Where are all the creative individuals??

[StratBee]

Where are all the West Midlands based Designers, Inventors, Artists and other product retailers?
Which websites do you frequent or which magazines do you read often?
Have you brought your products to market? Are you actively, retailing or just enjoy creating?

Feel free to PM me. I really am keen to know where you lot are!? :eek:

[seeingISbelieving]

Where are all the West Midlands based Designers, Inventors, Artists and other product retailers?
Which websites do you frequent or which magazines do you read often?
Have you brought your products to market? Are you actively, retailing or just enjoy creating?

Feel free to PM me. I really am keen to know where you lot are!? :eek:


They are still about. Just can't afford to rent premises . . . even temporary one's!

[StratBee]

They are still about. Just can't afford to rent premises . . . even temporary one's!

Thanks SeeingISbelieving!

I am still in need of answers as, in the near future the luck of you creative individuals, might be about to change! :)

[Kwackers]

I'm not an artist or inventor, but I am a economics student/writer :)

Trying to move away from writing services by writing for my own forums and blogs though; residual income all the way :)

[mhall]

Creatives come and go- at a much higher rate than most businesses. Those that are good AND commercially aware last the course. Those who are good and just expect people to come flocking to them (or worse- expect grants) fall by the wayside.

There is more support for Creatives here than anywhere else in the country - even Wolverhampton claims to be the Creative City.

Bottom line is that it doesn't matter how good and creative you are, if no one wants to buy your stuff and you can't be bothered to learn how to sell your stuff, you haven't got a business.

[mhall]

They are still about. Just can't afford to rent premises . . . even temporary one's!

and why would that be?

[Calibre Designs]

Do they have to be local? ;)

[StratBee]

Do they have to be local? ;)

Hi Calibre Designs,

No, creative individuals do not have to be local.

I was intially, querying the creative individuals in the West Midlands but, non-locals are very welcome too! :)

[StratBee]

Bottom line is that it doesn't matter how good and creative you are, if no one wants to buy your stuff and you can't be bothered to learn how to sell your stuff, you haven't got a business.

You make a very good point here mhall. Especially, on learning how to sell!:)

[Mathew.Charles]

Weest Mids. Does seem a bit quiet on the scene latey..

[Furrtiv]

I am an artist, and am currently working on sculpting some items for jewellery, but I also paint and draw, and have illustrated fantasy genre stuff. I most recently illustrated an entire deck for a new collectible card game called Conflicting Kingdoms.

Unfortunately, I am rubbish at selling and marketing so am looking for help and ideas in this area, hence joining this foryum, and also having to work full time to pay bills is eating up a large chunk of my week, but I'm planning on starting small - car boot sales, craft fairs, festivals - and getting a website up and running. Again, doing everything from scratch for very little money in the evenings and weekends is difficult, but I'm persisting. :)

If you wish to view some examples of my art, I can PM you my Facebook page (private, you'll need to do a friend request) or my Photobucket account (public).

[Edward Moss]

I like this website http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/ has a nice round up of the creative stuff happening in Birmingham.
BJP is my favourite magazine.

Like most creative "types" the commercial photography work subsidises my own work,

Colouring in a brownfield book (http://www.edwardmossphotography.co.uk/photo_7341456.html)
Man made landscapes (http://www.edwardmoss.co.uk/news/entry/man_made_landscapes/)

Main thing is I get paid doing something I love:)

[StratBee]

I am an artist, and am currently working on sculpting some items for jewellery, but I also paint and draw, and have illustrated fantasy genre stuff. I most recently illustrated an entire deck for a new collectible card game called Conflicting Kingdoms.

Unfortunately, I am rubbish at selling and marketing so am looking for help and ideas in this area, hence joining this foryum, and also having to work full time to pay bills is eating up a large chunk of my week, but I'm planning on starting small - car boot sales, craft fairs, festivals - and getting a website up and running. Again, doing everything from scratch for very little money in the evenings and weekends is difficult, but I'm persisting. :)

If you wish to view some examples of my art, I can PM you my Facebook page (private, you'll need to do a friend request) or my Photobucket account (public).

