Turning Your Art Into a Business with Jessica Lakritz

How can one start a business on Instagram? How does art practice become lucrative? According to Skin on Sundays founder Jessica Lakritz, it’s all about putting time and effort into what you’re trying to achieve.

In this episode of the Social PR Secrets Podcast, host Lisa Buyer sat down with poet, artist, and business-owner Jessica Lakritz. In 2015, Jessica started on Instagram as a creative outlet to share her poetry. The concept? She writes poems on bodies. Since then, her account has grown into a full-fledged business. She now has a website, a Patreon on which you can support her, and an online store that sells books, coloring books, T-shirts, and much more.

Starting a Business on Instagram

When Jessica started her Instagram, she didn’t realize she was actually founding a business. Her only goal was to get poetry out in the mainstream. Despite having a Master’s degree in Poetry, she quickly realized that the only way she could have a career that revolved around her passion would be for her to create her own job. Then, one day in 2016, Jessica woke up to a 100% follower increase. From 500, she now had 5000 people enjoying her poetry. She slowly started to professionalize her passion project. She gave up her iPhone and started using a DSLR camera. She went from simply writing on bodies to making beautiful compositions and setups. And slowly but surely, income started to flow in. From brand deals to her Patreon, and her online shop, Jessica was able to turn her art into her job.

Tips on Setting Up an Online Shop

While her online store is currently very successful, Jessica hasn’t always been this lucky. Indeed, she had tried to set up her Skin on Sundays shop last year, but to no avail. According to her, that was because she attempted to make everything herself, instead of using the easy tools at her disposal. She says that’s a big mistake and that people shouldn’t be afraid to streamline the process by using platforms such as Shopify. Her other advice? Don’t be a perfectionist. She recommends to start with only a few projects in your store and grow it from there. For her, it started with working on a poetry coloring book with another artist collaborator.

Getting the Word Out

When asked about how she promotes her brand other than our Instagram, Jessica had to answer. First, she’s all about going out into her community. Before the coronavirus pandemic, she used to go in the streets of Mexico City, where she lives, and set up an impromptu art show, handing out postcards that redirect people to her Instagram. She says gaining a following of people from your own city is extremely rewarding. Second, she emphasizes the importance of collaboration. Working with other people allows you to share your work to their audience as well. For example, she collaborates on murals with visual artists, offering her poetry which meddles with illustrations.

Staying Creative

For Jessica, the easiest way to stay on top of her creativity is to plan ahead. She plans most of her shots in advance, anticipating lighting and poses to make sure she knows what she is getting into. She also recommends being involved in the art scene as a way to get inspiration from other people’s work. During quarantine, she made sure she got away from her computer so as to not burn herself out. She also enjoys spending more time than usual with her dog as a way to destress.

How do you make time for your passion? How does one get into poetry? What are Jessica’s inspirations? Listen to this episode of Social PR Secrets to find out!

“Calling out racism is not an attack, it is an act of love” - Jessica Lakritz, on Skin on Sundays