The Business of Art

Afghan women are no longer allowed to study or work at jobs considered to be only for men. To earn money and feed their families, some women have begun designing, making, and selling women’s clothing, crafts, and anything else considered beneath the notice of men. They’re turning creative endeavours into a business.
This is not new.
The World Bank and Women’s World Banking report that women are often the gateway to household security. Women entrepreneurs invest a higher percentage of their income in the household compared with their male partners (if they have them), enhancing the family’s overall financial security and access to health care, education, and housing. Small family businesses selling art, crafts, food and other goods and services can also lead to higher standards of living across entire communities.
I was thinking about this recently, and thinking about my own experiences as a self-employed single mother, while I searched the internet for premade book covers. I was looking for the right cover for one of my novels, the third in a series following the fortunes of three women friends. They are of different ages, come from diverse ethnic backgrounds, and have different sexual identities. The series revolves around their connections with people who are dead and live in the underworld. I was looking for a cover that reflected the plot and the characters. I also wanted something artistic and original.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve used book covers showing swooning young white women in the arms of a man; they have their place. But this time I wanted something more.
Hours of searching later, I found Creative Paramita: Book Cover Artist at https://www.creativeparamita.com/ and didn’t need to go any further.

Not only did I find what I was searching for, I also found a businesswoman who was prompt, reliable, responsive, and respectful. Paramita went the extra mile and provided my cover in a variety of formats for uploading to different promotional channels. It was my lucky day.
In turn, I wish Paramita all the very best of luck making her art into a successful business.