Me in my studio, touching up "Elemental" published in the Washington Post Southern Maryland Eidition, "Painting a New Picture of the Region"
Was browsing around on the ‘net looking for ideas for art marketing. Didn’t find much that I could just click right to. Found sites willing to sell me stuff. Isn’t that the way with the arts? People are more than willing to let artists pay for a place to show or play or read, for websites that will help them market, to market for us since we’re artists and should be paying attention to our art and paying them to pay attention to other stuff. Wouldn’t that be great?! Last week I even ran across a site where a guy was giving all kinds of damnation to artists who were so silly as not to have a "professional" design their website because how else where they going to have anything worth while? My response to that is do what you can until you can do more – eveything can go to the side except your art. This is an artist’s bottom line and sanity keeper: making the art we cam here to make and finding a way to make that work.And hey, as soon as the income stream pays my bills I’ll be more than happy to spread the wealth around and buy myself some space for more time creating. In the meantime, I’ll keep on taking care of all that stuff myself.
Here are some of my experiences "taking care of all that stuff myself."
What’s worth it: learn to do your own public relations. Public relations is defined as free advertising as opposed to Advertising which is paid. And it’s easier than you think. Many artists don’t know the wonderful little secret that much of what you see in a small local paper about art is written by the artist herself. Verbatim. And there’s a formula for that writing – mostly anyone can do it. (As soon as I get cable and am not dealing with dial-up and can find the page that moves things around on the side bar again, I will insert a section on PR that will be free to anyone who wants to use it. Give me a week or so).
Joining your local Arts Alliance/Commission (county arts’ organization). Joining your local non-profit arts organization. Even if you sculpt and everyone else does water colors, eventually you will begin to meet like minded spirits and can work with them to find venues to sponsor your own art shows (2 – 4 people). Sometimes it takes a while to broaden everyone’s idea of art to include 3D, but once it starts, then you really start meeting like-minded people. This is called networking. Much as I hoped I would not have to "do" networking, after 4 years I am convinced it is the only way to go. As serendipity would have it, networking opportunities are crawling out of the woodwork because I am actively looking for them. For my own purposes: Women in Harmony and membership in the local county Women’s Commission are two recent additions that have broadened my acquaintances and found me potential and actual clients.
Getting into or forming a local co-op. This could also go into "not worth it." If I were to do it all over again, I would form something that looks like a co-op in that the costs of the space and the required staffing would be a part of being in that space, but I would maintain control of all the rest. Trying to get a group of artists going in one direction is, as my former webmaster/artist person who disappeared on me used to say, like herding cats. It is a great opportunity to sell. It is also a great opportunity to practice patience, generosity and your best people skills. Be sure to keep aspirin on hand. If you decide to go this route, be very careful about working out your expenses and understanding staffing needs. Also plan to lose have your spacemates within the first 6 months and a way to keep your fingers out in the community to find others who are interested in joining you (PR can do that for you – give you a waiting list). And dont’ forget to factor in time to do your own art on top of all this. Which is a good reason to not want to control all the rest. Just bring along more aspirin.
What’s not worth it: creating shows just to be sure you can get in. I did that for 2 years. While I was sure I would get in the show, the hours of coordination, publicity and work it took to put the show on was time taken away from my own work that I did not earn back in the show.
Madly mailing off submissions (at the cost of slides/CDs and time plus entrance fee) to any show that turns up. Do your homework. Go to the show you are interested in. Talk to vendors, watch what/if things are selling. Also know that next year, the whole game could change, but at least you won’t be going in blind. Or maybe you will – there just isn’t anyway to plot out these things that I can tell. Be very wary of the show that the ladies auxillary wherever put together. Selling booths is easy. Turning out buyers is a whole ‘nother thing and if that work isn’t done then your time is going to be wasted. Also recognize that getting into a show can be as political as getting elected.
I hope none of this sounds too cynical. It shouldn’t. But it should sound like work because it is, especially since you add it all in on top of your artwork. I read somewhere that administration takes up to 80% of your time and you get 20% of your time to do your work. And I can vouch for that being about right for me 4 years into doing this full time.
I made up my own little saying to help me through all this: Some days I ride the wave; some days the wave rides me…And somedays, I AM the wave. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
1 Comment
I'm reading your blog as a writer….and internalizing all these great ideas translated into a different medium. Especially now that writers can self-publish, the work is a little more like art that others can 'own.' So, thank you, thank you!