I Just Like to Make Things: Learn the Secrets to Making Money while Staying Passionate about your Art and Craft

This isn't a book for people who want to make things and sell them on a small scale. If you're an artist - that is, someone who designs, paints, draws, creates their own 2-dimensional images, this is a great resource for how to get your art licensed to sell on a large scale, as prints, fabrics, greeting cards, etc. If you fall into this category, this will be a valuable resource.On the other hand, if you're a crafter, or an artist who wants to sell your individual work yourself, this won't be of much use to you. This gives you resources for having your creations made by factories, not by yourself. The number of successful artists and crafters who want to or who CAN sell on a scale like this is very small compared to those who want to create and market individual items themselves. A better resource for those in that category might be a guide to creating your own online site or an attractive show display.

I do love a good art book. If you are an artist and/or crafter, the title alone should make you run to buy this offering from Lilla Rogers. I was drawn to the book after visiting Lilla's colorful blog and website. Oh my goodness I was not disappointed! Lilla's friendly and encouraging style invites readers to really look at the possibility of selling their artwork. She offers examples and clearly explains the various markets available to hopeful entrepreneurs. The colorful photos are eye candy for the artist soul. I love that this book functions as a workbook as well with thoughtful questions to answer and spots for notetaking. I highly recommend this book and plan to read it again! Oh, and the resources alone are worth the price of admission!

What a charming book! It's packed full of Lilla's great words of wisdom, and so cute, too. I can tell this book will be a creative go-to for me for a long time. Great info and inspiration for all manner of creatives (whether you're already a pro or a hobbyist). Lilla infuses her positivity and great experience into every page. I love a Kindle, but for this one, get the spiral bound. It's one you'll want to have 'in your hands'.Side note: I found out about this book after I first signed up for one of Lilla's online art courses - which I very highly recommend! You can find them on her website, or just google her name or 'make art that sells'.

I'm a student of Lilla's Make Art That Sells online courses and when I saw this book in the back of several of her videos I knew I had to have it! It's so fun to have a beautiful, informative book to pair with her many wonderful courses. Only wish it were easier to find, I would have snatched it up months ago if it were in stores.

Lila's website for artists was a 'stumble upon' treasure that I coveted for our 16 yr. old whom I hope our daughter will follow! Her educational whimsy and professional passion are what budding artists 'hope for' in the world of (frankly speaking) jaded people. Lila is the opposite of jaded-and fills the talent and technique portion of tool chest with delicate essence allowing individuals to discover their strengths and hone their craft. Such rare empowerment! Love her work and this book will get you started.

There isn't anything earth shattering about the information in this book. All of it can be found free on the internet using a simple google search. If you're already an artist with even a shred of experience, you do not need this book.

I've been an illustrator for 15 years, but am just starting on the road to licensing. I never considered it before--my passion is and will always be sophisticated picture books--except that a friend encouraged me to pursue it as a possible additional revenue stream. It was through our search that we learned about Lilla--and then I started to notice all these items around my house that were done by her artists. It's as though she and her artists flitted in like fairies and sprinkled pixie dust all over my home.It wasn't until I was named a semi-finalist in Lilla's Global Talent Search this summer that I began to see that this might be a viable road for me, so I bought the book. Even though I'm "mid-career", it was like a mini-retreat-in-a-book. The exercises are like workshops designed to free up your brain, whether you're a beginner or a veteran. I'm still taking my time going through the book, really chewing on each suggestion, assessment, potential market.The exercises about imagining your dream studio and personal ritual forced me to get out of my routine and do some hard assessment. I've mostly worked at home, which I've loved in part because it's enabled me to always be available for my kids. But in the recent past I rented a studio space out of the home, and I realized how that was a time of really explosive growth for my work. The more I analyzed my current vs. desired work ritual, getting in touch with and admitting the things that had always helped me thrive personally and professionally, the more it hit me that I had been making unnecessary concessions out of a feeling of guilt toward my family's (perceived, not actual) needs. My husband (a filmmaker) and I currently share studio space in our large living room, but we are considering having our kids share a room so I can have a studio (with their informed consent, of course!). I am truly a more centered and focused parent when I can have total, uninterrupted head space to work. Our family life is truly unique, being headed by two freelance artists, and always requires re-negotiation. I really have to credit Lilla with asking the right open-ended questions to allow me to face these important truths.THE only reason I'm not giving the book all 5 stars is because of the exercises being printed back-to-back. I'm not a ruthless cutter-and-paster, so I've just been doing all the exercises in my trusty rusty sketchbook. So it doesn't really bother me, but I can see how it might be a drawback for some.All in all, though, it's been such a privilege to be named a semi-finalist, and whatever happens, Lilla Rogers has been an important person in this crazy journey that is "the illustrated life".

What a great, comprehensive explanation of the where's and how's of all the ways to get paid for your art! From fairs to licensing, Lilla covers every step of the way with easy-to-understand steps and pros and cons of each income stream!! Lots of great advice from her group of artists at the Lilla Rogers Agency... as well as from Lilla's own experience as an artist starting out! LOVE it Lilla!! Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to break into or better understand the art industry!

I heard Lilla speak at a creative retreat a couple of years ago and was blown away by all of the great info she had to share. When I heard her book was out, I had to buy it. I am not a traditional artist- I design dies for a craft manufacturer- but what Lilla shares in here is very helpful for any business owner in the creative industries."I Just Want to Make Things" is a must have for anyone contemplating a career in creating for a living. I love the spiral binding- the whimsical illustrations capture the joy of the artists and the flavor of the the book. Colors, text and icons are right on trend and give a hip vibe. I think my favorite part is the story of how Lilla came to launch her own line of craft products with Prima (like she didn't already have enough to do?!). I also liked the part where Lilla interviews her mom, an artist as well, who shares her words of wisdom.Hearing advice and encouragement from art directors and those who buy art was very interesting. Lots of the people interviewed have practical advice to share and tips to help you stand out from the crowd. This book is a great resource- I will refer back to it over and over.

This is a great book to get your creativity flowing and be inspired to take your art to new heights. The only thing is that for some of the exercises, you have to either scan and print pages of the book or else cut up those pages. These are colorful though and would use up tons of ink unless you own an art printer, I guess. With one of the exercises, there is another exercise on the back of it. Once you complete one, you have to cut up that page to do the one on the back. I just don't understand why a book like this would have these issues. Maybe it wasn't analyzed and edited well by the publisher. There's one "game" closer to the back where the instructions say to copy the page and not cut directly out of the book. Other than this issue, I really enjoyed this book and feel that Lila Rogers is genuinly interested in helping and bringing out the best in artists.