Art Print Issues by Barney Davey

How to Passionately & Relentlessly Pursue Your Art Career

If you have been paying attention to the Social Media space, you have likely seen, read or heard something from or about Gary Vaynerchuk. In three short years, he has risen from obscurity to become a huge star. His success is due to his passion and relentless pursuit of his goals and his desire to share his knowledge with and inspire others.

His book, Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion, is a current bestseller. It is a slim volume that packs punch. Fittingly, the article below, which is republished courtesy of the Early to Rise newsletter, extols the advice about how to succeed. While neither source listed here directly mentions visual artists, the advice given directly applies to success in the art business.

Be Relentless in Pursuit of Your Dreams

By Robert Ringer

Although virtually everyone agrees that “time is money,” I’m convinced most people only pay lip service to this truism. If you’re really serious about it, you need to come to grips with the reality that the key ingredient for converting time into money is self-discipline.

The greatest catalyst for an undisciplined person is pain, and pain comes in many forms.

Physical pain, for instance, can be the catalyst for becoming self-disciplined when it comes to exercise and healthy eating. Financial pain can be the catalyst for having the self-discipline to work when you’re tired or sick, or when you’d rather be out having fun. And then there’s the pain that comes from a lost love, which can give you the self-discipline to be a better partner when love comes your way again.

Years ago, when I was still single, I became good friends with a professional football player who was something of a celebrity due to his stellar performance in the NFL. “Bill” was not only a phenomenal athlete, he was extremely intelligent and possessed extraordinary talents in many other areas.

Bill approached me at the health club we both belonged to and introduced himself. He said he had read my first book, and considered it to be his “bible.” Obviously, I was flattered.

Bill had been working on a book of his own for a couple of years, but was having trouble completing it. As I got to know him over the next three years, it became easy to see why. Notwithstanding everything he had going for him, he was totally lacking in one important area: self-discipline.

At that stage of my life, I was attracted to the proposition of having a good time, but I never allowed that to interfere with my work. I normally went to bed between 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., woke around 4:30 a.m., jogged a few miles, and was at my Selectric typewriter by 8:00 a.m. or so. As a result, over the three-year period I was friends with Bill, I wrote two more books, both of them bestsellers.

Through it all, Bill was constantly urging me to “live it up” with him. He’d often chide me, saying, “C’mon, don’t be a party pooper. Lighten up. Sometimes, you’ve got to let it all hang out.”

During that three-year period, while I was finishing two successful books, Bill spent his nonpartying time moaning and groaning about changing the premise of his book, endlessly reorganizing his material, and tinkering with — of all things — the title. To me, these appeared to be nothing more than stalling tactics to avoid the gut-wrenching work of actually bringing his book to completion.

As a result, Bill missed his window of opportunity. Because, as everyone knows, fame is fleeting. The door closes very rapidly once you’re out of the limelight. While he was playing in the NFL, it would have been easy for him to find a major publisher for his book. When you get your shot in life, you have to take it.

When I look back on my relationship with Bill, there were two defining moments.

The first occurred when I was putting in 14- to 16-hour workdays, seven days a week, on my books. I vividly recall Bill looking very discouraged after I refused to party with him one night. “How could I ever compete with someone as self-disciplined as you?” he said. “You’re relentless. You would just wear me down through attrition.”

It struck me as bizarre that this famous, multitalented person was telling me he couldn’t compete with me. Ridiculous. The truth of the matter is that he could have written two or three bestselling books in the time I knew him. In fact, with 100 percent effort, he could have beaten me at just about anything. And doors were open to him that certainly weren’t open to me. He would have had a good shot at an acting career… or maybe broadcasting.

Instead, Bill chose instant, daily, and (worse) nightly gratification over potentially huge benefits down the road.

Maybe Bill was just lazy, right? Sorry, not a valid excuse. The truth is, most people are lazy at heart — especially most successful people. They become self-disciplined out of necessity.

