ArtMatters! Vol. #92 March 2008
Artist Career Training helps you make a better living making art. www.artistcareertraining.com
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Words to Act on!
Fasten Your Seat Belt and Accelerate
 

If it's not the weather, it's the economic climate. A downturn does not mean that it's time to put the brakes on your art business. Do so and you might skid right off your path. If you slow down, it will only take you longer to build up momentum again. Steady acceleration and a clear focus on what is ahead will propel you safely through unexpected turns and position you for the next upswing.

You can't pay rent and buy food with art work. Wishing that your art sales were stronger won't make it so. There is no shame in behaving responsibly and taking action where you can. If you are not generating enough income to be self-supporting right now, you have at least three choices:

  • Get a grant
  • Take a part-time or full-time job in a thriving industry
  • Or, find audiences with a budget and desire for art

Before you moan about getting a "real job," I am certainly not telling you to dump your art career. Basic products and services are recession-proof. You can earn income by working in these industries or by selling art to people who have money to spare.

A.C.T. 301 member Bruce Marion's standards for his art business are timeless:

  • Create the best artwork;
  • Continue to evolve as an artist and a business person;
  • Be in the best shows and galleries that promote and sell well;
  • Have a high class home show of new work for collectors;
  • Create excellent promotional materials: brochures, postcards, website;
  • Continue to build reputation;
  • Be internationally recognized;
  • Publish a book of work;
  • Create new licensing opportunities.

Bruce rides out temporary fluctuations by having multiple sources of income. Galleries show his abstract paintings; an international publisher sells posters and Giclees of his originals. Bruce also participates in a 3 month long show where affluent collectors are coming back to purchase more of his art each year.

Consider yourself "unemployable" and prefer more entrepreneurial ways? Instead of letting the evening news depress you, see how thriving sectors could support your art business. Apply your creative eye to the greene$t pastures in the economic landscape, for example:

Health Care: Art entertains and heals. Waiting areas, hallways and elevators are perfect places to temporarily divert people's attention from the reasons they are in a health care facility. A hospital I visited had Andy Warhol prints on the walls, along with a more recent original. That told me that there was a current budget and someone managing the collection. The gift shop was woefully bare of artful items. Since the work of local artists was on the walls, you can see the opportunities to bring the artists and viewers closer together - cards and fine art gifts for starters. The same artists could piggy-back on the concerts already being offered on Sundays. Why not add an art demonstration or class for patients, caregivers and friends.

Education: Teaching art in the formal education system requires credentials and a lot of stamina. The hours and the type of instruction may suit career artists, but some people prefer local art classes as creative outlets for the stresses in their lives. You can offer private and group lessons in your own studio, the local arts organization or commercial venues. Even at the top ski destination in the world, I discovered a tiny art studio offering classes in fused glass, ceramics and collage. Imagine the untapped possibilities for plein air painting or nature photography!

Ultra Luxury: The top 1% of income earners can ride out most fluctuations and still live well. The art collectors among them continue to buy art from people they trust and who provide the art and the experience that makes them feel assured of making the right choice. In the global economy, when one door closes, another opens. As the U.S. economy slows, China and India are heating up so much that executive recruitment firms are experiencing up to 25% growth. These transplanted executives need art for their homes and offices. The person assigned to taking care of expatriate needs abroad might well be grateful for your assistance with expert advice about art and cultural experiences.

"If you want to recession-proof your career, the key is to focus on work that continues even when most people don't have disposable income to spend." Thanks to reader Amy S. Quinn who passed along an article with 22 more recession-proof industries.


Artist Career Training TeleClasses to Help You Build a Better Living From Your Art
 

© "Ten Tips for Success as a Professional Artist":
Art Marketing Mentor Bruce K. Haley, Jr. describes the foundations of a successful art business. Find out what Artist Career Training members already know - how to market your art to get more exposure and sales.

Date & Time: Tuesday, April 8th, 2008
3:00 p.m. Pacific; 6:00 p.m. Eastern
Duration: 60 minutes
Location: Listen from the comfort of your studio by telephone conference call
Price: You pay us nothing! All you need is an hour, a good long distance plan and a land line.

"It's interesting because yesterday, while I was sitting out in the parking lot waiting for my daughter and her tai kwon do class, I finally had the time to sit down and start working on the chapter three booklet that we got. I was working on my statement about what I do...and it really started to flow nicely. I had visions of the sort of success another artist just experienced and I find this to be a lovely way to continue that wonderful feeling of accomplishment. Thank you indeed to ACT and to you for sharing this accomplishment."

