When we PING the Universe by taking action, we generate traction towards our dreams.
I learned this lesson a few weeks ago when I was feeling the financial pinch of slow sales. Thanks to Covid, commercial sales of Drew’s art had dropped and I needed to make up for it quickly or we would have a shortfall for the month of August.
On a Sunday morning I sat down in my backyard to watch the birds in the feeder, something that gets me into a happy mood for the day. I made a public declaration to the grass and the trees that I was going to sell $2,000 in art today!
Then I wrote it down in my notebook: “Today’s Intention: Sell $2,000 in art.”
The next line I wrote was: “People I will call to sell art.” I started listing names.
I know from twenty years of experience that you will sell more art to someone you know then to someone you don’t. Sales works that way. People love to buy from people that they have a personal connection with.
I wrote down a list of twenty names. Included in this list were people who bought art from us in the last ten years, people who recently showed interest in buying art, people who are new homeowners and people who have offices (that could use some art).
Then I got dressed in a cute sundress, put on my comfortable summerish cork high heels and walked to the art studio.
When I arrived, I started making phone calls. Yes, I know this is very old fashioned, and I also know from personal experience that it’s one of the best ways to sell art.
One call after another, I checked each name off the list. One couple told me they wanted to commission a triptych for their living room; but today they said they weren’t ready. The next person I called was a longtime collector of Drew’s art; but today was not the day for them buy.
Call after call, I had nice conversations with people but not one of them led to a sale.
I had about eight more names to call that were on my list, and decided to take a break and walk outside into the sunshine.
Just then a sweaty, shirtless guy on a bicycle rode up from the street and said hello. He was riding his bike to the beach and decided to stop in and look at the art.
Literally ten minutes later he bought a $2,500 painting. He reached into his pocket and pulled out twelve $100 dollar bills and handed me $1,200 in cash. He said he would bring the rest later.
I was shocked! How was it that I made all of those phone calls and not one collector bought, yet a shirtless guy on a bike comes in and buys a piece without any effort on my part?!
PING THE UNIVERSE -TAKE ACTION – SEE TRACTION
My Yoda-wise business coach Ralph explained to me later what happened.
He said “Sales is a metaphysical act. When you PING THE UNIVERSE sales will come to you.”
Ralph said that just the action of me making phone calls to sell art generated traction and I was pinging the Universe, letting it know that I was serious about selling art.
And the Universe responded in a way that brought me a guy on a bicycle who spent more money than my goal.
This may be a little too metaphysical for some of you, and if so, then let me give a different explanation.
When you take action, you generate traction.
Nothing will happen when you’re laying on your couch watching TV.
Everything happens when you start making phone calls, meeting people, advertising, posting, painting, creating.
If you want to give this a try yourself, I made it easy for you. Follow my action steps below.
ACTION STEPS TO MAKE ART SALES NOW:
1 – DECIDE specifically what you are committed to bringing into your life (i.e. set a dollar goal $______ to reach by a specific date)
2 – DECLARE that you INTEND to generate those results
3 – WRITE – sit down in a quiet space and write with pen on paper a question, such as “who can I contact” and/or “where can I go” and/or “what actions can I take” that will lead me to what I want?
Then, start writing and allow the ideas to flow. Even if an idea seems odd or not right, write it down anyway. There is usually a lot of power to the ideas that we initially don’t like.
4 – TAKE ACTION – this is where the “ping the Universe” comes into play. By taking action (call someone, go somewhere, write something, etc.) you are generating energy around what you want.
5 – ALLOW what comes to you and enjoy it. If you don’t meet your declared intention exactly, embrace and celebrate what you DID generate.
Always celebrate your wins, large and small. Focus on the wins only.
There are no guarantees in life, but there is one for sure thing I know:
If you DON’T take action, nothing will happen.
ACTION GENERATES TRACTION.
Back it up with a strong intention and a clear decision on what you want and you’ll get it eventually.
Please share in the comments if you have used this or a similar method for art sales or for anything else in your life. I would love to hear your stories!
Here’s to our intentional success,
Maria xxoo
Really fine column, Maria, and good to hear from you. So that ping was what was rattling around in my head! That explains everything.
I have experienced the same result as you, that action generates reaction, interest generates interest, and intention, well, that’s pretty strong stuff.
I know countless people are in corona depression, a general malaise that is somehow allied with the couch and Netflix and taking naps – this latter because doing nothing at all, the world slows down and makes me tired and/or sleepy. Gee, must not have had enough sleep last night, or words to that effect.
But when I go through my email inbox I find all sorts of things, people I somehow didn’t respond to, others I should contact or send art to for review, or just those I should check in with to see how they’re doing. And lo and behold, I have energy and things are happening and then I have too much to do but it isn’t really too much because I’m energized and suddenly it’s all fun.
I got a Schwinn recumbent exercise bike a month or more back because I was moving less than a potato, and I’ve found that if I’m tired and go on the bike (which has OK speakers and a wire that connects with my cell phone so I can play all this great music from Amazon Music while cycling) I have lots more energy the whole rest of the day and I get a lot done. It’s a really good feeling.
Anyway, your column is right on point and very much appreciated. Encore!
Lance, thank you so much for the comment and for sharing your own personal experience with getting MOVEMENT in life! Congrats on your new bike. A new bike can change your life – I know this first hand. I recently bought a new electric bike with fat tires so I can ride it on the beach and I find that it gets me out of the house even more.
Glad to hear your business is still moving during these crazy times.
Thanks for staying in touch!
Thank you for your inspirational post and actionable steps. I wholeheartedly agree – businesses have to pivot to our current reality and take action. The business is there, be creative, outreach to your existing customer base and above all – stay positive.
Hi Maria,
Great article and totally agree! My online business has been booming since March and it shows no signs of falling off…so about a month into it I decided to set a weekly goal for how much biz I could do online. If mid week it looks a little low, I do facebook and Instagram posts and I’ve always gotten orders after posts. And it gets me motivated to keep up with my posts, which is a job of its own.
Also, you helped me with a licensing agreement a few years ago and happy to say that the company has now moved into wholesale and I am seeing my art on a line of apparel in stores now. Thank you for all the advice, you were so helpful! And thank you for these great articles!
Maria, The title PING the universe is what grabbed me. Yes, I have experienced this, and now I am addicted to taking action towards what I want, I love the challenge. Those little and big wins are affirmations to me, and always worth celebrating, and they can appear as such surprises!
On another note, thank you for sharing your knowledge. I bought your book Art, Money, Success, and find it encouraging and helpful. I am looking for a PR person, can you recommend anyone?
Artist, Linda Storm
And here is my website
Linda, Thanks for the comment and for sharing your addition to taking action towards what you want! 🙂 I love the way you worded that. Thanks also for buying my book ART MONEY SUCCESS, glad you like it. I don’t know a PR person to refer you to. Wish I did!
I would like to ping my website to the universe of art buyers as cheaply as possible to strat with