Coranderrk, published Trouble Magazine, November 2011
CORANDERRK
Where does a play come from? In the case of Coranderrk Minutes of Evidence, a work of theatre re-enacting a hugely significant moment in Victoria’s history, its wellsprings came from research conducted by writer Giordano Nanni while working deep in the archives at Melbourne University. “My initial assumption was that everyone knew about Coranderrk,” says Nanni, who was researching his PHD thesis on the history of colonialism in Victoria when he discovered a dramatic episode of local indigenous history. “I learned about this story from studying the original documents.” Briefly, towards the end of the 1800s, vested interests were pressuring the government to dismantle a highly-functioning, thriving Aboriginal reserve near what is now Healesville. The Coranderrk community rebelled and the ensuing fight for justice, self-determination and the right to stay on their land culminated in a unique Government Enquiry into the management of the station.
“The minutes of this particular enquiry contained the voices of the indigenous inhabitants of the station,” Nanni says. “In this document they were free to express local grievances and requests for self-determination. Other enquiries didn’t collect testimonies, or if they did, it was superficial evidence.” Nanni was struck by the individuality of the voices in the minutes and how the evidence seemed already to be drama in the making. “It seemed like a fantastic piece of theatre,” he continues. “I was laughing at times when I read it; it was almost perversely funny. I was experiencing all the emotions you feel from watching a play. It is almost a script in itself.”
A few years on saw Nanni, in collaboration with playwright Andrea James, a member of the Koori Heritage Trust, and in partnership with La Mama and ILBIJERRI Theatre, put together ‘a condensed version of the script.’ Coranderrk Minutes of Evidence is a meticulously considered work balancing the truth of the testimonies with the considerations of a piece of theatre. Nanni was always sure it would work as a play but obviously a great deal of editing was required. “I had confidence it would work only with the transcript, that we shouldn’t deviate from the verbatim theatre,” Nanni explains. “But the enquiry went for over four months. The play involved a lot of selection. I was keen not to mess it up.”
Andrea James voices the challenge of bringing the story to the stage: “I was initially concerned that, because we wanted to be absolutely true to the court transcripts and the form of the commission (question and answer), there would be a lack of drive and dramatic arc. However, the joy in watching the actors taking on the challenge to inhabit several characters is highly entertaining and as an audience member, you are never quite sure who is going to come up to the witness stand next and what he or she will say to add to the drama. It was a great revelation which makes the performances utterly compelling and deeply moving.”
Nanni was determined the work should be impeccable academically and satisfy both historians and theatre-lovers alike. “It had to be theatrical, it had to be entertainment yet have enough historical weight so people couldn’t dismiss it as just another piece of theatre,” he notes. “We use the power of theatre to engage and open up people, but it has academic merit because this is what actually happened; it is based on the rigor of accurate research. Coranderrk tries to capture those two powerful elements together.”
Last year saw a performance presented to descendants of the key players, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal (including the station’s manager and community’s champion, John Green), on the land where Coranderrk station once stood. Nanni describes the performance on country as an emotional and historic event: “People were very keen. The descendants brought photos and the Koori Heritage Trust received phone calls; even people directly connected to the story hadn’t got the full picture.” Nanni notes a nice coincidence with this month’s production. “The enquiry was 130 years ago this year: September to December 1881. The play will be performed again at La Mama in November 2011, almost the same month.”
James, whose work Yanagai! Yanagai! about the 2001 Yorta Yorta land claim, notes the resonances and implications of the Coranderrk story with events of today. “The commission into Coranderrk occurred in 1881/2 and it was alarming to see that some 110 years or so down the track non-Aboriginal people were using the same tactics and opinions to disown us of our lands in the Yorta Yorta land claim.”
