BLACK FRIDAY - blogpost #1
Today is Friday, and it’s international BLACK FRIDAY. The day that many shops and dealers worldwide offer their products for sale at a huge discount. Until recently, I didn't even know this totally crazy day existed, but since I launched my webshop www.dutchonwheels.com, I’ve been encouraged to participate and use this Black Friday to persuade my customers to buy my work at a discount! I catch myself thinking and already collecting ideas on how to reach my target group with a playful campaign, seeing all kinds of nicely designed pictures passing by. But hey, STOP! Based on my work, I just can’t convince myself that joining in with all these sales strategies fits with how I want to represent myself as a graphic artist in this world.
I started Dutch on wheels because I dreamed of creating artistic work with 3 simple principles in mind:
#Freedom #Identity #Uniqueness
#Freedom = I do it my way, created in total freedom
#Identity = My work is identity-driven
#Uniqueness = I make custom work available in one very limited edition.
I have worked and still work as a graphic designer in the commercial creative industry on a commission basis. That was the reason for me to start creating work with a more artistic approach. No deadlines, no commissions, no discounts. A huge challenge, I might add.
But what about this Black Friday? What about us, the people who consume too much, harming our environment in the process? What about all the plastic we find in our oceans? What about the energy sources that are running out? Is Black Friday really that important? Just don't believe the hype! So many things in our world are contradictory, and so are my feelings about this.
My artistic work really comes from my soul... the value of this is determined by its unique value or exclusivity, my skills, and the amount of time I spend on it. A discount would only considerably downgrade my work. Regardless, I want to be able to make a good living from my independent art and graphic work. So this is my challenge... Let's call my challenge WHITE FRIDAY!
Buy my art on WHITE FRIDAY - INCREASED PRICES ** ONLY TODAY **
Lisa Ottevanger
