Trudging Up the Steep Learning Curve of Self Representation Online

It’s been four months since I started promoting my poetry and artwork online. I’m still trudging my way up the steep learning curve of online self-representation. My Cafepress shop has paid for itself, in terms of covering the annual premium shop fees. From what I’ve read, it can take up to a full year for a shop to get going and be successful. So far, I’m off to a good start. I attribute it to the hours I’ve spent sizing images and writing product descriptions. The time spent up front pays off in the end. My shop is getting regular search engine traffic, and I’ve made good use of Froogle Beta thanks to a great online tool called café Toolbox.

Over the past few months, I’ve read as much as I could about SEO and learned how to tweak my keywords and maximize my Google AdWords ads. I’ve made good use of Squidoo and have a handful of lenses. They’re seeing regular traffic and are receiving good placement with Google. I’ve been networking with other self-representing women artists who sell their work online and have learned quite a bit from this creative group.

I continue to research and sign up for various free online artist gallery & print services like imagekind.com, printpop.com, artistrising.com, deviantArt.com, and artwanted.com. It’s this side of things I’m finding the most challenging to navigate. There are quite a few free gallery services and print services popping up on the Web these days. It’s tough to know which are trustworthy and will showcase my work most effectively.

I’ve set aside my domains, created a logo and continue to work on branding and visibility. When I started out, last fall, I didn’t realize how time-consuming setting things up would be. As a self-representing artist & poet, it’s not enough to just create and put my work out there. I’ve learned how important it is to research SEO, network with other self-representing artists & bloggers, and take what I’ve learned and put it into practice.

I look forward to seeing what the next few months bring, in terms of networking & business, now that things are slowly rolling forward.

P.S. My thanks to the person who purchased the Heartbeat & Moments Matter framed poem prints today. It’s also cool to think that somewhere out there one of my Moments Matter license plate frames is zooming about making my poetry mobile.

B.Y. Penman

Froogle Beta : http://www.google.com/base/help/sellongoogle.html

café Toolbox: http://cafetoolbox.com/

Cafepress: www.cafepress.com

Squidoo: www.squidoo.com

Worldwide Women Artists Online: http://www.worldwidewomenartists.com/

New Yin Yang Inspired Artwork Available at Savvyology Designs

Helical Yin & Helical Yang are now available through Savvyology Designs.

Here's a peek at the magnets.

© BYP 2007

If you're interested in seeing other items and posters with these zen like, Yin Yang inspired abstract images please stop by the shop. I've been getting a lot of very positive feedback from visitors and would like to pass along a heartfelt thank you to those of you who've purchased items and offered feedback. The positive support is greatly appreciated.

Helical Yin & Helical Yang Design Page

~ B.Y. Penman

Don't Miss the Graphic Gifts

In addition to original poetry gifts, Savvyology Designs sells the original abstract artwork of B.Y. Penman. Stop by the shop and check out the selection of abstract graphic mugs, framed abstract prints, decorative housewares, graphic t-shirts, and more. Here is a brief glimpse at some of the items offered.

New Spiritual Haiku & Artwork - Sunlight

Sunlight © BYP 2007 - All rights Reserved


Here is a peek at the newest poem and design added to the shop. Sunlight is a haiga. For an explanation of what haiga is please look below. Many of my pieces are haigas. I enjoy combining my abstract images with haiku. Sometimes the art and haiku compliment each other and sometimes they appear entirely unrelated. That is the beauty of haiga.

In this case, I worked at pairing a complimentary image with this spiritual haiku. One that would punctuate the simple intensity of the poem without overshadowing or distracting.

The haiku itself was inspired by a view of the mountains on a typical dark-grey cloudy day up here in the Pacific Northwest. On a drive through the valley, I saw a long sliver of sunlight wrapped around the side of a mountain and the words began to form themselves into a haiku to capture that beautiful vision and moment in time.

~ B.Y. Penman

What is haiga?

"Haiga, the combination of haiku and art, is nearly as old as haiku itself. Haiga began as haiku added to paintings, but included in Japan the calligraphic painting of haiku via brushstrokes, with the calligraphy adding to the power of the haiku. Earlier haiku poets added haiku to their paintings, but Bashō is noted for creating haiga paintings as simple as the haiku itself. Yosa Buson, a master painter, brought a more artistic approach to haiga. Haiga poet-artists followed either of these approaches.

Today, artists have combined haiku with paintings, photographs and other art media."

Quoted from Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku

The Story Behind The "Puns Are Fun Buns Are Fun Too" T-shirt

Some of you might be curious about the silly "Puns Are Fun Buns are Fun Too" design being sold through Savvyology Designs. I thought I'd share the inspiration and "inside" family joke about this punny quote.

It was my grandmother Peggy who came up with the saying. Puns were, and still are, enjoyed by a few of my witty relatives. I enjoy a good pun myself. At almost every family dinner, my grandmother would bring the basket of buns to the table and in her playful yet slightly wry tone say "Buns are fun." My grandmother was a sweet, tiny woman with a playful and young-minded outlook on life. She had a knack for saying outrageous things with an innocent expression and tone of voice. She was so good at the delivery of these "shockers" that I'd sometimes wonder if I heard her right.

Grandma Peg is no longer with us but her sense of humor and playful outlook on life have stayed with me. To honor her memory, I created the "Puns Are Fun" design and I know she'd get a kick out of seeing her words and sense of humor carried on for others to enjoy and have a laugh with.

© B.Y. Penman 2007

Brand New T-shirt Colors Now Available at Savvyology Designs

The new t-shirt colors have arrived. Cafepress has expanded their line of women's and men's dark colored shirts. They've also brought in v-neck tees which I'll be adding to the shop during the next week. Here is a glimpse of what our designs look like on the new colored tees. I've only shown some of the new colors. There are many more in store. Come have a peek!

Have a look at the newest colored Tees!

~ B.Y. Penman

Latest Addition to Savvyology Designs

Here is the latest poem and design addition to Savvyology Designs. In keeping with the spirit of Valentine's Day, which will soon be upon us, I worked with a romantic haiku I'd written a while ago and paired it with an abstract image I just recently finished.

© B.Y. Penman 2007