ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Episode 34 shares 6 pointers to help artists sell their artwork more effectively online.

SHOW QUOTES
“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” – Zig Ziglar

SHOW LINKS
How to Take Great Photographs of Artwork
 

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Titling is an important aspect of the creative process and we will give you a few reasons why you should consider a unique or creative title.

SHOW QUOTES

ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Have you shipped work to the gallery, and can’t seem to get them to send your work back? Has there been a lack in communication, no communication at all or have you been given the runaround? If so, in this episode we give you some ways to help you work with the gallery in getting your work back safe and sound. Sometimes it’s a simple miscommunication, or confusion about a contract however other times it can be a very difficult and upsetting situation.

SHOW QUOTES

SHOW LINKS
Lost Art Registration
Legal Demand Letter

ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Today we talk about the Create & Inspire 30 Day Creative Challenge. Join us for the month of October!

SHOW QUOTES

• Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way. – Edward de Bono
• The comfort zone is the great enemy to creativity; moving beyond it necessitates intuition, which in turn configures new perspectives and conquers fears. – Dan Stevens

SHOW LINKS
Foster A Pet

ABOUT THIS EPISODE
As creative people, we need a space to be creative and make things, and all the better if it’s a dedicated creative space and not the kitchen table. In this episode, we give you some unconventional space ideas to help you carve out ideas to help create your own dedicated space. We show you how any space, big or small can be transformed into an area all your own. 

SHOW QUOTES

SHOW LINKS
Laundry Room Studio
Art  Studio Spaces on Pinterest
Home/Art Studio Ideas Pinterest
Best Lighting for Art Studios & Work Spaces

ABOUT THIS EPISODE
In this episode we talk about self promotion and how to use it to better further your career. Many artists and creatives don’t want to partake in self-promotion since it can seem ego-driven or very self-serving, however, it is a vital part of building a career. Here are some tips on how to better self promote and why it’s important. Also, we are sharing with you our 30 Day Creative Challenge which starts Oct 31st, 2014.

SHOW QUOTES

SHOW LINKS
The Art of Self Promotion: 6 Tips to Get Your Work Discovered
Boomer Business Podcast 

ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Visual Journaling (Art Journaling/Creative Journaling/Art Diary) has been around for years and is an activity that can help us be more creative, aid in working through issues or promote happiness by having a fun and expressing ourselves. Visual journaling is often rooted in art therapy to work through trauma, loss and as a tool for stress reduction, however, it can also be utilized to express joy, create a memory and/or memorialize something special. Creativity is cathartic.

SHOW QUOTES

SHOW LINKS
Psychology Today: 10 Visual Journaling Prompts
Strathmore Visual Journals

Journals by: Pam Carriker and by Lou Ann

ABOUT THIS EPISODE 

When following our dreams and finally achieving them we often find that they are not exactly the way we envisioned them, however that is life! In this episode we take a journey with host Aunia Kahn as she talks achieving a specific dream, the challenges and what we need to do when we feel stuck or in a place of transition within our own dreams.

SHOW QUOTES

SHOW LINKS
10 Things That Will Happen When You Start Pursuing Your Dreams

ABOUT THIS EPISODE 

One of the most coveted experiences by artists is securing a solo exhibition. There is a lot that goes into this aspect of an artists career, but we got you covered! In this episode, we provide useful information and direction to any artist interested in pursuing a solo exhibition of their dreams.

SHOW QUOTES

SHOW LINKS
C&I Episode 7: Getting You Art Into Art Galleries
C&I Episode 4: Why You Need A Professional Portfolio & Website

ABOUT EPISODE
In Episode 18 we have our second installation of advice from 30 artists, galleries owners, magazine editors, authors, creative business owners, etc answering this question: “If you could give one bit of advice to an artist just starting out what would that be?” This is part 2 of 3. Find the first installation: Episode 8 (1 of 3)

SHOW QUOTES

1. Put miles on the brush…or pencil. – Suzy Smith

2. Don’t put your focus on sales. Focus instead on finding yourself, finding your medium, finding your motivation and drive. Once you have a portfolio you are proud of, start showing it off. – Archer May Dougherty

3. Not everything you make is a Grandslam. Sometimes you strike out but see each piece leading to the other and so forth. It is a constant practice and learning experience. – Matthew F. Dougherty

