By Carolyn Edlund

Artist Stephanie Paige uses a smart technique to sell her mixed media work. How this can help your sales, too.

Take a look at how Southern California artist Stephanie Paige shows her large scale mixed media artwork on her website. Visitors have the option of seeing her work in a traditional view, as shown below, but she also offers a professional photo of a room scene including the piece as well.

Rebirth 40" x 89" x 2", Mixed Media

See how effectively the room view helps to show the scale and impact of her work? Stephanie says her customers love it.

She says, “Using the images in a room setting has really helped my clients get a real good feel for what it will look like. I also have clients all over the world send me photos of their room wanting to see what it will look like before they purchase my work.”

Big retailers like Art.com have long offered this type of service on their sites. They know that showing art in it’s environment (as well as changeable wall colors, frames and mats) helps prospective customers visualize how the art could work in their own home or office, and can make a huge difference in closing the sale.

It’s difficult enough to make a purchase of fine art online, since it’s so much more “real” in person. Just think how this helpful technique could enhance your own art sales!

By Carolyn Edlund

Media outlets are hungry for stories, and artists make for good stories.

The general public is curious about the life and work of artists. After all, you’re an incredibly creative individual doing something they could only dream about. So you are in a strong position to be noticed fairly easily and get your story in print. How you go about doing it makes the difference in getting significant publicity for yourself and your art.

My advice to artists who want to get publicity (or sell their work, for that matter) is:

Remove barriers to the process and make it easy to say “Yes.”

Let’s explore how you can do this effectively to get media attention. Lots of it, in regular doses.

Know your story. You could write a press release that you are showing your work in such-and-such exhibition, which is the 14^th Annual blah blah blah . . . and you may or may not get a mention in various publications. But that isn’t your story. Your story is real and authentic and it appeals to other people.

When you understand how to tell a compelling story about yourself and your work, you can use it to reach readers emotionally. What is fascinating about your work and your subject matter? What experiences have you had, and what inspires you? What huge, devastating mistakes have you made? How did you triumph over them? What do you passionately care about? Give your story careful thought and hone it thoroughly before you submit anything to anybody.

Become the story. When you really pursue press attention, you don’t just want a passing mention. You want to become the subject of a news story, to be interviewed by a reporter, and have great images of yourself and your work included to make it even more exciting and readable.

• When you submit a press release of a compelling story to suitable publications, and follow up promptly, you make it easy for them to say “Yes.”
• When you invite the reporter to your studio, or offer additional materials about your work, you remove barriers to their process.
• When you send them gorgeous professionally-shot photos of your work, and of you working in the studio, they will be thrilled that you made it so easy.

Submit to the right publications. What is your specialty? What themes do you work in? You could pursue local or national press, a niche publication, or even a trade journal. Where would you like to see your story published? Make a list, and continue to email press releases to them on a regular basis. Then, follow up consistently.

Kick it up a notch. Submit your images and information for other stories that will appear in publications by checking out their editorial calendar, and finding upcoming articles which relate to your work. Why should they include you?  Because you did your homework, and you’re just the perfect fit for their article.

Become a source. You could hire a publicist, or subscribe to HARO and pitch your own story to the press when you find a request that’s right up your alley. Find an angle to relate your art, your passion and your story to their needs.

Write your own articles. Become a guest blogger to get exposure and create backlinks to your own website. Many artists trade posts with each other. Check out MyBlogGuest to connect to opportunities. And be sure to visit Jon Morrow’s GuestBlogging.com for great tips on using this technique to grow your visibility.

Persistence is key to getting results. They don’t happen overnight. Make your efforts to get publicity for your work and your art career a regular part of your schedule, and don’t give up. You will end up with a number of press mentions and articles that will enhance your reputation and your business.

Before addressing why people buy your art, let’s take a look at who is doing the buying. So many of us think we’re selling to the masses, but that’s hardly true. It may look that way at most local art and craft fairs, but in reality functional crafts sell to only about 5% of the public at large, and fine art and sculpture sell to about 2%. Let’s look into the minds of this small slice of humanity:

What’s the secret to an artist’s success? The right mindset and a lot of hard work. Let’s get started . . .

Lesley Riley is an internationally known artist, teacher and author with a passion for spreading the magic of art. While she likes to make things, she now devotes her time to making things happen for other artists through her company, Artist Success. Lesley provides resources, creativity management, coaching and mentoring to artists, enabling them to achieve their vision of success.

AS: Lesley, you oftentimes work with client on their mindset and thinking about the bigger picture of what they can achieve. What does that mean? 

