I have been doing this for exactly 3 months...

.... and I am just floored that I am being payed $100/hour to paint and am busy enough to be very pleased (2-4 gigs a week, but I have been turning down some). I just found my first receipt (the Klutz book with the Wolfe paints) and it is dated late June, so I first started practicing in early July. And here I am - just goes to show that if you want something bad enough and work hard at it, you just might get it!

Now I am still at the point where I literally put in a few hours of prep work for each gig, so it doesn't really come out to $100/hour. But still, I am just amazed. I never imagined that I could do it so quick.

And I know just WHO to thank: you guys!!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you for the support, help, and advice. I hope to pass it on (I am trying already, but it might take a little more time to build up my confidence further).

Anyway, just want to say that I am so delighted and thankful!!!! And I want to to tell the newbies, that though you DO have to do the legwork, you totally CAN get there! The best advice I can give: sit down and read EVERY SINGLE post that has ever been posted ere. Watch some YouTube vids. Then buy some supplies, and begin to practice. And then read EVERY SINGLE post again (they will look so different the second time around). And then keep practicing and you will be *there*!

Hugs,
Barbie

So glad that things are going well. I rememeber you starting out here and am so impressed with your progress.
Congrats. You deserve it.

How time flies when you are having fun.
Dream, Believe, Create, Succeed.

that is wonderful Barbie.......I am still looking forward to a jam when you have time!

Great to hear Barbie, sounds like you still have plenty of passion for it too. Keep that forever and always!

wow you are doing GREAT!!!! Keep up the great work!

Barbie, that's awesome! You are doing so well & your work amazes me!

I've face painted for 5 yrs but it wasn't till last October that I finally got a website & really pushed it. It's been a whirl wind adventure, a trip to FABAIC & meeting this wonderful group on the forum. I'm so excited to see what next year holds!

Congrats on making money doing something you love

This is a great forum!

Wow you have done so well!!
Can't wait to see how far you can go!

Gotta say I love this forum too

Congrats and thanks for the encouragement

Barbie you are my sister from another mother!! I started about the same time with the same Klutz book from Michael's! The brush that comes with the book is still one of my favorites...don't know what brand it is...it doesn't say.

Judging by your line work....you are spending more time working your craft than I am

"2-4 gigs a week" You go girl!

LOL, I always *thought* my parent's hid the fact that I was secretly adopted

Wonderful, Barbie! You have a gift for it, that's for sure! I'm so happy for you!

great job barbie . i to started using the klutz book from michaels. my journey started 2 years ago... really busy in the summer... mostley festivals and 2 really good restraunts.... looking to do more birthday parties.. i just got my web page will see what happens...good luck to you

Thanks for the supportive words and inspiration! Reading the posts again - you are so right - I keep getting new things out of threads I must have read two or three times already!

That's so awesome! Very inspirational to me. I want to get out of my day job sooooo bad and do something I love. You have spurred me on!

This is the best place to learn everything about FP. There are so many amazing artists here and I've learned sooo much.

Wow! 2-4 gigs a week is impressive! How did you get so many bookings so fast? I'm averaging one a week....or .75 ;o)

Yes! Please share your marketing strategy....As I am sure referrals being your #1. Your work is great Barbie and I'm sure folks are taking notice

I can get that many a weekend. Word of Mouth, having a restaurant gig, free party sites, a website, committing to giving out so many business cards a week, facebook, marketplace updates, etc. I have a sign-up notebook where parents that want me for a future party can give me their info. This way I'm not taking up time someones paid for getting the next job & I still get their info & can follow up. Many people will say, "Oh, I must have you next month at my kids party! May I have your card?" and never follow through, but if you get their info & contact them they almost always book. I'll usually say, "Hi, this is Linda from Amazing Face Painting by Linda. It was fun painting your daughter/son at 'such & such's' party. You said you were interested in having us out for 'child's name if you know it' party. Would you like to book now? I still have that date & time open."

Good advice about the calling - I definitely have to try that, it makes *sense*.

To answer your question, by far the best thing that has worked for me marketing wise is painting in the park. But only certain parks (and I cannot figure out *why* certain parks are better than others because it has little to do with affluence or race, in my experience). In this one certain park I paint, so far I have had a gig within 6 weeks or so from *every* single time I am there (usually once every 2 weeks, or so). And most of my parties lead to another booking from the parents that attended the party, so it just goes on from there. It is getting the *first* few parties that is important, since a lot after that is just momentum.

What I do at the park: bring my girls (so I don't look like a weirdo) and then set out my tiny "emergency" kit that I keep in my car all the time. If I don't get a line right away (and I usually don't!) then I ask one of my little ones to sit for a painting and then of course my line gets really long and I get to chat with the parents. I do not put out a tip jar, I think that seems tacky, though the busking laws around here *would* allow it, as I understand it. I just enjoy my time painting and getting practice, and at the same time my girls get to enjoy the park, and I get to do my marketing.

The next thing I want to try is postcards. Shannon has me convinced that it will work. But I think I missed my opportunity for Christmas parties already....

Good luck!!!!
Barbie

Barbie ur a genius!!! At the park, ur idea rocks!!! Too bad its getting cold out here in the east. How many kids would u paint?? Since its free I could imagine u would have a huge line how do u manage that??? And what's ur time limit? Sorry so many questions but I would love to try this, it would be a great way to practice do you let the kids choose the design or do u do what u want?

Thanks,Ruth

Who watches the kids while you paint? If I do the park thing I bring a baby sitter(one of my older kids) to watch my son, make sure he's safe & make sure he's keeping his playground manners on.

The 2 parks I prefer are semi-fenced in, and I sit at the entrance (parents area). I kinda have an eye on my children (4 and 5) but I have to first state that I am not a helicopter mom.... I always thought I would be, but it turns out I am a bit of free-range mama. Not that my kids are out of control (ask the jammers last night - they are SO well-behaved and trustworthy), but they are taught *some* level of independence and how to make decisions for themselves. So it is up to me to know where they are, and up to them to come to me when they need me. Your question is a good one, though, because many parents have different parenting styles, and could not do this with little ones

I do my quick designs and I don't bring a board. The kids try to ask for requests and I often surprise them with their request, but I tell them "no requests - unless you brought $10 for a real face painting!" (and I smile while I say it - they usually get it!). The moms are usually watching which is an awesome opportunity to chat about birthday parties. The moms love my face painting, but what they like best is how I work with the children - that is what gets me booked, I think.

Don't overthink it - just bring your paints and have some fun!
There are less kids now, but I just painted a week ago and had enough to enjoy it
Barbie

Cool, sorry for the question, but our parks a little different. I know I have attention issues & when I'm face painting & in the zone a bomb could go off & I wouldn't notice. I have to make sure someones accountable for my son or I'd totally forget he's there I'm also not a helicopter mom, nor a subway sending mom. More of a happy medium.

I hear you. I have a very one-track mind... I can focus on ONE thing really well, and that is it. So it IS harder when you have your kids there. But I need them there to "justify" my painting - people often ask why I am there? They are genuinely curious. And I respond that I like to keep busy while my kids are playing. I tell them that I get to market myself for birthday parties (which I love much more than festivals) and I paint there to make other kids happy. All while making my own girls happy by getting to a park on a nice day Win-win-win!

See ya!