4. Contracts are your friends. – Emily J Moore

5. Read dali’s book. 50 secrets of magic craftsmanship, published 1948. Memorize them all!! – Norm Goodwin

6. Curb the ego and work. – Jeremy Cross

7. Don’t be scared to try something new. – Alecia House

8. Compete with yourself and no one else. Don’t try to be anyone else because you can’t. Do the work you love because often that’s the only reason you’ll be doing it. Be generous with what you learn. Be happy when other artists succeed, more art means more possibilities. Every rejection is a step closer to finding success. Find out what recharges you and remember to do that even when you’re on deadline. Discover what you love about making art and remind yourself regularly. Draw or paint even if you don’t feel like it, inspiration will come. – Steve Cleff

9. As someone who only picked up pencils a year ago – Draw draw draw! Pinterest is a great resource for inspiration. Draw some more. Ask your friends for honest feedback. Draw more and find your own style. Try heaps of different mediums until you find one that suits your style. Don’t give up it takes time to get good at anything. Did I mention draw more?  – Jo Jette

10. Know why you make art–even if you don’t understand it intellectually and you can’t explain it to other people (or even yourself) Know it in your soul, feel it, focus on it and follow it. – Heather Watts

11. It has to be the art you love. Don’t second guess ‘what art is selling these days’. Find a way to combine all your passions (non-art too) into your art. The passion is tangible and is at least half the reason people will respond to your artwork. – Derek Gores

12. Get a non-refundable deposit of half upfront on commissions. – Christina M. Anderson

13. Never give up. – Wanda Ragsdale

14. Many artists find joy in creating whenever they get the free spirited notion or an inspiring idea. But when you are commissioned to create for a buyer or required to produce a specific number of pieces for a showcase/project by a certain date, art can be tedious. You cannot reach your highest heights by only being capable of creating “whenever I’m in the mood” art. You must prepare yourself for “on demand” art as well. – Zeus Luby

15. (a) Experimentation will have breakdowns, but can evoke some awesome breakthroughs. It’s ok to borrow techniques from others, but don’t limit yourself from standing out from the rest. Then people can borrow and learn from you. – Adam Layne

16. (b) Don’t limit your exposure to just posting art on social networking sites. There are many people who still get their foot in the door from face-to-face meetings, emails, snail mails, submitting to art shows and publications, and supporting other artists’ exhibitions who in turn will become your fans right back when you have a show. Creation is only part of the equation. Having a diverse action plan to get all sorts of eyes on your work will open the door for many more opportunities. – Adam Layne

17. Don’t do your work with sales in mind, do what feels right to you for you. A gift of art far outweighs bought art. Question yourself as to WHY you are creating. Art is as personal of an experience as religion ought to be. – Jeremy La Belle

18. Work hard, network and get your work out there to be seen. – Leslie Ditto

19. Don’t give up. Be careful of false promises. And learn from other artists. And you can be easily replaced. – Krystopher Sapp

20. Don’t give up! Your ideas are better than you realize. – RussPhoto Art

21. Adapt or perish. – Erich J. Moffitt

22. Follow you heart and trust your inner voice – Simone Young

23. Don’t be a pushover, stay humble, and don’t lose your integrity. – Luciano Martinez

24. Be fearless, be brave, be ready to have your heart and ego stomped on, but never ever EVER give up. – Julie Zarate

25. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. 100’s and thousands of them. There are hoards of happy accidents just waiting to happen. Just free your mind up to make room for growth always, and keep going. – Elly Ehrnst

26. Don’t let the cost of materials get in the way- learn to use found and recycled materials, garage sale items, Goodwill items, and hand-me-downs- this will make it easier to make mistakes without fear – Bradley Cahill

27. Set a goal of 20-30 pieces to complete within 6 months, exploring style, subject matter, media, and other challenges. You’ll come out of it with a direction to follow! – Kelly McKernan Cavanah

28. Young artists shouldn’t copy established artists just to get social feed validation and get into galleries. They should develop their own unique voice with their own unique library of icons and symbols. Just because it exists and is on the internet doesn’t mean it’s there for the taking. Less entitled, more humbled… Brandt Peters

29. Study: know your art history, a bit of philosophy of art, learn what true art means so you won’t fall into the “fast food” art scheme, and will have better resources to judge your own work. Know yourself, so your chances of doing something that truly belongs to you will increase. Prepare to work hard, but that should not be a problem to the ones who have a powerful drive. Persevere. Never think you are “good” enough, chances are that you are not. at the same time, give yourself chances to make mistakes and evolve. Pay attention to what more experienced and schooled artists have to say and learn from them, stop thinking that knowledge equals elitism and snobbery. Be humble and never stop exploring. – Patricia Ariel

EPISODE INFO
So you want to be a working artist that exhibitions work around the world, actually makes money for your creations and enjoys what they are doing, but you are not sure if you should go to art school or keep on with independent studies. In this episode we talk about both sides, give you some advice and tools to help you better make that decision.

