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Do This! |
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| Current Issue: December 20, 2004 | |||
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IN
THIS ISSUE
What's Going On:
Announcements /Classes |
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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:
SETTING UP YOUR ART BUSINESS : : : : WORKSHOP:
FROM FRAME TO FAME : : : : BLOG:
ARTIST SOFTWARE : : |
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| DO THIS: NETWORK ONLINE | |||
Not too long ago I received an email from an
artist in response to my consistent mentioning of how important it is to
get out and meet people. She was, with good reason, in a state of
semi-distress because she is disabled enough that getting out too much
is a hardship. (I hope she'll forgive me for using her story as
inspiration without contacting her, but I seem to have misplaced her
email and original correspondence.)
Her story can't be that uncommon. We'd all like to get out and meet more people, but are limited by family commitments, studio schedules, marketing deadlines and even health. Internet to the rescue! We're so much luckier these days to have the Internet. With this magical tool we can meet and stay in touch with people all over the world. Below are three ways to use the Internet to network: 1. Newsgroups and Forums Network with your piers, get inspired, post questions, and get answers. The key to really networking is to do more than lurk. You must actively participate in the discussions. Try some of these: Wet Canvas Yahoo Groups
Find one you might like at http://groups.yahoo.com 2. Your Own Newsletter If you're just starting out, look into my e-book "Effective Newsletters & Mailing Lists": http://www.artbizcoach.com/books/nm.shtml 3. Virtual Classes and Classrooms As you're networking online, these guidelines might help: ►If you have your own Web site (which you should, especially if you rely on the Internet for networking), use the email address for your site. For example, if I had a site called alysonstanfield.com, I would use my email address for that Web site for all of my correspondence. People are much more likely to remember my name and site if I email them under alyson@alysonstanfield.com than if I were to use something generic like alyson426@largeispcompany.com. It's part of branding yourself and your art--creating a name and image. (If an artist emails me with their URL in their name, I often go to their site myself! Even if they haven't included a link to their site in their email.) ►Get your own Web site and update it regularly. Aim for making it better and better.
►Use a signature block in all of your correspondence. It should include your URL, email address, and other business information. ►If you are sending a commercial email to anyone, you are required (by the "Can Spam Act of 2003") to use your entire street address and include a way to unsubscribe. Know the law: http://www.grokdotcom.com/canspam.htm. Or, you can go straight to the source at http://www.spamlaws.com/federal/108s877.html ►Add everyone to your regular mailing list. Set up a file folder in your mail program or a hard copy folder and drop in the names of your new contacts. Then make time once a month to add them to your computer database. Be sure to make notes that will help you remember that person: their interests, their family, etc. Anything that will help you remember who they are and personalize your correspondence in the future. Of course, none of this can take the place of human contact. Get out when you can and make the most of it while you're out and about. |
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| KNOW THIS | Networking is critical to your career. | ||
| THINK ABOUT THIS | If you can't network in person as much as you might like, you need to find other ways. | ||
| DO THIS | Use the Internet, telephone, and snail mail as a networking substitute when necessary. Look at how you are using these tools in your art career and ask if your approach is as effective as it could be. How could you apply the suggestions above to make your online networking work better for you? | ||
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If you use Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, you can forward this page to a friend by going up to your menu and, under "File," select "Send" or "Send Page." Or just copy and paste this URL into a message: http://www.artbizcoach.com/dothis |
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TIP / FIND OF THE WEEK: The Artists' Refuge
See more at http://www.theartistsrefuge.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. 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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Francisco
Castro Lostalo, a Costa Rican/Canadian artist, Nancy DeCamillis, a
Colorado sculptor and editor/co-owner of Sculptural Pursuit magazine of
Highlands Ranch, CO, along with partners Tony Magee of Toronto, Canada
and Deek DeCamillis of Littleton, CO, announce the opening of The
Artists' Refuge, their new art center, this coming January 2005 in
Alajuela, Costa Rica. Francisco and Nancy along with other professional
art/literary instructors will offer guests, beginners and professionals,
the opportunity to experience visual, literary and performing arts
through hands-on workshops, art events, gallery openings and tours of
Costa Rica.
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ALYSON
B. STANFIELD STANFIELD ART ASSOCIATES,
INC. |