“Every morning I have a little fight with myself,” a very successful marketer once told me. “I have to force myself to haul it out of bed and into the office.” Well, I know the feeling. Everyone who has heard me speak knows how strongly I believe in the need to force yourself to take action.

The second defining moment in my relationship with Bill was when he told me he had developed the ability to bluff his way though practice after a hard night out on the town. He said he had mastered the art of going through the motions in such a way that it appeared that he was working at full throttle.

Sadly, Bill carried that same attitude into his aborted writing career and life beyond football. In my view, it’s the reason he’s not ensconced in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where others with less talent but far more self-discipline will be forever honored.

Self-discipline is about restraining, or regulating, your actions — repressing the instinct to act impulsively in favor of taking rational, long-term-oriented actions. My short-lived friendship with Bill was immensely beneficial to me. It made me realize that self-discipline — a trait that every human being has the capacity to develop — gave me the power to outperform people who are far more intelligent and talented than I am.

[Ed. Note: To learn how to survive and prosper during the turbulent years ahead, check out Robert Ringer's powerful audio series Succeeding in a World of Chaos. And be sure to sign up for a FREE subscription to his one-of-a-kind e-letter A Voice of Sanity in an Insane World.]

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

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Start your year off with the pursuit of your passion. Get the learning and inspiration you need to succeed from the 2010 SmARTist Telesummit in January!

If you want more help on you career from me, I will be one of the eleven speakers the 4th Annual SmARTist Telesummit. Click here to sign up now or to get more information about the topnotch panel of presenters who are ready to help you catapult your career this January. With the impressive lineup Arianne Goodwin has put together, you are sure to get a very positive career boost from your investment in time and money.

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Art Business News, Decor magazine, Decor Expo, Artexpo Get New Owners

Amidst what often feels like an unrelenting assault of depressing and sometimes scary news stories about job losses, businesses folding and housing foreclosures comes some very good news for those in the art and picture framing industry. Summit Business Media LLC has made a deal to sell trade magazines, Art Business News, Decor and Volume, along with the Decor Expo tradeshow to its current publisher, Kim Feager. The Artexpo consumer and tradeshow is being purchased by Eric Smith, a vice-president of Summit's Art Group for many years.

Investment firm track record with media companies not good

In what is a perfect example of the poor stewardship and lack of regard for the art and framing community its magazines and shows have represented since it acquired the properties from former owner Pfingsten Publishing LLC, it published a press release, Summit Business Media Sells Art Group, but couldn't be bothered to provide all the details. The press release states the properties were solely sold to former Summit Business Media Vice-President, Eric Smith.

Inaccurate press release indicative of investment firm lack of concern

What the press release failed to mention was that in an immediate side deal the magazines, Art Business News, Decor and Volume and the Decor Expo shows were acquired by Next Step Media, a company formed by Kim Feager. Feager has been the publisher of Decor and Art Business News for three years. Having started her career with the former Commerce Publishing Company, she is a 24-year veteran in the industry. To not be bothered with clarifying the situation is indicative of the Summit management's prevalent lackadaisical attitude towards its Art Group division.

70-year-old employee-owned Commerce Publishing company was sold in 1999 to Pfingsten Publishing LLC, the publishing arm of Pfingsten Partners LLC, a private investment company. That transaction began a dreadful 10-year odyssey for the art and picture framing publishing and tradeshow industry. For those of us who had never witnessed firsthand what happens in investment driven acquisitions, which included myself and nearly everyone else in the business on any level, it was an eye-opening experience.

Art & picture framing industry had it good and didn't know it

We had been spoiled and didn't know it. Nearly all the properties serving the industry had been started by and run by either entrepreneur publishers, family-owned businesses or art tradeshow veterans. They all brought passion and a desire to serve their constituents in the best traditions of trade magazine publishing and tradeshow productions.

Yes, of course, decisions were driven by a need to make a profit. However, those same decisions were also tempered by a long-range outlook that sought to make them in the best interest of the industry rather than the short-term interest of a few well-heeled and totally disconnected investors.

