Etsy Seller Interview with Jane of DigitalArtsi

How DigitalArtsi got started

Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?

Hello, my name is Jane and I’m the creator of DigitalArtsi. I started DigitalArtsi six years ago after I was laid off from my second game industry job in a year. I was devastated and really tired of consistently struggling as an artist. I was also suffering from undiagnosed endometriosis at the time, and that made life really difficult. 

I had tried two Etsy shops before as well and those had both failed spectacularly. Needless to say, I was in a dark place. DigitalArtsi was a Hail Mary for my creative endeavors. My husband offered to support me while I gave it one last go, and I owe him so much for that. I got into clipart because I didn’t want to have to ship my art to people and I liked the idea of art being available to everyone, not just large companies or people with a lot of money. 

At first I started with the more generic themes, holidays and easily designable objects while I developed my style. My first couple years were mostly just me figuring out what direction I wanted to go in. I started with two different styles, my kawaii and watercolor. 

I ended up enjoying my watercolor style more, so I’ve been leaning into that while I slowly discontinue my kawaii series.

Favorite items

What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?

My favorite items are any of my items that have manatees in them, since they are my favorite animals. They don’t sell too well, but it always makes me happy to see when someone buys one. 

I’m actually working on a new manatee series right now but it won’t be released till later.

Getting sales on Etsy

How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?  

It took me about two weeks before I made my first sale. I currently attract customers to my shop through ads and just having consistent quality art. I also engage with my customers and do what I can to help them get to know the artist behind their purchases as well as encouraging them to suggest future releases. A lot of my listings are thanks to customer requests.

Managing DigitalArtsi

How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?

I manage my shop on my own. I don’t use any tools to run my store. Shipping doesn’t apply to me since my work is entirely digital.

The future of DigitalArtsi

What goals do you have for your shop in the future?

I’d like to make more environments. I really enjoy environmental art as it gives a world for my illustrations to exist in.

Advice for new sellers

What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?

Find out how to speak from your heart and let that be the driving force in developing your skills. The things that matter to me most are the biggest driving factors in what made my shop successful.