Nanni explains further: “Edwards Curr very strongly featured in Coranderrk. He was a self-appointed ‘expert’ on aboriginal affairs, a member of the Board and one of the key people involved in breaking up the station. The things he said then provide the basis for the logic of the extinguishing of native title in 2001; he tries to justify moving people off the land by saying that people who lived here didn’t have ongoing attachment to the land. Justice Olney used Edward Curr’s words 100 years later – his words are quoted to extinguish native title.”
Collaboration between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginals has been essential to the development of Coranderrk Minutes of Evidence, a crucial part of an ongoing process which not only brings the story to modern day Melbourne, but also creates and maintains powerful partnerships like those of a century ago. “It was always very fulfilling to feel that, in some way, the fact I was collaborating with a non-Aboriginal researcher/writer reflected the positive relationship between the Coranderrk people and their champions Ann Bonn and John Green,” James says. “Initially I felt it necessary to negotiate an equal status in the project so that we could collaborate on an even par and Giordano very graciously understood the need for an equal playing field, even though he initiated this project and is its driving force. What is most exciting to me is that Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal relationships continue to prosper in a creative project which helps us to understand and overcome the ravages of colonisation and its continuing effects.”
James has high praise for Nanni’s work on Coranderrk. “His instincts and drive have always been very strong and his desire for the story to be told has been admirable,” she notes. “He is a dogged advocate for this story and he has absorbed these transcripts wholly. It was so nourishing to work with someone who has researched the material so thoroughly and knew the intricacies of the characters and case so freakishly well. On a mere mention of a moment, he would recall the page and item number of any given moment in the transcripts. He was amazing. So my instinct for dramatic structure, coupled with Giordano's thorough research and past theatre experience has made for a perfect creative relationship.”
Nanni is quick to emphasise the collaborative element intrinsic to Coranderrk. “A lot of people have helped make this possible. There has been Aboriginal representation at every stage. It is not based on old-fashioned consultative model; it’s more of a collaborative thing. That idea is key. And hopefully it will be a model for the future.”
Nanni feels strongly that presenting this story in theatre has greater impact, over, say, telling it in a research paper or a book. “I am much more interested in presenting stuff to non-academic people. I want to get this story out to the public, not to people who are paid to read these things. I’m not interested in writing articles or papers for other academics.”
“The Coranderrk people marched more than 60 miles in delegation all the way to Spring St,” Nanni continues. “It’s different from writing a letter. The one thing that makes Coranderrk story so special and so successful is that it was so unusual to have this enquiry at such an official setting. These are the actual words of indigenous people and of white people back in 1881. This is their victory, their platform to air their grievances and concerns. The indigenous voices are clear in their demands. They are understanding of justice and politics. You listen to it and wonder why they were not treated more decently.”
James, herself a Yorta Yorta woman who has been working on Wurundjeri history in this project, notes how there have been people of various backgrounds involved along the way. “Both the Coranderrk mob and the Yorta Yorta had non-Aboriginal champions and friends who supported us in our struggle for justice. It is heartening to see how people such as Ann Bonn and John Green were prepared to utilise their knowledge and positions of power to give the Coranderrk residents an opportunity for self determination. Great people like William Barak and Alice Grant, Uncle Wayne Atkinson and Monica Morgan continue to inspire and lead their communities towards self determination and justice. Coranderrk had residents from all parts of Victoria and there were Yorta Yorta people on this settlement, too. It's so great to see Uncle Jack Charles read the transcripts of his Yorta Yorta ancestors.”
James sees Coranderrk as offering inspiration to those engaged in current indigenous struggles as well as being a celebration of a shared past.“ I hope that this show will give Aboriginal audiences an opportunity to hear how our people have stood up to oppression and injustice over the years and that this will inspire us to continue to speak out when needed. While some advances and concessions have been made, there is still a lot of work to be done. The production highlights the spectrum of non-Aboriginal people's attitudes towards Aboriginal people, informed by both racism and respect/understanding. The most exciting aspect of this project is that the characters live on through living descendants, both black and white, and in that way, there are still some opportunities for redress, justice, and healing.”
