Today’s DTT comes via Twitter and @JuliaKirt.

When is it okay to stop making art?

I had a book order from Australia for 6 books.

I told the purchaser that I could ship 7 books for the same price of 6. I told her I’d add the 7th copy and she could give it away to a deserving artist.

She did.

She handed it over to Ken Munsie as a birthday gift.

Then Ken created a sculpture inspired by my book, I’d Rather Be in the Studio. The title, There Aren’t Enough Read Hours, is a take-off from one of the excuses I want to help artists overcome in my book: “There Aren’t Enough Hours in the Day to Do It All.”

Ken Munsie, There Aren't Enough Read Hours. Rescued material, handmade paper, 10 inches cubed.

When I asked about the sculpture, Ken wrote:

Yes over the past weeks I have been burying myself in your book – I’d Rather Be in the Studio – It’s been a long read – as each page has given me so much to think about … many underlines and notes in the sleeves … now it’s time to go back and collate all my thoughts.

Thank you so very much for switching on the lights !!!

I coordinate a group of artworkers here in Maleny – Sunshine Coast of Queensland – Australia … there are 220 artists on my database … I send out a weekly e-newsletter with listings of awards, funding, exhibitions etc. plus we have a website and each year I run two themed exhibitions.

Our last exhibition was titled “Maleny Image 8: between the lines.” The artist had to create a piece based on a book they had read … mine was based on your book.

The exhibition was held in our local book store and it was a great success with many pieces – including mine – selling.

Ken added to his statement about the sculpture:

It’s a tight juggling act – being a committed artist and being a successful business person.
Most of us prefer staying in the studio lost in our creative thoughts and working on our artworks, rather than putting ourselves out there promoting our art and running our business. In this book Alyson takes us through the process of successfully doing both.

No big lessons here. Just something really cool that happened as a result of my giving away a copy of my book to someone unknown.

I love the short films in the New York Close Up series produced by art21.

As I was watching Mariah Robertson Wears a Yellow Suit to Work I was struck by Robertson’s acceptance of the fact that one day she would no longer be able to use the same materials because they would cease being manufactured. It was just a fact – nothing to get upset about.

Have you ever used a material that you could no longer get a hold of?
What would you do if they stopped making a certain kind of paint, paper, dye, glaze, . . . ?

Many jewelers are now in a pinch because of the high price of precious metals. If you’re a jeweler, how has that affected what you make?

How do you know when an artwork is finished?

When is it time to sign the work and move on?

Guest blogger: Janice Tanton

Janice Tanton, BP - Big Pig: The Hog of the Forsaken. Oil on Belgian linen, 48 x 96 inches.

1. DO Give as much as yourself as humanly possible to your students.

2. DO Encourage skill-building in every form.

3. DO Share all the secrets that you have.

4. DO Notice what your students notice and ask for feedback constantly on your teaching methods and techniques. You will learn.

5. DO Be confident in your voice as an instructor and guide your students to find their own voice.

6. DO Assume positive intent.

7. DON’T Consider teaching related to your marketing your works. (They are completely separate, and you owe it to the profession of “artist” to pass along what you know to those who do not. We are all the better for it.)

8. DON’T Ever propose just “one” way of doing things to your students. Be open to all the possibilities.

9. DON’T EVER knock another artist or teacher. Guide gently.

10. DO remember that in the past, ateliers were the method by which we learned our craft, passing it down from artist to artist in an apprenticeship form. Instill this in others.

I would never have learned what I have if it were not for the generosity of artists that took me under their wings and into their studios, taught me their techniques, concept, insight and ultimately how to find my own voice.

Janice Tanton is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice explores contemporary cross-cultural relationships. She is also an active member of the Artist Conspiracy on Art Biz Coach.

This post was first seen on this blog as a comment and was too good to be left alone on that post. Write some juicy, relevant comments on this blog and you just might get your own guest post.

Your art career takes off in the studio. Without the hard work you do there, you are not an artist.

Are you devoting enough time to the studio?

Mira M. White, Who Wears the Hat? Mixed media on museum board, 17 x 12 inches. ©The Artist

Sure, I wrote a whole book about getting your art out of the studio, but that’s my job. With everything I write or teach, I’m trying to help you garner attention for your art.

