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.
