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 Selling Art That You Maybe Missing -Part 1

How would you like to sell more of your work? Maybe get a few more shows, too? 

You make really good work. It’d be nice to bring in enough money to cover the cost of your supplies. And it’d be even better to sell a bit more than that, right? 

So, I'm going to let you in on a secret. There is a great way to do it. It’s pretty straight forward, too. Ready for it? 

Connect with people. 

Notice I didn’t say sell or pitch to people? Connecting with them in ways that are helpful is what I’m talking about. We’ve already covered the fact that you’re making good art. So why not share it with the people who like what you make? And with the people who want to support what you do? 

I’m talking about genuinely sharing what you do without all the icky-sales-y approach. This is one of the best ways to sell more of your work: Regularly connecting with your audience. 

At this point you might be wondering, how can I easily connect with people to sell and show more of my work? Can it really be that simple? 

No worries, I’ve you covered here. Today I’m sharing the first of three ways you can genuinely connect with collectors, gallerists and your audience so you can get more eyes on your work and sell more of it. 

The First Way to Genuinely Connect with Collectors, Gallerists and Your Audience 

Go out and meet up with people in real life. Going to art openings, events and meeting-up for coffee in person are all fantastic ways to do this. As an artist, I recommend you do this as much as you can. In person meetings are the gold standard way to genuinely connect with people.  

But, how do you have enough time for meeting up with your entire community of friends, family, collectors, gallerists and acquaintances? On a regular basis? Below are a few suggestions to help you jumpstart this idea.

Take ACTION! 

To help with adding this kind of outreach activity to your practice, can you pick one or two art events to go to each month? And, put them on your calendar so you don’t lose track of it? 

An easy, low pressure start is to go to your town’s recurring art opening day like Third Thursday, First Friday or Second Saturday. If you have that kind of event where you live, can you make this a recurring appointment on your calendar so you don’t miss it?

How would it feel to grab lunch or coffee once a week with an art buddy? Maybe visit a gallery show or museum with someone. I’ve had some of the best times doing this with fellow art geeks like me. 

Who would you like to get to know in your community? Maybe a curator or gallerist who you’d like to show your work. Or an artist you admire. Or an organization's event where you think your collectors might be. Can you attend their next event? 

While this is the gold standard for genuinely connecting with people in a non-salesy way, it does take time to do it. And those lunch or coffee dates can add up. Find what works for you and your schedule. Putting yourself out there is worth the time, effort and sometimes social anxiety it can bring. 

Having said that, if connecting with people through live events or in-person isn't your thing, look for next week’s article. I’ll share a second way to connect with collectors, gallerists and your audience so you can get more eyes on your work and sell more of it without having to be somewhere in person.

Until then, take action now and decide how these suggestions might work their way into your schedule. Let me know in the comments what in-person events or meet-ups you plan to do over the next month. 

Cheers,

Kate

P.S. I dug into this topic a little deeper during a Facebook live to talk about a few more ways connecting with people can help you art practice and the reason behind why it works. Watch the replay here.

P.P.S. Click here to read Part 2 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.

Still Reeling From Holidays?

Are you still reeling from all the holiday goings-on? Maybe you’re waiting for children and partners to return to school and work so you can get back into your groove and really plan for the new year. And to kick your creativity into drive. 

If this is you, I want to say, hang in there. There’s plenty of time and opportunity to do what you want in 2020. You can still have an amazing creative year, filled with all the things you want, even if it takes a little longer to decide what those things are.

I feel like the holidays are tricky because my mind thinks “I’ve got all this time off” but in reality, I’m working a lot on all the holiday stuff like dinners, cards, shopping, wrapping, dealing with family dynamics, etc. 

For me, now that everyone’s schedules are getting back to the usual, I’m going to look at my work and map out what I’d like to do this year with it. 

• What shows have I committed to? 

• What kind of art would I like to make? 

• What worked last year and what didn’t? 

• How do I want to feel about my creative practice this year? 

You might be asking yourself similar questions. I’d love to know, what’s the first thing you plan to do to get back into your creative work now that the holidays are over? Assess? Plan? Dive into making? Or something else? Let me know in the comments. 

In fact, I hosted a Facebook Live session to talk about these things. Watch the replay here to think about your own planning and how you can lean into what we want from your creative work.  

What it is:

• Free

• A conversation to get you thinking about what you want over the next year and how to get there

• A way to get thinking about your creative career that excites you!