What happened in our little art & framing art patch was a model for what has happened in numerous other industries where money managers gain control of them. There was a systematic purging of top executives and key players who collectively had hundreds of years of industry knowledge. Along with the loss of their experience and invaluable corporate memory was the great loss of their passion for the business.

The next steps then are to increase short-term revenue without regard to the negative effects such decisions create long term. A prime example is how the Atlanta Art Buyers Caravan (soon to be known as Decor Expo Atlanta) was oversold years in a row. The show had grown from a strong regional show into a powerhouse international affair. It was in its ascendant rise in 1999 when it was acquired by Pfingsten Publishing LLC.

Fable of golden goose holds up - gathering forces knock the industry down

The new owners were eager to capitalize on the production from its golden goose property. Instead of keeping in mind the industry standard ratio of buyers-to-exhibitors, Pfingsten's management disregarded the ratio and drove its tradeshow staff, with Eric Smith leading the charge for them, to sell as many booths as possible. They were content to grab the profits and let the chips fall when and if the results of an oversold show came about. To those of us who had been around long enough to know, it was only a matter of time before such decisions would create a reversing backlash.

What no one could envision were sets of tsunami waves forming on the horizon that would soon roil over the industry in the most deleterious damaging manner. With the magazines and shows weakened by loss of much of its top management, most experienced editorial and sales talent and now guided by top management stooges willing to do the bidding of their investment firm handlers leaving the shows and magazines in the worst position possible to be swept away by gathering forces. These forces included the fast growing importance and use of the Internet and the online retailers it spawned such as art.com, the onslaught of cheap Chinese oil paintings, the rise of big box store retailing, the dramatic decline in the number of independent art galleries, poster and picture framing shops. 

There also were other more subtle but nevertheless troubling developments for our industry including changes in consumer habits. For instance, design trends for using consumer created images, wall decor unrelated to traditional flat art and new homes with more windows and fewer spots for wall art.

The tragedy and horror of the September 11 attacks on the U.S. were painfully felt far away from the point of impact from the terrorists planes. The 2001 Decor Expo Atlanta show was slated to open on September 14. The show management had little choice but to cancel it. It was a tremendous financial blow to the entire industry as the Atlanta show had become the top producing show for most exhibitors, eclipsing Artexpo for all but a handful of high-end original and limited edition giclee publishers.

A comeback of sorts develops, but nothing like the good old days

Through grit and determination, the industry fought back to gain a somewhat steady footing, and the Atlanta show continued to produce huge numbers of booths sold. Unfortunately, the results for exhibitors began to wane in the face of too few buyers per exhibitor. Besides doing everything to drive higher revenue, investment firms are also keen to cut costs wherever possible. As a result, the marketing efforts to drive show traffic were scrutinized and what was available was often poorly used. The double whammy from those actions drove the show to near extinction in the face of fast changing industry conditions.

What has happened is in 10 short years is the once vaunted Atlanta Decor Expo show, which ranked for one year on the Tradeshow 100, meaning it was one of the 100 largest tradeshows in the U.S., had run out of gas. This year, it was slated to be held in conjunction with the Atlanta Gift Show, returning to it roots in the Merchandise Mart. A long, long way from its gilded goose glory days at the Georgia World Congress Center.

What a shame to see the change in fortunes for that show. I know I can speak for everyone in the industry who rode the escalators down the first show in the magnificent Georgia World Congress Center facility, there was a tremendous sense of pride in how our cottage industry had bloomed into something special and larger than anyone could imagine. Little did I or anyone else know how short lived that sense of pride would last.

Godspeed Kim Feager, the ultimate survivor, she and her staff need our support

Kim Feager and her battle hardened dedicated staff have wisely decided to hold off putting on a show in Atlanta this year. She and the industry need time to formulate a workable plan. And so a chapter of three decades of success closes. Kim is determined to bring the show back and make it the best in years in 2010. She carries with her my fondest wishes along with hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of attendees who have used it to grow their businesses, their contacts and industry knowledge over the years.

