Ever since I started working with the "Art Drop" format, I'm often asked a lot why I want to work in this Limited Edition" format. Almost always, the next question tends to be, "so if I don't buy something during the right season, my chance is gone?" Let's talk about it!
As I've grown in my art process and started to understand how I work and how I stay motivated to learn and create, I've started working in this new format - my "art drops" - which means everything I release is limited edition. Every original is only available for a limited time, and every print in every size is only available in limited quantities for that same, limited amount of time. When a piece is sold, it's gone for good. When a season is over, the unsold pieces aren't guaranteed to ever be released again. Everything I create is limited by both time and quantity. Sometimes, people are surprised by this, especially if they're new to following me or new to the concept of art being limited edition. So here's why I choose to do it - and why it matters.
What “Limited Edition” Actually Means
When I say “limited edition,” as I mentioned above, I don’t just mean I’m only printing a certain number of copies and numbering them. I mean that every collection has an endpoint. Once the drop is over, I retire the entire set—prints and originals both. No backorders, no extras stashed away for later, no secret restock. If I choose to re-release any unsold pieces, that's a surprise. It's never a guarantee.
I used to work in a much more "standard" format - leaving all of my pieces available forever, waiting for them to sell. And in the case of prints, it meant always restocking when something sold out. And that was great for a while, but seeing some of my work sit in the store for...well, years...it didn't sit well with me. So I changed it up. Some artists will continue to work the way I used to, and hey, that works for them. But for me, with how often I create new work these days, I like to keep things fresh. Keeping things limited edition, seasonal and limited time only helps not only keep ME motivated, but it keeps collectors on their toes.
Why I Choose to Work This Way
First, there's the pace at which I'm creating work. I noticed that I go through seasonal bouts of productivity. So I have learned to work with my natural creative rhythm, and I decided on this "art drop" format. That BURST of work I create gets into a collection, and then my natural "sink back into the office and don't create for weeks" syncs well with this pattern.
Then, there's the creative reasoning. I don't want to live in the past, and I don't want old work to sit and wait. I'd rather focus on making new work and bringing it to you rather than continuously making the same things over and over and ordering more prints of the same old pieces just because they were popular. Limiting my collections allows me to keep progressing - to keep moving forward. It keeps me motivated to keep getting better and generating creative works.
Now there's also the collector side of it. Buying art is personal. When someone purchases a piece from me, I want it to feel like they’re getting something special, not something mass-produced that will still be floating around years from now. Limited editions make collecting feel more meaningful. You’re part of a specific collection, not just buying a product.
There’s also the real-life logistics of being a one-person operation. I’m not running a print factory. I don’t have a team to manage ongoing orders from back collections. Keeping everything limited lets me balance my creative life with the rest of my life...without stretching myself too thin or turning this into something I don’t enjoy.
What It Means for Collectors
Let's get back to my collector angle. What does that mean for you? When you buy something from one of my drops, you’re not just getting a piece of art you can get anytime from the shop. In fact, you’re getting a piece of a timeline. You're getting something that only a few people will ever have the chance to own, and something you can't find 2 years from now. Once a drop is over, that's the end. And once a piece sells out, it's gone. That’s not about hype or marketing tricks; it’s just how I’ve chosen to run my studio. The people who purchase from a drop get to own something that won’t come back around again.
I know that sometimes means people miss out, and I get that. But the other side of it is that collecting becomes an experience, not just a transaction. There’s something special about knowing you grabbed a piece while it was available, and now it’s yours, and it's not part of an endless, stagnant catalog of art pieces.
Final Thoughts
Working in this "limited edition" format has been so inspiring to me. Not just because it lets me switch out old work all the time. Not just because it keeps you guys guessing what comes next. Not just because I'm creating new and fun ideas I want to try out.
It's all of those things, but so much more. I create art because it's who I am. And having a full shop of old stock made me feel stuck. I make art to keep my life moving forward. I don't like feeling stuck. And deciding to work in limited edition quantities as well as limited time (seasonal) art drops, that has catapulted me into my creative brain in a huge way. That's why I limit everything I create, and that's why I'll keep doing it this way.
Now of course, there will always be exceptions - some pieces I may decide to bring back as a special offer. Some I might consider re-releasing around the holidays. And some I may hold onto and you'll only be able to get them at a live art show. But these are the exceptions - not the rule!
If you’ve been thinking about grabbing something from the current, Summer Art Drop, the time is NOW. Because once it closes, the collection retires for good. And this collection closes at the end of August!
So take a look - see if there's something that catches your eye. And then...grab it while you can!
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