The Artist Career Training Blog

Are you ready to have a better year?

2012-01-28T02:09:41Z

There's still eleven months to go. Please accept this early Valentine's gift from Artist Career Training to share the love.

F*R*E*E* February Teleconference:

Art Marketing Q & A

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

9:00 a.m. Pacific time (noon Eastern time).

(Check the local time here: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

Register now!

If you could ask a question about marketing and selling your art online and offline and get practical, doable answers from an artist advisor who has worked with thousands of artists all over the country, would you invest an hour of your time?

(Check the local time here: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html)

Reserve your spot now!

We're collecting questions starting now, so this is your chance to get an answer you can use to improve your art business. Aletta de Wal will answer the most specific questions during a special Artist Career Training teleconference.

The live call on February 7th is free. If you can't make it, a recording will be available for download after the call for just $15.00.

Sixty minutes could save you a ton of frustration and open up the tap to get the money flow going.

Aletta de Wal, Artist Advisor and Art Marketing Strategist is the author of the forthcoming book "My Real Job is being an Artist: What You Should Know Before You Quit Your Day Job (Or Get One)."
Sign up for updates here: http://www.artistcareertraining.com/realjobartist.

Aletta inspires fine artists to make a better living making art in any economy. Aletta works with part-time, emerging and full-time artists who are serious about a career in fine arts. Aletta makes make art marketing easier and the business of art simpler. Equal parts artist, educator, and entrepreneur, Aletta has worked with over 4000 artists in groups and more than 400 individually. Her clients say that she inspires them to do the work to be successful, provides the detail to take specific action, and supports them through the ups and downs of life and art.

Sponsor:

If you like to learn on your own and know what you want to learn, please visit www.ArtBusinessLibrary.com. You will find books, recordings and e-books on every topic imaginable to help you make a better living making art.

If you prefer to learn with others, and discover what you need to learn, please explore www.ArtistCareerTraining.com for our group programs and one-to-one coaching services.

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Learn About Art Licensing

Read my interview:

The Inside Story of Art Licensing with J'net Smith

There's a lot to learn about licensing your art. Now you can get virtual access to J'Net Smith, the person who made Dilbert a household name. Click here for digital products you can use right in your studio.

Protecting Your Content & Images From Theft

2012-01-25T20:00:30Z

It's an epidemic. People are having their content and images stolen and used on other websites and on other products and services.

Sadly, it seems that it's not a question of if your work or images will be stolen, it's a question of when. With technology today it's possible to grab anything you see on your computer screen. Taking legal action can be time-consuming and expensive, but a few precations can go a long way towards slowing down the thieves:

Copyright your work and images, individually or as a group. It's not expensive or difficult. You will need to gather info about each image to document it. If you've got your artist inventory set up and current, it's a piece of cake.

Yes, your copyright exists from the moment the work is created, but "...if you want to sue someone in federal court for copyright infringement, your work must first be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office."

The way you prepare your images can help protect them. Make sure the images you use on your website are the smallest file size possible that still look good. Why? Besides loading more quickly and making for a smoother browsing experience for your visitors, a small file size means that the theives won't be able to use the image for much of anything.

Another way to protect your online and print images is to watermark them with copyright info or a logo, large enough to see and over an area of the image that would pretty much make the image unusable if the copyright info was cropped out. Slow thieves down down by making it difficult for them to use your images.

Use your name (or company name) in the file name, along with the name of the image, like "JohnDoe-Springtime." If someone steals and uses an image on the web, at least the file name will ID you and you can use Google to search for images by putting in your name. That will help you FIND the thieves.

If you find an image that is being used without your permission, the first step is to contact the user with a "cease and desist" letter. That usually works. If not, you can pursue other avenues if you want. If you don't, at least the image is identifiable as yours and think of it as free advertising.

Use Copyscape or a similar service to search the web for your content.

To take legal action, get some advice from a good copyright attorney first. Read this article by attorney Michelle Fabio on Blogging and Intellectual Property Law to learn more.

More resources:

US Library of Congress - United States Copyright office for copyright registration.
http://www.copyright.gov/

Stolen Content - Content protection and what to do in case of theft. http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2006/04/10/what-do-you-do-when-someone-steals-your-content/

Creative Commons - Non-profit organization providing creative licenses for image works. http://creativecommons.org/

If you would, please, help us all protect our work by sharing any resources/ideas/comments you have on this topic by leaving a comment on the blog.

