Do You Reveal Your Politics? (Curious Monday)
Things are heating up in the presidential race and online.
And it’s getting nasty. One client asked me how I deal with reading about it all in my Facebook feed and I said, I don’t. I really don’t read my feed much. It’s too upsetting. I can connect with my students and clients through our private groups, where the energy is much more positive.
What’s right for you?
Do you take a stand publicly for your political opinions? (You don’t have to tell us what they are.)
Where do you draw the line?
Do you find yourself getting trapped in political conversations on social media?
Opening Lines at Art Openings: Starting a Conversation
It’s easy to meet people when you’re at an opening of your own art because you’re the host or hostess. Your job is to meet everyone and to introduce your guests to one another.
Not true when you’re the guest at someone else’s opening. When you don’t have a role to play, it’s uncomfortable to force yourself to meet people.
And, yet, you know it’s important.
Students in my Art Career Success System understand how critical it is to meet more people. New relationships might lead to opportunities, sales, and lifelong fans.
So what do you do? How do you start a conversation with a stranger without getting sick to your stomach?
Alyson to the rescue! Below is a list of conversation starters that you can start practicing immediately.
You don’t even have to be at an opening to begin. Try talking to
Should My Hometown Deaccession Public Sculpture of Lesser Quality? (Curious Monday)
There’s an art controversy in my sleepy little hometown of Golden, Colorado.
Six bronze sculptures have been recommended for deaccession from the City’s collection. The reasoning:
– They were mass produced in China.
– They are judged to be of lesser quality.
– They are signed by “fake” artists. No one can find an artist by these names.
And, yet, many people love these pieces.
I’m curious about what you think.
Balancing Studio Time with Business Time (Curious Monday)
Know that you are not alone in wanting to know the answer to this question.
It’s asked of me so often that I thought I’d throw it out to you.
Loyal reader Tami Bone put it this way …
How do other artists juggle or balance studio time with time to focus on marketing and business?
I find the switching back and forth to be difficult, and it seems I need full days to focus on one or the other.
So, what say you?
How do you find the balance? How do you divide your time between business and making art?
What Are You Reading This Summer? (Curious Monday)
When I heard about Architecture’s Odd Couple, the new bio about Frank Lloyd Wright and Philip Johnson, I couldn’t wait to read it.
I have a thang for architecture, and reading about the friendly rivalry between these two opposites was too appealing to pass up.
It’s my summer reading.
What’s on your list?
Nestle In to Your Artist Community
As a student of art history, I love reading about communities of artists that evolved organically over the centuries. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall in the Cedar Tavern in the 1940s and 50s!
Oh, to have been a fly on the wall in the Cedar Tavern in the 1940s and 50s!
I believe that an artist’s work is better when there are other artists around to question, critique, challenge, and, yes, to praise.
Artists’ communities are all around. Among other spots, you’ll find artists’ communities in:
- Coffee shops and bars
- Residencies
- Classes and workshops
- Conferences and events
- Online (pick your favorite spot)
- Studio spaces
- Creative workspaces
Search for a group where you feel at home and nestle in. If you come up empty, you can always start your own.
The Value of Community
There are at least 5 key reasons to seek out and become an active part of an artists’ community.
