Feeling a Sense of Lack? A Pep Talk

We’re all living under a new set of parameters right now. And, for the immediate future, it has me wondering what will happen in my creative community of artists and makers, and how we’ll find new ways to deal with showing and selling our work. 

Although I have concerns, that feeling of uncertainty is fleeting for me. I know that because as artists and makers, we’re inherently creative and great at finding alternative ways to work that support us. 

We are total problem solvers. 

We CAN figure out solutions to our problems. 

If we start to work within these new constraints, it might lead to new ways of being an artist for each of us. It might mean we discover amazing new techniques because we have to use what’s on hand. 

It might mean more exhibitions because they’re all online now and shipping costs of delicate work isn’t a concern. It might mean that we meet the right collectors because we’re learning how to connect with people online. 

It might mean more eyes on our work and opportunities that result from all the people that are looking at art online right now. 

It might mean that we learn how to sell our work on social media because it becomes easier with everyone spending more time looking for ways to bring beauty to their home sanctuaries. 

Yes, working within these limitations will bring unexpected outcomes. Maybe not all of them will be negative? Maybe many of them can be helpful. 

For example, I’ve already seen a painter cut open a tube of black paint that she found to be nearly dried out. This wasn’t part of her plan but she decided to work with what she had. So she made a palette painting with slightly clumpy paint that wound-up looking great. Yep, totally outside of her comfort zone but it was new and fresh technique that she learned and now she has a fun new painting to go with it. 

I remember when I was a college student with barely any money and I had to figure out how to create a photo project for my final with one box of photo paper because that’s all I could afford. At the time it was happening, I just felt like, “If I only had more paper, this project would be amazing.” I could only see the lack I had. 

But, looking at the final project when it was complete, I could see that it was innovative and fresh. And my monetary and supply constraints were a major contributor. They made me work with more focus. I had to be clear in my goals because I didn’t have materials to spare.

Maybe you’ve experienced a moment like this? 

Where working with limitations actually allowed for something better to happen than if you didn’t have those constraints to work within? Can you remember a time when you didn’t have enough resources but you found a way through?  

Looking to your past experiences can help to calm your brain by showing it proof that you’ll be okay because you’ve dealt with similar situations in the past. You and I can find our way through tough times. And we may find a few silver linings along the way.

Pop into the comments to let me know how working with constraints has helped you in the past. I encourage you to post there because your experience may help another artist to get through trying times and find their silver linings. 

Remember, you CAN do this. 

Cheers,

Kate

The Key to Selling Art That You Maybe Missing - Part 3

You’re serious about finally getting your work out there. You know it’s sellable but you’re not so sure how to do it. 

If this is you, know that I hear you. I know how frustrating this can be. That’s why I let you in on the key to selling art that you might be missing over three articles. 

In the first part, I share that the secret to selling art is to regularly connect with people. And what the gold standard is for doing this. Although the method for this sounds far too straightforward to be real, it works. 

In the second part, I share another way to connect with your audience by truly engaging with them online. I even give a  dead-easy formula for doing this.

After using this method for social media engagement, one reader said that 5 out of 6 people gave thoughtful replies to her comments on their social media posts. Links to both parts are at the end of this article.  

Today, I’m sharing a third way to genuinely connect with collectors, gallerists and your audience so you can get more eyes on your work and sell more of it. About 95% of artists who say they want to sell more work, don’t do this one thing but if they did, they’d have a tool to always find people who are interested in their work.  

This tool is more important than being on social media. And, it’s an easy way to ask for someone to buy your work without having to do it in-person. 

Are you ready for it? 

The third way that is most effective to connect with people to get your art shown and sell more of it is to email your collectors, gallerists and supporters on a regular basis to update them with the work you’re doing. 

Building an email list, and then sending to it, is one of THE MOST POWERFUL TOOLS you can ever have. 

People who are on your list like you enough to say, yes, email me with news about your work. That’s a big deal in this day and age. They’ve trusted you with their inbox because they want you to talk to them about your art. 

A mailing list trumps social media because you own it and have control over it. Whereas at any moment, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram could disappear. You have no control over what their business does that might negatively impact you, like massively changing algorithms that take traffic away from your posts. And if that’s the only way you’re building your art career, it’s like putting all of your eggs into one basket.

So, adding an email list into your mix of business tools is a smart move. 

Time to take ACTION! 

First sign up for MailChimp or another email services provider. They offer templates to make you look good and they handle unsubscribes. They also keep you in good standing with SPAM laws. 

It can be a different email service provider but no need to overthink it. I recommend MailChimp because I’ve used it so I know it works. And it’s free for up to 2,000 subscribers (nope, I’m not an affiliate). 

Once you have a mailing service in place, it’s time to send updates to your audience so you can build and grow your relationship with them. 

Once a month is the bare minimum that I recommend for my clients. And, anywhere from two per month up to weekly is better. If you’re not already sending monthly, start there. It’s fun to connect with people in this way and it can help you sell more of your work! 

Let me know in the comments if you’re opposed to the idea, or if you’ve taken the leap and signed up for an email service and how often you’re planning to send an email update to your audience. 

