23 ACTIONS FOR BIG PROGRESS

Alyson B. Stanfield has compiled a great list for artists.


1. Date everything.
When you file something you have acted on, make a note on what you have done and don’t forget to date it. Ditto for dating your art. Memories fail so easily, and you want to be able to back up any claims with evidence.

2. Plan your day. 
Planning your day makes life go much more smoothly. Take the time either first thing in the morning or, as I prefer, the night before, to plan your day. Go over your entire schedule and visualize how smoothly it will all run. Write down the 3-5 things you must do between your errands and appointments.

3. Keep a journal. 
Capture your fleeting thoughts before they’re lost forever. Always carry a small notebook or recorder with you to record your brilliant moments. Journaling regularly about art, especially YOUR art, is one of the best exercises to prepare you for marketing. You need words to help you sell your art.
The Relatively Pain-Free Artist Statement helps you journal about your art. Read about it:
http://artbizcoach.com/consulting/statement.html

4. Stop apologizing for the little stuff. 
Constantly apologizing for little things calls attention to your mistakes and weaknesses. Think about your last few apologies. Were they necessary? Could you have recognized a mistake differently and played up your strength? Save your meaningful apologies for when you really need them—and you will.

5. Comment on at least five blogs each week. 
You’ll be amazed at the friends you can make by commenting on blogs. Not just with the owner of the blog, but with that blog’s visitors. Remember that you want to leave your virtual footprint all over the Internet. Leaving your links in those places makes you hot, hot, hot! (Don’t forget to comment on your own blog, too).

6. Back up your computer files. 
There’s nothing sexy about this action, but you’ll kick yourself if you neglect it. Add regular backup reminders to your calendar.

7. Update your mailing list. 
Whom did you meet in the last few weeks that you have failed to add to your mailing list? Take time to do that now. If you don’t have time to put them in your database, at least make a list and place the names in your Mailing List file folder to be added later. Never forget that your mailing list is your #1 asset for promoting your art.
I emphasize creating and building mailing lists in my Cultivate Collectors class: http://artbizcoach.com/cc.html

8. Give thanks. 
Being grateful for what you have is a sign to the universe that you can accept more into your life.

9. Make art.
Artists make art. They dream about art. They read and talk about art. For the professional artist, Art=Life. This is what you’re competing against. Set aside non-negotiable studio time. If you don’t take yourself seriously, no one else will.

10. Stay on top of your finances.
Ignoring your financial health doesn’t make it any better. Stay up to date with your bookkeeping and take responsibility for your future well-being.

The Importance of Artistic Consistency

This is a great podcast from Xanadu Gallery owner, Jason Horejs. For reference I have also included the original blogpost after the jump, from his website that originated this discussion.

Click the image above to download the podcast. 

This is a large file and may take some time to download, depending on your connection speed. If you are on a Mac and the video doesn't seem to play, you may need to download Flip4Mac (it's free) to be able to watch the video in QuickTime.

Enjoy!

Free Inspired Magazine

Click to read the magazine!

Artist Network is offering a free preview of its inaugural issue of Inspired.

What originated as an idea to reward you-our loyal newsletter subscribers-with a compilation of some favorite creative exercises and inspirational stories in simple pdf format morphed over the following months into a dynamic, interactive, online magazine dedicated to helping you:

• nurture your creativity
• discover new forms of artistic expression
• develop strategies to make more art, more often.

In this premiere issue, you'll find tips from 12 top artists on painting skies, four simple sketchbook strategies guaranteed to get you over any fear of the blank page, plus a tour of five thriving art towns.

Click the links. Explore special bonus material. Play the embedded videos. Then share your favorite stories and products on Facebook and Twitter.

We make it fun and easy. 

Enjoy your free issue of Inspired now! 

Happy reading.
Kelly Kane and Anne Hevener

The WPA Projector

Washington Project for the Arts

The WPA is a great organization, that I highly recommend any emerging artist in the DMV to become a member of. Below is a sample of what the newsletters looks like.

