This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
In this week's first $1,000 segment, a talented artist capitalizes on their love for anime by offering personalized art commissions. Learn how they navigated pricing strategies, portfolio creation, and keeping up with clients. Welcome to side hustle school. Today we're gonna go to Hawaii for today's story. That's always exciting, especially this time of year.
And of course, in the first $1,000 segment, you hear how somebody got started, how they went from idea to income. Kai is a talented artist who capitalizes on their love for anime by offering personalized art. And so you're gonna hear from Kai about their story. I mean, that's pretty much it. You're gonna hear from Kai.
They're gonna tell you their story, how they created a portfolio and so on, some details that might be helpful to somebody else out there. And even if you don't wanna make art, if you've got something else you wanna do, hopefully the range of these stories that we present each week gives you some inspiration to move forward, whatever your idea might be. So let's hand the mic over to Kai. I'll be back at the end with a quick wrap up. [Music]
Hey folks, I'm Kai.
And if you're into anime like I am, then you're gonna love what I did to make my first $1,000. I've been sketching anime characters since high school, but it was only recently that I realized I could actually monetize this skill. To start, I knew I had to showcase my range. So I created a portfolio using Art Station. I included fan art, original characters, and even some manga pages to demonstrate my versatility.
Then I posted snippets of my work on anime forums and subreddits, making sure to watermark each piece to protect my IP. The pricing was hard at first. I wasn't sure how to value my own work. After researching the market, I settled on a three tiered system. $40 for a sketch, $70 for line art with basic colors, and $100 for fully rendered piece.
I also offered an extra quick turnaround option for an additional $25. Next came the process of accepting commissions. I used Trello to manage my workflow, categorizing requests as new, in progress, and completed. For payments, I used PayPal, requiring a 50% deposit upfront. Social media was my main marketing channel.
I used hashtags like #animeart and #commissionopen on Twitter and Instagram to attract the following. But what really turned the tide was joining Discord communities related to anime and art. I was able to directly communicate with clients via direct message. I even made some friends along the way. One critical aspect was customer management.
Anime fans can be incredibly specific about their favorite characters or scenes. To ensure customer satisfaction, I made it a point to have a detailed discussion before starting any project. This paid off as the positive reviews started rolling in. Within six weeks, I hit my first $1,000. The revenue primarily came from fully rendered pieces, which took the most time, but were also the most rewarding.
Additionally, some clients purchased multiple commissions after seeing the first piece, allowing me to establish a more predictable income flow. My key takeaway from this experience, community matters. Engaging with anime fans and fellow artists not only gave me exposure, but also invaluable feedback to improve my craft. By listening and adapting, I was able to send my passion into profit. Thanks for tuning into my story.
[Music]
Thanks so much to Kai for telling us about their first $1,000. Hope you found it encouraging. Hope you're doing okay. In the midst of a busy holiday season, I am so excited about 2024. I do try to appreciate the holidays, but personally, I am much more of a January one guy.
I'm like, what's coming up in January? Let's focus on that. And there's, I'm sure there's benefits to both sides. I do try to be present. I'm working on that, but you know, excited about 2024.
That's my point. Wherever you are in the world, whatever you're up to, thank you for tuning in today. Today's notes, sidehustleschool.com/2543. We've got what, 10 more days? 14 more days to go until the end of the year.
Thanks for being out there. Much more is coming up now and in 2024. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is Side Hustle School. [Music]
- From the Onward Project.
