February 2015 - Marketing Your Art the Right Way

Quote by Anton Chekhov

“The role of the artist is to ask questions, not answer them.” – Anton Chekhov Quote Art

“The role of the artist is to ask questions, not answer them.”
― Anton Chekhov

Print available on Society6.

Artists have a gift. With a single stroke of the brush, they can tell an entire story. They can make someone laugh or cry just by putting their pen to paper. Their music can bring joy or sadness.

So why do we celebrate when someone says they want to be a doctor or a lawyer, but feel sorry for them if they say they want to be an artist? There is a stigma around being an artist. They think we “sit around all day and paint pretty pictures.” They think we will starve while trying to find success. There is no room for these thoughts.

By asking questions, we create conversations Click To Tweet

By asking questions, we create conversations. We make people think about themselves and their place in the world.

Asking questions also opens people up to new possibilities. Books and movies are not only great entertainment, but they also shape our future. How much of the technology we have today was inspired by a great artist’s mind?

Artists have the ability to change the world Click To Tweet

Artists have the ability to change the world. We can change a person’s mind without saying a thing. It is time we show people what it means to be an artist.

We must show people how our work inspires movements, how it can lift you up when you are down, how it asks questions about ourselves.

Here are some ways we can be an artist that asks questions instead of answering them:

Seek Knowledge

The best way to ask better questions is by learning. Every time you learn something new, you should have more questions than answers. How does this information fit into your views? How can you reflect that in your art?

Become Curious

Curiosity should be the lifeblood of an artist Click To Tweet

Some artists choose to live in a bubble. They paint the same pictures. They do the same things. They stick to their guns. Don’t be that artist. Curiosity should be the lifeblood of an artist. What new ideas can you explore? Become curious and learn to ask why.

Explore the World

Go see what the world has to offer Click To Tweet

We live in a world where you are constantly connected. We can spend our entire life staring at the screens in front of us, or we can explore the world. Exploring the world makes you question how much you know. So go see what the world has to offer.

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Nelson Mandela Quote

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela Quote Art

February 15, 2015 / Kevin Chung / 2 Comments

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
― Nelson Mandela

Print available on Society6.

There is a deep fascination with the impossible. If we turn the clock back just 100 years, a relatively short time in human history, there are many things that would have seemed impossible. One hundred years ago, there was no internet, there were no electric vehicles, there were no iPhones, iPads or computers. If you would have told people living in 1915 what we have at our disposal now, they would think you are crazy.

Likewise, in the sport of running, the four minute mile seemed like an impossible barrier to break. Up until 1954, no one had run a mile in under four minutes. Since Roger Bannister broke it that year, 18 others have broken the previous record. In sports, many records seem unbreakable, until they are broken.

In order to achieve the impossible, you must believe it is possible & pursue it with everything you have Click To Tweet

The point is, don’t let conventional standards make you believe things are impossible. The “impossible” is achieved all the time. Whether it’s in technology, sports, or art, people are constantly achieving the impossible. In order to achieve the impossible, you must believe it is possible and pursue it with everything you have.

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Photo by Izzard

Quote by Pablo Picasso

“The chief enemy of creativity is good sense.” – Pablo Picasso Quote Art

February 8, 2015 / Kevin Chung / 0 Comments

“The chief enemy of creativity is good sense.” – Pablo Picasso

Print available on Society6.

Whenever I have an idea that is out of the norm a nagging voice pops into my head, “That’s a dumb idea.”

I once had the idea to help people find where they can buy things they found on Pinterest or Tumblr. All you had to do is upload a photo, tag it with keywords, and tell others where you found the photo. Then the community tell you where you could buy it. I decided against investing money into building it and a few years later, multiple companies built it.

In college I had the idea for a helmet that would record exactly what you saw, and it would save it for you to watch later. A few years later, GoPros came out.

In both cases my “good sense” told me not to pursue my ideas. Both times, someone else did. I’m not saying these ideas would have succeeded. I will never know if they would have.

Good sense and creativity mix like oil and water Click To Tweet

The point is not to lament my mistakes. The point is good sense and creativity mix like oil and water. If you want to come up with creative ideas, don’t let good sense get in your way. Who knows how many great ideas have not been pursued because someone was afraid their idea was dumb.

If you want to be creative, let ideas come to you Click To Tweet

If you want to be creative, let ideas come to you. Don’t knock them down. Pursue the ones that have potential even if your mind tells you they won’t work.

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“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein

Quote by Albert Einstein

Success vs Value – Albert Einstein Quote Art

February 1, 2015 / Kevin Chung / 0 Comments

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein

Print available on Society6.

Success is something we all strive for. Growing up, all I wanted out of life was to be successful. How could I not? In school we are measured by our grades. So I got good grades. Then you need to get into college and graduate in four years. So of course I went to college and graduated in four years. The next big challenge on your way to success is getting a good job. Check another one off the list.

By these standards, I should be a success, but I didn’t feel successful. There was something missing. That was until I started to share my knowledge with others. Since I started my blog for artists, I have felt a deep sense of joy that I never felt before.

If you are even a single step further along your journey than someone else, you still have massive value to provide Click To Tweet

When you start writing, you wonder why anyone would ever listen to you. You think “I’m not an expert.” That may be true, but we all underestimate how much we know. If you are even a single step further along your journey than someone else, you still have massive value to provide. If you can save a single person from going through the same frustrations as you did, it would be worth it.

Having a small following does not exclude you from providing value Click To Tweet

There is nothing like receiving the gratitude of another person. Having a small following does not exclude you from providing value. Every compliment I receive for my writing fuels me to write more. If we are all going to live in this world together, we might as well help each other make the best of it.

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Photo by Edward Simpson