Kim Feager is the ultimate survivor. I give her tremendous credit for her accomplishments. She has outlasted, outplayed and outwitted a steady succession of knucklehead managers and owners whose decisions drove large portions of the industry into head shaking, hand wringing disbelief that things could have been led or intentionally managed to results this bad.

There is no question Kim and her staff face many difficult obstacles in their efforts to bring Art Business News, Decor and Decor Expo back from the brink. Given her track record, I would not bet against her. If there is one person who is formidable enough to mount a head-on challenge and succeed, it is Kim.

She has a small talented faithful group around her who also have all suffered through the trials and tribulations of working for a succession of investment companies with a spreadsheet management mentality. The result for them has been poorer working conditions, lessened, if any, long-term opportunity and stinging reduction in salary, benefits and bonuses. It is a credit to her leadership she has managed to keep her trusty cadre on board during very trying times.

Is Artexpo New York 2010 doomed?

Although I have not seen any official announcement, the word is Eric Smith and his group, which owns Artexpo, are planning a show in New York for late March in 2010 with Pier 94 as the venue. The dates are close to Passover in 2010. It ends the day before Passover begins. The venue does have the fact it follows the Architectural Digest show the week before. It will share many of the same touches AD will use to add ambiance to they show. I am guessing 2010 is a make-it or break-it year for ArtExpo New York.

Carpe Diem and best wishes to all for a brighter future and better days ahead

For those in the industry, and those observing who still care, it's been a long long time since there has been any real sense of optimism. If you have been waiting for a positive change, this is it. There won't be any better changes any time soon that will give more reason for hope and to look on the bright side than right now. Now more than ever, the worn Latin phrase " Carpe Diem" is apropos.

So, good luck to all involved. The industry is poised for a brand new chapter. It would have been better had it happened sooner, but at least it came while there is still a glimmer in the tunnel. Your own best interest is inextricably tied to the fate of the shows and magazines. We need them to succeed. You need to them to succeed. Let's all pull together to help support the new owners, including Eric Smith, if he manages to avoid disastrous decisions.

Apologies to Kim Feager

Although I told her I would wait for her press release on the Next Step Media acquisition to comment, I decided I couldn't wait any longer. I would have preferred to run it verbatim here, and will when it arrives. However, with Summit's press release floating around, (I've had numerous copies forwarded to me), I felt it was better to get the word out now and let the good news be known.

The Digital Painter - Marilyn Sholin's Lasting Impression

Congratulations to Marilyn Sholin for the very successful launch of her new book, The Art of Digital Photo Painting: Using Popular Software to Create Masterpieces (A Lark Photography Book) . It's been a top seller in several Amazon categories since publication. In the early going, her publisher struggled to keep up with the strong demand for her book.

Every now and then someone comes along who casts a long shadow over some aspect of their chosen field. When it comes to making contributions to digital painting, Marilyn Sholin is such a person. She is an acknowledged master of the Corel Painter program who shares her talent, techniques and insights with thousands of digital artists and photographers worldwide.

As with many digital painters, Marilyn's path began with a professional career as a photographer. In her case, she has worked for more than 25 years to become a highly accomplished and sought after portrait photographer. Those who know Marilyn recognize a drive and indefatigable spirit that pushes her to take on new and interesting challenges. Those high achiever attributes undoubtedly are behind her becoming an expert user and teacher of the Corel Painter program and other digital imaging tools as well.

Marilyn's expertise has led her into authoring books and marketing CDs; all with the aim of helping others grow their talents in digital painting. She is also the founder of the Digital Painting Forum. It boasts more than 2100 members who have shared nearly 85,000 posts. What is truly unique is this is a closed paid forum. In an age where forums offering free memberships spring up like wildflowers in warm weather after abundant rain, it is refreshing to see and a confirmation of Marilyn's leadership and the dedication of its membership that the Digital Painting Forum stays strong and viable with its paid membership program.

