There are countless resources out there. Do you remember life before the internet? If we wanted to know how something worked, we had to track down the experts ourselves or go to the library and hope to find a book on it. Now, the we have information at our fingertips!
Below are links that I thing will be of interest to anyone who reads this blog:
THE BUSINESS OF A SUCCESSFUL LIFESTYLE ARTIST: Ever wonder how it’s possible that an artist can support their family while traveling and surfing the world in between art projects? In this Meylah Blog interview with me and Drew, we explain how we do it: INTERVIEW WITH SON OF THE SEA.
WHAT IS HAPPINESS AND HOW DO I FIND IT? HAPPINESS IS A FOUR LEAF CLOVER: What is happiness and do you find it or do you create it? I wrote this to give a new perspective on what it means to be happy.
IF YOU’RE GOING TO TAKE, REMEMBER TO GIVE BACK: Popular surf artist Jay Alders has had his share of people using his name to open doors for themselves. His article talks about the dos and don’t’s of using others for your own gain and encourages us to help our fellow artists by referring them. Read: NAME DROPPERS – I’M WITH SO AND SO
SHOULD YOU PUT ALL OF YOUR EGGS INTO THE GALLERY BASKET? The times they are a changing when it comes to selling original art. In the olden days (more than five years ago) the Gallery system was king. Boy have things changed! Here’s a few articles covering different angels on this topic:
SHOULD YOU GIVE THE GALLERY SYSTEM THE HEAVE-HO? My article telling artists to “Stop stressing and realize that having your art in a gallery isn’t that important. It’s not going to make or break your career goals.”
VISUAL ARTISTS CHALLENGE – SHOULD I WORK WITH GALLERIES OR GO DIRECT TO COLLECTORS? Lori McNee and Barney Davey, experts in the fine art world, discuss this great question a bit more amicably than I did in the above post!
BALANCING SELF-PROMOTION AND GALLERY REPRESENTATION: Lori McNee talks about how you can do both – work with galleries AND promote yourself.
ART LICENSING: HOW TO DO IT, WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?
Licensing your art is a great way to earn a good living from art. But it’s a mystery to many. Here are some links to help you and some interviews I’ve done where I tell all:
WORKING SMARTER, NOT HARDER: LICENSING 101: The basics.
ART LICENSING BLOG: By successful artist Tara Reed, this blog has helpful tips on licensing your art. Tara’s bubbly and fun and you’ll love getting to know her.
THE DO’S AND DON’T OF ART LICENSING: I found this article years ago and it helped me better understand licensing.
ALL ART LICENSING: A great resource by J’Net Smith, art licensing expert and consultant.
LICENSING YOUR ART, A DISCUSSION: How much money do I ask for up front? I sing like a canary in this take. Listen to my interview with John T. Unger – I tell all about licensing and how much money you’ll make, and I’m very specific.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR ARTISTS: ART LICENSING: In this interview with Carlos Castellanos (famed BALDO cartoonist) we talk about the details of my Converse License and other deals, and how artists can do it, too. This is packed full of detail, which you truly won’t find anywhere else. If you do, let me know, I’d love to see it!
BRANDING YOURSELF:
“Every brand has a story and you have a choice – let someone write that story for you, or write your own story.” Cory Huff of Brazen Careerist says that there are 1 of 3 reasons that you aren’t selling your art. All 3 have to do with your personal brand. He explains in his post PERSONAL BRANDING FOR ARTISTS.
Accomplished artist and speaker Greg Spalenka shares his vision of helping artists to “make a living from your talent on your own terms, join the Indie Art Revolution!” He gives workshops and writes a blog to spread his ideas. His website is ArtistAsBrand.com.
Please, if you have any links you think should be added to this list, share it with us in the comments below!
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11 Responses
I happened upon a review of your “How to Draw….” book
in JUXTAPOZ magazine. Congrats!
You and Drew are masters at “giving back” and creating a world of creative happiness….Thank you for always keeping us company in this world of abundance 🙂
One love.
Marie: Thanks – we were so stoked that Juxtapoz reviewed our book. It was an honor! Glad someone saw it…
Jay: Thanks 🙂 Hope you don’t mind I snagged the photo of you being barraged by the Paparazzi! Love that pic!
I really liked your Happiness Is a Four Leaf Clover post. What stood out for me the most is when you say: Your happiness is equal to the amount of appreciation you feel for what you have. I practice feeling gratitude every day. It seems to me that the more I feel gratitude for what I have, the more I have to feel gratitude for. And what I’m working on now is feeling gratitude toward things that have gone “wrong,” because that forces me to give up my own ideas of what happened and trust that maybe there is a bigger picture that I’m not yet aware of. I relate to much of what you say, Maria. Your posts are great because they are extremely practical and also inspiring. Thank you for sharing your experiences and your vision.
Alex, thank you so much! I checked out your website – LOVE your marionette sculptures – and found a link to my blog – I’m flattered. And, I appreciate your thoughts on gratitude. I’m grateful!
Thanks for the licensing links!
Hi Maria,
Thanks for the link to the collaborative post series between Lori McNee and me. You are right, there is a difference in tone between your similar post and ours. I think your perspective is both hard won and spot on. It comes from real life experience and the confidence that only a certain amount of success and respect can generate.
I also think it is instructive for emerging artists to know it is possible to take a tough, realistic stance with galleries. While the attitude from Lori and me was a tad bit less confrontational, it also is valuable for emerging artists to realize they need to strive for a cordial mutually beneficial relationship with their galleries.
There is no one size fits all solution. Ultimately, each artist needs to develop his or her own style of how the negotiate with galleries. On my first sales trip to Boston many years ago, I commented to a client on the aggressive driving style of the locals. She replied, “Didn’t you know, there are no traffic laws in Boston, only suggestions.” That is what we have here. Take and use from what you find works best for you.
Cheers, Barney
Barney, thanks for taking the time to write! I love the quote “there are no laws, just suggestions”
The post that I wrote sometime back was confrontational because I had a bad experience with a gallery and was feeling strongly negative at the time that I had written it. I almost regret it when I take such a harsh stance, especially when a professional that I respect greatly, like yourself, reads it!
I love where you and Lori are taking this conversation, and you’ve been a good influence on me in that you’ve helped me to look upon gallery representation in a different light.
You are doing a great service to all!
thanks maria for those interesting links, i also like your blog 🙂
Awesome links here. Also, your blog is fantastic!
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