Art Biz Blog

4 Year Anniversary of Art Biz Blog

The Art Biz Blog is 4 years old today!

As I tell all of my clients, start your blog NOW and figure it out later. This blog (originally called Art Thoughts) was pretty lame for the first 6 months. And then I had an Aha moment.

Check out my first post.

And thanks for hanging out with me on the Art Biz Blog.

Lucrative art careers

I think I'm going to have a whole lot more to say about this in the future, but for now, just read this article from the NY Times: Transforming Art Into a More Lucrative Career Choice.

Congratulations to Claudine Hellmuth, mentioned (deservedly so!) in the article.

Deep Thought Thursday: Gratitude

On this Thanksgiving Day . . .

What are you thankful for?

I am immensely grateful for you and that you took the time to visit this blog and share with my community. Thank you! And please come back.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Timing for Thank You Notes

Timing is important

You have a couple of days to write a Thank You note. After just a few days have passed, the recipient is more likely to remember you and your conversation. As time passes, memories fail and your Thank You note could look more like a sales mechanism than a sincere gesture of gratitude. Try to get your note out as soon as possible.

If you waited too long

If you waited too long, don’t despair. Send a Thank You note anyway and add a bit of humor:

“I have been meaning to write for the past month to thank you for purchasing my work, but the dog ate all of my stationery and I broke both of my legs, so I couldn’t get out to buy more . . . “

You get the picture. If you’ve waited too long, be self-effacing, apologize, and--as always--show your sincerity.

Podcast: Exercise your gratitude muscle

Saying "Thanks" isn't something you should take lightly. It should be a serious component of your art business.

[5 min. 49 sec.]

Prefer reading to listening? Check out the Art Marketing Action newsletter. (There's a link to a giveaway on that page.)

Don't miss my video Affirmations for Artists. Positive messages for artists in today's economy

Subscribe to the Art Marketing Action podcast at iTunes.
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This podcast is an audio version of the Art Marketing Action newsletter.

The public unveiling of your art--the artist’s role

Before last week’s INSIGHTS teleseminar with Michael Shane Neal, Peggi Habets wrote in with this question:

Something I've wanted to know for a while now, what is involved in an unveiling? What is the artist's role?

We weren’t able to answer Peggi’s question on the call (because Shane had so much other rich content to share!), but Shane talked with me about this after the call and gave me permission to post his thoughts here.

Shane said every unveiling is different. Sometimes, he’s asked to speak, sometimes not. I got the idea that if you are the artist attending an unveiling you should be prepared to speak. (Of course, it’s my suggestion that you are always prepared to speak about your art at a moment’s notice.)

Shane also shared that before the unveiling, he has postcards made of the painting being unveiled. He said he stands next to the painting after the unveiling so he can talk with people and hand out the postcards. I think this is a great idea! Not only do the postcards have Shane’s contact info on them, but they have an image that will connect the name and contact info directly to him--and a memento from the day. (That's Justice Sandra Day O'Connor helping Shane unveil her portrait at a recent ceremony.)

On the INSIGHTS call, Shane was generous with his information about building a career as a portrait artist, landing commissions, dealing with people, pricing, and more. If you weren’t able to join us, you can still get the audio of the call. See INSIGHTS: Michael Shane Neal (it’s at the bottom of that page).

By the way, even though Lisa Call doesn't claim portraiture among her many talents, she said "I learned a ton of good stuff from this interview. Shane's enthusiasm for the artist's life was great--a good reminder of how important it is to maintain that positive attitude."

Don't forget to thank these people

Continuing this week’s theme of gratitude . . . send handwritten Thank You Notes to the following people:

Anyone who purchases your work. Set a $$ limit. For instance, there is no need to send a Thank You note to someone who purchased a set of note cards or a calendar from you.

Anyone who talks with you about your work and expresses interest. Maybe you met them at a party, an opening, or a meeting. If you have their business card or contact info, send them a note.

Anyone who goes out of their way to attend your opening. Not everyone, of course! But someone who made a big effort or someone who is a VIP.

Anyone who lends a helping hand, such as the person who greets guests at your open studio, mans your cash register, or installs work for your exhibition.

Anyone who mentioned you on a very active blog and sent a lot of people to your Web site.

Anyone who gives you a lead--tells you about another person (such as a gallery dealer, collector, curator) who might be interested in your work. Even if the lead doesn’t pan out, the person was trying to help you.

Anyone who writes a recommendation for you.

Anyone who gives you a discount (like on framing or art materials).

Anyone who writes an article about your work. But wait until the article is published.

Don’t stop with this list. Think of all the people who have helped you along the way and fill your heart (and your pen) with words of gratitude.

Guidelines for Thank You notes

In preparation for Thanksgiving week and next week’s newsletter on gratitude, I’m focusing on the business of thanking people.

Your Thank You notes should

• Be handwritten. Nothing beats a handwritten note!
• Be written on note cards with images of your art on them. Why use a commercial note card or someone else’s art. Show you’re an artist whenever you can! (Would love for you to leave good resources for note cards in the comments.)
• Come from the heart--they don’t have to be long, but they do have to show your sincerity. Add at least one sentence that personalizes your note to that particular person.
• Include your Web site, contact info, and image credit on the back.

Your action steps

1. Get some note cards with your images printed on them. Get lots of them and keep them close by.
2. Always have a supply of first-class stamps available. Buy the ones with art on them!
3. Keep track of anyone who needs to get a Thank You note from you so that you can write it in a timely manner.
4. Pack note cards and stamps for any business trips you take. You can write the Thank You notes on the plane home.

Deep Thought Thursday: What are you getting from Web 2.0?

Lyn Bishop wants to hear how artists are using social networking. I do, too!

So, you have a blog. And you're on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, yada yada yada.

How is it paying off for you? Can you quantify any results? Or are you sucked in and wasting time there when you should be making art? What are the pros and cons of using social networking strategies in your marketing?

By the way, do you think of social networking as marketing? Or just plain fun? I guess I shouldn't assume anything here.

Secrets to buying art now

Edward Winkleman has a great post on his blog: How to Buy Art in a Recession: Part I. He gives you a look at behind-the-scenes gallery dealings such as discounting, payment plans, and down payments (or pre-orders). I am looking forward to Part II.