Just excellent!
Christine Wasankari
"Paintings that represent the integrity and power of the natural world" www.wasankari.com


Save the date!
The Weekend of July 25th, 26th, and 27th, 2008 be part of an innovative Artist Career Training hands-on event in Boston, MA.

The Productive Artist:
Making a Living Making Art

A Hands-On Event sponsored by Artist Career Training
www.ArtistCareerTraining.com
and The New Art Center, Newtonville , MA (Boston area.)
www.newartcenter.org/contact/index.html

  • Boost your inspiration, ignite your creativity and multiply your results in making and marketing your art.
  • Immerse yourself in art business information and hands-on art exercises that will jump-start your creative processes.
  • Practical advice and powerful learning design will help you make a better living making art while making a life.
  • Artists in all visual media and at any career stage will benefit from this event.

Artist Career Training Director, Aletta de Wal, (650-917-1225) and Sarah Kahn, L.I.C.S.W., (617)-969-2717 creativity consultant www.sarahkahncollage.com are your guides for this exciting weekend!


In the End: Life is Full of Ups and Downs
 

Life is full of ups and downs, aside from what is going on in the art market. Your strategies for creating income must work like shock absorbers to keep you upright and on the road. If you make art to make money, your only choice is how to ride out the turbulence - in your life, in your art making and in your art marketing.

What help could you use?

If you are an emerging artist, A.C.T. One is the place to start.
If you already have an art business and want to pace yourself, we also have a 12 to 24-month pathway in the combination of A.C.T. 101: Starting Your Art Business and A.C.T. 201: Developing Your Art Business.
And if you are already established, we have a group of peers just for you in A.C.T. 301: Mastering Your Art Business.

We have classes, books and knowledgeable experts and generous artists waiting for you. What are you waiting for? A.C.T. now!

At Artist Career Training, we emphasize these 7 dynamic factors in the formula "Exposure = Success!"

  • Creating a signature body of work
  • Polishing a professional public persona
  • Managing a qualified mailing list
  • Photographing and documenting all work
  • Generating publicity for multiple events
  • Leveraging art business relationships
  • Marketing art in person and in all media

Don't let this practical information pass you by. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain because this no-cost and low-cost art marketing wisdom works for professional artists. It will work for you. We guarantee it.

Register now: www.artistcareertraining.com/actprogramdetail.asp


Aletta de Wal, M. Ed, Director & Artist Advisor,
Direct line: (650) 917-1225 Pacific time
www.ArtistCareerTraining.com
[email protected]

"We help you build a better living from your Art."

Artist Career Training is here to give you knowledge and support. We gather all the information you need to market your art and build your art career so that you can make money and get back to doing what you love - making more art.


Your ArtMatters! Subscription
 

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"I just finished reading the latest issue and wanted to tell you I am very impressed with the way Art Matters has evolved. It's chock full with terrific information that we need to hear or be reminded of. Thanks so much for such a great job. I'm sure it requires a lot of work to produce it." ~ A.C.T. 301 Member, Lee McVey


View ArtMatters! on line: www.artistcareertraining.com/newsletter.asp
ArtMatters! #91 February 2008 Library of Congress ISSN#1552-9428. "Put Your Heart in Your Art Career"

"Few people know that they have the power to bless life. We bless the life in each other far more than we realize. Many simple, ordinary things that we do can affect those around us in profound ways: the unexpected phone call, the brief touch, the willingness to listen generously, the warm smile or wink. We can even bless total strangers and be blessed by them." Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.


�March 2008 Aletta de Wal, Artist Career Training. All rights reserved. Supplemented by ArtMatters! Alerts and E-cards. Library of Congress ISSN# 1552-9428.

We appreciate it when you tell your friends about Artist Career Training. We encourage forwarding this newsletter in whole. Copying this publication without expressed written permission of the publisher is against the law (and highly unprofessional!) We encourage you forward this entire � A.C.T. newsletter along with your recommendation and this link: www.artistcareertraining.com/newsletter.asp.



Aletta de Wal, M. Ed
Director & Artist Advisor
"We help you build a better living from your art."

Artist Career Training operates as a virtual university, delivering expert art marketing advice and art business tools to prospering fine artists all over the world.

Phone: (650) 917-1225
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