Marilyn teaches classes around the country and overseas as well. If you are interested in learning more about digital painting, or want to advance your skills, you should check out her schedule of classes she offers from her home studio in beautiful Asheville, NC. I visited there last summer and spent some time with Marilyn. It was an inspiring trip on numerous levels. You can get information on all her upcoming events here. If digital painting intrigues you, as it has so many others, you won't find a better resource to improve your skills and advance your learning than through the stellar efforts of Marilyn Sholin.

Warning Signs - Watch for Them - Don't Give Them

My good friend and fellow supporter of artists, Dick Harrsion, suggested the idea for this post to me a few weeks ago. Because there has been so much bad news in the ensuing weeks, I've held off publishing it so as not to add to the negativity in the news today.

It's gotten so bad now there are many people I know who don't read the paper or watch the news. The steady drumbeat of downer information can "Harsh Your Mellow" as a stoned surfer might put it. Still, if you are in business, you need to know what is happening. Being oblivious is not going to help you avoid getting burned by what is going on.

Dick, for those of you who may not have been introduced to him, is a former professional independent art rep and a consummate artist himself. He worked the southeast territory, primarily Florida. Upon his retirement, he came out with some of the best information for artists I've seen in a long time. They are in the form of podcasts he produced. You can avail yourself of his wisdom at: www.SalesTipsforArtists.com. This compilation of thoughts, suggestions, observations and facts is useful for any artist serious about their career. (Ed. note: Since the original post, I have learned the link to Dick's Web site is displaying HTML. Until it is fixed, you can access all Dick's podcasts, including his fiction and limericks on the Talk Shoe podcast network. Be sure to turn to Page 2 as there is worthy information on it as well.)

WARNING SIGNS YOUR CLIENT, CUSTOMER OR BUYER MAY BE HAVING “PROBLEMS.”

●  Phone calls, emails or faxes aren’t acknowledged or returned promptly

●  Websites are not updated with new material regularly

●  Posted client lists remain static or outdated – no new listings

●  Frequent staff or responsibility changes

●  Shrinking sales staff or personnel

●  Delivery and / or payments slow down

●  A decline in advertising or publicity for the company

●  Events such as seminars, “mixers” or invitationals aren’t happening as before

●  Branches or satellite locations are closed

●  Rumors circulate in the “trade” – other suppliers ask about your experience

Dick suggests to be on the lookout for any of these signs among companies and individuals you are dealing with. You don't have to jump ship at first notice, but being aware should make you more cautious in your dealings. If you notice such signs, you should take steps to cut your own financial or professional exposure.

Some things you can do are:

●  Cut down on inventory

●  Reduce the time allowed for payments

●  Lower the amount you will put on credit, and so forth.

Mainly, be prudent. It is not a time to cut back completely, but it is certainly a time to have a heightened awareness and a proactive approach to dealing with warning signs. Conversely, you don't want to be seen as giving off these signs either. Use them to check your own behavior and actions so you don't accidentally make yourself the target of a supplier's suspicions about your business.

Discover How to Boost Your Career with the Art Biz Coach

Oh, put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today;
Put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today -John Fogerty lyrics to Centerfield

As a serious visual artist you need to surround yourself with people who can assist your career. They don't all have to be in your immediate circle of influence. Some of your best help will likely come from people with whom you may have no personal relationship, at least initially.

The Art Biz Coach is a standout in her field

Obviously, when it comes to a gallerist, dealer or curator, a close relationship is ideal. When it comes to someone who can help you get your career in gear, the help can come from a distance and be just as good as if the person were on your staff. In my humble opinion, the best most singular example of such a person is Alyson B. Stanfield, aka the Art Biz Coach.

In all probability, you already know of her, perhaps you subscribe to her excellent free Art Biz Blog, or have ordered and read her book, I'd Rather Be in the Studio. Or, maybe you've seen her speak or participated in one of her always insightful teleseminars. Whether you have partaken of her offerings, or not, it's in your interest to be aware of all she has to offer you as a visual artist.

