education « Art Biz Blog

The Secret to Attracting More Fans for Your Art

The benefit of educating people how to view your art not only empowers people with a new skill and appreciation for art, but also leads to more fans. Teach people how to look at your art. [...]

Don’t Waste Your Investment in Learning Opportunities

Tip: No single workshop is going to give you everything you need. Even if it did, you still have to be responsible for making sense of all the information. Promise yourself that you will absorb as much as possible without being stressed about implementing every idea right away. (+ 5 more tips for preparing to learn) [...]

Syllabus for teaching with my book, I’d Rather Be in the Studio!

Attention all college professors! Need help preparing your students for life after school? Painting professor Sandra Reed has designed a course for graduate students at the Savannah College of Art and Design using my book as the required text. The course is “Fine Art M.F.A. Self-Promotion.” [...]

Deep Thought Thursday: Ghosts

Every artist has a hero–whether verbalized or not. We admire artists we know, but there are also artists in the past that we wish we had known and rubbed elbows with. Who would you like to study with and why? What would you hope to learn? [...]

Listen, read, act, repeat

It’s been said that the four most dangerous words in the English language are “I already know that.” These words create a mental barrier that shuts you off from any additional information you might receive by listening. More importantly, saying “I already know that” closes the door on new experiences that could enrich your life and your art.

Christen Humphries, Winter Elegance. Oil on pergamenata, 39 x 27 inches. ©The Artist

As I tell students in my classes and workshops, it’s important to stop yourself before uttering–or even thinking–these words. When the thought crosses your mind that you’ve already heard something before, ask yourself one of the following questions.

–Am I living it? –Am I doing it? –Did I act on it? –Will it hurt to be reminded of it again?

Consider the many ways we learn. We learn by listening, participating (doing), reading, watching, and teaching.

Let’s say you’re reading my book, [...]

Lay Out Your Curriculum

Our local schools have started back up and university students are moving into campus housing. It’s also a time when I notice a spike in activity on my Web sites and interest in my classes. It’s time to go back to school!

For those of us who have been out of school for some time, it’s easy to think we’ve had our education. But I believe that the more you learn, the more you realize that you know only a scintilla of what there is to know. We should always be learning–regardless of the field we’re in.

As an artist, you are probably inspired by your learning experiences in one way or another. My hope for all artists is that you experiment a lot–that you aren’t held back because something is comfortable. My hope is [...]