SHOW QUOTES
You have to work your ass off, to be taken seriously in the art world.

The world is a university and everyone in it is a teacher. When you wake up in the morning, be sure you go to school. – T.D. Jakes 

You can do anything you want to. Follow your dreams because if you say you can’t do it, you will spend the rest of your life proving it. – Yog

SHOW LINKS

How Much Does Art School Cost
Skillshare

ABOUT THIS EPISODE 

Ah, art marketing! The thing most artists and creatives hate about having a career in the arts.  Marketing is so important, however, it’s sadly missed as a part of the everyday process of being a working artist. Most artists and creatives just want to create pretty things, and hope that their work gets seen and sold, but that never happens without some effort in marketing. For example, if you had 100% of a day, it is said at the very least, 20% of that time should be spent marketing. Yet, some of the most successful artists and business people of the world treat it more as a 50/50 ratio. There are many ways to market your work; from social networking, contests, works in progress shots, going places to meet people and also giving back to your community. Marketing can be creative and fun, but if you don’t like it anyway I spin it, the truth that it’s still a necessary aspect of a successful career in the arts. 

SHOW QUOTES

• The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. – Jimmy Johnson T
• Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. – Calvin Coolidge

SHOW LINKS

Instant “NOOOOOO” Button
Mail Chimp
Social Media Templates
Google Images
Chet Zar & Aunia Kahn Talk Art Marketing
Social Kit

ABOUT THIS EPISODE 

It’s very common for artists to want to be shown in galleries, but how can you tell if a gallery is reputable or not? Does it matter? Are there warning signs to avoid as an artist so that you are treated well in this vast world of fine art? Yes, there is and I will give you 10 tips to help you navigate your way to working with galleries that will love and respect not only your work, but you!

SHOW QUOTES

• “Your reputation is more important than your paycheck, and your integrity is worth more than your career.” — Ryan Freitas Tweet This

SHOW NOTES

1. Bad mouthing others on social networking and showing a lack of professionalism with their dealings on a public platform.

2. They do not pay their artists on time or at all. This is a huge red flag!

3. Galleries upselling artists work.

4. Galleries that do nothing to promote or support the artists that they work with.

5. When a gallery asks you to lower your prices to sell more work. Don’t do that.

6. Galleries that don’t share sales of your work with you in a timely fashion, and if you have to nag them to get updates and payments.

7. Galleries that want to want to micromanage your career, especially how and what you create. There is a big difference between a gallery being helpful or being a dictator.

8. They refuse to negotiate and are more apt to dictate.

9. You can’t get ahold of the gallery and the communication seems broken. Communication is key to any partnership.

10. If a gallery does not treat your work well, run away fast! Your work is your passion, your life and your world and should be treated us such and with respect.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE 
Pricing artwork can be very hard for artists just starting out and even those that have been at it for some time. More than anything it feels good to sell work, and feel like you are honored for your talent, however, you also have to make sure you are valuing your time, effort, talent, and creativity with a monetary value. In this episode, we help you with ideas on how to approach pricing your work.

SHOW QUOTES

• Pricing is actually a pretty simple and straight forward thing. Customers will not pay literally a penny more than the true value of the product. – Ron Johnson
• If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability. – Henry Ford

SHOW LINKS

A Simple Formula for Artwork Pricing
7 Ways to Price a Painting (Depending on Personality)

ABOUT THIS EPISODE
In Episode 11 we interview California based artist Chet Zar who is notable for his dark visual art, make-up effects, and digital animation. He is most widely known for his work with Tool’s music and live videos and he designed and created prosthetic effects for movies such as The Ring, Planet of the Apes, and Darkman, but after being unimpressed with politics in the film industry, Zar took the advice of horror author Clive Barker, and decided to pursue his passion of producing original works and oil-painting which he is widely known for today as well.

SHOW QUOTES

• “Enlightenment is not imagining figures of light but making the darkness conscious.” Carl Jung

SHOW LINKS

Chet Zar
Chet’s Studies & Art for Sale
Chet in My Hyde Makeup
Tool
Art Marketing 101

Ira Glass Video on “Good Taste”

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years, you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.