by Rebecca Sciullo | Apr 14, 2020 | Learning, Resources
Here in Pennsylvania, where I live, we are five weeks into our “stay at home” order. In my household, we’ve been figuring things out as we go. Emotions have run the gamut from fear to frustration to gratitude. Things that have sustained me include my faith, family, neighbors, (aka social distancing) and staying busy.
Where I’m Focusing During COVID-19
After the initial shock of this situation, I have been attempting to focus my business in a few areas.
– Finishing projects that were long overdue.
– Making changes to my business plan for the future.
– Maintaining relationships.
I have spent some time learning and watching webinars specifically focused on how businesses can manage through this crisis and thought I would share some things that I learned with you from them:
Business Survival Takeaways
– Look for good news. Focusing on the endless barrage of negative news will not help your mindset for business. It’s okay to check in once a day but avoid overexposure.
– You have a choice. You can respond or react to the situation. Choose “respond”.
– Acknowledge reality. Own it. Solve it. Do it.
– Give yourself moments to breathe.
– Over-communicate.
– Adjust your plans and act accordingly.
Watch this webinar.
For visual artists, I recommend watching this webinar offered by Artwork Archive – Strategies for Running an Art Business During COVID-19. It is full of ideas and resources to help you adjust your business to this situation.
This 30-minute webinar will provide you with the tools, strategy and resources to transition your art career online and help you decide what areas you can control during these unprecedented and difficult times.
One last word. It is normal to have a “bad day”. I have experienced my fair share during this experience. Stay strong! We will get through this.
*Legal Disclaimer. The information contained in this webinar, in Artwork Archive materials and on the Artwork Archive or affiliated websites is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this webinar without seeking legal or other professional advice.
by Rebecca Sciullo | Mar 28, 2020 | Artist Websites, Learning, Resources
Recently I posted about staying on track during the “shut down” disruption. One thing mentioned was taking advantage of this downtime to focus on a project for your art business. One necessary but often dreaded task you might consider is working on your artwork inventory.
Putting together a comprehensive inventory is something that every artist needs to do. It’s one of those tasks, though, that can get put on the back burner. It’s probably not the most thrilling part of your art business.
If you are looking for something to occupy time when you aren’t creating, now is a perfect time to take an inventory of your work.
Inventory Solutions: Here are my Top Two Ways to Inventory Your Artwork
Artwork Archive is my-go to resource for maintaining an artist’s inventory. We use it for my father’s work. I love Artwork Archive for the following reasons:
1 – It’s intuitive and easy to use. I don’t think I’ve ever had to consult a tutorial or help desk once when using this system.
2 – It is much more than just an inventory tool. It also allows you to track your sales and contacts, showcase your artwork online, and store and share high-resolution images. You can also access your work anywhere from any device.
Artwork Archive costs $6 to $19 a month, depending upon the level you choose. They offer a free thirty-day trial. I recommend giving it a try.
Below is a screenshot of a piece of art that I’ve added to Artwork Archive. This gives you an idea of some of the detail that this system can capture about a piece of your work.
Spreadsheet It
If you want a free and straightforward solution to maintain a basic inventory of your artwork, use a simple spreadsheet such as Google Drive or Airtable, both of which are free. With this method, list each piece with a column for each bit of detail about the work. Columns can include details such as name, size, medium, price, location, status, and a link to the image. Depending upon your work, there are other pieces of information that you may choose to collect.
Be proactive and inventory your artwork!
You’ll be thanking yourself later for storing all of your collection details and financial records in one easily accessible place.
If you decided to test out Artwork Archive’s trial, and you have any other questions on using it, shoot me an email at becky@artisan-advantage.com and I’ll try to help you.
Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means 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 | Mar 21, 2020 | Learning, Productivity, Resources
So, today I picked up a lot of sticks. It was brush that fell on our property over the winter. It was very cathartic to be outside, keeping busy. My husband and I are both self-employed. His business is dependent upon people being able to visit him in person. We have a lot on our minds. There is a lot to think about as we consider how to maintain an income without leaving home Many of you can relate. Millions can relate.
Figuring it Out
At this point, our primary goal is to keep ourselves and our family healthy. After that, we are figuring out the best ways to adapt our business. Mine is easier, yet some tweaks need to be made. His situation requires more work, so I’m helping with that. We feel like me have to move fast in this regard, yet we are standing still.
As I make adjustments to Artisan Advantage, I will post them here, so that you can see what I’m doing. Maybe it will help you with something in your business.
Here’s a Tweak to Help Somebody
When we are not picking up sticks, tending to household tasks or of course the business dilemma, we are doing the same things that you are – reading, watching movies and playing games to name a few. These last parts are nice. We are reading a lot, so when I read this article, it clicked.
Stay Well!
Stay tuned for more updates including the next post in Artist Blogging 101 as well as how you can get in on some free consulting hours.
by Rebecca Sciullo | Feb 13, 2020 | Artisan Advantage Book Club, Learning, Resources
Next up for the Artisan Advantage Book Club is Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
Here is an overview of the book taken from Goodreads.
