What takes more Time? Creating or Marketing? When is Enough Enough?

"Belly Dancer" 11 x 14 acrylic on panel with beads

According to the experts, if you’re doing your job, you spend more time on marketing and social networking than actual creating. No wonder I’m always behind! Add to that computer problems, maintenance, inventory and you’ve set yourself up for failure.

But somehow it all comes out in the wash. You do what you have to do when you must. There’s no other way and little other choice. You keep plugging along finding ways to progress, to get attention, and to make connections.

I must admit networking has never been my strong suit. Grinding away hour after hour on social networks or advertising sites is not fun, at least for me. I find the payback is small and somewhat unmeasurable. If you decide to go all out, the costs may exceed your current income.

"Reggae Night" 18 x 24 acrylic on canvas

I know, “you have to spend money in order to make money,” (or so they say); but there is a limit. Eventually, financial reality rears its ugly head and demands its due. At some point, you have to pay the piper.

There are more people out of work than the government is willing to admit. I swear they fudge the numbers. Each week they come up with something and then revise it a few days later while no one’s watching. Our southern borders are so holey that most of the low-end jobs are taken by illegal aliens.

    

Those jobs used to be filled by college kids trying to earn tuition. Unable to find work, they are forced into borrowing money from the government. My own children are still paying on outstanding loans even though they’ve been out of school for more than 10 years.

We can’t keep bailing out the world’s people and its children. We are near twenty trillion in debt, and yet we offer protection, food, clothes, and goodies to everyone with a hand out, no matter where they are or where they come from. This endless train of money is a dream that will collapse. It is inevitable.

"Broken" 11 x 14 mixed media on canvas

I’ve always stressed doing whatever it takes to get ahead and be successful, but there comes a point when common sense must force you to ask the needed questions:

• Who is paying for this free-load of stuff?
• Where does the money come from?
• What will it cost you long-term?
• When the gravy train runs out, what then?
• If the government controls everything, how long before freedom goes?
• What has happened to other Socialist Countries over time?
• Wouldn’t you rather have a good job than no job at all?
• If the government takes most of your salary, what else can they take?
• When are you going to say enough is enough?

"Teach a man to Fish . . ." (Old Chinese Proverb)

"Fish Market" 24 x 18 acrylic on canvas

“Waiting for Godot” is another Means of Procrastination

One of the Newsletter’s I subscribe to comes from the artist, Robert Genn. He suggests that we shouldn’t wait around for “inspiration.” We should just dive into our work and see what happens. Sometimes waiting for the “muse” or that perfect idea is another form of putting off the actual work.

Some people think if they pay enough money for “the perfect web site;” the one that generates “thousands of viewers,” their careers will take off and they will begin to sell.

In actuality, it isn’t how much money you spend, it is how much actual time you spend on marketing and promoting your work. If one site fails, just beginning another won’t necessarily cut it if you’re not putting in the time. Marketing and promoting take as much work as the actual creating and implementing stage. Without promotion your creative work sits around with only one viewer: you!

"Moonshines" Acrylic on canvas

I’ve discussed fear before. Fear is paralyzing. Fear can also be another form of procrastination. The news caster Robin Robins recently dealt with a severe form of cancer. How did she beat it? Robin said: “When fear knocks, let faith answer the door.”

She believed in herself, she believed in the power of God, and she faced her fears courageously and beat them down with the “sword of God’s word.” Fear can be overcome. Human will is powerful, but there is a higher power than ourselves that can help us overcome fear, weakness, and the frailties of human nature.

When fear knocks, we need to rally all the support systems available to us. We need to jump into the pool of the unknown and beat off the sharks with every ounce of strength we can muster. Waiting for Godot or some magical super hero, who can save us from our work, just doesn’t cut it. However, if we do our part and “put in the time,” eventually the powers that be will reward our efforts.

