Managing the business of being an artist is one of the challenges many creatives face in making a living. Enter Beth Moller. An arts advocate, she founded Arts Spark as a division of her website and digital marketing company IMC Interactive Media Consulting, developing websites since 1996 and expanding into social media, branding, print design and e-commerce services.
Jade Warrick spreads the joy that art can provide.
At Arts Spark, Moller uses her business experience and professional resources to “help artists in the business of being artists.” As such, she works with artists designing personal websites, collaborating on art festivals, music and theater productions, and creating e-commerce craft marketplaces.
Q: What motivated you to get involved in the arts?
A: I’m not really an artist. I am interested in art. I play in a community band. I started piano lessons when I was in second or third grade. When fifth grade rolled around and we were all choosing an instrument, I chose the flute. I enjoyed playing until high school. I was in pep band in college.
Q: How has art shaped your career?
A: Arts Spark is a digital platform that helps artists with the business side of being an artist. We really focus on artist marketing and branding, so really helping them understand how to do their work and get the word out.
Q: What challenges have you faced in incorporating art into your work?
A: The challenge we see is that when we talk about branding, they see it as corporate. By changing the language we use with artists, we talk about the look, feel and image they want to portray, rather than brand. It’s basically a brand name, but without using the phrase branding.
Q: What advice would you give to upcoming artists starting their careers?
A: When you start your business, you need to brand yourself. That means more than just a Facebook page and Instagram profile. You need your own website. If you choose to do that, you should be able to sell your art online.
Don’t sell yourself short. The biggest thing I hear all the time is people saying, ‘You’re young artists, how are you going to do this for free, to get exposure, because you’re devaluing your work and your experience and your education.’ It’s worth the work you create. Know how much it will cost you in materials, how much it will cost you in time, how you feel about what you need to do to make a living, and price your products appropriately.