Artists Can Learn from Alyson and from Her Example

You can see links to her books and services in the right sidebar of this blog. They are there because I believe Alyson is best positioned and experienced to offer coaching to artists seeking to elevate their careers. Her temperament, background and experience make her ideal for the work she does. If you want more information from my perspective, check out this page.

If you have had the good fortune to spend time whether by phone or in person with Alyson, you know she is a spark plug of energy and enthusiasm. We should be grateful she has chosen to work in the art patch. Yes, it's fun, has its moments and more than a bit of glam to it, but when it comes to being lucrative, there are other fields that offer more bankable potential. With her talents, she could have easily been a hit in some other occupations and careers. But, fortunately for our little corner of the world, Alyson is in it.

The Art Biz Coach Can Help You Get in the Game

If you haven't bought her book, treat yourself to more ideas and great suggestions than you can imagine in one a book. You can start reading on any page and find yourself taken away with inspiration and solid suggestions on how to improve your art business. Check out her speaking schedule and teleseminar schedule. If you find something of interest and follow through, you will be glad you did.

For those of you ready play and tired of sitting on the bench, heed John Fogerty's lyrics and let the Art Biz Coach put you in game in a professional way. 

Can Art & Marketing co-exist?

In addition to my blogging here, I am honored to be frequent guest blogger on the Absolute Arts Web site. It is one of the Internet's most heavily trafficked sites. Since most other regular bloggers there are artists, I add a different perspective. You can read my most recent post, Art vs. Marketing - Making Hazel Dooney Cringe on Absolute Arts now.

I don't wish to reiterate the post here. In a nutshell, it discusses how all art is creative expression. And, expression is not complete without those to be impressed. In other words, artists seek to further their vision by expressing themselves through their art. And, in the end, it becomes a business to make that happen and the business end of putting art and collectors together is marketing. Read the post to find out how and why I made Australian artist Hazel Dooney cringe.

I'm not seeking to pick a fight with her, but merely to say, despite her apparent angst in even considering giving free downloads of images as marketing, that no matter your noble intentions, you can't dismiss marketing is part of the equation.

Creatively Borrowing Eclectic Link Karma #1

With apologies and admiration, I creatively borrow the Link Karma concept popularized by uber blogger, Brian Clark. He publishes the widely read and wildly popular Copy Blogger blog. If you haven't yet availed yourself of his offerings, here is a perfect example of why you should: Ernest Hemingway's Top 5 Tips for Writing Well.

Please enjoy the following eclectic list of links presented to inspire, inform and entertain you:

♦ Heifer International - Ending Hunger, Caring for the Earth: Ten Things You Can Do Today to End World Hunger

♦ With his Art Business Thoughts blog, Myron Arndt continues to provide invaluable insights from a successful art publisher's unique perspective. Here is one of his latest posts: Reproduction Glut and On-Demand.

♦ There once was a fellow from Sarasota
A retired art rep who always made quota
Now he produces podcasts
Full of wit and wisdom so fast
So his eager students miss not one iota -- for my friend, Dick Harrison, who shares his invaluable experiences and limericks (I trust he won't find the above too lame.) through his Sales Tips for Artists blog and podcasts. His latest missive is: Skills that Will Help You Sell Yourself and Your Art

♦ Clint Watson's Fine Art Views blog is one of the best online resources for visual artists. This recent post clearly shows why: Life and Art, Recursively

♦ The inimitable Art Biz Coach, Alyson Stanfield, who adds so much to the community of visual artists, generously provides a FREE 9-week program for setting up an Art Marketing Salon in your area. It's a terrific concept and a thorough program. Go ahead, get involved and make difference in your community.

♦ Art.com offers this fun program to bring out the inner artist in anyone. Careful, it can be addicting. Is there something you can do to create an interactive experience for your site visitors?

♦ Last, but far from least, The Positivity Blog, which I heartily recommend regular reading, provides: Mark Twain's Top 9 Tips for Living a Kick-Ass Life

Enjoy!