“This is such an incredibly powerful story and its strength lies in its utter truth,” James continues. “It's such an important part of Melbourne's history and to see these characters and their passionate words brought to life once again, brings the story once again to the fore. Everyone who resides in Melbourne should have the opportunity to learn about this story.”
Coranderrk is performed by the ILBIJERRI Theatre Company with guest actors including Uncle Jack Charles and La Mama’s Liz Jones. “It is brought to life by people who should be doing this,” concludes Nanni. Coranderrk Minutes of Evidence project is proudly supported by ILBIJERRI Theatre Company, La Mama, Vic Health, Department of Education, ARC & Melbourne University, Arts Victoria and the Koori Heritage Trust. Direction of this production is by Ivan Drandich.
Liza Dezfouli
Where does a play come from? In the case of Coranderrk Minutes of Evidence, a work of theatre re-enacting a hugely significant moment in Victoria’s history, its wellsprings came from research conducted by writer Giordano Nanni while working deep in the archives at Melbourne University. “My initial assumption was that everyone knew about Coranderrk,” says Nanni, who was researching his PHD thesis on the history of colonialism in Victoria when he discovered a dramatic episode of local indigenous history. “I learned about this story from studying the original documents.” Briefly, towards the end of the 1800s, vested interests were pressuring the government to dismantle a highly-functioning, thriving Aboriginal reserve near what is now Healesville. The Coranderrk community rebelled and the ensuing fight for justice, self-determination and the right to stay on their land culminated in a unique Government Enquiry into the management of the station.
“The minutes of this particular enquiry contained the voices of the indigenous inhabitants of the station,” Nanni says. “In this document they were free to express local grievances and requests for self-determination. Other enquiries didn’t collect testimonies, or if they did, it was superficial evidence.” Nanni was struck by the individuality of the voices in the minutes and how the evidence seemed already to be drama in the making. “It seemed like a fantastic piece of theatre,” he continues. “I was laughing at times when I read it; it was almost perversely funny. I was experiencing all the emotions you feel from watching a play. It is almost a script in itself.”
A few years on saw Nanni, in collaboration with playwright Andrea James, a member of the Koori Heritage Trust, and in partnership with La Mama and ILBIJERRI Theatre, put together ‘a condensed version of the script.’ Coranderrk Minutes of Evidence is a meticulously considered work balancing the truth of the testimonies with the considerations of a piece of theatre. Nanni was always sure it would work as a play but obviously a great deal of editing was required. “I had confidence it would work only with the transcript, that we shouldn’t deviate from the verbatim theatre,” Nanni explains. “But the enquiry went for over four months. The play involved a lot of selection. I was keen not to mess it up.”
Andrea James voices the challenge of bringing the story to the stage: “I was initially concerned that, because we wanted to be absolutely true to the court transcripts and the form of the commission (question and answer), there would be a lack of drive and dramatic arc. However, the joy in watching the actors taking on the challenge to inhabit several characters is highly entertaining and as an audience member, you are never quite sure who is going to come up to the witness stand next and what he or she will say to add to the drama. It was a great revelation which makes the performances utterly compelling and deeply moving.”
Nanni was determined the work should be impeccable academically and satisfy both historians and theatre-lovers alike. “It had to be theatrical, it had to be entertainment yet have enough historical weight so people couldn’t dismiss it as just another piece of theatre,” he notes. “We use the power of theatre to engage and open up people, but it has academic merit because this is what actually happened; it is based on the rigor of accurate research. Coranderrk tries to capture those two powerful elements together.”
Last year saw a performance presented to descendants of the key players, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal (including the station’s manager and community’s champion, John Green), on the land where Coranderrk station once stood. Nanni describes the performance on country as an emotional and historic event: “People were very keen. The descendants brought photos and the Koori Heritage Trust received phone calls; even people directly connected to the story hadn’t got the full picture.” Nanni notes a nice coincidence with this month’s production. “The enquiry was 130 years ago this year: September to December 1881. The play will be performed again at La Mama in November 2011, almost the same month.”