All my best to you and yours,

P.S. If you're like me and love to have great resources around, I suggest you get on the email list for Aletta de Wal's new book "My Real Job Is Being An Artist: What You Should Know Before You Quit Your Day Job (Or Get One)." It'll be published later this year. I've read it, it's fabulous, and will be ordering 10 copies for family and friends. Honest. It's not just one size fits all "how to" or cheerleaderish "self help." It will help you get really clear about where you are and what YOUR most effective next steps are. Email me to get on the notification list, and get special goodies too!

Want to know exactly how we can help you set up your ongoing learning and get it all done? If you haven't already had one, you can request a free 15-minute conversation here. It's a great start!

Gifts from A.C.T. to You: Two Classes

2012-01-17T15:00:08Z

Are you ready to have a better year? Here are 2 F*R*E*E* gifts from me to you:

F*R*E*E* January Live Seminar

"Visual ~~Time~~ Management for Visual Artists"

The 2012 Artist Professional Development Series.

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
6:00 - 7:30 pm Pacific time

SOMArts Cultural Center

934 Brannan St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Register Now: http://budurl.com/TimeMgmtSF

The strike through on the word "Time" is intentional. You can't manage time, but you can manage your choices, your projects and your productivity. Instead of racing the clock, choose to harness time and get more of what you want in your life as an artist. Learn practical skills and techniques to eliminate time wasters; become clear on your goals; organize to get things done; use visual tools and systems to keep track of it all.

Presenter:
Aletta de Wal, M.Ed., Artist Advisor & Art Marketing Strategist at Artist Career Training, inspires fine artists to make a better living making art in any economy. Aletta works with part-time, emerging and full-time artists who are serious about a career in fine arts. Aletta makes art marketing easier and the business of art simpler. Equal parts artist, educator, and entrepreneur, Aletta has worked with over 4000 artists in groups and more than 400 individually. Her clients say that she inspires them to do the work to be successful, provides the detail to take specific action, and supports them through the ups and downs of life and art.

Sponsor:
ArtSpan, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, builds a community connecting the public to visual arts in San Francisco. Through SF Open Studios, youth and adult education, and art-centric events, ArtSpan creates a platform for artists to thrive, fostering a Bay Area community that values the arts. Contact info@artspan.org or (415) 861-9838 for more information. ArtSpan.org produces monthly workshops and discussions to aid artists with the professional side of their art practice. Through these community events ArtSpan creates a platform for artists to thrive, fostering a Bay Area that values the arts.

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F*R*E*E* February Teleconference:

Art Marketing Q & A

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

9:00 a.m. Pacific time (noon Eastern time).

Check your local time here:
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

Register now!

Artist Career Training wants artists to have a better year in 2012. That's why we are offering you a special F*R*E*E* Art Marketing Q & A by telephone on Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific time (noon Eastern time).
(Check your local time here: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html ).

Reserve your spot now!

We're collecting questions starting now, so this is your chance to get an answer you can use to improve your art business. Aletta de Wal will answer the most specific questions during a special Artist Career Training teleconference.

The live call on February 7th is free.
If you can't make it, a recording will be available for download after the call for just $15.00.

Sixty minutes could save you a ton of frustration and open up the tap to get the money flow going.

Aletta de Wal, Artist Advisor and Art Marketing Strategist is the author of the forthcoming book "My Real Job is being an Artist: What You Should Know Before You Quit Your Day Job (or Get One.)." Sign up for updates here: http://www.artistcareertraining.com/realjobartist.

Sponsor:

If you like to learn on your own and know what you want to learn, please visit www.ArtBusinessLibrary.com. You will find books, recordings and e-books on every topic imaginable to help you make a better living making art.

If you prefer to learn with others, and discover what you need to learn, please explore www.ArtistCareerTraining.com for our group programs and one-to-one coaching services.

Got a Fab Art Inventory and Mailing List?

2012-01-10T18:00:27Z

Having an inventory of your art, and a mailing list, is critical to your success.

A well-planned art inventory will allow you to search and sort your information. It will help you keep track of your work including an image of the piece, the cost to create it, sales/location info, copyright info, exhibition history, and installation info. It will also help you to document provenance (which is the history of ownership and location of your work) which comes in handy for any copyright or other legal issues. It will be invaluable at tax time.

A good mailing list will allow you to search and sort your names and address information, set up categories (friends, family, collectors), pull out information for specific geographic areas, print mailing labels, pull email addresses for email newsletters and invitations, and keep notes about your contacts.

There are software programs you can buy to manage your art business. Cost for the software and features vary widely. My own experience has been confirmed by what I hear from artists: most of the software for artists falls short of being easy-to-learn and having comprehensive features. (If you are using software for artists, I'd love to hear from you about what you use and why you like it, and why you don't.)

