A couple of weeks ago, I posted this quote on my blog on one of my “Deep Thoughts Thursday” entries: "Everything has been done a million times. Sometimes you use it and it's yours; another time you do it and it's still theirs." The quote is from artist Elizabeth Murray, who recently passed away. To a great extent, I believe she is right. Everything in art has been done, redone, and overdone. The trick is learning from this and putting a spin on your style to make it your own. I find that too many artists who have little foundation in the history of art are unaware of others who paved the way for them. These artists are too quick to claim originality and uniqueness without the knowledge to back it up. (This is why I loathe the word “unique” to describe one’s art.) Without that knowledge those who are more familiar with it won’t take you seriously. That’s why I encourage you to research and explore what and who came before you. Read books, visit museums, and watch educational programs and documentaries. Don’t be afraid of being influenced by others. Be afraid of being ignorant of them. I’ll be writing more about this on the Art Biz Blog because I’m so passionate about art history. You need a strong foundation before you can be taken seriously as a fine artist.

Promote Your Art With Confidence

Online class begins September 12

Invest in the basic knowledge for promoting your art effectively and with confidence. We cover networking, Web sites, using email, advertising, media kits, and much more.  (25% discount to those who have taken the class before. Email me for the coupon.)
http://www.artbizcoach.com/classes/promote.html

How You Can Promote Yourself and Your Art by Blogging

Teleseminar, Thursday, September 13

Blogging expert and author Ted Demopoulos shares the secrets of blogging success and why you should join the blogosphere if you haven’t already. (Just $9.95 before the call.)
http://artbizcoach.com/classes/blogging_demop.html
 

Monthly one-on-one consultations for my Inner Circle members are
coming up on September 17, but you have to join first. Take a look at
all the benefits members receive for just $10 for the first two months:
http://www.artmarketingaction.com

► View all upcoming classes and events.

Deconstruct a Blog

Do you want to know what makes a good artist’s blog good? Are you curious as to why some blogs and Web sites have more traffic than others? To find your answers, all you need to do is deconstruct one.

Take your favorite blog and run through the following exercise to get a grasp on the rhythm of the blog and its success formula.

1. How many posts are made each week?

2. How long are the posts? What length do you prefer reading?

3. What categories does the artist use? What subjects fall within those categories? And how often does the artist post within each category?

4. What is the overall mood of the blog? Is it upbeat? Serious? Nurturing? Does it raise controversial issues or encourage thoughtful debate? Does it make you feel good when you leave or motivate you in any way?

5. How often are images posted? What is the quality of the images? Are they all of the artist’s artwork or are there other types of images included?

6. Are there any audio or video components?

7. Who is leaving comments? Which posts are most commented on? Which posts are you most likely to comment on?

8. What do you learn from the blog? What other resources does it lead you to? What links are in the side columns and within the text?

9. As an avid reader of the blog, what do you most look forward to? What makes you return?

I realize I still have a lot of readers who are blog skeptics. All I can say to you is that you’re missing the boat and that you won’t comprehend the horsepower of this boat until you climb aboard. You can learn more about blogging in this Thursday’s teleseminar with blogger extraordinaire Ted Demopoulos. See http://artbizcoach.com/classes/blogging_demop.html