ART, BUSINESS
Minted is a marketplace of independent artists that sells fine art and designs all sourced and curated through competitions.
Six years ago I was a hobby artist and crafter with no intentions of an art career. I found Minted after receiving a beautiful wedding invitation and was intrigued by their design competitions. I thought, "Why not? Maybe a little extra money doing something fun".
I never thought I'd be here saying Minted launched my design career!
I was a super newbie designer with no professional training or art school experience.
READY? This is so embarrassing... but I'm going to show you my first entry to Minted.
First Wedding Design
Now, here's the thing... at the time I was SUPER proud of this design. This was all new to me so even getting the correct wedding information on there was a huge accomplishment.
I thought it would WOW the design world. HAHA. Oh boy, did it get destroyed in the voting. Can't say anybody was a fan.
And Now...
Here is a recent wedding invitation I designed. Hopefully you can see the difference (at least I hope you do).
Question I get all the time: "How to become a Minted artist?"
Answer: It's really quite simple. Enter a Minted design challenge!
THE MINTED DESIGN CHALLENGES
Minted offers ongoing design competitions throughout the year ranging from fine art to stationary. Designers submit, and the Minted community votes to decide what sells. See open challenges here
So is this right for you? Pros & cons to entering Minted Challenges:
Pros:
Opportunity to get your work featured and sold by a major retailer, Minted
Partnership opportunities with other major retailers, like West Elm, Pottery Barn, Target (btw this is how I got my cards in Target)
You get a Minted Store Page for free which is great if you don't have a website
Don't have to spend money on printing or advertising. if you win, you provide the digital file and Minted takes care of the rest (marketing, printing, shipping, framing, etc.)
Initial prize money for your design, plus an ongoing commission of sales (usually around 6% but varies depending on the product)
You will be a part of a Minted Community of like-minded artists
Great opportunity to get your work seen and test out designs and styles
Cons:
If your work is chosen and purchased by Minted they will own your art or design. For a photographer or painter this can be a really big deal.
Minted controls when they promote your products and when they discontinue them. Naturally being featured in marketing or being on the first page greatly improves your sales.
It's a competition and the competition can be fierce! You will be competing with amazingly talented artists from all over the world.
You need to have (thick-ish) skin. Your art will be judged and rated. It's an amazing high when people connect with your work, but it can be quite a blow when its not well received.
No guarantees of success. I entered for 3 years before I even had one piece chosen, and you never know how something is going to sell (Yes, I've had a card win and then have zero sales!)
Some tips if you are going to enter a Minted challenge:
Read the submission guidelines for each competition. It will tell you exactly what needs to be included in a submission design, size of the file, and what the rules are. (For example, many times your design will need to be able to incorporate a last name of up to 25 letters).
Just because you get a low score in a minted challenge, does not mean your art isn't good or that you are not talented!
REMEMBER
Like all brands, Minted has a specific buyer demographic. If your art style doesn't click with the Minted audience, this doesn't mean it won't be successful somewhere else.
Good luck! Feel free to leave a comment or message me if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help!
SOME OF MY MINTED DESIGNS