It's worth figuring out if a particular software will work for you. If what you use is overly complicated to learn and won't allow you to easily update your information, you'll be less likely to update it regularly.

I've set up a lot of artist inventories and mailing lists, and taught artists how to use them, and my recommendation to you would be to start with a basic spreadsheet. If you later find specialty software that's appropriate for you, it should allow you to easily import or export your existing inventory spreadsheet and mailing list.

Most artists have Microsoft's Excel, or Apple's Numbers, or another basic spreadsheet program. That's all you need to get started and it will grow with you.

If you're a DIY person, here's a tip: For your art inventory, go the the Copyright office website and get copyright form VA (for Visual Art). Use that info for your column headings. Add any other info as column headings that you want to keep track of. It's a good start.

If you want some help with this, I've found that the most cost-effective way is for me to set up your spreadsheet or artist software then to help you learn how to use it. Some artists have me handle it all for them, and that's fine too. I can custom-design a solution to fit your budget and time. Just email me to inquire.

As always,

I'm here for you. All my best to you and yours,

Want to know exactly how we can help you set up your ongoing learning and get it all done? If you haven't already had one, you can request a free 15-minute conversation here. It's a great start!

Without You the World Would be Less

2011-12-27T15:01:11Z

As this year ends and another begins, we want to take a moment to thank YOU, because without you the world would be missing the beauty you contribute to it. Without you, there would be less inspiration, creativity, and joy in the world. Without you we wouldn't be able to do our part in helping support artists in bringing more art to the world.

Everyone at Artist Career Training sends along their heartfelt wishes for your joy and success in 2012!

ACT Articles to help you Bust Those Starving Artist Myths

2011-12-20T14:00:47Z

Jim and Lynn Powers

The Creative Catalyst was one of the original sources for art instruction videos and DVDs. They provide lessons in drawing, painting, design and special techniques. Jim Powers and I met many years ago at The Learning & Product Expo Art in Pasadena. Jim and his wife Lynn asked me to contribute guest posts to their Blog. Just follow the links to read my 12-part series, Bust That "Starving Artist" Myth (and Eleven Others)

Artist Myth #5: Artists Don't Need to Know About Anything But Their Art

Any artist who wants a successful art business cannot afford to live only in the confines of a studio where making art is the only reality. If you just want to make art, and ignore the business side, then you must have other ways to support yourself. This choice limits you to being a hobbyist or an amateur. There is nothing wrong with that, but you won't be able to make a living making art without a change of heart and mind.

Artist Myth #6: Your Artwork is So Good, It will Appeal to Everyone

Some artists think their art appeals to everyone because family and friends are always enthusiastic. This "captive audience" then encourages you to sell your work in galleries. You trust them, so you tend to agree. Who wouldn't? It's a good feeling. You make the leap that these opinions are universal, so you assume your artwork will get a great response from others.

Artist Myth #7: One Big Break Will Make Your Career

There is no such thing as one big break. This doesn't happen in any profession, and art is no exception. All great achievements happen through many small acts, staged consistently over time. Examine carefully the stories of artists who are "suddenly discovered." There are exceptions, but you will usually find that celebrity success is based on years of study and many, many marketing efforts, with a sprinkling of synchronicity.

Artist Myth #8: If You Just Do Your Art, Everything Else Will "Work Out"

Many artists would love to have their only job be to create works of art, so that they could be in the studio or outside most of the time. It is the reason we chose this profession. It is what feeds our souls, but it isn't enough to feed our bank balances. The belief that "everything else" will take care of itself is a lovely fantasy. Like it or not, we are all part of the world that provides us with income.

In case you missed Myths 1 through 4, you can read them here.

What other myths have you busted?

P.S. Please link to this article in your Blog and post on social media sites for artists. We appreciate it when you tell your friends about Artist Career Training. We encourage forwarding this publication in whole. Copying without acknowledgement of the publisher is against the law (and highly unprofessional!)

P.P.S. If you need an accountability partner for your art business or someone to roll up sleeves to produce art marketing materials or work on your web site, just let us know. We have a whole team to help you. Start with a complimentary 15-minute conversation. Sign up here: http://www.artistcareertraining.com/request-a-conversation

Slow Down & Refocus - Seven Questions to Ask Yourself

2011-12-12T21:07:48Z

It's an old story told in just about every country in the world and the bible: The main character is always someone who maintains focus and a calm attitude even when others are freaking out in response to the latest crisis-du-jour.

It's a good attitude to have (the calm focused one, not the freaking out one), especially where technology is concerned.

