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Individual Consultations Writing and Editing
Ongoing Support Marketing Plans Classes
Paving Your Career Path Setting Up
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Do This!
A weekly motivational newsletter focusing on action steps for visual
artists.
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Current Issue: August 23, 2004
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IN
THIS ISSUE
What's Going On:
Announcements /Classes
>>>Do
This: Get a Crew
Tip / Find of the Week: Make Your Links Hot
Recommended by Others: The Artist Statement
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The Do This! newsletter is sent only to subscribers. You
can subscribe using the instructions in the column at left. Instructions
for unsubscribing and changing your email address are
at the bottom of each issue delivered to your inbox.
WHAT'S
GOING ON
: : CLASS:
A MARKETING PLAN THAT WORKS FOR YOU : :
The summer festival season is slowing down and the fall gallery season
is picking up steam. Where does that leave you? What's your next step?
This business tool helps you figure out where you are, where you want to
be, and how to get there. Plan your future business and career moves.
The small $75 fee includes my help with the plan you come up with.
http://www.artbizcoach.com/classes/mktgplan.shtml
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DO THIS:
GET A CREW
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As I write, I am in the backseat of a stationary SUV in the middle of the Rocky Mountains.
The technology is at odds with the gorgeous natural environment, but I'm inspired, so I write.
Leslie Fry, Quercus
Emancipation. 2003.
Painted plaster with hemp. Installed at Wave
Hill, Bronx, NY. ©The Artist
http://www.lesliefry.com |
In line with my previous newsletters about Lance Armstrong and mountain climbers, I have another sports analogy for readers.
I'm here in Twin Lakes as part of the Leadville Trail
100, an ultra-marathon of 100 miles. Amazingly, some runners are able to complete this course in less than 20 hours! The runners start in the dark at 4 a.m. and run straight through until they are finished or until they drop out. They don't just have to run 100 miles; they have to run them up and down mountain passes, one of which is 12,600 feet above sea level. And hail, rain, and lightning greeted them at the top.
Most of the runners have a group of people to help them finish a race. I (as you might have guessed since I'm in a relatively comfortable car) am not running the grueling course. I'm part of the crew for one of the runners. I dropped off a pacer (more about that in my next newsletter) at one station at 3 p.m., and then drove to meet him at the next, where he's due at 6 p.m.
Completing this feat of 100 miles is quite an accomplishment. Completing it alone is nearly impossible. Runners must have hydration, nutrients, salt, and other legal substances to keep them going hour after hour. Someone has to be at various points along the way to help meet their needs. That's where I come in. The crew carries along a runner's bag, which includes changes of clothes and shoes as well as all of the nutritional stuff. The crew cheers for their runner as he or she comes in and tends to any problems so the runner can get in and out of the aid station quickly and remain on schedule. In short, the crew is there to support their runner, help ensure his or her success, and make sure he or she is as comfortable as possible along the way.
Do you have a crew?
Unofficial crews exist in the lives of many artists. They're often family, but they might include close friends and other artists. Regardless of their relationship to you, they always care about your success as much as you do. And you know it would be hard to succeed without them around to cheer you on.
A crew helps you install and deinstall your exhibits. They show up at your openings and help greet people. They bake food or set out the cheese tray for your guests. They help address envelopes and postcards. They give you names of people who might like your art. They process sales while you are busy with the next customers.
A crew is vital to your success.
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KNOW THIS
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A crew is there to support you when you need it most.
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THINK ABOUT THIS
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It's hard to succeed without a crew to help you along the way.
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DO THIS
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If you think you have a crew, do they know it? Sometimes there are people you depend on, but who don't know their role. It never hurts to make it official by asking them to be part of your crew. Tell them how important they are to your ambitions and successes. If you haven't done this in awhile, take time to do it now.
If you don't have a crew, start building one from the ground up. First, find a business buddy. Support each other in reaching goals. Expand your partnership to include others that could benefit from being part of such a group. Pretty soon, you'll have more people than you can imagine showing up at your openings and your festival booth.
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If you use Internet Explorer, you can forward this page to a friend
by going up to your menu and, under "File," select
"Send" then "Page by E-mail." Or just copy and paste
the URL into a message: http://www.artbizcoach.com/dothis
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TIP
/ FIND OF THE
WEEK: Robert Genn's Twice-Weekly Letter 
I haven't mentioned it in awhile, but if you're not already a subscriber, you should definitely sign on to receive Robert Genn's Twice-Weekly Letter.
http://www.painterskeys.com
It's absolutely full of inspiration, motivation, and fun.
RECOMMENDED
BY OTHERS: The Do This! Newseletter
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| Sean
Kane's identity image for AACN's (American Association of
Critical Care Nurses) annual National Teaching Expo held in
Southern California, where the convention theme was "Making
Waves". ©The Artist |
Sean Kane, of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, recently wrote with this kind endorsement of the Do This! newsletter:
"I've recently begun receiving your newsletter and appreciate the shot-in-the-arm and useful tips it provides each week, especially as I begin the process of evolving my art business to gallery venues from the commercial illustration work I currently make my living at."
See Sean's work at http://www.seankane.com
Note: See the menu in the upper left of this page
to view popular topics from past issues.
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Copyright © 2004 Alyson B.
Stanfield, Stanfield Art Associates. All rights reserved. I encourage you to forward all or part of this
newsletter as long as you include the above copyright information and
this link: http://www.artbizcoach.com
Please forward this to your artist-friends.
Internet
Explorer users can forward this page by selecting "File," then
"Send" then "Page by E-mail."
The
Do This! newsletter is sent only to subscribers. You can
subscribe using the instructions in the column at left. Instructions
for unsubscribing and changing your email address are
at the bottom of each issue delivered to your inbox.
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