An Artist Replies to Thoughts on Religious Art

Take a look at this magnificent photograph titled From Past to Present. It's from a well-preserved relic of an old church. One needs no further information to be drawn into the power of such an image. It elegantly and perfectly punctuates my musings on tapping into the religious/spiritual art market in the previous post here.

Jeffrey Stoner is a talented and determined person. He worked harder at getting a copy of my book from Amazon than a person should have to by persisting through some awful service and ultimately buying a copy directly from me. I pray (okay, you caught me, pun intended) other readers have not fared so poorly. After reading the post on religious art, Jeff sent this picture with this note:

Interestingly the attached image was my best seller in 2007 (I took the image in July) and is featured in the May 2008 issue of Black and White Photography (their choice of image).  It was taken within the Primitive Baptist Church in Cades Cove in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.  While I really liked the image, I was amazed at the volume of sales. 

I started with a new gallery in Waynesville, NC this year and the first image of mine they sold is this one. It does make one think.

I replied with this:

You captured the essence of many things with that beautiful evocative shot. Nostalgia, nature, spirituality and yearning immediately come to mind. It is often the case the public will respond to certain art, whether visual, musical, etc., in ways surprising to the artist.

Serendipity happens randomly. It often occurs where hard work, talent and luck intersect. Jeff's image here and the resulting unexpected success from his having worked it is a perfect example. It reminds us all to be grateful for the blessings we have regardless of any religious affiliation. I'm sure many who purchased this image feel that way. No doubt, Jeff's rewards go well beyond the commercial success he's enjoyed from this inspiring image.

It's Not the Economy Stupid

The title of this post is a paraphrase of the mantra from Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign. Then it was, "It's the Economy Stupid." The harsh point was used to focus his campaign on the single most important topic that helped get him elected.

It's Not the Economy Today Stupid

With the deteriorating housing market, rising cost of gas and food and other economic woes it would seem easy to say, (with apologies to Yogi Berra) we are having deja vu all over again. However, in my humble opinion, the economy is not the real problem for visual artists, authors or musicians. Not to discount the effects these things and a lingering war effort have on the situation. They admittedly are profound.

Changing Consumer Habits Are the Real Threat

The real threat is how the creative product of artists is being consumed and viewed. Print-on-demand, the Internet and other technologies are evolving at an incredible pace. All kinds of industries are reeling from dramatic changes in consumer habits. CDs for musicians are ancient history and the level of unpaid copied and downloaded product continues to rise despite efforts to abate them. Newspapers are suffering serious drops in readership. Their cash cow classified sections are being decimated by www.craigslist.org. Small retailers are plowed under by the voracious Wal-Mart juggernaut. Thinking about all this is enough to make a person throw up their hands and cry or maybe just throw up. But the former is not a solution and the latter is just messy.

Creating Self-determined and Managed Distribution Channels is Imperative

I have frequently commented artists need to find or create new alternative ways to get their product to market. Some will come from new products, or by utilizing existing technologies to create 2-D art or digital art to engage consumers in novel ways. As changes unfurl, challenges arise and some offer opportunity. It doesn't have to be high tech, it could be a new twist on old-fashioned high touch. My previous post here, Wired Art Marketing Idea, showed how Wired magazine and Xerox partnered to use technology to offer users a fun interactive way to personalize its iconic cover to anyone with a computer. It was a fun, effective bit of viral marketing for both companies (It worked well enough for you to read about it here a year later.) The post was an effort to say, "Think about doing things differently, much differently."

Christine Kane Is an Inspiring Real Deal

Christine Kane, is one artist who has embraced change and profited professionally and personally from it. I have, along with thousands of others, grown to greatly admire her on many levels. She is an accomplished successful recording and touring singer-songwriter. Long ago, she took control of her destiny. Through hard work and talent, she grew a profitable career as musician. She is also a successful blogger. Out of her blogging, she has grown a retreat workshop business. The success she is enjoying from her workshops is causing her to rethink her recording career and musical career.

