School of Creative Business - Creative Entrepreneurship

Fun New Site: dumpr.net

Read about this cool site and the Febuary/March issue of Digital Scrapbooking. It is really easy to use and dumpr.net has other cool techniques. Go check them out for yourself. And have a little fun on me.

Art Museum by dumpr.net

Birthday Digital Scrapbook Page

Sent this image to a friend on his birthday. I thought it would be better than sending a ecard. Since I waited unitl the last mintue to send something, a digital scrapbook page seem to be the right and easy thing to do. This page was created using scrapblog. I just love this site. Try it out for yourself, if you have not yet.

Authentic - Word for the Month

 AUTHENTIC

1. Conforming to fact and therefore worthy of trust, reliance, or belief

2. Having a claimed and verifiable origin or authorship; not counterfeit or copied

Authentic to me describes the love between two people. Love is genuine and it can not be reproduced by technology.  When you fall in love, it becomes a process of showing your true self , free from distractions and distrust. Your lover has proven himself/herself to be trustworthy of that love. Sorta fitting for Febuary, right?

The word authentic is powerful. Artist use the word to describe many things close to their hearts.

Check out Shepard Fairey's view on the on being authentic on the CBS evening news as it relates to his artwork and his view of our new 44th president. Shepard Fairey is a famed street artist who created the iconic image of Obama that has been seen almost everywhere. He was commissioned to create the official 2009 inauguration poster.  

I created two 5x7 collages for the word Authentic. The collages consist of a vintage photo of an African American couple. I love these two! I tend to use them a lot in my collages.  The looks on their faces are priceless. They look to be a couple who have spent many years together. The wisdom that beams from them inspired me to create these 5x7 collages.

 

In these two collages I was able to use a technique that I learn from a  YouTube video with om Tim Holtz. I used Ranger distressed ink pads. Which gave me this aged, vintage style. The remaining of the artwork was created with layering scrap images.   

Staying Focus on your Creative Business

Now that you have set some goals for your creative business. It is now time to switch gears. When you start a business it is important to develop a personal style for your business. This would include a mission statement and a company brand identity.

Mission Statement

A mission statement is a brief description of a company's fundamental purpose, it articulates the company's purpose both for those in the organization and for the public. In my post about Why to Create a Personal Mission Statement  I wrote about how to create a mission statement. Go back to that post if you have not created a mission for your company. Once you have a mission statement for your business you are then ready to establish your company's personal brand .  

Company Brand

A company's  brand allows you to communicate a message about your artwork. Your company's  brand is an idea, not a product, logo, or business card. Although these items are key elements in establishing a brand identity, they are not the main elements. Amy Butler and Lotta Jansdotter do a great job in creating a brand image for their companies. A clear brand image will serve as an important key to your company's success. Your brand will help you to clearly and consistently define, express and communicate who you are, whom you serve, and why you have chosen to dedicate your life to becoming an artist.

Think about what you want your company to represent and how it can be reflected in your website, business card, logo,and package design. Consistency is the key. Make sure the same colors and typefaces are used in all of your promotional items. Formulate an image that reflects your company's personality but will also be appealing to your potential customers.

Once you have established a brand identify- Getting feedback from your friends and colleagues is an important step toward ensuring that the intended idea is accurately communicated. 

My Brand- I create artwork that celebrates the memories of family

                       and friends who we love and adore.

So, What do you want your clients to say about your company or product? Then this becomes your brand. Stand by this - and create your marketing materials to reflect your brand.

Weekly Reflections

January 19- 24

What did I do this week?

This week, we had a little snow. Not anything serious- but it did cause some delays in class times. Also this week was a holiday- MLK- so I did not have to teach class on Monday. I worked on a few projects and just rested.

Returned to work this week to realize that I had not titled or priced any of my collages for the Black Male Image -Reworked show at the Art Institute of Charlotte. I guess I just got caught up in my personal life.

Finally got a hair cut- I've  been growing my hair out for about 3 year. Friday I walked into the salon and told my hairdresser that it was time for a hair cut.  I was not brave enough to it cut short- just layers. (I will share pictures soon.)

Went to see a great movie- Fireproof.  This inspirational movie will be released on DVD on January 27, 2009. Just in case you are interested in seeing it. This movie  has inspired me to start a new project. Will be sharing with you guys soon- hopefully.

What did I feel this week? 

Joyous - Relaxed- Positive

What am I grateful for this week?

I am grateful this week that I am an American. I knew we could make a change, but actually seeing it makes me feel wonderful that old ways of thinking can be remove and that if we stick together we can make any thing impossible - possible!