James, whose work Yanagai! Yanagai! about the 2001 Yorta Yorta land claim, notes the resonances and implications of the Coranderrk story with events of today. “The commission into Coranderrk occurred in 1881/2 and it was alarming to see that some 110 years or so down the track non-Aboriginal people were using the same tactics and opinions to disown us of our lands in the Yorta Yorta land claim.”
Nanni explains further: “Edwards Curr very strongly featured in Coranderrk. He was a self-appointed ‘expert’ on aboriginal affairs, a member of the Board and one of the key people involved in breaking up the station. The things he said then provide the basis for the logic of the extinguishing of native title in 2001; he tries to justify moving people off the land by saying that people who lived here didn’t have ongoing attachment to the land. Justice Olney used Edward Curr’s words 100 years later – his words are quoted to extinguish native title.”
Collaboration between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginals has been essential to the development of Coranderrk Minutes of Evidence, a crucial part of an ongoing process which not only brings the story to modern day Melbourne, but also creates and maintains powerful partnerships like those of a century ago. “It was always very fulfilling to feel that, in some way, the fact I was collaborating with a non-Aboriginal researcher/writer reflected the positive relationship between the Coranderrk people and their champions Ann Bonn and John Green,” James says. “Initially I felt it necessary to negotiate an equal status in the project so that we could collaborate on an even par and Giordano very graciously understood the need for an equal playing field, even though he initiated this project and is its driving force. What is most exciting to me is that Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal relationships continue to prosper in a creative project which helps us to understand and overcome the ravages of colonisation and its continuing effects.”
James has high praise for Nanni’s work on Coranderrk. “His instincts and drive have always been very strong and his desire for the story to be told has been admirable,” she notes. “He is a dogged advocate for this story and he has absorbed these transcripts wholly. It was so nourishing to work with someone who has researched the material so thoroughly and knew the intricacies of the characters and case so freakishly well. On a mere mention of a moment, he would recall the page and item number of any given moment in the transcripts. He was amazing. So my instinct for dramatic structure, coupled with Giordano's thorough research and past theatre experience has made for a perfect creative relationship.”
Nanni is quick to emphasise the collaborative element intrinsic to Coranderrk. “A lot of people have helped make this possible. There has been Aboriginal representation at every stage. It is not based on old-fashioned consultative model; it’s more of a collaborative thing. That idea is key. And hopefully it will be a model for the future.”
Nanni feels strongly that presenting this story in theatre has greater impact, over, say, telling it in a research paper or a book. “I am much more interested in presenting stuff to non-academic people. I want to get this story out to the public, not to people who are paid to read these things. I’m not interested in writing articles or papers for other academics.”
“The Coranderrk people marched more than 60 miles in delegation all the way to Spring St,” Nanni continues. “It’s different from writing a letter. The one thing that makes Coranderrk story so special and so successful is that it was so unusual to have this enquiry at such an official setting. These are the actual words of indigenous people and of white people back in 1881. This is their victory, their platform to air their grievances and concerns. The indigenous voices are clear in their demands. They are understanding of justice and politics. You listen to it and wonder why they were not treated more decently.”
James, herself a Yorta Yorta woman who has been working on Wurundjeri history in this project, notes how there have been people of various backgrounds involved along the way. “Both the Coranderrk mob and the Yorta Yorta had non-Aboriginal champions and friends who supported us in our struggle for justice. It is heartening to see how people such as Ann Bonn and John Green were prepared to utilise their knowledge and positions of power to give the Coranderrk residents an opportunity for self determination. Great people like William Barak and Alice Grant, Uncle Wayne Atkinson and Monica Morgan continue to inspire and lead their communities towards self determination and justice. Coranderrk had residents from all parts of Victoria and there were Yorta Yorta people on this settlement, too. It's so great to see Uncle Jack Charles read the transcripts of his Yorta Yorta ancestors.”
