Marketing Your Art the Right Way

Selling Art, Not Selling Out

Month: July 2015 (page 1 of 2)

“You must be prepared to work always without applause.” – Ernest Hemingway Quote Art

“You must be prepared to work always without applause.” – Ernest Hemingway

Print available on Society6.

Growing up, we have been praised for every great thing we did. Our parents applaud us as we take our very first steps. Our schools honor us when we get straight A’s. We get trophies just for playing a sport. Is it a wonder that we are always out seeking praise for our work?

At some point in life, we realize the praise has stopped coming. We have been conditioned to look for applause every time we accomplish a task. Yet, we no longer hear it.

The truth is, you won’t always be praised for the work you do, and that’s a good thing. You should not be motivated by external affirmation of your work. You should be motivated by the work itself.

When we are rewarded for everything we do, we become complacent. We no longer try our best. We become trapped by our routine.

If you consistently do good work, people will recognize it. Click To Tweet

If you consistently do good work, people will recognize it. Instead of seeking it out, you should earn it.

Doing your best work is not only fulfilling, it is also the only way to stand out when everything and everyone is fighting for the attention of our audience. So, the next time you aren’t recognized for your work, stop complaining. Instead, find out how you can do better.

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Photo by Jenny Ondioline

Cracking Creativity Episode 12: Maia Monasterios on the Time is Art Documentary, Synchronicity, and Being a Passionate Creative

Maia Monasterios has been making documentary films for over twelve years. She has worked for companies ranging from National Geographic to MTV, but had the desire to do her own independent work. Her latest project is an independent documentary film titled Time is Art, where she is working with the creative collective Things are Changing. They are raising funds for the film until August 2, 2015 on IndieGogo.

The film is about a writer’s spiritual and creative awakening through synchronicity as the gateway. Originally, the story wasn’t going to be about one person. It was going to be a set of interviews on the subject of synchronicity. That is, until they interviewed Jennifer Palmer and heard her story.

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My Reflections on World Domination Summit 2015

Main Photo by Armosa Studios

“Gee Brain, What do you want to do tonight?”

“Same thing we do every night Pinky, try to take over the world.”

These words were ingrained in my head as a child. Pinky and the Brain was one of my favorite shows growing up. Each afternoon, I would watch intently as the two talking mice sought world domination.

At the time, it seemed like a silly idea. How could two mice possibly take over the world? Yet, they were always on the cusp of accomplishing something incredible.

Yes I know it’s a cartoon, but that doesn’t mean world domination is impossible. Nor does it mean it world domination is necessarily a bad thing.

Case in point, World Domination Summit. For the past four years, I heard grumblings about this conference. There were words about how great it was from every corner of the internet I visited. “It will change your life!”

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“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” – Muhammad Ali Quote Art

“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” – Muhammad Ali

Print available on Society6.

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a million times. Fake it til you make it.

On the surface, it seems like very strange advice. In a crowded world where everyone is vying for your attention, you want to put trust in the people who know what they are doing.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. No one has all the answers. There is no path you can take towards success. You can follow the advice of the top experts all you want, but what most of them don’t tell you is the path to success is not linear.

The path towards success is a winding road filled with twists and turns. Click To Tweet

The path towards success is a winding road filled with twists and turns. There are obstacles all along the way trying to prevent you from reaching your goals.

The best way to overcome these obstacles is by having the willingness to experiment and fail. Just because a strategy worked for one person doesn’t mean it will work for you. Yes, there are principles you can use that have a greater chance of succeeding, but nothing is guaranteed. That is why you MUST be willing to fail.

Wallowing in self-pity will not get you anywhere. Click To Tweet

When an idea fails, it doesn’t mean you are a failure. The problem many people have is letting failures become a part of them. The way to overcome this is by acknowledging the failure, learning from it, and moving on. Wallowing in self-pity will not get you anywhere. Pick yourself up and move on to the next thing.

Every master started off as an amateur. They learned starting from the ground up just like everyone else. But, at a certain point, they realized they were no longer the newbie. In order to get to this place, they had to have the confidence to trudge along and learn from their mistakes. Without that confidence, they wouldn’t have grown.

None of us has all the answers. We are all born amateurs, but if you exude confidence and are willing to learn on the fly, you can become the greatest.