That I am able to learn from my mistakes and is willing to change. Yes, We Can Change!

What challenged me this week?

Organizing my time so I could get some things done.

How did or can I overcome that challenge(s)?

I  created a weekly schedule that has helped a lot with organizing my personal , business and artist life. I was finally able to manage to do a 30 minute workout.

What did I savor this week?

Be able to laughing at myself with friends.

 

 

16 things About Me You May or May Not Know

1. Nominated "Most Mischievous" in High schooll. Really don't know how I was nominated for that- maybe because I was quiet and kept to myself!!!

2. Every dog I have owned- have been poodles. I guess it was my calling to become a  Sigma Gamma Rho.

3. If I had been a boy, my mom would have named my Christopher Bernard. Glad she had a girl because I like Alease Michelle a lot better.

4. I am naturally an introvert- but I have taught myself to be more of extrovert when my career calls for it.

5. Favorite movie as a child - "The 10 Commandments". Favorite movie as an adult- 'Love Jones"

6. I hate things turned on an angle. I like everything straight and vertical. Does that mean I might be a little OCD?

7. I am allergic to grapes. Does anyone have any suggestions of any good apple wines? Do they exist?

8. I teach fashion, but rarely look at any fashion related magazines. I just adore the home decorating ones.

9. I collect magnets from every city I visit. I have collection of about 50+. So if you are planning to take a trip- bring me a magnet back.

10. In 8th grade , at least once a week I wore my Michael Jackson Thriller jacket, grey parachute pants and grey soft bottom jazz shoes.  So 1980's!!

11. Can say hello in 3 languages - Make it 4... English (a given), Spanish, German and Swahili

12. In college, I interned at the South Carolina State House.

13. Specialized in printmaking in college.

14. Played the role of a drug addict in a community play.

15. Not fond of clowns. There is something about the white face and the painted on smile that scares me. Go Figure!

16. I do not like ice cream, it makes me thirsty!

 

Peace and Love, Alease

5 Steps Toward Thinking about Your Career as an Artist

There is a process to creating artwork, so why not think of your career as an artist with a process? What is your process in creating a successful career?  I pondered this same thought. But not until I read  Darren Rowse's post - 5 steps for Planning the Direction of Your Blog in 2009, did I realize that I could use these same steps in planning my career as an artist.

Use the following 5 steps to help you plan your career as an artist.

1. Define your Mission.

In October, 08 I wrote a post on creating a  personal mission for yourself, this still remains true. Having a mission for your art career confirms your purpose as an artist.

2. Create a Vision.

Where do you see your career going in the next year? Write it out, and this becomes your vision statement.

3. Set Goals.

  Write down 3 to 4 goals on how you plan to achieve your vision. Make sure your goals are realistic and attainable.

4. A Strategy.

What do you need to do to make sure you reach your goals? This will require you to make some changes to what you are currently doing. It may mean taking additional courses to enhance your craft, change medium, creating a detail schedule, hiring an assistant, etc. Overall establishing a strategic plan for your art career is going to require some changes.

5. Action Plan.

This is more about what actions you are going to do to get you closer to goals, which in turn, will help you achieve your vision. The key word in this step, is DO. Your action plan statements should be doable. If one of your goals were to showcase artwork in more galleries, then your action plan would be to send out 3 gallery packets a week. So plan your action and make them doable.

These five steps may seem a little to much, but we artist have to stop thinking that things will just happen. We got to take a more pro-active approach to the success of our craft.

Live With a Purpose and Make Things Happen.

 

 

Working Artist Schedule

This is my schedule for Winter Quarter, 2009. Click on the schedule to get a larger view.  It is subject to change as unexpected things come up, but for the most part I should be able to stay on task. Creating a schedule for some may seem unrealistic, but honestly it has really helped me stay focus. When I get up in morning, the first thing I see is my schedule. (I have it taped to my bathroom mirror.)  

Let’s be clear, I am not recommending that everyone create a detail schedule like mine, but I am suggesting that you as an up incoming successful artist create some kind of schedule to help you focus on your goals.

My weekly reflection post will serve as my way of sharing with you guys what I am actually doing and how well it is going.  I will post my reflections on Sunday or by Monday morning.

Weekly Reflections - January 12 -18

January 12- 18

What did i do this week?

Two gallery shows were installed. One showcasing old work Rites of Passage-at Davidson Community College and another showcasing new work- The Black Male Reworked at the Art Institute of Charlotte.  I will be posting a workshop schedule very soon.