LR: Any artist can have the kind of success they dream of, but so many believe that it is an impossibility or out of their reach. That’s called thinking small and is a result of self-limiting beliefs.  What holds many artists back is acting small. Taking the actions that propel you towards your dreams are often difficult and scary and the process seems overwhelming. There are so many things that hold your back – confidence, courage, know-how, commitment and self-worth. I help artists see what’s possible and then we work to break it down into doable steps.

AS: What do you find that artists struggle with most in stretching themselves to grow their businesses?

LR: Discipline.  If you don’t treat making your art as a job, then it becomes your hobby. You cannot expect to make a living or grow your business with a hobby mindset.

Having a successful career as an artist is no different than working 9-5 at McDonalds or a desk job. You show up and work in order to keep your job so you will get paid.  Being disciplined sounds counter-intuitive to creativity, imagination and artistic endeavors, but it really is the key to creating the success you desire. Show up in the studio on a regular and consistent basis.

To make success happen, you need a plan, a marketing plan. And then you need to take consistent action on that plan. Lack of time is not an excuse. Small blocks of time add up to success. I know. I built my art career with 5 children at home and an almost full-time job.

AS: Galleries are closing and the market is getting tougher out there. What recommendations do you have for artists who want to increase their income?

LR: My recommendations:

• Sell smaller works on Etsy
• Teach an online class or one 1-day workshops
• Barter for services
• Create affordable table art: paint or mount work on 5 x 5 or 8 x 8 gallery wrap canvases
• Sell a small ‘artwork of the month’ subscription series of your work
• Add a Pinterest link to the art on your site so others can publicize it for you
• Figure out your unique factor and build your brand around it. Then market it.

AS: Please tell us about your speaking engagements and your workshops.

LR: I speak to groups and teach 1 and 3-day workshops based on my Artist Success Action Plan (ASAP). If you haven’t realized it by now, taking action is the key to success. Just as I do with my private coaching clients, I break down the necessary steps into accessible and doable actions, add in the mindset and guide artists towards achieving their personal vision of success.

By Carolyn Edlund

Start 2012 with renewed energy and a resolve to make this your most successful year ever.

1. Face the truth. Be kind to yourself, but honest. Are you satisfied with this past year? Were there things that went undone? You can’t change the past, but you can acknowledge where you are now, so that you can move forward and . . .
2. Make a bodacious plan.  Then, become accountable for it. That means you have to get really clear. Create a vivid mental picture of your big goal for the coming year. How does it look, feel, and sound to achieve it? This type of clarity and planning will help you . . .
3. Step into action. Big goals might seem unmanageable. Break them down into smaller goals, on a quarterly, monthly or even weekly basis. Work backwards from your desired result and resolve to take action today. What can you do now to start the momentum? Today is the first day of the rest of your art career.  And remember . . .
4. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Have you screwed things up? Yes, you have. No matter your level of education, chances are you took a few credits at the School of Hard Knocks. You remember well the lessons learned then, because you had the guts to take risks and try something new. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to . . .
5. Be true to yourself. If you want to sell your work, you have to understand your customer, and their interests. But you don’t have to try to become what you think they want you to be. Your inspiration comes from the heart and your creative mind. When you express yourself authentically, you will be fulfilled and happier with your work. One crucial part of that happiness is to resolve to . . .
6. Give up the negative self-talk. You have the power to improve the quality of your art, become a better businessperson, and achieve success. The biggest thing holding you back besides fear is a negative belief system. Shed any tendency you may have to put yourself down or give up. Actively cultivate a positive mindset. Part of that is to . . .
7. Hang out with the right people. The right people are those who support you, even at your very worst. Your true friends. Hang onto them. Unfriend the naysayers and the vampires who drain your energy, creativity and happiness. And then . . .
8. Resolve not to be jealous of others. This one is tough because there is a lot of really great artwork out there and sometimes you feel small. Want to know a secret? There are many people out there who are jealous of you! It’s true. Most men and women commute to work each day to a job they don’t like, feeling unfulfilled and uninspired. The life of an artist is like a dream to them. So, smile and . . .
9. Give yourself credit.  What you are doing is hard, and you have to make your own way in a very competitive business. Most people out there couldn’t do it. But it’s also fun, challenging and rewarding. So . . .
10. Be grateful. Why? Because you have the best job in the whole world. This is a marvelous gift you have given to yourself. Be grateful that you have the talent, inspiration and passion to follow your dream.

Now, go out there and rock your art business this year!