Dishfunctional Designs: Why You Should Be Selling Your Art On Print On Demand (POD) Websites

In my last blog post I explained what Print On Demand (POD) was, and what it was all about. (If you are just joining us now you can read that article here.)

Now I'd like to talk about some reasons why you should be selling your art on POD sites, what you can get out of it, and how it can help you grow as both an artist and as a business person. Feel free to jump in any time with questions or comments below.

Print on demand websites are not only a great way to get your artwork out and into the public eye, but they can also be a great tool for assessing your work.

For example, if you put up a variety of your work on a POD site, over time you will find out which of your designs are the most popular. You can determine this simply by keeping an eye on what sells, and by seeing which works get the most attention according to views and likes.

Each of these bits of information gives you insight into what types of artwork you might want to sell on a POD site, and also what things in your work you might want to improve upon.

Perhaps even more importantly, putting your work on a POD website helps you to “let go“ of your artwork, allowing you to go in new directions and create new things.

You’re not ever going to just paint one great painting, or two great paintings. Art is a process of continual discovery and growth, but to be able to grow you need to be able to let things go.

So don’t worry about being afraid to list one of your art works on a print on demand site because you think it is too precious. Then share it! If it is amazing and precious then allow other people to experience it too.

Don’t horde your artwork. Get it out there, let it be seen! Don’t be afraid to say, hey, this is me! Or, hey, look at where I have been! It is only when you do this that you’re able to go to new places with your art. Make some room in your heart and soul for your blossoming creativity and your new artistic creations.

Letting go of your artwork can be very freeing and refreshing. Take a chance and experience it and you will see what I mean. This is a renewal of you and your creativity. Create create create!

Maybe you are reading this and you think that print on demand is not the direction that you want to go. That’s fine, because it’s not for everyone. But just realize that it can be a way to actually help you expand creatively.

Even though the POD site takes care of all of the customer interaction and business transaction side of things, there’s still lots to be learned by selling on POD. If you have an interest in trends, what’s popular, and things such as surface design, POD sites offer an amazing wealth of information. Take a look around and see what’s trending and popular. How about starting a trend yourself?

POD sites are great for artists who dabble in multiple mediums. Maybe you are a painter at heart but you dabble in photography just as a side hobby. If this is the case, it can be a lot of fun to put your photography on a POD site and see how it goes. You never know, you might be inspired to create something that you usually wouldn’t create. On POD sites, you are completely surrounded by all different types of art, so inspiration is everywhere.

And remember, there is no investment for selling your art on a POD site. Unlike paying to have your own prints made to sell yourself, or to have products made with your artwork on them (think t-shirts, stickers, etc) that you probably have to order in bulk and might not even sell, POD offers you a stress-free alternative. If you need some prints to sell in person at an event, you can buy your own at a discount from the POD site.

In a nutshell, you can learn a lot from selling your artwork on a POD site. So pull those paintings out of the closet and dig those drawings out from your old sketchbook and give it a try!

Check out POD site DesignByHumans

Selling your artwork on POD sites is probably a lot easier than you think, and in my next blog post, I'll delve deeper into the topic and I'll share with you the basic tools that you'll need to start putting your artwork up on POD sites so be sure to check back!

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