Starving Artist Transformation- Red Dog Imagery by Libby Humeniuk
Starving Artist is a Choice!
Yup, there, I said it.
Makers don't have starve to do what they love.
And to prove it, I'd like to introduce you to Canadian western artist, Libby Humeniuk, of Red Dog Imagery.
Libby had an Instagram feed full of beautiful work, but not much else. She believed her business account should be "professional" and which only included her pencil art on black paper. What this Calgary-gal-turned-rancHer didn't know, was her whole life was her art!
With a few simple changes, her Facebook followers increased by 300 in those six months. Not bad considering her first 600 followers took almost 5 years. Followers are considered a vanity metric, but look at those engagement rates! Libby started to connect with her community and it shows.
What does all of this increased engagement mean?
The very first time Libby and I talked, she shared a goal. A goal that so many makers have buried deep because they are afraid to acknowledge it's existence.
She wanted her art to be her full time income.
Despite a pandemic.
Despite art shows being cancelled.
Despite an international economic downturn.
Red Dog Imagery became Libby's full time income!
How did she do it?
1. Libby consistently put in hard, uncomfortable work to learn new things.
Content creation is work and connecting with folks on an authentic level can feel uncomfortable at times but Libby made the commitment to do both. And she continues to do both.
2. Libby networked.
Libby consistently lifted up the vendors, shows, and other artists around her. What goes around, comes around and that includes kindness!
3. Libby went all in to her branding and providing her customers a shipping experience they wouldn't forget!
From her videos with Lib and Bee (this year's bottle calves) to her art cards, Libby has found a consistent voice across all of her platforms.
4. Libby shared her other, lesser known arts.
The girl can photograph AND write!!! Libby's willingness to share allowed the rest of the world to see a woman full of texture and talent and wit.
Branded in Ink was proud to support this transformation from "starving artist" to "full time maker" with:
- Biz Bestie: 1-on-1 coaching where we covered content strategy, email and lower ticket offers
- Branding Basics: An online, self-paced course on branding
- Branding Suite: A logo, but on steroids
- Website Rebuild: Together, we collaborated to build a website with higher conversion rate.