Now, having her stop writing songs and recording would be a shame for her thousands of fans, but if it is where she wants to go or is driven to go, then more power to her for having the guts and ability to make such a monumental change. If you read her thoughts on her Web site or blog, it's easy to pick up how evolving market conditions out of control of musicians like her is forcing change. It is unwanted, as is most change, but is nevertheless inevitable. She has the courage, wisdom and wherewithal to envision it, do something about it and use it to enlighten and encourage others to make their own changes.

Her recent blog posts, Bake Sales or Blogging: What’s your Paradigm? and Creating vs. Getting are must reads. Give them some thought as they are certain to challenge some of your own thinking about your career, where it is headed and if you are on the right track. Will Rogers once remarked, "Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you don't keep moving." Christine Kane is an artist and business person on the move. Find whatever works from her model to employ in your own career and keep on moving yourself.

Shift Happens - Slideshare is Way Cool, Use It Freely!

Recently, I republished a post from the fertile mind of futurist Watts Wacker wrting in his monthly newsletter, First Matter. In his Keep Your Eyes Open I'm Convinced It's About to Happen article, W2, as he playfully signs his emails, explains the enormous impact Peter Max had on the art market in the 20th Century, and how The Beatles played a part in it too.

Watts postulates THE NEXT BIG THING in the art market will come from China. Agreeing with him, I added a comment on his Web site. It notes how things are vastly different from 40 years ago when The Beatles and Peter Max changed the world. I suggest some musical muse might come from the Caribbean or Africa in a collaboration with a Chinese artist that could shake things up in ways we haven't seen since the 60s. It often seems to me the more unlikely a thing one can imagine today makes it more likely to occur. The slideshow below, courtesy of Slideshare, sheds light on Watt's basis for his prediction.

Futurism is not based on crystal ball gazing, but rather distills the future from what is obvious. You just need to know where to look and how to interpret your results. This, being more difficult than it sounds, is why W2 gets the big bucks. The above Shifthappens slideshow illustrates how in the new millennium we are on the precipice of a historic shift where by sheer numbers in our now close knit digital global age, China and India are poised to dominate the way Western Europe and the U.S. respectively did in the early and second half of the 20th Century.

I can't portend exactly what such a monumental shift will mean to your career as a visual artist. But, I can tell you changes you cannot foresee will impact it as the Shifthappens presentation implies. You can judge by your own experiences that technology has changed and shaped how you inform yourself, create, reproduce, market and sell your art today. I encourage you to be open to change, to embrace it, to productively use it however you can.

In 2005, how many thought artists would use blogging for significant learning and marketing experiences? I opened an account with my blogging software, Typepad, in 2005, but didn't quit my PDF style newsletter until a year ago, making me in some ways a poster child for the poignant Kelly Ruger quote below.

A way cool Web 2.0 program you can employ now is SlideShare. Both presentations embedded in this post are from its Web site. SlideShare is the world's largest community for sharing presentations & slideshows. You can upload your PowerPoint, OpenOffice, Keynote or PDF files, tag them, embed them into your blog or website, browse others' presentations, and comment on individual slides. What's more, the transcripts of your presentation will be indexed by Internet search engines and show up in search results. It's a great way to share your ideas with others, or to learn from other people. And it's completely free and you choose whether to make your presentations public or private.

To further stimulate your creativity, review the terrific presentation below, which is also found on Slideshare: Visual and Creative Thinking: What We Learned from Peter Pan and Willie Wonka. Here is just one quote from the presentation which I hope will encourage you to review it:

Sometimes an idea loses its meaning over time, but isn't abandoned because of the investment in the past. These ideals are often so immune to criticism that those who challenge them are ignored or marginalized.- Kelly Ruger

View the Visual and Creative Thinking Slideshare presentation

I've suggested here a couple of time to use The Personal Brain, which is a wonderful mind mapping brainstorming tool. If you are beginning to see a pattern here of encouraging creative thinking and tools, you'd be right. Enjoy!