I have been working as a professional Graphic Designer for over a decade now and there are some items that really REALLY changed the game for me. Maybe it will help you to know a professional artist gives them a stamp of approval. Some of these links will be Amazon Affiliate links. By clicking on them to purchase I get a small commission and you help support this free content I create at no extra cost to you.
IPAD PRO AND APPLE PENCIL
I love my iPad Pro. I use it to write, work on my blog, draw in Procreate my the Apple Pencil, and watch videos. I really couldn’t be more happy with it. Watching artists online use the Procreate ap was really what tipped me over the edge to purchase. I had never used a stylus or tablet before and this was a lower price point than those big tablets many artists use and seemed to have near equivalent functionality.
I highly recommend you go test one out in store before purchase. I had my heart set on the larger size but after holding it and drawing naturally I knew the larger one was too big for me because my wrist hurt after a short period of time.
FINTIE IPAD PRO KEYBOARD CASE
I also highly recommend the case I purchased. It was the only case I could really find that held the pencil and keyboard and folded up. Other cases just held the pencil or just the keyboard or had the pencil kinda hanging on the outside of the case. This one had all the functionality I needed and it has really held up well.
I also have a screen protector that has saved my screen multiple times which I love!
CLICK HERE for my killer iPad case and CLICK HERE for the screen protector.
ART SUPPLY BASICS
I have to give a shout out to Alene’s craft glue. I have been using it since I was a child and I still use it to this day on paper art, scrapbooking, and quilling art. It is awesome and dries clear without getting lumpy. I love you Alene’s Craft Glue. Also, be sure to get yourself a good X-acto knife, a nice metal ruler, and a cutting mat with a grid. I use these all the time!
ZECTI PHOTO LIGHT BOX
I was so surprised by this purchase. I use it all the time to take pictures of my art for social media, sales, and documentation. It is just so durable for the price and the fact that it folds down is perfect for me because I keep in stored away until I need it. CLICK HERE to get your own Zecti Photo Light Box.
AUDIBLE AND SCRIBD SUBSCRIPTIONS
I love reading but I also love multitasking. Audiobooks have been an absolute favorite of mine and they allow me to learn and create art at the same time. You have probably heard of Audible but you should also check out Scribd. It is unlimited and cheaper than Audible.
ALEXA
I can’t tell you what a game-changer she has been. I listen to podcasts, audiobooks, and music all the time while I am creating and my Alexa (I guess it is actually called an Echo…) has made it all super convenient to have that inspiration play all the time. My favorite podcast right now are for inspiration are the Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness, The Unmistakeable Creative, and Design Matters with Debbie Millman.
BOOKS
I absolutely love books and I have found them invaluable for my art career. I love so many art books but here are my favorites when it comes to books that will help you with your art career:
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
ONLINE LEARNING
I have annual Skillshare membership and I love it! It has loads of classes on it on just about anything and everything. And did I mention I teach a class on there too (wink wink)? But not only that there are just so many learning platforms out there. I have found value in buying classes from Udemy and Coursera too and they have sales all the time which make the classes really affordable.
You can also take classes for free online. CreativeLive has classes at a higher price point but they offer free classes daily and you just have to check their schedule to see what will be streaming when. They even offer an RSVP option where you can set it up to send yourself a reminder email of when the class you want to take is going to be streamed or you can take one module a day for free using their ap. You also might have access to free classes from Lynda.com with your library card. Many libraries in the US and Canada partner with Lynda.com and the classes are completely free with your library card. Also, last but not least, YouTube! If you aren’t learning new things on YouTube you aren’t even trying. There is so much great free content on YouTube and I have learned so much from it. You can even watch my video where I talk about all these products on my channel!
PROTIP: Take notes even when watching short YouTube videos. I am guilty of forgetting to take notes and then I find myself rewatching content because I forgot everything I was taught.
PAYING CREATIVE FRIENDS TO HELP ME
Yes, I said PAYING them. Having other creatives you know to help you with their expertise is a great investment.
HAVING MY OWN WEBSITE WITH CUSTOM DOMAIN
I have no idea why I waited so long to do this. But having a website is by far the absolute best investment I have ever made. And it isn’t just for the portfolio function. It holds my blog (which you are reading), it shows that I am a professional, and it is my corner of the internet.
In 2016 I went crazy viral for a blog post I created. And as a result websites, news outlets, and magazines all around the world linked back to my website. And I can tell you right now they never would have linked back to my website if it didn’t look like a professional website with a real domaine name. Having www.kyoung.portfoliopalooza.com is just not professional. And all professional artists who only have a portfolio site and maybe work on those art share sites, it is time to set up your game. Because if it isn’t, you need to have a come to Jesus moment about valuing yourself as a professional. Because you are worth it. I even have a video where I dig into this topic a little bit more.