Mask: Queen, hand-made, one of a kind, clay with stains and metallics. 10.5t x 7w x 5 deep by Tammy Vitale. $145
Do you ever have the experience of being very focused for about 2 weeks and then just wanting to collapse and not do a thing?
I’m an Aries. We love new things, starting projects, big ideas, bringing the abstract into the concrete – as long as we don’t have to deal with the details for days on end. I’m in the details stage of my art business, and part of me loves that (the A Student – this is logical. She gets to line things up and knock them down, happily striking things from the list) and part of me hates it (the curious, innovative, let’s do something part that hates the planning and meticulous pieces).
One Coach says: do what you love, find someone else to do what you don’t love. Hire them. Don’t say you can’t afford it because you can’t afford not to. This is business speak. And perhaps I’ve been hypnotized by the amount of work I’m doing in his program, but I’m agreeing totally and haven’t a clue how to start.
Not altogether true. As we speak I do have one person working on postcards for my upcoming November participation in Unique Boutique. Finding galleries hasn’t been as successful, but working on galleries myself I discovered I have asked for the wrong help. I thought I needed phone calls, when in actuality, I find I’m doing it all by: 1. research and 2. email. MUCH easier than phone calls (for phonophobic me). Okay. I can do that: find galleries; write emails. Then someone answers! And then I have to: 1. decide how I want to follow up to "no." We all know that "no" is just the beginning of a conversation. So "no" now means I have to add them to my list of shop contacts that I will do mailing to maybe 3 times a year for a few years and see if anything happens. Then there’s "yes." Woohoo! And I’ve gotten several already. That means: 1. If they want something in the future, I have to create an organized, failproof way to follow-up at the specified future time; 2. If they want something now, go through the process of what, when, how I’m getting it there, terms and conditions of our partnership, etc. 3. If it’s a show, get pictures, fill out application, follow instructions, meet the deadline. #3 takes an inordinate amount of time.
So what I really need, HELP WANTED, is someone to work through lists of galleries I proved with a short email (which I provide), ccing me, and then email me any "yes" responses, and create an excel list of the "no" responses that they email me (monthly?). Ok – any takers now?
Who is my ideal client? Well, mostly I sell best through small boutiques, in my instance exclusively owned and operated by a woman who has fallen in love with my work and believes (because she is in love with it) that her customers will too. My problem? How to find these small, independent, tucked into corners shops. So you, dear readers, can help me by sending along small, independent, tucked into corners shops that you love to visit and buy at…name and address (city/state is fine) and I can take it from there. Can you help me out?
GREAT surprise yesterday! You know how they say the web is so impersonal? Well, they’re wrong. Wonderful and amazing folks can be met here. Yesterday I got a surprise (and my very first) call from Jana. I met Jana through Art Every Day month last year and we have become great buddies. And yesterday she called out of the blue just to say hi, and tell me about the great time she had at Melba’s Create a Connection gathering on Saturday with Melba and all the other vendors. She drove all the way from Indiana to the Cape of Massachusettes by herself. Let’s all hear it for being brave! Way to go, Jana. Great talking to you!
Thought for the day: Who are YOU? (makes me think of the catepillar in Alice in Wonderland). I was so happy they had the dragon tarot deck as that is one of my favorite decks to work with.
You are The Empress
Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.
The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents, beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.
The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.
What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.
And here’s a new daily thing I’m going to be doing: my favorite books. I’m always looking for new books and figure some of you are too. Last night I finished "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan," and it was a great story set historically in old China when women’s feet were bound (not so old, did you know they did it up into th 20th Centurey?! That’s a whole ‘nother post, but the book is great. It just occurred ot me that foot binding is the equivalent of current day high heels – the book talks a lot about the "sway" caused by breaking the arch – in our case, we just insert the high heel in the place of the broken arch – yuck!).
12 Comments
*gasp* I'm a STAR!!!!!
"The Star is one of the great cards of faith, dreams realised
The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing. This card suggests clarity of vision, spiritual insight. And, most importantly, that unexpected help will be coming, with water to quench your thirst, with a guiding light to the future. They might say you're a dreamer, but you're not the only one."
That is wierdly true of me… "it does predict hope and healing." That is SO what's going on in my life at this point.
Awwwww… you blogged about ME???? *feeling warm and fuzzy*
Hmmm… e-mail… that I might be able to do, if you don't have a taker. The phone thing sounded good, until I tried to actually work it into a schedule. By the time I got home from work, into my house, etc., the galleries were already starting to close. Whew. That didn't work so well. If you don't already have a taker, I can try the e-mail route…
Now I"m going to go take the test. LOL I can't resist the temptation!
Cool mask, Tammy. Had to take the test – I received The Star -signifying (love copy and paste:) "Hope, expectation, Bright promises.
The Star is one of the great cards of faith, dreams realised
The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing. This card suggests clarity of vision, spiritual insight. And, most importantly, that unexpected help will be coming, with water to quench your thirst, with a guiding light to the future. They might say you're a dreamer, but you're not the only one."
All of which I'm taking as a good omen! Thanks for brightening up my night~xox
This mask is remarkable! LUV!
I LOVED this book … never wanted it to end.
I love the mask! And I took the quiz also…I am the Magician.
Ugh, Lately I wish I could find someone to do everything for me, so I could get some sleep. /cranky.
Hi Tammy, this mask is one of my favorite. I'm unhappy cause I clicked on it and it wouldn't open so that I could see the details…
The world is full of empresses, I'm one too, very glad about that:)
Your "marketing strategy" seems to be developing step by step, good idea to delegate work!
I was curious and took the test. These online cool ones are rather addictive:
(I do not see myself as any kind of royalty though, but I agree with the "creator" part of this analysis. Thanks for the fun link, Tammy.)
You are The Empress
Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.
The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents, beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.
The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.
Intense, terrific mask. I like how personal your sculptural work feels when I view it.
Oh, I relate to "phonaphobic" for cold calls. Ugh! I recently made a few to promote an impromputu jewelry show. From the 3 calls (show was the next day and I leaped on the opportunity), one reply was enthusiastic and jewelry orders came through, another was tied up that day, but said to email her for the next one, and the last person also couldn't come, but showed GREAT interest when I brought some jewelry to a book club meeting last night.
You are lucky you found a niche for your work. That is a huge plus!
P.S. The mask is fantastic, and the book about the feet & high heels – couldn't agree with you more. I am happy to say that I have never and shall never be able to walk in high heels… birkenstocks or flat shoes all the way for me.
Glad you got the Amazon thing sorted.. I still owe you an email, lots to say so little time (again).
Thought I'd pop in here a say a quick 'hi' to my favourite sculptress on the whole planet 🙂
I am taking your (and One Coach's) advice on board, I shallfind soemone to research galleries for me too I think… leave the stuff I hate for someone who is good at it! YEAH! I'm LOVING IT!
I really like this mask; metallic, her eyes closed make her look even more armored.
I could not resist taking the test:
"You are The Moon" (wanna trade? 😉
Hope, expectation, Bright promises.
The Moon is a card of magic and mystery – when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.
The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.