• A chance to get your questions answered during the live Q&A.

What it isn’t:

• A giant commitment to do a ton of work

Let me know how you’re approaching your creative plans in the comments. Are they flexible?

Cheers,

Kate

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

Feel like You’re Missing Out on Holiday Sales?

Do you feel like you’re missing out on holiday sales? Are you seeing all of the art markets and open studio events come and go? Without you participating in them? 

Here’s one thing you can do right now to still get in on the sales action: bundle. 

I’m not talking about bundling-up in a warm Pendleton blanket. I’m talking about bundling 2-3 things that you create that would make a fabulous gift for someone. And then offering it to people you know or that follow you. 

Even if you did participate in a holiday market, you can still add to your sales this year with bundling. It works because there’s more perceived value on the buyer’s part. And it helps to lessen the pain of shopping for your buyers.

You’re helping people find what they need as gifts during an already stressful giving season. 

For artists, this means you’re helping people to buy something that’s handmade, support a small business (that’s you) and possibly buy locally. Those are motivators for a lot of our sales as artists and makers. 

Here’s how you do it:

Create an irresistible bundled offer. 

Bundle a group of 2-3 things that would make a great gift. For example a piece of art + a frame and + free shipping. 

To be clear, by irresistible, I don’t mean you have to offer it at a discount. You can create a bundle where people don’t easily know the cost of the individual parts but it’s still seen as a deal.

For example, if your bundled gift offering includes a painting, a t-shirt and a limited edition enamel pin, your buyers can likely figure out how much the print and t-shirt cost but the limited edition enamel pin may be something you give to collectors or use in your promotions so it’s individual price might not be readily available. This is especially helpful to you if you already have something that’s a perk you give collectors or promotional item already available.  

For many artists, it is helpful to create a bundle that offers a little bit of a discount. This is great for you because you earn more overall and it’s helpful for your buyers because they’re getting a deal. 

As an example, if your bundled gift offering is three prints, your buyers can easily find out what those cost individually. So offering them for a few dollars less than if they were purchased individually, can make for a better deal to the buyer. And you sell more work overall. 

How this might look:

• Individual prints are $35 each. If you purchased three of them individually, it costs $90.

• But with a bundle: Three prints are bundled for $75 which is a clear savings of $15. 

A few bundle examples...

Offer a print and set of note cards together. The incentive here is that the cost for both is a little less than if you bought them individually.

With every original piece you buy, you also get a custom, limited edition ornament. Or maybe you offer free shipping, installation or framing instead of an ornament.

Look for examples of bundling in action throughout the year in traditional retail situations. Ever seen a set of 6 nail polishes packaged and sold together? They’re selling for less than what they’d sell for individually but the company is selling more of them with each sale. 

You can do this kind of thing, too. It’s a lot more fruitful for you income-wise and you’re helping people find gifts!

So get creative with making your bundle. Ask yourself, out of everything you make and offer, what would your ideal collector love as a bundled gift? Then use that to help guide you bundled offer creation. 

Let everyone know about it.

Now that you’ve made an irresistible bundled offering of the amazing things you create, start telling people about it. Here are eight ways you can do that:

1. Email your email contacts.

2. Ask your contacts to forward it to those that might be interested. 

3. Post the offer to social media - a lot and in lots of different ways. 

4. Share lots of different photos of it on social media. 

5. Direct message it to people to let them know about it. 

6. Post it on your website. 

7. Do a Facebook live stream video or Instagram story featuring it and who it’d be a great gift for.

8. Verbally tell everyone you run into about it - at every grocery store visit or social gathering.

Make it dead easy to buy.  

Make sure you can send someone a link to pay you immediately. This might mean a link to PayPal.me or a link to a web page where you have it. Make it a quick and easy streamlined way for people to buy your awesome bundle. 

While people begin to really feel the need for gifts as December 25th and Hanukkah get closer and closer, know that bundles work all year long. This is a sales technique you can use again and again to help your buyers get what they need and to help you earn more with each sale. 

What would your bundle look like?

Let me know in the comments. And, I encourage you to post your questions there, too. 

Cheers,

Kate

Body Language: 3 Tips for Better Sales

Are you taking part in a maker’s market or arts and crafts fair this year? If yes, I am high-fiving you for getting all of your stuff ready for sale. I know it can take hours and days to make everything that’s needed and to fully prepare for an in-person event like that. 