But nothing I say will be useful unless you put artmaking first.

Without your art, you have nothing to promote. You have nothing to take out of the studio and share with the world.

Your art is your voice. It’s how you communicate with the world and find your place. It’s your raison d’être.

Don’t lose site of that.

When you find yourself checking email too often or socializing just a tad too much online, remember why you do what you do.

Say to yourself: “I’m an artist. I make art.” Then go do it!

Please leave a comment about your studio time (but only briefly – you have work to do!).

Do you have “New Works” on your website or blog?

How long is New new?

Until newer stuff comes out of the studio?

Can we agree on a date in the future when “New” is no longer new?

I’m having a bit of a blogging slump. The articles aren’t coming as easily as they usually do. So, I looked through some old newsletters and found this gem, which I decided to update and heed.

Everyone Has Creative Slumps

As you can see from my confession, you’re not alone. We all have creative slumps. Whether you have no interest in promoting your art (yes, it’s a creative task to promote your art) or are anxious about getting back into the studio, a slump is a slump.

Here are 10 things you can do to hasten your emergence from a slump.

1. Wallow. But wallow just a little bit. Wallow to honor your emotions and feel them fully. If it becomes depression, I can suggest nothing better than a couple of acupuncture treatments to get you back into alignment.

2. Plan something big with a deadline. Nothing gets the juices flowing like facing a deadline for a promotional piece, an exhibit, or an event.

3. Get out. Take a walk, go to the gym, sit at a coffee shop, go shopping, or head to yoga class. Just get out.

4. Talk. Make appointments for coffees, lunches, and gallery or museum visits. Talk to people! Being the studio is lonely. You need to exchange ideas, observe life, and feel to your bones that your time is now.

5. Create your escape path. Just keep making art. More and more art. Use a color you’ve never liked or copy an Old Master. Some of the work might really stink, but you’ll eventually find your way back.

6. Write. Write about your slump as I’m doing here. Write about what’s bugging you. Write your morning pages. Write a nasty letter to the juror who dismissed your work (then shred it!). Write about your dreams.

7. Read. Read an inspirational book like Art & Fear. Or read the biography of another artist. Read to find connection to ideas that are bigger than you and an artist community that you’re a part of.

8. Listen. Listen to CDs or audio downloads that motivate you. There are tons of self-help podcasts available at no cost. If you haven’t already done so, start wtih the Art Marketing Action podcast archives. Listen to the birds, listen to your children, listen to messages of hope. But don’t listen to newscasts that make you angry or depressed.

9. Watch. Watch a movie or documentary. Just like a book, a film can remind you of your connection to a larger group of artists. Rent the PBS series art:21. Don’t watch junk on television, especially if it makes you sad, mad, or causes you to withdraw further.

10. Purge. Clutter and things related to unhappy memories emit bad energy. You don’t need them around. In fact, you need them outta there if you want to create space for your rich life. Get rid of things you don’t love. Make more room for the good things to enter your life.

My favorites are #3 (getting out of the office); #4 (talking with people who get me fired up about what I’m doing – this doesn’t have to be face-to-face, but that’s my preference); and #10 (cleaning my office always gives me a boost).

Which path do you usually fall back on?

I often write about making art big enough to hold your dreams.

I recently attended a talk with Rebecca diDomenico, who was discussing her installation — a cave structure titled Pellucid.

Cynthia Morris (r) and me inside of Rebecca diDomenico's installation, Pellucid. Artwork ©The Artist.

Pellucid was built in her large living room over the course of a year, but she didn’t think much about how she was going to get it out of her home and into the museum.

She said: You find a way.

It wasn’t the first time she had worked on such a large scale.

When she realized that the component umbrellas for an installation were too big to put in her car, diDomenico organized an umbrella walk through Boulder to deliver them to the Boulder Museum of Contemporary art.

The umbrella installation was no longer just a sculpture. It was a performance piece that united members of a community.

Are you holding back and hanging on to small ideas?

Nanci Hersh, Y not. Wire, pulp, encaustic, mixed media collage, 26x7x1.5 inches. ©The Artist

Do you find it hard transitioning between studio and business/office time?

What kind of downtime do you need in between?

What rituals make it easier for you?

What tools do you need to help you do a better job of it?