Stephen, from the Zazzle store GoodToGoTees, talks to us about his art, his inspirations, and his time at Zazzle. Check out the interview below and don’t forget to check out his store GoodToGoTees!
Bio: I grew up and spent most of my adult life in the Northeast, mainly Massachusetts and New Hampshire. In high school, art was my major and I had thought about going into a career in commercial art, but never pursued it. For over 25 years I was involved in the high tech industry as a hardware computer tech, but as a result of company downsizing (and future employment in this field of work disappearing), I returned to my passion – art. I started with just a few designs and basic software, and I jumped into the print on demand business. As my experience and skills progressed, along with my increasing volume of designs, I saw more sales and believed this could become a steady source of income to allow me to be a stay at home Dad. With Zazzle’s products and marketplace, the sky’s the limit.
Zazzle: What’s your inspiration for your designs?
Stephen: The majority of my designs are related to humor in some manner – from parody designs to sports and everything in-between. I really try to come up with designs that will make people laugh. I find humor in every day words or common phrases, and sometimes I’ll add a funny graphic to complete the design.
Zazzle: When you’re not creating art, what are your other hobbies?
Stephen: I’m a hardcore do-it-yourselfer. I designed and built the first 2 homes that my family and I lived in. The first home was a passive solar home built into the side of hill. I love remodeling, creating and building anything that I can call an original. My other hobbies include watching old school muscle car drag races, fishing and landscaping around my home.
Zazzle: What’s your favorite Zazzle product to create?
Stephen: T-shirts, hands down. Creating funny t-shirts and knowing the people who buy them appreciate my twisted sense of humor and are also brave enough to wear them.
Zazzle: Do you have any fun stories about being a seller on Zazzle?
Stephen: Having 2 designs featured on the same day in Today’s Best was quite a thrill. Definitely makes you feel you must be doing something right.
Zazzle: What got you interested in selling your art on Zazzle?
Stephen: Zazzle offers a free storefront for your designs, and no limit to the number of designs and products you choose to have. For me, the selection of shirt styles and colors is a huge plus for t-shirt designers.
Zazzle: What tips can you give someone who is just starting out on Zazzle?
Stephen: If you’re just starting out, try to be original with whatever your designs are. Don’t get discouraged, success doesn’t happen overnight. Find free advertising on the web, email friends, use Facebook, and other social media outlets and you will see the sales start coming in.
Thanks Stephen!
May 19, 2011 at 5:03 pm |
great interview Stephen, congrats on your continuing success.
May 20, 2011 at 6:00 am |
Your designs make me laugh… Congrats on the featured seller interview!
May 21, 2011 at 3:45 pm |
agreed – funny stuff.