business ticking over the holidays?

Here are some tips to help keep your business going without feeling like you’re missing out on time with your kids or like you’re going to drop all the plates.

1. Plan ahead! When can you work? What are your priorities?

2. Be kind to yourself - plan in little pockets of relaxation, ask for help and be prepared to let some things go. The business is there to support your chosen lifestyle.

3. Be realistic - what can you actually manage? If time is not available then posting daily to socials and running workshops is not going to work.

4. Recycle - got reels and carousels that have done well before? Repost them with new captions. Chances are, a lot of your audience didn’t see them anyway.

5. Cheat - use apps like CapCut to create quick reels

Nobody starts an art business because they want to spend their life in front of a computer, right? We want to have lots of time to create but there are other tasks that we have to do in order for our clients to be able to see the work so that they can buy it. Having said that, it’s really easy to fall into the trap of doing loads of admin in order to feel like you’re being effective (I am guilty of this). So in order to save you time and stress, I’m Heather Moore, owner of The Peacock & The Printmaker. I have been selling my art for 7 years and have put together a list of things NOT TO DO so that you have more time for the art and the essential biz jobs.

What piece are you most proud of selling, and what story does it tell?

I remember selling one of my peacock prints to a lovely man at a local art market. He was looking for something special for his sons who had just moved into his own home. He saw the peacock and loved it. He walked around the market and came back for it. I was overjoyed at how he was pulled back to it among so many beautiful pieces and it was the first print I sold to someone outside of my friends and family group.

It may seem like social media is the priority when setting up an art business (and it can be really helpful in being seen) but there are so many ways to be seen outside of the social media rollercoaster. Here are 6 alternative ways to share your art that are great strategies for growing your audience and getting your beautiful artwork in front of your ideal clients.

7 LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED FROM 7 YEARS IN A CREATIVE BUSINESS

A gorgeous gem of a beach tucked out of the way of the wind but seconds from the cafes, bars and shops, King Edward Bay is the perfect place to visit for families with small children that like to wander. Give them space without worrying that they’ll walk out of sight.

So called because it stretches about a mile Longsands is great for a decent leg stretch and you get the awesome scenery to go with it too. It’s a popular beach and can get really busy at a weekend - especially when the sun comes out. It’s popular with families, students and dog walkers alike and the area surrounding it has a lot to offer. Read on for some of my favourite picks.

Whitley Bay is a glorious part of the world that offers incredible sea views, independent shops and eateries and family entertainment by the bucketload.

The sea air is intoxicating, the family atmosphere is heart warming and the work they have done to reinvigorate the town and promenade area over the last 20 years has transformed it from a dilapidated hen and stag do venue to a celebration of all things local and northern.

Read on for some of my suggestions of fabulous places to visit on a day out in Whitley Bay and see my top picks.

Wanna know something weird?

I never intended to start a business.

All I wanted was something for myself after having a baby - something creative that was just about me in a life where my existence entirely revolved around a tiny person.

I had wanted a baby for about a decade but it wasn't the right time. Truth be told I thought she'd fill a void. Instead she showed me I had work to do on myself and that included attending to my creative needs.

Printmaking gives me an enormous sense of self, the world and how I express my feelings. The carving process helps me focus on the moment instead of stressing about the long list of jobs that never seems to get shorter and the inking brings much loved colour into the day.

Creating artwork, I get to decide on my own perspective and show how I see things or want things to be. It's a form of communication where I don't have to talk and I can speak to people's emotions. I connect with people who either see the world like me or want to. It's pretty amazing really.

If you want to explore this incredible process (as well as others) and see what it can do for you, check out the workshops that I’m offering this year by reading more.

Towards the end of 2023, I was working away on a new print and now it’s time to tell you the story of how it came to life.

Tumbling is a celebration of the wild waves of the North Sea. I went to stay in Beadnell and we were greeted with Storm Babet. Some people may see this as a time to hide away and stay cosy but I’m not one of those people. Instead I collected my sketchbook and watercolours and headed out to explore.

Since visiting the Ouseburn Open Studios in 2017, I knew that was where I emanated a studio. Since then, I’ve visited the open studios and scoured every inch of the Ouseburn Valley to see which studios would suit me. As desperate as I was to get a studio, I knew it needed to be the right one.

In Spring 2023, I attended yet another open studios event and found myself in B Box Studios. It was such an inviting space filled with friendly creatives and (it was warm - something my garden studio rarely was).

Straight after that, I contacted The Biscuit Factory Foundation and put my name on the waiting list knowing full well that I couldn’t afford it yet but that studios don’t come up very often.

Six months later, I got an email saying that there were 3 spaces coming up for rent so I went to view them. I cannot express how exciting this was. It was definitely a pinch me moment that made me feel like I was ‘levelling up’ as my coach calls it.

In a world where we seem to expect our shopping to be delivered yesterday, finding good art supplies is getting increasingly difficult. I used to be able to pop into town to Edwin Allen’s in Warrington and get anything I needed. If her didn’t have it in, he knew he could find it at a good price and I totally trusted his expertise. Sadly, these specialist shops seem to be dwindling but there are still a few gems on the high street and a few online too.

Read on to find out my favourites.