Hi Furrtiv,

I will gladly take a look at your work. Send me a link to your photobucket account.
On the subject of selling your work take a look at retailspots. If, your interested just fill out the form on the website. In regard to your sales and marketing skills - I am thinking of including a sales course as part of the services to retailspots occupants.

Keep working towards your goal. You will get there eventually!

[nick.proud]

Just wanted to add to the re-assurance about the lack of creative individuals in the West Mids!

I'm a composer and piano teacher living in Stoke. It's WELL hard to get this going full time and I say power to all the creatives!

I'm currently working on recruiting a commission only sales team and moving into online piano lessons but it is very hard.

Hope you are all doing well.

Nick
nicholasproudmusic.com

[gregs2769]

Just wanted to add to the re-assurance about the lack of creative individuals in the West Mids!

I'm a composer and piano teacher living in Stoke. It's WELL hard to get this going full time and I say power to all the creatives!

I'm currently working on recruiting a commission only sales team and moving into online piano lessons but it is very hard.

Hope you are all doing well.

Nick
nicholasproudmusic.com

are theses going to be phone based people? and who will provide the training ect

[Jonah2012]

Their are markets out there that trade but i understand the troubles i finding the ones that suit you. Artists at most claim that a piece of art is worth as much as it's painter, so that depends on the time and effort and location the painting was created.

This is the problem in the west midalnds, there are so many artists out there that have such a fantastic idea but knowone to sell to. These type of artist could be the ones that in history tell a great story of the past and future and those paintings become worthless, like the crown jewls, priceless but so expensive knowone can buy them and who would want to, there royalties from us in the first place, almost like a buy from me and then keep it hence tax free haven for then and a complete struggle for us. This is a fine however because the patient artists keep what they created and then wait and wait and one day someone approaches them and reached deep into the pocket and buys the lot. In my eyes I would keep them because the art that creates the future is far more expensive than the future that created art.

I'm an individual that has memories, thats my art and whatever people mention to others about my true self the images that are in my mind and that of others i have met in the past means far more to me than a lick of paint. Memories stay with us for life, or should do and thats the reason for some people remembering the lives of others and some with a memory that simply does not want to.

[PIngels]

We are small Games/Character/App development company in Kidderminster. We work from home. It's just the two of us but we've developed projects for Microsoft, Turner Broadcasting (Ben 10), Lloyds Pharmacy, Tropicana, William Hill, BBC, Egmond Publishing, The Department of Health, and more.

This just show what the power of the internet is allowing people who are creative to accomplish. We are networked with several companies in e.g. Belarus and Indonesia that extends our service and production capacity and helps keep cost down. We've been involved in big projects, e.g. the recent launch of the TalkTalk XFactor campaign, where we've been part of up to six companies networked together via Skype, email and the phone.

I love every moment of it :)

Check out our site to see what we contribute to the West Midland's creative output. http://www.grinlock.com

[Lexie]

I like to think of myself as creative my products seem to be selling so far so good but early days xx

[StratBee]

I like to think of myself as creative my products seem to be selling so far so good but early days xx

Hi Lexie,

Just out of curiosity...What are the products that you sell?
You have somewhat left us hanging...!

[Lexie]

oh sorry I didn't think I saw allowed lol .. I make Candy trees

Decorative trees out of sweeties for events

[SirPac]

I like to consider myself a creative person :-)

[PIngels]

I'm in Kidderminster ... creative and having a lot of fun. I just set up a new site at http://wakster.com

[NiSiWi]

We're out there and hard at it.

Would be nice if there was more of an "open community" when it comes to developing businesses as its one of the things I believe is slowing things down.

Great things happens when different minds / views / skills come together.