Old News Flash: Technology = fast changes and lots of new choices. Like, every day. Before you rush off and continue to pour your time and money into it all, try this: Slow down and refocus. Your marketing efforts and your bank account will be much better for it, oh, and your stress level too.

Answer these questions and gain an extra edge of focus and clarity:

1. Does my marketing have a "signature style?" Do my printed materials, portfolio, website, blog, and social media pages have a design style that let's people know it's me?

2. Can people contact me easily and in more than one way? Is my contact info on everything? Do I check my messages/email daily and reply promptly?

3. Is my website and other online marketing organized so people can get to the info they want, fast? Does my website have clear navigation, complete information, and fabulous images of my work? Social media pages too?

4. Do I keep my online content fresh and current by updating it regularly? Am I adding new work and info to my website as it is completed? Keeping my Facebook page and other social media pages updated and fresh?

5. Are my computer skills helping or hurting me? Can I run my art business efficiently and get business tasks done quickly, or am I spending a lot of time struggling with my computer, software and trying to maneuver on the internet?

6. Is my computer helping or hurting me? Is it new enough to run the current versions of software? Am I using current versions of software? Is it's operating system up-to-date? Am I backing up all my data and files?

7. Overall, is everything I do to market my art making me look professional and my art desirable? What can I change or improve? Get a cup of your favorite beverage, sit down, and think about this, write down some ideas for 2012. Feel better?

If you want to read the inside story about an artist and juror who decided to slow down and refocus, and create 1250 watercolor images in the process, read this month's Featured Artist interview with Nola McConnan.

As always, I'm here for you. All my best to you and yours this holiday season!

P.S. If you're like me and love to have great resources around, I suggest you get on the email list for Aletta de Wal's new book "My Real Job Is Being An Artist: What You Should Know Before You Quit Your Day Job (Or Get One)." It'll be published early next year. I've read it, it's fabulous, and will be ordering 10 copies for family and friends. Honest. It's not just one size fits all "how to" or cheerleaderish "self help." It will help you get reealllyy clear about where you are and what YOUR most effective next steps are. Email me to get on the notification list, and get special goodies too!

Want to know exactly how we can help you set up your ongoing learning and get it all done? If you haven't already had one, you can request a free 15-minute conversation here. It's a great start!

ArtWorld Insiders: UPDATE on Margaret Danielak

2011-11-29T15:01:03Z

Aletta de Wal, Julie Snyder (www.juliesnyder.com) and Margaret Danielak (www.danielakart.com)

In October 2011 I did my annual series of seminars at The Learning & ProductExpo: Art! in Pasadena where I met another group of fabulous artists dedicated to making a better living making art.

Another highlight of the trip was time to get together with Margaret Danielak and Julie Snyder, one of the artists she represents, at The Women's City Club. With Margaret's permission and Julie's photo skills, I share Margaret's letter to me after our great visit.

Dear Aletta:

Thank you so much for the lovely dinner. It was great to see you!

Am very happy to tell you that I sold another painting yesterday during the installation of the current "Winter's Light" show at the Blinn House - home of The Women's City Club of Pasadena. A lady came into the club to pay her dues, fell in love with Julie Hill's watercolors and bought one! That is the 2nd "presale" if you will, from this show. The first presale I made was to another Club Member who saw a "sneak peek" of a lovely painting by Christina Ramos that I posted the other day on Facebook.

I told you during dinner that I decided to accept photographs this time as well as paintings. I wasn't sure how they would look in such a traditional venue. I decided to dedicate an entire area to the work - put them all in one of the large bedrooms upstairs - and I must say, they look fabulous. I've always wanted to have a theme - or shows within the larger shows - in different areas of the Blinn House and now I do.

My new IPAD 2 has become extremely handy in documenting my life as a curator. We always talk about new technology and how important it is to stay current? Well, on the last day of the the last exhibition, "A Touch of Gold" - which you saw when you visited the Club - I used my IPAD to create a film. I now have a 9 minute rough cut of a fully narrated art tour of the Blinn House - a film I'm planning to edit down to five minutes using IMOVIE on the IPAD. Am planning to create a video for each exhibition in order to share the art with collectors and artists who live outside the area - post it on my website and blog and onto Facebook.

Thank you again for the great dinner. I look forward to seeing you again soon, and hearing more about your soon-to-be released book!

Warm regards,

Margaret

Artist Representative Margaret Danielak is Curator of Exhibitions at the Women's City Club of Pasadena at the historic Blinn House. She is the author of A Gallery without Walls, and specializes in exhibiting art in alternative venues.