And, from having done this kind of temporary event in the past, I know that sometimes when you show up for it, it can feel like you’re barely crawling across the finish line. You’re exhausted. And you’ve probably been burning the midnight oil or squeezing in prep work in every tiny crevice of time you’ve had. 

It makes sense that you might be feeling ready for the event to be over before it’s started. I totally understand that. But if you’re like me and a lot of my clients, you’re committed to dig deep and keep going so you can see all of that effort turn into sales. 

However, it’s easy to let that exhaustion creep into your booth, table or studio because it’s a very real thing to feel. Especially by the time you show up, un-pack and get everything ready for visitors. 

That tired energy is dangerous for a maker or artist who’s been waiting and preparing for the holiday market or open studio event for sooooo long. You’ve probably experienced how low energy like that is something that spreads and how people can feel it the moment they walk into the room.  

So, how do you keep your exhausted energy from crushing your sales? 

You have a tool at your disposal that is 100% available for you to use. It’s pretty easy to wield once you practice a little. And it can make all the difference in how much you sell and how much fun you have during an in-person event like a holiday craft market or artisan fair.

What is it? 

Your body language. It’s built into you and you have 100% control over it as long as you’re mindful about it.  And, it can change how successful your next market or open studio is.                   

The biggest mistake I see with body language during an open studio or art market event is that artists and makers don’t look at the potential buyers that visit their booth or table. I know it seems odd to think that this happens but take a look at the next market you visit. 

• Who greets you? 

• Who makes you feel welcome? 

• Conversely, who makes you feel like you don’t really want to visit their booth?

If you feel like you could improve your body language game during your next in-person open studio or art market, here are three things you can easily do, no matter how tired you are from all of the work leading up to it:

Keep your arms uncrossed. 

Even if you’re cold or that’s the most comfortable way to stand or sit, uncross your arms! It creates an unintentional communication barrier that can prevent people from feeling comfortable to start a conversation with you. 

Stand in front of your table instead of behind it.

Position yourself so you’re standing or seated to the side of your main table or toward the front of your booth area. That way you can easily greet people without having a table between you and your visitors. Staying behind a table can make it easy to slip into a more relaxed and less professional body language. Physically moving your body to be next to your table or to be greeting people at the front of your space really helps to avoid this accidental body language barrier. 

If standing for long periods of time isn’t a fit for your body, I know it’s not for many people, an alternative is to find a tall chair or stool and position it in the same way, to the side or front of your area. 

Keep your hands busy. 

You can work on a creative project if you need something to do with your hands. This will keep your hands on the table vs. below it. Sitting with your hands below the table subtly indicates in body language that you’re hiding something, even if you’re not. 

Keeping your hands busy can also be a great way to demonstrate how your work is made which allows buyers to appreciate it even more. They often don’t get to see and understand all that goes into a piece so this is helpful.

One time during a group open studio event that I was participating in, we passed around a piece that we each drew on. It kept us occupied by keeping our hands busy and helped to avoid any awkwardness of giving too much attention to a visitor. It allowed us to give them space to look and a way to have a conversation starter when they were open to talking.  

The question to ask yourself during an event is: are you holding yourself in a way that comes across as open and inviting or are you catching yourself slipping into stances that are less open and more barrier-creating? 

You’ve now got three easy ways to to remove any accidental communication barriers so you can come across as a more inviting space for shoppers to visit and purchase your work! Even if you’re exhausted from preparing for the event. 

Have you ever noticed yourself looking at your phone too much or crossing your arms? If so, what can you do to have better body language at your next event? 

I know I always catch myself slouching in a chair. So I wind up standing most of the time. How about you? Leave me a note in the comments to let me know what your go-to body posture is during events like this. 

Cheers,

Kate

Your Key To Not Feeling Sales-y

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that you're heading into a season where selling what you make might be your focus. Especially if you’re planning to do an in-person pop-up market or your own open studio event. 

Does this kind of thing make you a little nervous? 

Or feel like you’re being pushy because you’re asking people to buy your work? 

If you ever get a twinge of that yucky feeling, I want you to keep reading. What I’m about to share might help to ease that icky-sales-feeling. I know it did for me. 

When you’re out there at a booth or under that festival canopy, keep in mind that your audience is there for the express purpose of checking-out your work to see if it’s a fit for their needs right now. 

By showing up to your event, they’ve raised their hand to say, “I want to know more”.