Many of us insist the main impediment to a full, successful life is the outside world. In fact, the most common enemy lies within: our ego. Early in our careers, it impedes learning and the cultivation of talent. With success, it can blind us to our faults and sow future problems. In failure, it magnifies each blow and makes recovery more difficult. At every stage, ego holds us back.
The Ego is the Enemy draws on a vast array of stories and examples, from literature to philosophy to history. We meet fascinating figures like Howard Hughes, Katharine Graham, Bill Belichick, and Eleanor Roosevelt, all of whom reached the highest levels of power and success by conquering their own egos. Their strategies and tactics can be ours as well.
Who is Ryan Holiday?
Ryan Holiday is a best-selling author and media strategist. I’ve read his book The Obstacle is the Way and follow his blog. I enjoy receiving his Reading List Email, where he encourages his followers to read and provides lists of a wide variety of recommended books. Read more about him here.
Win a Free Copy of the Book
I’ve made some changes to the Artists’ Book Club. Instead of randomly selecting a winner from my email list, I am going to offer a trivia contest. The last book selection will be the source of the question, giving you another reason to follow along with the Club!
The first person to email me at becky@artisan-advantage.com with the correct answer to the trivia question below wins a copy of the book.
What does Lisa Congdon encourage you to learn to navigate in Chapter Four of Find Your Artistic Voice?
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, as well as for opportunities to share your comments about the book with others.
Click here to read more about the Club.
Sign up for my email newsletter here.
Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means 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 | Dec 19, 2019 | Artist Websites, Learning, Resources, Tools
What’s Going On…
Earlier this year, I decided it was time to refresh my father’s website. I built his first site with the now discontinued Microsoft FrontPage back in 2007. About five years later, I had a new site built on Squarespace. At that time, it was a solid reflection of his work. But web design trends change quickly. The website looked outdated, and as I’m more familiar with WordPress, it was not the easiest for me to maintain. After a round of art marketing round tables this fall, I took some time off from this blog to update his web presence.
It took some time, however, to decide how we wanted things to look. The Squarespace site provided a complete gallery of his artwork, which was becoming unnecessary, as we now use Artwork Archive to keep all of the work up to date online. We decided to use the WordPress.com platform to build a blog based website, and then link it to Artwork Archive. Once a decision was made on how to proceed, the website came together in about a week.
Above is a snapshot of the site before the refresh.
Below is a preview of the new look. Click here for a full view.
Back to Blogging
Quick success with his first website was a direct result of using a blog to promote his work. It was time to recommit to this tool and set his blog as his home page on the new site. We plan on using the blog to reconnect our network, promote his art, and get back to giving his audience more of the story behind his work.
Artwork Archive Component
Artwork Archive is an integral part of his web presence. We’ve been using it for several years to inventory work and keep track of sales. We are now using all features of this system, including the ability to build an online portfolio for different audiences. So, instead of creating an extensive gallery on WordPress, his website links directly to his Artwork Archive profile. Visitors are always viewing the most current work along with relevant information, such as whether or not the piece is still available.
As I move forward with this project, I look forward to posting more things I’ve learned while revamping his web presence as well as the transitioning of his brand from Appalachian Studio to Robert Yonke Art.
Are You Updating Your Website in 2020?
Do you have plans for building or updating your website in 2020? Stay tuned to Artisan Advantage for more content focused on building your web presence.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means 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. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
by Rebecca Sciullo | Oct 28, 2019 | Learning, Resources, Your Artist Statement
Many artists dread writing an artist statement. They will write a statement when required to do so for an application, a submission, or to accompany an exhibition. While professional artists realize that the artist statement is necessary, and will write one when required to do so, they may not find the process comes easily to them. Also, there are some misconceptions out there when it comes to what an artist statement is.
Let’s review the what and why of an artist statement. I hope to persuade you to write the best one possible for your body of work.
What Is An Artist Statement?
Your artist statement is a written document that explains your intention for your body of work. It helps the reader to understand your work better and could entice them to view it if they have not seen it before.
There are different ideas about what an artist statement should contain and how to write one. A useful statement is one that makes someone want to view your work if they have not done so before. Or, it makes them want to take a second look at your work. It teaches or gives the viewer insight into something they may not know about the work by just looking at it.
Your artist statement is not your bio or about me page. Instead, it is primarily about your work, not your background. Your bio and artist resume/cv should exist separately from your statement.
I encourage you to craft the most effective statement you can for your work at this moment in time.
Why Should You Write an Artist Statement?
The artist statement is more than just a written document about your work. To succeed with your visual art business, you need to stand out, get noticed, and make a connection with people in a noisy world. The artist statement helps you to do that. It is your opportunity to help people to view and understand your artwork, especially when you are not there to speak with them. Also, it forces you to clarify what you want to communicate about your work. By doing this, you will be better prepared to speak and present your work, whether it is in a formal or informal setting.
The bottom line – an artist statement prepares you for the opportunities that come your way, which is WHY you need to have one that effectively represents your work. Visit the Artisan Advantage Resources page for some tools to help with writing your artist statement.
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