OPEN STUDIO TIPS

For those who don’t know me I ended my summer taking part in an Art trail here in Älmhult. I have been living in Älmhult for 2 years. It was really nice to connect with the local creative community in my small town. I had no idea how many creatives lived here.

I was really nervous to open up my workspace to the public. It turned out to be a lovely experience.  People really enjoyed looking around at my space, taking in my inspiration boards and watching how I work on the computer. I made new friends, a few sales and promoted my online store which was a bonus.

I thought I would share my tips for my more creative readers on how to have a successful open studio.

As the crazy Christmas selling season approaches in the next couple of weeks.

1.Social media was great tool. Teaming up with other artists and the organisation holding the event was crucial to the success of the open studios.Cross posting on different social media channels and stories on instagram. This was a great  way to generate visitors to your studio space. It was fun seeing other artists on instagram accounts as the event unfolded.

2.I made a relaxing studio playlist of music and had some aromatherapy going. I think it created a relaxing atmosphere for visitors and  for myself. I had a bowl of  candies and free postcards and business cards. It can feel daunting entering a personal space. So the relaxed atmosphere really helps.

3.Make your studio like a pop up shop. Having everything with prices so no embarrassing talk about prices. Make payment easy here in Sweden we have Swish a mobile payment app but I highly recommend I Zettle and you can record all your sales  for your book keeping later. 

4.Always be friendly and thank your guests for making the effort to see you.

Good luck with your selling your lovely products this Christmas.