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Cracking Creativity Episode 11: Ellen Bard on Leaving Corporate Culture, Opening Up to Creativity, and Juggling so Many Passions

Ellen Bard is a shining example of what people call a multi-potentialite. She juggles many things including consulting as a work psychologist, blogging about self-development and travel, and writing fiction. In this episode Ellen talks about what is was like to quit her high paying job as a consultant, moving from the UK to Thailand, opening herself up to creativity, and dealing with having so many passions.

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“Always be a first rate version of yourself and not a second rate version of someone else.” – Judy Garland Quote Art

“Always be a first rate version of yourself and not a second rate version of someone else.” – Judy Garland

Print available on Society6.

How often do you compare yourself to others?

If you are like most people, it happens far too often. We can’t help but notice how well they are all doing. These thoughts frequently flood our minds: “She has so many followers.” “Why does his work get so much attention?” “Why can’t I be like them?”

I am here to tell you this does you no good. Comparing yourself to others will not help you get further in life or with your art. It only creates envy and jealousy.

You can't replicate your way to success Click To Tweet

When you constantly compare yourself to others, you will try imitating your way to success. “It worked for them, why wouldn’t it work for me?” I hate to break it to you but you can’t replicate your way to success, nor should you try to.

Stop trying to be another version of someone else Click To Tweet

Stop trying to be another version of someone else. Become a better version of yourself instead.

How do you do this?

By Choosing Yourself. What does it mean to choose yourself? It means following what James Altucher calls the “daily practice”, which is being physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually healthy.

When most people think of being healthy, they only think of physical health. But physical health is not enough. Every part of you must work in conjuction to be truly healthy.

When you follow the daily practice, your best self will shine through. Things will start coming together in mysterious ways. Your body will feel great, you will have strong relationships, your mind will work better than ever, and you will be at peace with your life.

When you choose yourself and stop trying to be like everyone else, you become a first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate version of someone else.

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Photo by tanjila ahmed

 

Cracking Creativity Episode 10: David Villalva on Storytelling, the Formula for Best-Selling Novels, and Being Persistant

David Villalva is the creator of Story & Craft, a site dedicated to teaching storytelling formulas used in bestselling novels. In this episode, David talks about his storytelling blueprint, continuing to write after receiving devastating feedback, and why you should have a support system for your craft.

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“There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars.” – Jack Kerouac Quote Art

“There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars.” – Jack Kerouac

Print available on Society6.

At some point in our lives we all feel a sense of dread. The one that sneaks up on you like a thief in the night. The one that makes you realize that life is short. It’s a feeling of being trapped.

You are trapped by your job, social status, or relationships. It is dubbed the mid-life or even quarter-life crisis.

Go out and explore the world. Click To Tweet

I for one think this is a flawed way to view life. We are only on Earth for a short amount of time, why spend your time worrying? Instead, go out and explore the world.

The world is too big of a place to to feel trapped. There are so many things to do. So many places to discover.

I’ve made it my mission in life to travel as much as possible. I’ve visited places far and wide, from cities in my home state of Florida to cities as far as Tokyo, Japan. In each one I’ve discovered something that shows me the wonders of life.

When you travel, you get to experience cultures far different from the one that you’re used to. You meet people who have different values and customs, but you also realize how much we all have in common.

The world has so much to offer us. Why constrain yourself to the world you know? Take that stroll under the stars.

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Photo by Zach Dischner

Cracking Creativity Episode 9: Crista Cloutier on The Working Artist, How to Build Relationships with Your Audience, and the Mindset Changes Necessary for Artists to Succeed

Crista Cloutier was a former art director at Segura Studio as well as the owner of her own art gallery. During her time there, she learned sales and how to build deep, lasting relationships with artists. She has now turned that knowledge into her own online art workshops as The Working Artist. In this episode, Crista shares an unbelievable amount of knowledge including how to build relationships with your audience, how she successfully funded her Indiegogo campaign, and the mindset changes necessary to succeed as an artist.

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Why Artists Should Listen to the Fizzle Show Podcast

The Fizzle Show is one of the best podcasts around. Even with all the other podcasts I have lined up, it is a must listen every week.

As an artist, I find it especially helpful. In my experience, artists cringe when thinking of their art as a business, but that’s exactly what artists need to become: businesses. That’s why I recommend The Fizzle Show to any artist who wants to make a living from their art. The show doesn’t cater to artists in particular, but the lessons artists can learn from the show are invaluable.

Here are ten reasons artists should listen to the the Fizzle Show:

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