"Sandhill Cranes at Twilight"  mixed media on canvas

Being successful isn’t for the “faint hearted.” We must struggle with our adversaries; some of which are self-inflicted. We battle with physical limitations, spiritual weaknesses and with time.

As an employee, as a wife and mother, I used a “To Do” list every day. I noticed that now that the children are gone and I’m retired, I’ve stopped using one. My days have become loose and unstructured. I think about what needs to be done, but somehow I don’t quite get to them.

I purchased a tablet with bold red letters: “To Do.” The page is divided into two columns; each line ending in a check box. The first column says: “Do it Now.” The second column says: “Do it Later.”

Since I started using this organized way of using my time wisely, I’ve accomplished at least three times as many projects as before. A warning should come with the check list: "Too many items on your Do it Now column will cause exhaustion by day’s end." I need a warning like that. I’m a Type A personality who keeps going so I can check off every box.

"With these Hands -- Love" mixed media on canvas

So I divided the page in half. One page actually lasted me all week as the interruptions of meetings, appointments, and phone calls kept me from doing my tasks on schedule. Being a slave to your list is almost as bad as not doing your tasks at all. Flexibility is mandatory.

Once the jobs were checked off, I was exhilarated. I circled those chores that remained or were more difficult so I wouldn’t forget them. This process turned out to be a great way to define my goals more clearly. It gave me an overview of my week and helped me to hone in on my priorities.

Magically, my To Do list eliminated my fears and procrastinations. I had a clear picture of what needed to be done and I methodically did them without wasting time on “how” or “why” or “when?” I was so focused on checking off those boxes, I followed my list’s directions without even thinking.

"An Open Book" mixed media on canvas

Who said I couldn’t set goals? Who told me I didn’t have time? Where did that voice come from that said I didn’t have enough talent or skill? Oh, I remember. It was the person I was before I started my To Do list. Try it! See if it smacks your fears and self-defeating behavior right out of the park!

Gum Shoeing Your Way to Success – Rules of Engagement

In years gone by, detectives were referred to as “gum shoes.” The nickname stuck because they wore rubber or crepe soled shoes as they stealthily crept into dark shadows to pursue a suspect.

Gum shoe cops were thorough and diligent. Their persistence didn’t let up until “they had their man.” Failure was not an option. Their stick-to-itiveness led to their success.

When I first stumbled onto the term “gum shoe,” I thought of the time I’d stepped on a glob of bubble gum in a parking lot. Try as I may, that hunk of pink refused to come off of my shoe and followed me in florescent strings across the hot asphalt.

Much like a trail of toilet paper that sticks to your shoe and betrays where you’ve been, the things we do in life, the places we go and the choices we make leave a trail of evidence behind us. Some might call that trail character; others may refer to it as reputation. Our chances for success get better and better as our trail of credits and experience become stronger and more reliable.

Sometimes even with our best efforts we “stick our foot in it.” After all, we’re only human. When I was a kid, I remember how smart and independent I felt at times. A real “know it all,” my mom would say.

One summer I was playing with my older cousins in my aunt’s pasture. They were showing off, stomping on crusty cow pies. They were fearless daredevils, or so I thought. Their secret was to choose only those pies that were “seasoned” or dry.

Well, I wasn’t going to let them out do me. Although I was only five, I began stomping with the best of them. Unfortunately, I was wearing a shiny pair of black patent leather shoes with white stockings and lace cuffs.

My first cow pie, crumbled successfully so I tried another. On the second thrust, my foot sank into warm, mushy green poop right up to and over my pristine lace stockings. Shock and awe crushed my confidence and sent me running to mother for help.

"Puppy Mill discovered" (illustration from Madison Morgan, when Dog's Blog

We all get in over our heads (or our socks) at times. Here’s how to avoid it:

• Don’t promise what you can’t deliver
• Know beforehand what your client expects
• Never assume anything; be specific, and ask questions
• Plot realistic deadlines and timelines
• Keep your client updated on progress
• Evaluate your time and money expenditures carefully
• Make your aim “customer satisfaction,” your target “repeat business”

Cut Yourself Loose -- Every which Way but Down

You’ve heard it before, and I’ll say it again: success is all about networking, networking, networking! The necessity of connecting the seller with the buyer and the advertiser with the consumer goes without saying. Plus your product must be available in as many different locations as possible.

