Busking

All right I've started busking.

Seeing as I'm in Dereham any way on a Tuesday for my cleaning job in the morning I decided to kill two creepers with one bolt and make Tuesday afternoon my busking time.

Yesterday was my first time and I'd say that it went very well.  Managed to find a bench end that wasn't covered up by a bin, propped up three of the copies of my work laid one down on the floor as my coin collector and set to work on continuing work on 'Forest City'.

By four o'clock I had very nearly recouped the bus fair, had received several complements for my skills and nobody had sent a police man to move me on.  So all in all a success.

Though the money wasn't much, it was more than I could have received as first the first time busker and it has given me hope that as I become a regular fixture that I'll be able to at least cover my bus fair each week.  More would be nice but I'm willing to start small.

It has also made it obvious that I really need to hurry up, load my art on to deviant ART and make some business cards as I had several enquires as to whether I was selling.  Unfortunately not; as I mentioned in an earlier post, a street traders license is over four hundred pounds (£400.00) for the year and as of yet I don't think that I'll be recouping that sort of price, although I'm hoping to make it to the UK Games Expo next year in Birmingham.

That was something else.  One lady asked, as I can't sell at the moment, what would the price be if I was to which I replied, going on the price I set for a commission, seventeen pounds fifty (£17.50).  Her reply to that was "worth every penny".

So fellow artist, stop shutting yourself away in your studios, pick up that paper and paint brush and go out into street.  Paint at the park bench and outside the closed down shop.  In doing so you advertise your work for free, gain confidence as the compliments come in and you even get paid just for doing the process of making the finished article.

People enjoy watching an artist work so let them watch, let them see how you do it and you might even get paid for the pleasure of doing what you love.  It also gives you a couple of hours each week in which the family can't stick their heads around the door and go "could you just..."

Yes, I'll agree that it is blooming cold doing it this time of year and there is no point trying if it is piddling down with rain but it is so good to hear people admiring your work.  It's an antidote to looking at all the big name artists, comparing yourself to them and feeling that you'll never match up to them.

So go on, have a go and you might be surprised how much you enjoy it.

Oh and if you fancy having a look at my stuff then you'll find my in Nelson's Place, Dereham, between 2 and 4 o'clock on a Tuesday.  Good luck and I hope to see you about.