Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordon Harsey.
Hi Jordon, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have been creating art my entire life with no real training or teaching besides a few classes here and there in school. I always had a love for art, starting out with drawings and graduating on to paintings and then to digital art more recently. I started selling my art during my senior year of high school. Many of my friends and family had encouraged me to start selling some of my pieces, so I ventured in that direction. It kind of flopped at first – I sold a few pieces but not enough to sustain a business, and my page on Instagram fizzled off. I got busy with starting my first year of college and honestly gave up on my art for a while.
I started my account back up during the Fall of 2020. I had a lot of downtime during the first year of the pandemic and I was able to get back in touch with my creative side. I started where I left off, so my following was pretty small. I was able to gain some serious traction when I ventured into digital art and began offering custom logos. I met one of my closest creator friends, Sierra from Gem Moon Jars, by creating her logo for her. I owe a large part of the community I have created to her. She has introduced me to so many other creators and in a way helped me find my niche. I have been able to learn so much from her as well as a small group of other successful creators. These friends have pushed me to grow as an artist and as a small business, and without their unique support I might have given up on my page again.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are many challenges when it comes to selling art. One of the biggest ones I have struggled with is excessive commissions. I enjoy working commission-based, but sometimes I go into periods of time where those are my only sales. While I appreciate that people value my skills as an artist, it can sometimes feel like I am creating whatever other people want to see rather than what I want to create. I have worked to find a balance between the two, even closing my commissions for an extended period of time.
I have also of course faced insecurities with my own creations. I am my own worst critic, as I’m sure every artist is. During the time after I restarted my page, I have grown a lot as a person and as an artist. Today, I can finally say I am confident in my art and in myself as a creator. I of course have off days, but I always bounce back.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I create paintings, digital art, and a few clay creations here and there. I love to create unique hand-painted items that may not be commonly painted – such as tote bags, tumbler cups, notebooks, and mirrors! I have recently begun selling my art in person at the NoMa Flea in Columbia, and seeing the excitement on people’s faces when they realize I painted some of my items by hand is something that keeps me going for sure.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My best advice for networking is to find your niche. Social media has made it easier than ever to connect with other like-minded people who can offer all kinds of support. As I mentioned before, I have a wonderful community online of successful creators. I have a group of 5-6 friends from all over the U.S who are all at different points in their small business journey and are able to offer unique opinions and advice for almost any situation.
My community also does something called engagement groups. These are groups of small businesses and creators on a social media platform who share content for engagement. In the ones I am in, members send a post and the other members will like and comment to boost the post. There are also selected days, where any posts sent will be shared to everyone’s stories so more people will see them. This is something that has definitely helped me grow my following and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is trying to grow their page.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/jordonharsey
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordonlorraine.art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jordonlorraine.art/
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/jordonlorraineart
