Having been so focused on ArtPrize I’ve been remiss in sharing updates regarding my audio work. Truth be told “I’m reading another Amish book,” didn’t really strike me as newsworthy.
However, there are 2 little gems I’ve recently been reminded of and I want to share in the hopes of bringing some encouragement and perspective.
The first gem I want to share is; when you are putting yourself out there, rejection is all a part of the game. What you do will not be for everyone, so it stands to reason some people will say, “Thanks, but no thanks.”
Embracing that reality can help take the sting out of those moments and remind you it doesn’t mean you are doing anything wrong, you just haven’t found your people.
As it pertains to audiobook work, I audition for projects, some of which I am convinced I’d be perfect for, and then either never hear back about my audition or get the more gentle “we’ve decided to go another direction” message.
For example, I have literally auditioned for a book where the main character was a graphic designer who lived in Chicago, had a bit of a sweet tooth, and I DIDN’T get the project. #truestory
This brings me to the second gem; don’t get derailed by the “No” just keep moving until you find your “Yes.”
On the regular, I reach out to publishers I haven’t worked with yet to get on their radar. Sometimes I get replies, but most of the time I don’t. Recently I have been doing more targeted communication highlighting my experience with the genre of Amish books.
I don’t necessarily want more titles in that genre, however, if that gives me a foot in the door then I’d be silly to not make use of it.
One of the publishers, who I have reached out to dozens of times before, responded to that particular message and we are now in the process of onboarding me to work on a project with them that is NOT even an Amish book. #evenbetter
If I took their lack of response these last few years as an indicator of my value, I never would have gotten to this point.
Keep showing up and doing your thing (actually doing the thing, not just THINKING about doing the thing) and then it’s just a matter of time.
Speaking of time, we are T-minus 2 weeks & 6 days to the beginning of ArtPrize. Here is where the artwork is at:
For those keeping score, I have completed the giraffe, sea turtle & eye; and the bird is ALMOST done. #soclose
ArtPrize has put together a really cool interactive map people can use to navigate the city and see what artwork and venues are a part of the event. Additionally, they are trying a new voting system where you can “favorite” an artist through this interactive map in order to help them win some of the prize money.
Currently, one of the prizes is for the artist with the most “favorites” before ArtPrize even begins, so for any of you who would like to help me out here’s what to do:
Use this link to create a visitor profile. (https://artprize.org/visitorlanding/)
Once you have your profile, put my name into the search bar to find my artist page.
When you get to my page where it shows my artwork and info, click on the favorite button.
There is a pop-up that let’s you know this can’t be undone (kinda intense if you ask me) but I guess they just want to make sure people aren’t willy-nilly about their favoriting.
I appreciate the help and if you know anyone else who may be into helping a designer-turned-audiobook-narrator-with-an-artist-side-hustle who creates hole-punch pointillism pieces, please feel free to share the link with them too.
I’m also thinking about having a drawing to give away a print of one of my hole-punch pieces, exclusively for you lovelies who let me drop into your inbox each week. More details to come, but I would like to hear which artwork should I use for the giveaway? (Giraffe, sea turtle, bird or eye) The one with the most responses will be the prize, so hit that reply button and tell me which you like best.
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