James sees Coranderrk as offering inspiration to those engaged in current indigenous struggles as well as being a celebration of a shared past.“ I hope that this show will give Aboriginal audiences an opportunity to hear how our people have stood up to oppression and injustice over the years and that this will inspire us to continue to speak out when needed. While some advances and concessions have been made, there is still a lot of work to be done. The production highlights the spectrum of non-Aboriginal people's attitudes towards Aboriginal people, informed by both racism and respect/understanding. The most exciting aspect of this project is that the characters live on through living descendants, both black and white, and in that way, there are still some opportunities for redress, justice, and healing.”
“This is such an incredibly powerful story and its strength lies in its utter truth,” James continues. “It's such an important part of Melbourne's history and to see these characters and their passionate words brought to life once again, brings the story once again to the fore. Everyone who resides in Melbourne should have the opportunity to learn about this story.”
Coranderrk is performed by the ILBIJERRI Theatre Company with guest actors including Uncle Jack Charles and La Mama’s Liz Jones. “It is brought to life by people who should be doing this,” concludes Nanni. Coranderrk Minutes of Evidence project is proudly supported by ILBIJERRI Theatre Company, La Mama, Vic Health, Department of Education, ARC & Melbourne University, Arts Victoria and the Koori Heritage Trust. Direction of this production is by Ivan Drandich.
Liza Dezfouli
Alternative Sources of Income for Illustrators, published NMIT Student Illustre Magazine, November 2011
Here are some ideas for selling your work and raising funds aside from commissions:
Go online
Sell originals and /prints of your work. Go global and sell on the web. Of the online markets, the most well-known for artists are Etsy, EBay, Deviant Art, Threadless and Red Bubble.
Sell at market stalls
For the Saturday markets works don’t always need to be professionally framed, a mount board will do. Stalls are often available at festivals and some local councils have special market days.
Exhibit and sell through retail outlets and businesses
Funky places like to have art on the wall. Find one with an aesthetic or vibe matching your work. See if you can organize an exhibition with work for sale in one of the following: café, restaurant, bookshop, hairdressers, bar, pop-up store, clothes store, shoe store, novelty item store, child care centre, boutique. Be really daring and convince a bank manager or a company CEO to go for illustrations instead of fine art in the boardroom – you never know! They will probably tell you that they get their art through an art lending agency, in which case go to the agency and find a way to convince them they should include illustrations in their collections. Banks and corporations are often involved in the world of fine art in one way or another – check it out. Find a blank wall that could do with an image on it and let the owners of that wall know you can provide it. For new businesses this is a handy way of brightening up their premises at no cost to them. It goes without saying that you leave behind a business card wherever you visit. Consider the issue of safety of your work; un-staffed laundromats, for instance, are not good places to hang your art.
Go street
Some artists get a busking license and sell their art on the street. If graf artists are now including contact details on walls with their art (yes really!) then have no shame in attracting attention to yourself by drawing on public transport. As soon as someone leans over and says “That’s good. Are you an artist?” you can hand them a business card and offer to do a caricature of them on the spot for twenty dollars. I’m serious.
Go DIY and crafty
Get old furniture, wooden plates, bric a brac, etc, restore it if necessary and paint pictures on it. Build a collection of original and funky decorated items, photograph them and sell them on Ebay or Etsy. Take photos of your work into cafes or shops for the businesses to either buy themselves or have in store to sell on commission for you. Make bags, cards, toys, jewelry in your style. Wear t-shirts and carry bags with your art on it at all times!
Go community
Try holding an ‘art/illustration’ garage sale with some others. If you’re going to do this make sure the signage is impressive. Be careful and do your homework if you’re selling out of your driveway, ‘cos if everything you’re offering for sale is new there are probably legal restrictions you might not wish know about but should. Hold a pop-up art fair or gallery with a few others – maybe near or involved with a festival of some kind. Sell your images alongside calendars, fridge magnets, cards and various kinds of merch. Get involved with artist run or community galleries and create opportunities to show your work.