They’ve put themselves into that room with you because they’re interested in learning what you’ve made and how you can help them find the perfect gift or something special for themselves. They’re interested in buying what you make. 

And because of that, by selling you’re work, you're helping them. If someone views buying your work as helpful, then that doesn’t feel sales-y or yucky right? 

So, your mission is to step up and feel proud to sell what you’re making because there are people who are looking for exactly what you’re making. They’re putting themselves in the same room with you to find you. You can help them out, right?  

I know you’ve got this. Does reframing how you think about sales in this way help? Let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments. 

Cheers,

Kate

How to Connect Immediately With Your Social Media Followers

Are you sharing your work on social media? 

Maybe you’d like to share it more? Or maybe you’re just starting to use Instagram or Facebook?

No matter where you are in how much you use your social media to share what you create, there’s one easy way to help your audience of collectors, friends, gallerists and peers to connect with you immediately. 

Are you ready for it? 

Use a photo of your face as your profile image. 

Despite how easy that sounds, I know there are reasons you might not agree. 

Any of these sound familiar? 

• I hate photos of myself

• I want to be known for my work 

• I don’t have a good photo of myself

• I’m afraid people will be judgy if I use my photo

I hear you. All of those make a lot of sense. BUT, using a photo of you works so much better. 

Here’s why:

We’re humans. We’ve evolved to connect with faces. Specifically eyes. So using your photo is an immediate way for people to see you as a real human, not just another bot posting on social media. 

When you use the same profile photo on all of your social media platforms, you look like you’re everywhere. As in, people feel like they’re seeing you showing up and engaging a lot. And, the more they see you, the more likely they are to feel comfortable buying from you. 

So skip using an image of your art or an illustrated logo and use a photo of your face instead. It’s the best way to immediately connect with your audience. 

I’m curious what you think about this? Let me know in the comments. 

Cheers,

Kate

Zero Social Media Followers?

Does it feel like you have nearly zero followers on social media? If so, no worries. Everyone starts at zero. That's why zero is at the start of our numbering system, right? (Yes, I'm ignoring negative integers and any other abstract-ish math concepts.) 

To help you go from zilch to having enough followers to fill a room with, I'm sharing a list of 9 easy things you can do to to grow your social media audience. 

Invite your immediate circle of people you know by:

1. Emailing your contacts an invitation with a link to follow you. Tell them why they'll love following you online.

2. Following them and posting engaging comments on their posts.

3. Send an invite via Facebook to follow you on Instagram with a note letting people know you're migrating your posts to Instagram or that's really where you spend time connecting with people. You get the gist, tell them why they should follow you over there.

4. Ask them in-person to follow you.

5. Have a contest.

Share your social media handles everywhere:

1. Signature line of your emails

2. Business cards

3. Exhibition links

4. Art Postcards

The quality of followers is more important than the number of followers. Starting with these techniques is a great way to begin cultivating an audience that’s filled with people who genuinely know, like and support the work you do. All of which helps you to get more eyes on your work and sell more of what you make.

These ideas are just a start. There are SO many ways you can grow your number of followers online.

What other easy ways have you used to grow your social media audience? Share your good know-how in the comments.

Here's to you getting your social media party started! 

Cheers,

Kate

The Way to Start Your Next Creative Adventure

When it comes to social media as a creative person, do you feel like that boat has set sail and left on the dock? If so, I want to say, I hear you. And, I hear that from a lot of my clients. That feeling is very understandable for a lot of reasons. 

Maybe it’s that your feeling left behind in some other area like getting to know gallerists, collectors or what to put on your website. Know that you’re in good company here, too. 

Here’s the thing that I want to share with you about this. 

If you're up for an adventure, know that it’s never too late and you're never too old. You may feel like it is but that is probably a story your brain has created to keep you safe from rejection, fear and a whole host of other worries (thank you dear Brain. -not).  

You can still catch the next boat.

If you're up for a change, know that you can make that happen. 

Luckily, if you're reading this, you're probably an artist or maker or creative person which comes in handy in this kind of situation. It means that you've already got the skills you need to find creative ways to start your adventure, whether it's selling what you make or learning how to do Instagram or jumping mediums from painting to sculpture. As a creative person you know how to problem solve and find a path to get where you want to go. 

The first step is where it starts. 

What's your first step? 

