I used to spend a lot of time building my artist website. Hours and days.
I don't mean that I was updating my website, or adding actual useful content to its pages. I mean that I was crafting it's bones, pixel by pixel and robot-language-line-by-HTML-line.
<b>That sucked.</b>
One day I woke up to the fact that I was putting way more time into building and rebuilding my site than actually getting valuable content out into the world.
Chances are you have something worthwhile to share with the world. Art aficionados want to see your latest painting and take a peek at your process. Poetry fans who want to follow the path of words you leave in the woods. And you want to give the people what they want because they will thank you for it. Maybe even pay you for it.
I now spend most of my time online crafting content to share–like this here post. I don't write code to do it. I don't worry about security or hacking or something showing up all wrong and having to wrangle some messed up PHP gobbledygook into submission.
I used to worry about that nerdy internet stuff a lot. Like ... a lot.
I used to build websites for other people so that I could worry about their nerdy internet stuff, too. I used to get paid to worry for them. There was no shortage to my worry.
I don't worry about my websites anymore. It's freeing. I'd like to share that freedom with you.
I want you to realise you can have a website without pulling out your hair.
I want you to know you can get someone else to worry about the nerdy bits, the code-writing, the security threats. The why-is-your-website-down questions from fans and friends.
I want you to have a simple, professional website that you can manage yourself so that you don't have to pay someone like me every time you want to add a blog post or a photo of a new piece.
All of this is possible. Since I cracked open a book and got to work writing website code, the world has changed. There are a lot of great options that allow you to (A) have a great looking website and (B) not go bankrupt or crazy keeping it up to date.
Tomorrow night I lead a workshop at Bleeding Heart Art Space from 7-9:30. Whether you have a website currently, or you would like to have one, this will benefit you. For just $20, you'll walk out with newfound confidence that you CAN have a great website for your art that works well even on a tiny phone screen.
You can register right here, right now.
Here's what we're going to cover in the workshop;
- Foundation Questions.
- Questions like 'Do I need a website at all?', and 'What should I expect from my website?'
- Basic terminology like Content Management System, domain name, hosting, HTML, CSS and PHP.
- Nothing too heavy, but a working knowledge so that when you see those words somewhere, they don't freak you out.
- How to map out your website so that it best serves the needs of your site visitors.
- I've even got a nifty worksheet to clarify your vision.
- How to set up a new site on the Squarespace platform, and the basics of putting your new site together.
- Q and A time for your questions about working with Squarespace, or websites in general.
It may be hard to believe, but you will walk out with a new website. Not finished, but headed in the right direction. Honestly, this evening is a steal for $20.
I can't wait to see you smile when you realise just what you can do, all by yourself, to get your art online.
~ Dave Von Bieker
PS. Questions? Email me and ask away.