Here’s to you connecting with new people and strengthening the relationships you have so you can get more eyes on your work, have more fun with it and make more sales! 

Cheers,

Kate

P.S. Click here to read Part 1 or here to read Part 2 of The Key to Selling Art That You Maybe Missing so you can have all three proven ways to connect with people in your practice.

The Key to Selling Art That You Maybe Missing - Part 2

You’re making good art and you're dedicated to your craft. Your skills are constantly growing and it shows in each piece that you create. 

You’re ready to exhibit your work more at better venues as well as sell it more often. 

In my last article I shared that the secret to doing this with your art is to regularly connect with people. Even though it sounds too simple to be true, it’s THE best way to sell your work and get it shown.

And, the gold standard for doing this is to go out and meet people in real life to share what you do. The reason it’s the gold standard is because it feels authentic to talk with another human about art and life and everything in between. No one ever feels like they’re being sold. And you already have experience doing that kind of thing. 

Now, I know meeting with people in person isn’t everyone’s favorite thing to do and it can be time consuming to have lunch with someone everyday of the week so I’m sharing a second way for you to genuinely connect with your friends, collectors, gallerists and community that is doable and doesn’t have to feel yucky or like the dreaded word, “networking.”

So, here it is. The second way to connect with your community.

Engage with them online.

Yep, the second way to genuinely connect with people is to engage with them online in places where you both already are hanging out, like Facebook and Instagram. This saves you tons of time and it capitalizes on those conversational, in-person skills that you already have. 

I feel you quietly telling me that you’re already doing this. And that you spend enough hours on social media already. So my question is, are those productive online hours or is it time that’s spent consuming instead of creating relationships? 

Let’s look at a great way to interact online so you can have a meaningful conversation and add to your relationship with whomever is on the other side of the screen. 

For the artists I work with, engaging with people online means more than “liking” a post. Real engagement on social media means you follow people and get notifications when they post. It means that you comment on their posts with real comments. Words long enough that reflect what you might actually say to them in real life. 

For example, so many people leave one word comments or a few emoji’s. This is a great first step to engage with people on social media. But if you really want to connect with people online that you enjoy and want to build a relationship with, like collectors, shop owners, designers, gallerists, etc., leaving that kind of short comment won’t get you noticed. 

Leaving a three sentence comment will. This is the kind of comment you’d say to someone in real life if they were standing in front of you. You might even ask a question. 

Letting people know what resonates with you and what you’re curious about is a great formula for creating comments that engage. 

Here’s an example social media comment before and after applying the 3 Sentence Rule: 

Before:
“cool”

After applying the 3 Sentence Rule: 
 “Thanks for posting this! I love the broken edges in your work. Do all of your paintings use encaustic or just this series?”

Which comment would you prefer to get on a post?

3 Sentence Rule Checklist:

• Three sentences?

• Did I let them know what was resonating with me? 

• Did I show my curiosity and interest in their work?

Engaging like this on social media is great for you because you’re building a relationship with a real person, even though it’s online. We’re meeting and making friends online more than ever. And building meaningful bonds that way, too. Engaging online is an opportunity for every artist to find their kindred spirits no matter how large or small their niche of art seems. 

It’s also helpful for the person you’re interacting with because the more comments and engagement they get on a post, the algorithms share their post to more people. That means more eyes on their work and the things they want to promote in the world. 

Time to take ACTION! 

If you’d like to see how this works and try it out, hop on over to Facebook or Instagram and leave FIVE three-sentence comments. After you do that, come back and let me know in the comments how many responses you got. 

Here’s to your taking action to sell and show your art! 

Cheers,

Kate

P.S. Click here to read Part 1 or here to read Part 3 of The Key to Selling Art That You Maybe Missing so you can have all three proven ways to connect with people in your practice.

The Key to Get Collectors Excited About Your Art

What’s one thing that you love most about your work?

Instead of asking you what’s one thing that’s different or unique about your work, it’s more impactful for you ***and your audience*** to know more about what you LOVE about your work. 

This is because when your passion and excitement for what you do comes through, it’s contagious. Your excitement for your work sparks excitement for buyers, gallerists and your community that are listening to what you’re sharing. 

So if you love the systematic approach behind your work, the color mixing, the flow you get into, or the oddly satisfying way that paint flows off of the brush and onto the paper, start sharing that. 

For me, I absolutely LOVE how you can watch an image develop before your very eyes in photography. I’ve always felt like it was magic. First there’s nothing on the paper and then you start to see hints of something happening. Before you know it, you can recognize the images that are surfacing. And I’m never bored by this part of the process. That quiet, slow reveal is always delivers - even if I don’t fall head over heels with the final print. 

People buy work from an emotional place. Getting to know what you love most about the work is a key way to bring collectors into your world and to appreciate your work even more. It tells a piece of your story that’s very compelling.

So, what’s one thing you love about your work? Let me know in the comments. 

And, if you want to take more action, copy and paste that into Facebook and Instagram posts. It should take you no more than five minutes, right? 

Know that I’m joining you in posting my favorite thing about my work on my social networks, too. 

Here’s to you sharing what you do and love most! 

Cheers,

Kate