Seriously. What would be the very first, smallest possible step you could take to start your adventure? Is it to schedule thirty minutes on your calendar to look up how to download Instagram? Could it be to buy a canvas and brushes so you can try painting for the very first time? Or maybe taking a beginning pottery class so you can finally feel what it’s like to try your hand at clay?

Once you take that first baby step, the idea is that you keep taking small steps, one at a time, until you find yourself on your adventure, reaching the bigger goals you set for yourself. 

Know that I’m cheering you on to take that tiny first step. I know you can do that step, and all the steps after it. One by one. 

I bet your first step is very specific to you. As it should be. 

How about you jot it down right now in your sketchbook? If you write it down, you’re much more likely to take action and do that thing you wrote down. 42% more likely per a study at the Dominican University. 

And, if you’re willing to share, I’d love to hear about that teeny step you want to take that’ll start you on your creative adventure. Post it in the comments to inspire someone with taking their own first steps.

Cheers to your new adventures!

-Kate

Was That Event Worth Doing? How to Decide.

Ever wonder if you should do that event again? You know, that big deal that you just poured all your blood, sweat and tears into? 

Maybe you’re feeling a bit “meh” about how the event went, whether it was a pop-up, open studio or holiday market. And you’re wondering was it really successful? Especially if you’re feeling dog tired from all of the effort it can take to do an event. 

When this happens, I like to do a quick debrief that takes about 15 minutes.

This can be a mental debrief where you think about all the good things and the things you would like to have done differently. 

Or it can be one where you write it down. 

Personally, I always start with the mental debrief. Usually mid-way through the event, I’m thinking about the good stuff like “wow, that was an amazing person to get to know!” And, sometimes, even mid-event, I can see those pesky things that I know I would have liked to have done differently. 

Then, after the event, I put it in black and white. I head over and make a Google doc so I can easily find it again, and I answer a few questions and make notes about the event. I document the numbers and the non-quantifiable things that happened. 

This way I can HONESTLY separate how exhausted I am from doing the event with how successful it was. For example, after spending two days standing on concrete floors for my last open studio, my feet were yelping and I felt like I had fully lost command of the English language. I could have let that negatively color how successful I felt the event was. It was tempting to stop there and as a result feel kind of bad about how it went. 

Or I could wait a few days for my tired body to recover, and sit down and do the debrief. When I did this, I surprised myself with all of the good stuff that came out of the event. Which definitely made me feel better about it and helped me to know if I’d like to do this event again in the future. 

Here are the questions I like to answer in my debrief:

1. What were my main goals for the event? ---I recommend figuring these out in advance.

2. How many people visited? ---Children count because I’ve seen more than my fair share of parents doing things because of their kids, including buying art. 

3. How many people signed up to my mailing list?

4. How much did it cost me to do this event?

5. How many pieces did I sell? 

6. Was this more or less than I expected? 

7. How much money did I make from sales? 

8. Which things sold the most? The least?

9. What could I have done to help with sales and attendance?

10. How many emails did I send to my list to promote the event? 

11. How many Instagram and Facebook posts did I make leading up to the event? 

12. How many Instagram stories did I make leading up the event? 

13. How many places did I promote the event like calendars, press releases, advertisements, etc.?

14. Did anything unexpected pull energy from the event like having an art show right before it? 

15. What insights, learnings or adjustments would I apply to the next event I do? 

16. Conversations that I loved having? ---These can be the best. 

17. Questions people kept asking? 

18. Words that people kept using to describe my work? 

19. How was my stress level leading up to the event? 

20. What post event sales, future exhibitions or other opportunities came from doing this event? 

These are just a few of the things I think about when debriefing an event. I find that capturing the answers to these questions year-over-year makes it easier to see and focus on what’s working and what’s not. And, it helps me to decide if that event was really worth doing.

Do you debrief after an event? 

If so, what kind of questions do you ask yourself? Let me know in the comments. It’ll help us all have a better debrief, and understanding of our events.  

Cheers,

Kate

Will Anyone Show Up? 10 Ways To Entice People To Your Open Studio or Pop-up Market

There are so many different events and obligations pulling on our time that it makes sense that you might wonder if anyone will show up for your art event. It being free is no longer the biggest draw. You know it’ll be worth your audience’s time if they swing by the studio but how do you convince them? 

People need a solid reason to leave their house and unplug from their usual routines. Having a fun experience is one of the reasons people go out and explore the world. If you’re hosting an open studio or pop-up, what can you do to make your event feel like more fun to your audience? 

