my story...

Have you ever heard it said that telling your story can be one of the best marketing strategies?  I've been trying to figure that out lately.  What is my story?  Even now as I think about it I have a difficult time defining "my story."  But, after a nice and lovely conversation with my little sister, I think I have had a break-through...

My focus was just in the wrong place.  I was trying to define all of these past experiences and work that I've already completed in order to gather enough information to accurately describe who I am.  But I'm always changing and growing and evolving.  So, how can I accurately define my story based on my history when my history is constantly changing?

Here's the thing I realized.  It's really not so much about the story of my past as it is about my future.  What will my next piece look like?  Where will I direct my focus from this point on in order to CREATE a story that I want others to hear?  Constantly focusing on the "mistakes" of my past work can be constructive up to a certain point, but eventually I just need to let go of all that and point myself toward the future, working from THIS day forward...and allowing myself to be exactly who it is that I've been wanting to be all along!

And how wonderful is it to know where you are going!  How motivating!  Now that I have FINALLY given myself permission to change and grow my artwork, I feel more focused than ever!  A strange paradox. 

I hope this is making sense.  And I hope it helps YOU no matter where you are with your art.  It's just nice to finally have the light bulb go on.  So, thanks sister Jam.

A conversation you'll enjoy...

Recently I had the opportunity to have a nice conversation with artist Cori Dantini. She's an artist I greatly admire and respect, not only for the quality of her work, but for her personality (which is uncompromisingly evident in her work). For someone like me, artists like her are such a great inspiration and exemplify just how successful an artist can be.

So, I'd like to be generous with all of the information she was so generous in sharing with me. Here is a brief list of the things we talked about. I hope you find it every bit as helpful as I did.

1. Every good artist needs a good scanner- 1200 dpi or better is preferable. Surprisingly, they are not very expensive to buy...some are even under $100.

2. Sell originals on ETSY- not just prints (without frames).  This concept was fairly new to me (duh!) because I didn't realize that there was a market on ETSY for originals. Silly me. So naive. 

3. Don't ever sign a contract that gives the rights to your work away. In other words, know what your getting into when you sign your name on the dotted line. Ask someone experienced for help.

4. Get the book "2011 Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market." You can find it here. It'll tell you who to send your work to in order to get your name out there.

5. Set up a seperate bank account when the time is right for your business funds. Make sure you keep up with taxes, etc.

6. Renew your listings on ETSY often! Make it a goal to be on the first 20 pages of any search involving your work.

7. Try to stick to standard sizes when it comes to selling on ETSY.

If your not sure what ETSY is...please visit my shop

(by clicking an image on the left tool bar) to get better acquainted. 

Thanks for stopping in!