I have an account on Zazzle where I’ve sold several small items and T-shirts from some of my drawings. The earnings are small, but it is gratifying to know that my cartoon characters are used and enjoyed.

Placing your artwork in several venues is not only smart, it’s vital to get your name out there. Making connections with as many people as possible is the only way to move your career along. I show on Etsy, Red Bubble, Fine Art America, and have two more sites in the works in addition to my blog.

Explore different sites, and place your articles and images where you get the most bang for your buck. I find the most difficult part is finding the time to paint or draw each day. Marketing takes a big hunk out of my week, and I’m sure out of yours, too. Without marketing, there are no sales, no exposure.

Like most artists, I have more ideas than I can ever paint. Storage is another problem: how and where to store your canvases and artwork so they are protected from the elements and from close proximity with other images. I’d love to hear your ideas!

 One solution is to have as many of your paintings in galleries and shows as possible. I keep a record of where each image is placed, its cost, and how long the painting will be at that location. Sometimes a venue may be long, such as a placement at a company or a restaurant. At other times, the venue is limited to one month. Keeping your artwork visible and active is essential if you want sales and exposure.

Membership in more than one Art League or with charitable organizations that use art to raise money provides more opportunity for visibility. I got an email a few days ago from one such gallery sponsoring a “membership show” in the coming month. Never let an opportunity slip from your grasp; work harder and smarter in order to have enough artwork in your inventory to participate.

Posting Online doesn’t guarantee Success

"Sand Crane Dreams" mixed media on canvas (Done free-hand with brush to create dream-like images)

When friends learned that I had been selling online, they were all determined to follow my lead. I was delighted, because I wanted them to feel that element of success when you overcome your fears, conquer the inevitable learning curve of uploading photos correctly, and then seeing your paintings online.

News Flash! It does not stop there! You can’t just prepare a website or blog and hope for the best. You must “work the territory.” What does that mean exactly? You must take advantage of all the apps and opportunities available on each particular website.

"Barred Owl Posing" 16x20 acrylic on panel

If there are contests, you must enter as many as you can. Then you must vote in those contests. If you join a group (I’ve joined many), you must participate in the discussions, comment on other people’s paintings, and generally get to know the artists that are out there. If you develop some relationships, this will bring you votes, a visual platform, and other opportunities to display your paintings.

Many an artist has paid to have someone prepare an elegant website, only to abandon it and leave it to chance. If there are no links or interactive tools to ask questions or make comments, people go away disappointed. Sure they may see your work, but if it’s difficult to find out the information they are looking for, they may never come back.

"Jack's Roses" oil on canvas (SOLD) Prints available!  Done almost entirely by free-hand brush drawing

An artist must still stay active in their home community. If people know you, and become familiar with your name or your work they are more likely to go to your website when shopping for artwork. Collector’s also become familiar with your name as they float from gallery to gallery.

Marketing is a 75% proposition, with a 25% ratio of time for painting. It sounds impossible, but it’s important if you ever want to sell. I never thought I’d sell an original online, but I’ve sold four this past year. Some of those paintings continue to make money through print sales online.

This time ratio means you have to work faster and harder at production. I’m becoming better at drawing with a brush and seeing clearly the painting I want to make in my mind before I begin. I still use models and photographic references, but I’m able to do much of my drawing on canvas free-hand with a brush. The exciting colors and forms that develop intuitively make it a joy to complete.

(8x10 canvas)

"in progress" sorry about the shadow! I painted an acrylic background and have to decide what to put on it!

Marketing is a very slow and upward process. The secret is to “never give up” and “never give in,” even when you get discouraged.