Not sure?

No worries. Here are ten ways that you can entice people to show up to your open studio or pop-up market. They’re all a lot of fun for visitors and the ideas that feel best will be fun for you, too. 

10 Ways To Entice People To Your Open Studio 

1. Artist Talk

This is a great way to enliven what might be a quieter/slower open studio time when you schedule it at a specific time. For example, tell people in advance that you’ll be sharing the little known inspiration for your work at 10 am on Sunday to get them there when there’s usually fewer visitors. 

2. Demonstrate a Technique

Give a demonstration of one or two very specific techniques you use. Show where you use them in your art. Examples might be how to paint a ribbon-like line, or how to paint a beautiful color gradation. What’s one small thing that you do that people might like to learn about?

3. Try-it-out Table

Work with clay? Allow visitors to make temporary coil or slab structures. Crop your photos in camera a lot? Let visitors use the golden grid. What technique would be fun for visitors to try? 

4. Photo Booth

Create a unique photo booth that is in alignment with your art. For example, you can blow up a photo of one of your pieces and make it a selfie station. You paint flowers? Paint some big ones, cut them out and use them as selfie props. What if you created a huge cut-out for people to poke their heads through and have a photo taken? Silliness like this can be a lot of fun.

5. Tool Test

Have visitors test your tools so they can feel what it’s like to hold that wacky looking clay scraper or how heavy that grinder is.

6. App Love

Know a special feature on your iPhone? Show people how to use it! Know how to draw in ProCreate or Illustrator? Show people a little of how to do it!  

7. Kids Table

Have something easy for little kids to do so parents can enjoy your work while the kiddos are entertained. 

8. Sub-event

Co-work! Do you illustrate or paint plein air? Invite your audience and fellow artists to come by between 3-5 pm to co-work on art. How about a 15 minute group photo shoot “walk” in your studio space or on your block? When guests they come back, everyone shares their results. 

9. Delicious Food

If you tell people you’ll have food at your event, they’re more likely to come to it. Especially if you tell them that you’ll have your favorite brie and crackers or some other amazing sounding food that you’d have at a party. It can be fun to treat your guests to a nice snack and it’ll feel like a party if you do. 

For example, tell your guests that you'll be bringing out whatever food and beverages that are still available at 4 pm on the last day of your open studio as a great way to end with a party atmosphere! Or host a coffee and donuts morning party for the early crowd. 

10. Give-a-Ways

Create a give-a-way for those that show up and sign up to your mailing list. You could give away a piece of art, a Starbucks card, art supplies or anything else that sounds like fun to you. Or just make a fun freebie for visitors. Maybe a free print that you were experimenting with and happen to have multiples of or free buttons with your art on it. It doesn’t have to be big to be fun.

Next Steps

What 1-2 ideas above sound like fun to you? Pick what resonates most to you. Pick something that sounds like fun.   

Now, how can you apply those ideas so they’re relevant to your artwork and studio practice? Once you’ve decided on one (or two) great reasons to for people to show up at your open studio, how can you relate it to your work? Can you use the same color palette as what you use or the same images, etc.?

Promote it!

Now that you’ve created a really compelling reason for your audience to visit you during your open studio or pop-up, share it on social media and email it to them so they can put it on their calendar and plan to be there for the party. 

If your event is part of a larger, organized event like, see if the organizers can feature your studio and the fun thing you’re doing. If you’re buying an ad in your open studios guide, put the fun reason to visit that you just thought up (see above!) in the ad. 

You’re Ready!

These ten ways to entice people to your open studio or pop-up art market will help you get people to your event so can sell more work, connect with people more and have a lot of fun. Creating a really intriguing excuse for people to visit you will catch the attention of you audience and when they show up for your open studio, they’ll feel like you threw the party just for them.

You can do it! I’m cheering you on!

Got something that really worked for you to encouraged people to show up to your event?

Help another artist out by sharing it in the comments. It may be the inspiration they need to feel excited about their open studio or pop-up market and get more people to visit.

Cheers,

Kate

So You're Jealous - What do you do with it?

You went to the opening, you got an email, or you saw a post on Instagram or Facebook. And in your heart of hearts, the first thing you thought was, "Why not me?"

Why am I not getting that kind of recognition?

Why didn't I share my piece sooner so it'd look like I did it first?

How'd they get that exhibition?

If you've never felt this, stop reading.

