by Rebecca Sciullo | Jun 10, 2020 | Artist Blogging 101, Learning, Productivity
Since many people are working at home now, there are many articles and information on social media about productivity. It can be challenging to work from home under the best circumstances. Throw a couple of homeschooling kids and other homebound family members in the mix, and it is tough to avoid distractions. You need to understand how to manage your time and resources efficiently.
This situation might be old news for you if you are a working artist. You are probably already used to working on your own. If not, you wouldn’t get anything done. One artist I know wakes at 4:30 a.m. to get a start on his day. He knows that this is the golden time when he can create and work in the studio. I find that early mornings are best for me, although I can’t say I rise that early!
Starting an Artist Blog Takes Time and Focus
If you’ve recently started a blog, adding this task into your daily routine can be a challenge, and you might need a refresh on some productivity ideas. Here are a few ideas that I’ve used to manage my situation.
1 – Figure out what time of day works best for you to focus on different tasks. When do you find your energy best suited for writing or focused at your computer, brainstorming ideas?
2 – Once you determine the best time of day for this work, regularly block it out on your calendar daily or weekly. Do not deviate from your schedule. Treat this time as though it is an appointment outside of the house.
3 – Avoid things that suck your energy while working in your block or zone. The usual culprits include email, television, and social media.
4 – Create a pleasing workspace.
5 – Last but not least – take some breaks. use a Pomodoro Timer. I like to get outside for sunshine and fresh air.
Maintaining an artist blog is not just about technical know-how and writing. There is an art to staying on track and growing your site. Find and stick with strategies that help you to do this.
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by Rebecca Sciullo | May 18, 2020 | Artisan Advantage Book Club, Learning
Next up for the Artisan Advantage Book Club is The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. This is not a new book, but it’s been on my reading list forever.
Here is an overview of the book taken from Goodreads.
Internationally bestselling author of Last of the Amazons, Gates of Fire, and Tides of War, Steven Pressfield delivers a guide to inspire and support those who struggle to express their creativity. Pressfield believes that “resistance” is the greatest enemy, and he offers many unique and helpful ways to overcome it.
Join the Club!
It’s easy. All you have to do is get your copy and start reading! Stay connected to the Artisan Advantage blog for posts about how you might apply principles from the book to your visual art business, and for opportunities to share your comments about the book with others.
Sign up for my email newsletter here.
Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.
by Rebecca Sciullo | May 11, 2020 | Learning, Planning
I recently read this article in the Harvard Business Review. It offers thoughtful questions for every business person about taking “post-crisis” steps.
What’s Your Next Move in Your Business?
As a creative entrepreneur, what’s your next step? If you were actively marketing and selling your work, you likely experienced some disruption in your efforts. What is next for you as the world gets back to business? Are you going to throw in the towel on selling your work? I hope not! While there may be some challenging days ahead, don’t give up on your plans. You may have to adapt, but people will still purchase art.
Realizing you can’t predict what’s coming, you can still make a plan of action. Here are some things that you might consider doing to help in this process.
Take stock of the positive. What did you accomplish during this time if you were on a stay home order? Remind yourself of any positive actions that you accomplished.
Envision your future. If you already have a vision for your art business, you may need to revisit it. Does it still hold up? Are your priorities and goals the same? If not, adapt your plans accordingly.
Analyze your situation. What if online exhibitions are the new norm? Are you prepared to present your work this way? What if the only way you can offer a workshop is over Zoom? Can you learn what it takes to do this? Make a shortlist of what you need to do for your business.
Plan accordingly. Walk backward through your vision. How can you realize it, based upon what you now know about daily life, the art world, fairs, festivals, and your community?
Finally, What Every Artist Must Have in Place for the Future.
If you are not already connecting with your audience and collectors electronically, this should be a number one priority. Things that you can consider are starting an email newsletter or blog. If you have one of these tools in place but have let it go dormant, do what it takes to revive it.
Shameless Plug!
One of the best ways to keep your audience updated is through blogging. To start your own, get started with this Guide. Then follow Artist Blogging 101. For intensive help, visit Artist Blogging Services.
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
by Rebecca Sciullo | May 4, 2020 | Artist Blogging 101
With your artist blog pages complete and a basic understanding of the structure of a blog post, its time to start posting.
Just Do It.
Don’t stress too much about getting your blog posts started. If this is a new habit for you, the best thing to do is to start writing. Keeping your vision and goals in mind, begin crafting posts for your blog.
Here is a list of ideas on what to post.
Tips to Get Started Posting on Your Artist Blog
Just write. Then write some more. The more you write, the easier it will become for you to generate content.
Be authentic. Write in the same way that you would speak to your live audience.
Set a goal of ten posts before you start sharing your blog with others via email or social media. Most platforms will allow you to set your blog so that it does not show up in search engines until you are ready for it to be public.
Give Yourself a Goal
Set a realistic goal of writing a specific number of posts this week. Set some time on your calendar and get writing.
Stay tuned to Artist Blogging 101. As you develop a writing habit for your blog, future posts here are going to help you with the writing process and developing a strategy for your blog.
by Rebecca Sciullo | May 1, 2020 | Artisan Advantage Book Club
We All Have an Ego
I
t’s something that we develop throughout our lives, and not necessarily on purpose. In Ego is the Enemy, Ryan Holiday makes that case this ego is one of the biggest stumbling blocks in life. His thoughtful book gives advice and anecdotes on how and why to avoid the ego trap.
Takeaways from Ego is the Enemy.
Just when you think you’ve got it, there is always more to learn.
Pride can make us overly sensitive to criticism that could help us.
The ego leads us to try to control things.
When things don’t go our way, instead of getting upset, we should figure out what happened.
As a career or venture blossoms, be mindful of the role ego is playing in our actions.
Read More
Ryan Holiday is a best-selling author and media strategist. I enjoy receiving his Reading List Email, where he encourages his followers to read and provides lists of a wide variety of recommended books.
It’s never too late to join the Artisan Advantage Book Club. The next book selection posts next week. Sign up here to join the newsletter mailing list.