Teach
If you’re sufficiently talented, professional and well-organised, offer to run an illustration course at a neighbourhood house or community centre, or, once you’re more experienced and established, at a school.
Paint murals
Sometimes organizations and institutions need artists to paint murals. Go to the local council, look in your local paper for businesses, for example, a garden centre, that might need a mural. Start a trend for murals in interior decorating and corner the market now! Don't forget you're offering your services as a muralist on the various online business directories. Decorative blackboards in restaurants is another area of illustration to look into.
Do portraits of rich people
I know an artist who does portraits of corporate types. Don't know how she got into it (and she wasn’t telling!) but it was through some business type men's club. So the demand must be there.
Link up with other professionals who may one day need images
Website designers, for starters. Graphic designers. Try a commercial/business interior design firm. They often use art in show home fairs, corporate/retail make-overs, conventions, hotels, etc. Super-professional presentation is a must here. Palling up with a regular interior designer who may need that little extra something to pull a room together could make sales happen for you, too.
Design greeting cards, postcards, etc
A limited market as far as getting commercial work in Australia goes. But you could produce your own and sell them online; if you could be bothered you could offer a service in personalizing wedding invitations, items for naming/christening/anniversaries or even funerals … Many different types of retail outlets are open to selling greeting cards.
Design tattoo flash
There is a trend now for unconventional tattoo art. Illustrations are popular. Get in quick and take your portfolio around to tattoo parlours. You can also sell flash on the web.
Design logos
Find a new business that needs branding and design something for them. There are new businesses popping up all the time.
Enter competitions (do your own research)
Apply for grants (ditto)
Cartooning
If you have any specialist knowledge or interests then offer cartoons to publications. You can get published but you do need an insider’s perspective. Team up with someone in the biz if lack of concepts or knowledge present problems. Small magazines are always grateful for content, especially cartoons, even though they can’t pay much.
Self Publish
Team up with indie writers to make zines or self-publish your own illustrated books on Amazon or Smashwords. Lisa Currie's online project, The Scribble Project, something she started for fun, landed her a publishing deal in New York. People are looking.
Illustrate anthologies and literary magazines
Contact publishers of short stories and let them know how much better their publication would be if it had pictures as well as stories.
Festivals and fairs and performance events
Need attractive posters and other promo material. Make sure they know about you. Link up with arts festivals and create an artists at work event.
Busk
Something about artists doing their thing in public makes people stop to look. You'll need a license, especially if you plan to sell your work on the street.
These are some ideas for starters. Keep drawing.
Liza Dezfouli
Go online
Sell originals and /prints of your work. Go global and sell on the web. Of the online markets, the most well-known for artists are Etsy, EBay, Deviant Art, Threadless and Red Bubble.
Sell at market stalls
For the Saturday markets works don’t always need to be professionally framed, a mount board will do. Stalls are often available at festivals and some local councils have special market days.
Exhibit and sell through retail outlets and businesses
Funky places like to have art on the wall. Find one with an aesthetic or vibe matching your work. See if you can organize an exhibition with work for sale in one of the following: café, restaurant, bookshop, hairdressers, bar, pop-up store, clothes store, shoe store, novelty item store, child care centre, boutique. Be really daring and convince a bank manager or a company CEO to go for illustrations instead of fine art in the boardroom – you never know! They will probably tell you that they get their art through an art lending agency, in which case go to the agency and find a way to convince them they should include illustrations in their collections. Banks and corporations are often involved in the world of fine art in one way or another – check it out. Find a blank wall that could do with an image on it and let the owners of that wall know you can provide it. For new businesses this is a handy way of brightening up their premises at no cost to them. It goes without saying that you leave behind a business card wherever you visit. Consider the issue of safety of your work; un-staffed laundromats, for instance, are not good places to hang your art.