If you have felt this, even just a teeny-tiny bit, rest assured that you are in good company. As mortals, we can count on feeling this less-than-fun emotion at some point (or multiple points) in our lives.

What do you do with it when it shows up? How do you get rid of it, especially if it makes you feel like a total jerk to think those jealous thoughts?

I don't have easy answers to these questions.

I do have thoughts that might help you to let go of your inner green-eyed-monster so you can get back to doing the work that's truly important to you - making your best work and sharing it with the world.

It's a process that takes practice. So, here are a few yoga moves for your mind when you feel pangs of jealousy.

Set a timer.
Look at the thing that's making you jealous and give it a limit. Maybe 10 to 20 minutes to really dig-in and be irked about whatever it is. Text your friend with it to get some validation of your anger and to vent. Look that person up on Instagram or their website. Check them out ALL-the-way. I mean how in the world did they accomplish that thing and you haven't?!?! ...allow yourself to wallow in it.

When the timer goes off, you stop. Yep, you shut the door on being annoyed that they got something that you want, or that you think you might want as some point in the future.

This is a way to own your jealousy and to confront it.

And, it's a way to save yourself from getting stuck in the emotions of it. Take care of it now and limit how much energy you put on it so you can get back to doing the things that actually need your energy.

After your timer goes off, what's the difference?
Now that you've stalked this person a little and learned all about their accomplishment (that you'd like to also experience) what do you see that's different from what you do? Is their approach different? Have they done the work and maybe you're still in the process of doing that kind of work that'll bring you that same level of recognition? Do they have a different audience than you?

What do you notice that's different and maybe even better about what you do? Start to get your mind thinking about the answers to this instead of getting stuck in a comparison loop.

There are a million hair stylists in this world.
And we need all of them. Some are great at short haircuts, some know how to cut curly hair, some are experts at hair coloring, etc. Who did you pick as your hair stylist or barber? Why did you pick them from this sea of people who will cut your hair?

I bet it's because something about them resonated with you. I bet you even found a few that were also great at what they do but the one you chose happened to feel like a better fit to you so you picked them.

It's the same way with art and artists. There IS enough room in this world for all of us. We need all of us here. Even if we're doing work that seems extremely similar to someone else.

When you think about a jealous moment this way, does it help to move your mind away from that jealous feeling and closer to the idea that there's enough for all of us to do our specific work in this world?

Let me know in the comments what you do to keep jealous thoughts in check?

Cheers,

Kate

Own Your Outcomes

How's it going where you are? Over here I'm preparing for my Open Studio that's happening this September. It's an annual, two day event where I get to share my work with more than 150 people.

After coming back from vacation, though, I started to feel waaaaay overwhelmed by all of the things I want to do---making new work, trying an idea I have for a new medium, getting an invite printed, cleaning and setting up the studio for visitors, and so much more. It felt like I had the entire summer ahead of me just a few weeks ago but now, it doesn't feel like that when I look at the calendar.

And, I realized how far behind I feel. Again. Sheesh. Am I letting myself down?

You ever feel that way?

Luckily, I came across something that pulled me out of that downward spiral of thoughts and feelings. It's a three word phrase that really helped to focus me on what I want to do with my work and open studio event...

Own Your Outcomes

It's a simple phrase and honestly, I'm not sure why it hit me like a cold slap in the face, but it did. And I'm glad. I needed it.

When I read it, it helped me to distill down exactly what I want to do to have an event that feels and is successful. And, it's allowing me to feel good about cutting loose the things I decide not to do, instead of feeling badly about not getting to them. Even for some of the things that I felt particularly attached to doing.

Those words got me prioritizing what I really want to do and separating them from the "cool things" that I just heard another artist talking about on a podcast interview that, at the time, sounded like great ideas for me.

I'm prioritizing the outcomes I want as a result of my actions. Yes, I want to sell my work but I also want to enjoy the process of getting ready for a big event like my open studio, I want to feel excited about what I'm sharing with people, I want to have fun during the event, and I want the event to support and fuel me in ways that go beyond adding people to my mailing list.

Have you thought of it this way?

Do you have an event coming up soon? Or maybe you'd like to share your work more on social media. If so, what are the outcomes you really want to have as a result of doing that event or posting on social media?

Can you adjust your actions to better support those outcomes?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Let me know in the comments an outcome that you'd like to really own for your next event or even your next social media post.

Know that you can make it happen!

Cheers,

Kate