Alyson Stanfield, Author at Art Biz Success

Seeking Inspiration While Topic Hopping

It’s Friday.

My calendar says “Writing Time.” Every Friday at this time is blocked out to write. I like going into my weekend knowing that I have written something that will contribute to next week’s newsletter and blog post.

I wish I could say it’s as easy as marking off to write, and it will happen.

It doesn’t always work that way for me. Actually, it rarely works that way for me.

Today I don’t feel like writing. I don’t feel like doing much of anything.

Everything seems to distract me. Do you know this feeling?

Seeking Inspiration While Topic Hopping Read

Have You Lost Friendships Because You Are An Artist? (Curious Monday)

Living the life as an artist is hard enough, but it’s made harder when those we’re close to don’t support us.

We need people around us who can support us emotionally – people who believe in our message to the world. It really stinks when friends and family don’t believe in our goals.

Have you lost friendships because people couldn’t support your life as an artist?

Have You Lost Friendships Because You Are An Artist? (Curious Monday) Read

Marcie Scudder's On This Very Day photograph

5 Recommendations for Online Success

It used to be that the only way artists knew to promote their art was to send 35-millimeter slide packets to a gallery. That was about $30 worth of slides with first-class postage and a return envelope with the same amount of postage.

It was expensive, and the packets often disappeared into the ether. Lots of money down the drain, and artists complained.

Now you can instantly promote your art through any number of online portals – for FREE!

Artists continue to complain because now there are too many options. You could spend all of your time online promoting your art instead of making it. Bad idea.

You’re an artist, and artists make art. Without the art, you have nothing to promote and no way to earn income from your art.

Instead of wasting a lot of time online, learn to spend your time wisely so that your efforts are rewarded and not squandered. Dedicate your online time to creating the most valuable content you can possibly share with your admirers.

Quality over quantity.

Here are 5 recommendations for content creation success, which lead to online success.

5 Recommendations for Online Success Read

How Do You Motivate Yourself to Finish a Project? (Curious Monday)

We all have projects that are part of our lives for longer than originally intended. The more we avoid them, the more monstrous they become.

Procrastination is in charge.

Today’s question …

How do you motivate yourself to finish up a project that has been hanging around the studio too long?

How to you face a project that you committed to, but no longer have any interest in?

How Do You Motivate Yourself to Finish a Project? (Curious Monday) Read

Presentation Tips for Your Art Talk

I recently helped Rob, my husband, with a presentation he was preparing on the topic of virtual reality.

Now, he’s a smart guy. He has a Ph.D. in mathematical physics, so he wasn’t asking me what I thought about his virtual reality angle. He had that covered.

He was seeking tips on how to take what he knew and massage it into a better presentation.

Here’s some advice I gave him, which might serve you.

Make It Visual

Bullet points are okay when your audience needs to write something down and remember it later. Otherwise, opt for visuals.

I use images as much as possible, but sometimes I make fun graphics out of words – sticking to my branding, of course.

You’re lucky! You so have this because your topic is inherently visual.

Most artists need only

Presentation Tips for Your Art Talk Read

What Is Your Morning Routine? (Curious Monday)

If you ever doubted that routines are important for doing strong creative work, read Twyla Tharp’s book, The Creative Habit.

What is your morning routine?

What do you do each morning without thinking? What do you wish you would be able to do in the mornings?

Do you rise and shine early? Or are you a late starter?

Respond on this first Curious Monday post.

What Is Your Morning Routine? (Curious Monday) Read

Someone Else Could – What To Delegate in Your Art Business

There’s a certain point in your business when you can’t grow without hiring someone.

Your work is in demand, and you sell the work as fast as you make it. This is a good problem to have, but it’s still a problem because you can’t keep up by yourself.

You’re creator, packer, shipper, marketer, janitor, and warrior rolled into one. You spend as much time in the studio as you can and perform ninja maneuvers to get all of the business stuff taken care of.

You don’t watch television, your family barely sees you, and you’re not getting enough sleep.

You’re maxed out! But you don’t feel like you can afford to hire help.

Here’s the thing: You can’t afford not to hire someone.

Your art business will never grow if you continue doing everything yourself.

It’s not just you who hesitates to get help. Very rarely does an entrepreneur feel like it’s the right time to hire new people because there’s never “extra” cash lying around. It’s a catch 22: you don’t have surplus funds, but you’ve reached your limit on what you can accomplish alone.

If you believe in your work, it’s time to take risks.

When my clients reach this point of frustration, I encourage them to start keeping a list of everything they do in their businesses that someone else could do.

It’s even better if you start this list before you reach this point. You don’t have to go out and find someone right away. Just start the list. I’ll help.

Someone Else Could – What To Delegate in Your Art Business Read

3 Simple Actions To Avoid The Tax Time Crazies

Even if you work with a bookkeeper and accountant, as I do, there’s still much work to be done this time of year.

Every year I learn something new at tax time that I wish I had known in advance – insights that would have made the filing process much easier.

These three actions are a compilation of what I’ve learned from my experiences and those of my clients, which should eliminate some of the crazies around tax time.

1. Take charge of your business finances.

Don’t rely on a spouse to take care of your business finances. You, as CEO and CFO of your art career, need to know how to manage the money. You must take 100% responsibility for your future.

As sad as it is, I’ve heard many stories about people being duped out of their life savings by spouses who made poor financial decisions. These weren’t features in the paper or characters in a television exposé. These were artists and clients.

At the same time,

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21 Mindless But Productive Tasks for When Genius Takes a Hike

Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could call up your genius whenever you needed it?

Hey, genius! Help me out with writing this article, please.

What would be even more amazing is if Genius would come running whenever you issued this command.

But Genius runs on its own time and has a pretty smart mouth.

My Genius lets me know who is boss:

I’m tired. Leave me alone.
You really should have used me when I was in better form. You know … like 6:00 a.m. That’s my power hour.
Are you kidding me? You spend the last four hours doing diddly-squat and now you expect me to drop everything and run to your rescue?
Hey, lady! I worked hard for you today. I’m entitled to stupid time.

Stupid time. That’s what I call the hours when my brain can’t make sense out of words or come up with a single creative idea.

I imagine Genius is taking a hike, sweating it out at hot yoga, or gulping down a green smoothie. You know, because Genius is Genius. She doesn’t need naps. She only needs to refuel.

Whatever happened to Genius, I’m left alone to endure stupid time.

And then there is someone else’s time. This becomes an issue when

21 Mindless But Productive Tasks for When Genius Takes a Hike Read

Your Artist Newsletter Delivers Trust

I sent my first email newsletter on March 25, 2002.

When I started, there was one other email newsletter that I was aware of that was published to help artists build their businesses.

If you had told me that I’d still be writing it in 2016, I would have questioned your sanity. And then I would have questioned my own for starting.

I’ve been delivering this content every week for 14 years. Every. Single. Week.
I’ve never missed an issue. (Knock on wood.)

I’ve come close. Some editions are down to the wire, as I feel pressure to publish high-quality content in an increasingly noisy environment.

What’s The Big Deal?

If I skipped a week here and there, you probably wouldn’t miss it, but you might wonder if I am serious about nurturing a relationship with you.

You might question whether or not I’m “the real thing” or just another fly-by-night person thinking she has the chops to coach artists about their careers and businesses.

Here’s the thing:

Your Artist Newsletter Delivers Trust Read

Alyson Stanfield