Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chris Carr. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Chris thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I am able to earn a living as a full-time artist. The journey here has had its ups and downs along the way. My first year or two was very slow and did not bring in enough to earn a living. In year one I think I had my art at 3 events. Only sold a few prints and art pieces. During year two I had my art at maybe 10 events. Still selling a little bit of art but still not enough to consider it a living. Then near the end of year 2, I was introduced to outdoor art festivals. After setting up at one early into year three with a cheap pop-up tent and some grid panels, I was able to sell even more art. And with some encouraging feedback from buyers and other artists, I decided this was the direction I wanted to head in to try and make a living. So I went out and bought a Trimline tent and mesh walls to hang the artwork inside this tent. A more professional setup to help me get accepted to better and better festivals. A sure-fire path to making a full-time living. Or so I thought.

You see being creative and having a professional setup is only two-thirds of the success equation. The missing part is finding the cities and clients that will buy and support you now and in the future. So I set out in years 3 and 4 to discover what cities, demographics, and income levels my clients came from. And I still test new places every year to try and find more areas to sell my artwork. And since I make art in all the places I travel I can reach a broader audience. This is why I always make time to make new art in lots of locations. You never know when you may be in an area again. Sometimes to sell at an art festival. And it never hurts to have some local area attractions included in your work.

I travel around a wide area of the country for art festivals because most of the Florida art festivals have not been enough sales to sustain me. They are successful for some artists but unfortunately not me. Trust me I have tried many times. And then sometimes cities that have been successful for me in the past can run dry after a few years. At which time I take a year or two off from doing events in that area. And to this day I still have weekends where my sales do not equal what my costs to be there were. Which is humbling. But also motivation to keep pushing. Find the places I can sell. Move on from the places that don’t.

Chris, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a photographer with a rather unique area of focus. I travel around the country to hunt puddles and use water reflections to capture my artistic images. Over the last few years, I have created quite a collection. I call my series Puddle Reflections®. I have always had a creative mind. Dabbling in art and music as a kid and adolescent. And now even as an adult I still have that creative fire burning inside.

So how did I get to this point in my life? Well, what seemed like a lucky idea turned out to be something that was there all along. I just needed to realize it for myself. While working in web design for over a decade I was itching to change careers. Cubical life was sucking my soul away. I had developed quite a love and knack for photography over many years of traveling on vacations. And wanted to find a way to make this my new source of income. In early 2015 my job was cut and I received a severance package. Two weeks later I was invited participate at Photo Independent in Hollywood, CA for my brand new reflections series. To me, this was a clear sign of the path and direction I needed to take in my life. And now seven years later I am still happily on that path.

I have even mastered making my own puddles. So I no longer have to rely on those rainy days. I even take on commission work to shoot reflection portraits of people, animals, vehicles, and structures. Allowing me to offer photography from my own unique perspective. One that resonates with folks long after they view it.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The best support you can give an artist or creative is by buying their art or artistic services. Compliments are great and all for the ego but you can’t pay your bills with compliments. I have had many shows where I was rich in compliments but poor in sales.

Referring them to your contacts is also a great way to support them. This gives others in your circle to discover them from a trusted source.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building any kind of audience on Social Media takes time and persistence. Whether you post daily or only a few times per week, it is important to share more than your artwork. Give a peek into some of the work and steps involved to create that work. It all starts with figuring out what parts of you that you want to share and not share. Will it be all business? Will it be personal struggles along your journey as well? Even if you have trouble talking about yourself and your work don’t give up. These things take time and practice to work out every word you want to use to describe your work or your process.

I built my audience through years of postings to my Social Media accounts. Sharing my artwork, new and old, events, behind the scenes, videos, industry articles, and photos of my journey along the way. Consistent but not afraid to mix it up and try new things. Always being honest when accessing what is working and not working. Never afraid to cut out the things not working for me. And never skipping the chance to read about growing trends and new ideas.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chriscarrfineart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ChrisCarrFineArtPhotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisCarrFineArtPhotography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-carr-9610606
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRzIqXfhoUKZZc7Eh6Pb7YA

Image Credits
All photos by me