I had class this weekend in Atlanta. I spent 8 hours in one class learning about Qualitative research. It was bunches of fun.(Just Kidding). I have to say I learned a lot.

Back to teaching. It was a little hard getting back into the teaching groove. I teach 3 evening course, but the trade off is that, I have no 8 AM classes. YEAH!

Met with a few clients to discuss their 2009 goals and design project needs.

 

What did I feel week?

Drained from teaching evening classes.

Overwhelmed with the different emotions that one person can have in a day.

Insecure about the future- not able to control the situation and for a control freak this can be a big issue.

What am I grateful for this week?

That I am alive. I am sooo blessed to know that God has given me another week to experience what the week had to bring. Life is Good!

 

What challenged me this week?

Teaching 3 evening courses- but it's all good. By week 3- It will be easy as pie. Hopefully :)!

Taking care of house hold task.

Being honest with my feeling- working hard on this one.

Fitting in some type of exercise into my schedule.

 

How did or can I  overcome that challenge(s)?

I overcame the challenge of being honest with feelings by coming out straight and saying what I needed to say without fear of hurting the other person's feelings.

The household task and lack of exercise challenge has sorta been resolved by creating a daily action plan for the week. Creating a schedule allows me to see my entire week. I will share my schedule with you in my next post.  

What did I savor this week?

Allowing myself to experience and enjoy having someone  help me when I need help.

Questions to Ponder, As You Look Back on Your Career As An Artist

I was reading  How to reflect on the progress of your blog on Problogger.com and realized that the advice given on reflecting on your blog could also be used on reflecting on an artist career. How does an artist begin this process? Below are a list of questions to help you as an artist to reflect. It is recommended that you take a few hours to do this exercise(a hour long over a few days). This sounds like alot of time, but it can be extremely beneficial to the success of your artist career.

Background Questions

1. What goals  did you have for your artist career? 
2. What goals did you meet?
3. What successes did you met that was not on your goals list?
4. Which goals did you not met for last year?
5. What mistakes did you make as an artist?
6. Would YOU buy your own artwork?

Exposure

1. Where were the places your work was shown?
2. What was the biggest source of income? Why was it big?
3. What shows did not generate income ? Why?
4. Where and when did you promote your art?
5. Did the promotion pay off?

Artwork

1. How many pieces of artwork did you create in 2008?
2. Which months did you create the most work?  
3. Which posts had the most traffic in 2009? Why do you think that was?
4. What pieces of your artwork eenergized you in 2008?
5. Which artwork drained you most?
6. What type of artwork have you been producing?
7. How much time did you put into working on your artwork?
8. What ‘need’ does your artwork create for clients ?

Client Interactions

1. What recurring questions did your clients or gallery owners ask in 2008?
2. Are request from commissioned or artwork increased or decreased?
3. How much personal interaction did you have with clients in 2008? 

Your Art Style

1. Is your style of art growing or shrinking?
2. What artists within or around your art style are growing and gaining momentum?
3. Are they growing or shrinking in terms of exposure on the web, magazines and galleries?
4. What are other artists in your art style ignoring or doing badly?
5. How were your interactions with other artists this year?
6. What social media sites, forums or other types of sites are ‘hot’ in your art style?
7. Does your art style energize you?

Self Promotion

1. How does your website, logo, business card or marketing packets look compared to other artist?
2. Are they outdated, confusing , does not relate to your current art style?
3. Is there clutter anywhere on your blog, website, portfolio, business card?
4. Does your website or blog load fast?
5. When a first time viewer of your website, blog , portfolio, ,marketing packet, logo, business card , what impression would they get?
6. Would a first time viewer immediately know what type of artwork you do by looking at your self-promotion items?  
7. What complaints have you heard most about your design from viewers this year?

Making Money 

1. How much did you earn from your artwork in 2008?
2. Are your earnings up or down from previous years?
3. What lessons did you learn about what methods of making money works best from your artwork?
4. What didn’t work in 2008 when it comes to making money from your artwork?
5. What are other artist  in your art style using to make money ?

Maintenance

1. Is your portfolio , website, or blog up to date?
2. What technical software are other artist using to enhance their artwork or art business?
3. What technical software are other artist not using and you are still using?  
4. When was the last time you took pictures of your artwork ?
5. Is your hosting sufficient for your website/blog? 

OK - I think that is enough for now. Try to answer these questions honestly and direct. I have to say this is a great way to reflect on your life as an artist.

Next week, after you’ve had a little time to do some of this reflecting, I want to follow up with this by  outlining a process that I learned from Problogger.com for planning and coming up with strategies.