Go street
Some artists get a busking license and sell their art on the street. If graf artists are now including contact details on walls with their art (yes really!) then have no shame in attracting attention to yourself by drawing on public transport. As soon as someone leans over and says “That’s good. Are you an artist?” you can hand them a business card and offer to do a caricature of them on the spot for twenty dollars. I’m serious.
Go DIY and crafty
Get old furniture, wooden plates, bric a brac, etc, restore it if necessary and paint pictures on it. Build a collection of original and funky decorated items, photograph them and sell them on Ebay or Etsy. Take photos of your work into cafes or shops for the businesses to either buy themselves or have in store to sell on commission for you. Make bags, cards, toys, jewelry in your style. Wear t-shirts and carry bags with your art on it at all times!
Go community
Try holding an ‘art/illustration’ garage sale with some others. If you’re going to do this make sure the signage is impressive. Be careful and do your homework if you’re selling out of your driveway, ‘cos if everything you’re offering for sale is new there are probably legal restrictions you might not wish know about but should. Hold a pop-up art fair or gallery with a few others – maybe near or involved with a festival of some kind. Sell your images alongside calendars, fridge magnets, cards and various kinds of merch. Get involved with artist run or community galleries and create opportunities to show your work.
Teach
If you’re sufficiently talented, professional and well-organised, offer to run an illustration course at a neighbourhood house or community centre, or, once you’re more experienced and established, at a school.
Paint murals
Sometimes organizations and institutions need artists to paint murals. Go to the local council, look in your local paper for businesses, for example, a garden centre, that might need a mural. Start a trend for murals in interior decorating and corner the market now! Don't forget you're offering your services as a muralist on the various online business directories. Decorative blackboards in restaurants is another area of illustration to look into.
Do portraits of rich people
I know an artist who does portraits of corporate types. Don't know how she got into it (and she wasn’t telling!) but it was through some business type men's club. So the demand must be there.
Link up with other professionals who may one day need images
Website designers, for starters. Graphic designers. Try a commercial/business interior design firm. They often use art in show home fairs, corporate/retail make-overs, conventions, hotels, etc. Super-professional presentation is a must here. Palling up with a regular interior designer who may need that little extra something to pull a room together could make sales happen for you, too.
Design greeting cards, postcards, etc
A limited market as far as getting commercial work in Australia goes. But you could produce your own and sell them online; if you could be bothered you could offer a service in personalizing wedding invitations, items for naming/christening/anniversaries or even funerals … Many different types of retail outlets are open to selling greeting cards.
Design tattoo flash
There is a trend now for unconventional tattoo art. Illustrations are popular. Get in quick and take your portfolio around to tattoo parlours. You can also sell flash on the web.
Design logos
Find a new business that needs branding and design something for them. There are new businesses popping up all the time.
Enter competitions (do your own research)
Apply for grants (ditto)
Cartooning
If you have any specialist knowledge or interests then offer cartoons to publications. You can get published but you do need an insider’s perspective. Team up with someone in the biz if lack of concepts or knowledge present problems. Small magazines are always grateful for content, especially cartoons, even though they can’t pay much.
Self Publish
Team up with indie writers to make zines or self-publish your own illustrated books on Amazon or Smashwords. Lisa Currie's online project, The Scribble Project, something she started for fun, landed her a publishing deal in New York. People are looking.
Illustrate anthologies and literary magazines
Contact publishers of short stories and let them know how much better their publication would be if it had pictures as well as stories.
Festivals and fairs and performance events
Need attractive posters and other promo material. Make sure they know about you. Link up with arts festivals and create an artists at work event.
Busk
Something about artists doing their thing in public makes people stop to look. You'll need a license, especially if you plan to sell your work on the street.
These are some ideas for starters. Keep drawing.
Liza Dezfouli