I get a lot of questions from artists about how to get an art representative. The short answer is to be noticed because you have a strong body of signature work, have a solid exhibition track record and be professional about every aspect of your art business. For a more detailed explanation, check out:
"Sell My Art! Finding & Keeping Effective Representation"*

Margaret is also available for consultations*

P.S.

Have other questions about making a better living making art?

If you haven't already had one, you can

request a free 15-minute conversation here.

P.P.S.

Please link to this article in your Blog and post on social media sites for artists. We appreciate it when you tell your friends about Artist Career Training. We encourage forwarding this publication in whole. Copying without acknowledgement of the publisher is against the law (and highly unprofessional!)

The Best Thing I Ever Learned, About Learning

2011-11-22T15:00:25Z

We're deeply committed to helping you establish the habit of ongoing, lifelong learning. It's critical to your success as an artist and for your success in marketing and selling your art.

Lifelong learning habits are a characteristic of the most successful artists.

Improving your business and artistic skills is not a one-time thing, it's a lifelong thing. There are tons of options out there to help keep you growing: in-person workshops and seminars, online classes, mentors, coaches, all with and without books and/or formal lessons.

Whew! How do you decide what's going to work for you? As with all things pertaining to your art (and your life, in my opinion), first you get clear on who and what you are. Do you love working in groups, in-person? Do you prefer to work at your own pace, alone? Or do you like a variety of learning situations? As an artist you might prefer your lessons presented visually. Perhaps you prefer to read your info, or maybe hearing it works better for you. Think about it.

I figured this out the hard way, and after sinking some serious money into in-person group classes and workshops, I realized that I don't really do well in a group and prefer to work at my own pace with a coach or mentor to guide me. On the other hand, I know lots of people who absolutely stagnate when left to their own devices and thrive when working in a group. There is no one right way, it's about finding what's right for YOU and then making time for it, regularly.

As always, I'm here for you. For those of you in the US, have a yummy Thanksgiving.

All my best to you and yours!

P.S. If you're like me and love to have great resources around, I suggest you get on the email list for Aletta de Wal's new book "My Real Job Is Being An Artist: What You Should Know Before You Quit Your Day Job (Or Get One)." It'll be published early next year. I've read it, and it's fabulous and will be ordering 10 copies for family and friends. Honest. It's not just one size fits all "how to" or cheerleaderish "self help." It will help you get reealllyy clear about where you are and what YOUR most effective next steps are. Email me to get on the notification list, and get special goodies too!

Want to know exactly how we can help you set up your ongoing learning and get it all done?If you haven't already had one, you can request a free 15-minute conversation here. It's a great start!

Art Business Library Tools to Help Artists Make More Money: The Empty Easel

2011-11-15T15:30:12Z

Congratulations to Editor Dan for the 5th anniversary of The Empty Easel - one of the best sources for free informed articles on all things related to art, artists, art business and art marketing. I contribute guest posts to this Blog each month. (If you missed my first recap, you can find it here.)

You won't find these tips anywhere in my own Blog. I write them exclusively for the Empty Easel online audience. Times are tough for artists these days, and I just wanted to let you know about this great resource. Let's cheer for the editor, Dan!

9 Ways to Boost Your Artistic Creativity

Most artists take great care of their art making tools. . . that's a given. But whether you are naturally creative, or have developed your talents through training, it's just as vital to care for and nurture your creativity. I recommend nine techniques to all of my artist clients who need a creative boost.

How to Develop Good Creative Habits in Just 21 Days

Anyone else out there ever decided to lose weight and get fit? The first time you go to the gym, you can't just jump into an Olympic level workout. If you try, there's a good chance that you'll injure yourself, or strain muscles in your body that you didn't even know you had. Instead, the key is to develop a habit of going to the gym. Over time, that good habit will bring healthy rewards.

How to use the "Art of Conversation" to Market Your Art

You may have the best art in the world, but if you're talking to the wrong people, you won't have a business. Conversations with the right people at the right time, in the right place, about the right things can lead to relationships. It's those relationships, carefully nurtured, that lead to sales. I tell all my clients that you can learn to have those conversations and market your art successfully. There are just three parts to a successful conversation: the beginning, the middle and the exit.

P.S. Please link to this article in your Blog and post on social media sites for artists. We appreciate it when you tell your friends about Artist Career Training. We encourage forwarding this publication in whole. Copying without acknowledgement of the publisher is against the law (and highly unprofessional!)

P.P.S If you need an accountability partner for your art business or someone to roll up sleeves to produce art marketing materials or work on your web site, just let us know. We have a whole team to help you. Start with a complimentary 15-minute conversation. Sign up here.