After the break, you can read more about how the WPA are involved in quite a few things, including posting about shows (some of which you could be in), letting an artist know of various Call for Entries, as well as an offering of informative events.

Enjoy!
-Russ

James Jean - Inspiration

I recently came across a great series of videos from Fully Booked regarding the artist James Jean. I have been following this artist's career since I first saw the book cover for the comic book Fables. I love the details that goes into each of his works, and the surreal construction of his compositions. I would definitely recommend checking out his work and becoming a fan. 

James Jean - "Lost Thing"

The Art and Mind of James Jean
Videos: A five-part series of short films on renowned artist James Jean.

“My design philosophy is, I think, a concentration on aesthetics, on virtuosity, on the sublime, on profanity, and on exploring the whole spectrum of visual communication and dreams,” says James Jean, visual arts virtuoso who gained popularity through his work on the covers of Vertigo’s hugely successful Fables series.

We got to sit down and talk with James during his last visit to Manila to figure out how his art makes its way from mind to canvas. We learned that James is a curious fellow: an unpretentious and unassuming Taiwan-born Asian-American with a penchant for the music of Miles Davis and Gil Evans as well as TV’s Law & Order. He seems every bit an ordinary guy. And yet, his far-reaching relevance in popular culture is evident in his illustrious client list that, aside from DC/Vertigo, includes the likes of Prada, TIME Magazine, Rolling Stone and the The New York Times to name just a few. In Manila, hundreds came for the different art forums and book signings with James, which only confirms the impact of his work.

Learn more about James Jean in our five-part series of short films.

The Conversation: Talking About Your Work

Cultural DC

Get the tools to talk about your work. Discussion on strategies to tailor your talking points – from the snappy elevator pitch to an engaging artist talk. Learn how to effectively get your point across – whether you’re talking to press, collectors, or fellow artists – with valuable advice from expert art professionals. The panel will include Michael O'Sullivan of the Washington Post and artists Zoe Charlton and Carol Brown Goldberg.

Saturday, May 19 10am-12pm 
Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint 
916 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
FREE WITH RSVP
FIND OUT MORE

Emerging Visual Artists Elect DC

The Curb Center

Very interesting article about the DC art's scene. I read this article about a year ago, made some notes and forgot about it. As I was cleaning off my desk, I came across the article again, so I figured I would share it with everyone. You can read the entire article HERE. I've included some excerpts I found interesting below.


Like most cities, artists, gallery owners, critics, curators, collectors and the curious weave a nebulous network to sustain a creative community. Unlike most cities, the DC art scene operates in the shadows of national monuments, free national art museums and internationally recognized art centers. Cities across the U.S. battle against the pervading myth that you can only make it as an artist in a culture-rich metropolis like New York, Los Angeles or Chicago. True, DC has distinct offerings and challenges…but clear indications show that emerging artists don’t settle for DC, they choose DC.


“This city is so supportive of artists , because when you’re here, in this small pond . . . it’s so easy to make your mark…..and once you’re respected in a city, you can take that and brand it outside of that city. So, this is the perfect city to be an emerging artist, I think. If you’re in New York, you’re invisible. If I was in Seattle, I’d be an invisible glass artist. But because this city has so few, if you succeed, you will succeed in more places than just DC because you have the reputation that comes from coming from a regional city” says Tim Tate.

“So, it’s a great business model. This is the best place that I can imagine to be an emerging artist. This town,” he says.


“Artists think there is one moment that will get them known,” continues Tate, “you’ll be in the front page of the Washington Post, they’re going to do a documentary on you, you’re going to be in a museum show . . . whatever it is, nothing catapults you into fame, except for 5,000 baby steps and working hard for years and years.”


Fine artist and native Washingtonian Joseph Holston agrees. “It takes years and years of commitment on the part of an artist to build a solid reputation,” says Holston. To cultivate a following, he advises that artists maintain and nurture their patron base, work consistently to provide them with what they need to spread your name further, and continue to grow – never allowing yourself to become static. “I believe people in Washington respect artists who continue to challenge themselves and whose work never stops evolving,” he says.