When you create and display visual aids during an oral presentation, there are a few general principles that you should follow.

Keep it simple

Use color, but not too much
Color accelerates learning and recall by 55% or more and comprehension by 70% (Dodd, 1997). But too much color can be distracting.

Break complex ideas into simpler visual parts
If you plan to show a complex idea visually, break the image into smaller, less complicated parts. An overlay is a possible option.

Show = Discuss
Do not show anything that you don’t plan to discuss. Explain what’s in each graphic.

Do not talk at your visual aid
Direct your presentation toward the audience and refer to your images with a pointer or pen.

Steady hands
If you’re hands are shaky, a pointer, pen, or pencil will help steady you.

You can use the following options, but beware of the problems associated with each:

Overheads are simple and clear, and you don’t have to depend on a computer. They can, however, get out of order, have poor print quality, and cause other problems if the transition between each one is not smooth. If you are able, have someone else be responsible for turning your overheads during your presentation, so you can concentrate on speaking and directing the overall presentation.

PowerPoint or similar slide-show software programs can produce professional-looking presentations. You can store your presentation on a disk and carry it with you, and it’s also easy to make changes to your presentation.

However, using such software does force dependence on computer technology, and if the computer crashes, or if there are other technology problems, you won’t have your slide-show. Therefore, when you use such software, always have available alternative visuals such as overheads or paper handouts.

Slides give you clear images of photographs and also allow for easy change in the order of your presentation. However, they can be expensive, and you can’t change the images once they’re created.

Whiteboards and paper are convenient if you feel comfortable writing your points in front of the audience. They also let you be spontaneous and incorporate feedback from the audience. However, they don’t look as professional as other media, and they force you to spend a lot of time writing when you should be talking (often with your back to the audience).

Handouts are an excellent accompaniment to any of the options listed above, but they can also pose their own problems. If you distribute them at the beginning of your presentation, you risk losing your audience’s attention; their attention may turn to the handout rather than following what you are saying.

Nevertheless, having the audience follow along with the handout can be a successful strategy. You can also pass out a summary of your speech that the audience can take away with them. A final option is to pass out handouts to support the information you bring up as you talk. However, this can also deflect attention away from you, and cause the audience to miss pertinent points. Be sparing with handouts, but understand that they can be instrumental in helping the audience remember your speech.

In conclusion, the above information is for those who are really attached to using aids.  I prefer imagination and interaction.  The fewer aids the more connected the audience is to me and the less distracted they are by some aid.  I am, however, aware that people have different ways of remembering information, visually, oral, etc.  So keeping all this in mind, remember that your natural, authentic, connected voice is the best advertisement you have for your interest in the audience.  It’s then that they are willing to listen – when they know you care about them.

While the artists featured in the 2010 Old Town Art Fair are chosen by an independent jury of professional artists, gallery owners and museum curators, who looks at their professionalism and how they interact with the public?  I think the answer is no one because it’s art right? It should sell itself, right?  I can also tell you there were far too many booths that offered no artist statement, or ONLY offered a hand written statement on a scrap of paper that was pinned to their booth… I kid you not.  Even worse many had no story about them or their artwork woven into their display. There was no “Why” to latch on to… And the really sick part was that the majority of the art at the fair was indeed pretty good. But yet, no one was inside these faceless art filled booths could tell their potential customers a compelling story about why they do what they do. NO wonder everyone walked right by them and instead mobbed those that could.

Out of the roughly 20 artists Chuck and I were seriously interest in, less than 1/2 of them had functioning websites. The common excuse was it was being updated or had only been down for a short period of time for some reason or another. In fact, one artist proudly told me she had been featured in “the” ceramic magazine and had 6 galleries representing her and did not need a website because all anyone ever did was go and look at “the pretty pictures”. This particular artist even won a prize at this years fair which was juried for the first time.  Her work indeed was good but clearly she does not care to be connected to her audience or know who they really are- I found this, and her attitude, totally scary. I know another visual artists just like her who has had a great deal of success selling the same way- until the bottom fell out on the economy and now she has no idea who her clients are because she directly sells to so few of them…And what about trusting your brand to a gallery? While they may represent your work do you really want to leave your image and “brand” up to them? Yikes.  How do you build Why? with no direct connection to your tribe?  No wonder there are SO MANY STARVING ARTISTS!!

But what is THE MOST troubling about this experience today is this is a well established, higher end fair. Most of the art is at least a couple of hundred dollars and a significant portion of it falls in the $2000 to $8000 range.  It costs $500 to $575 for a 10X12 and is considered 37th out of 200 best art fairs around the country.

Our newest addition: JOY

But, my husband and I went to enjoy our day and indeed we did. My 46th birthday was yesterday and in celebration we bought “Joy” from clay sculpture artist Steven Olszewski from Pinckney, MI. (734.878.6439  clayart@cac.net)  When I entered Steve’s booth his sculptures really spoke to me through their serenity. Steve was, coincidentally, indeed, one of the two artists who also was quick to speak to me and also quick to tell me he needed to sell some of his work and if I liked it he would make me a deal. He was sincere and not pushy in the least. Of course I took him up on his offer for a discount, but truthfully if he had not offered first, I would have paid full price.

Steve’s booth did not tell me Why? at all. His sculptures did with their serenity, peace and joy written all over their faces and poses, but there was no story in his booth had I needed more encouragement to connect to his work. Steve does not have a website and also readily admitted he needed help with his marketing and connectivity to his market. He even said he wanted to come to Boost Camp, which of course made me feel a little more Joy.

This peace filled man is another one of Steve's sculptures. Chuck and I really liked him but he, and a slightly smaller one like him, were both out of our price range. I did however help Steve sell the smaller one to another couple while I was in Steve's booth.

Ironically, when I first saw Joy I said to him, ” Her name must be Joy because she looks full of it..”  and ironically and magically it turns out indeed it is her name.

THE WINNER

The designer who submitted the winning entry, and OUR NEW LOGO, said this about their submission: ” Your website presents the picture of a dynamic, community-oriented organization and I’ve tried to express those attributes in the logo I’ve designed for your institute.”

We could not agree more! We felt, like so many of you, that this particular entry stood out because it was unique, very clever and creative, reflected a diverse collaborative community and most importantly embodied an entrepreneurial spirit!

Thank YOU Ryan Swanson, instructor from the School of The Art Institute of Chicago,  for referring our winning entry to us!

And with out further ado….(drum roll please!) the winner is…

Here are some of my all-time favorite disqualifying statements from cover letters.  And what makes these errors so amazing is that every item on this list is absolutely true.  You can’t make up this stuff!

      1. If the chair of the search committee is named Dr. Shankovich, avoid beginning with “Dear Dr. Frankovich”.

      2. Do not staple a photograph to the right hand corner of your letter, particularly if you’re a balding and overweight middle-aged man.

      3. Your commitment to saving the environment is appreciated. But if you spill significant amounts of coffee on your letter, consider printing a new copy.

      4. A strong design can make your letterhead stand out.  But avoid fonts where the letters resemble hearts or appear to have blood dripping from them.   

      5. Reconsider replacing your cover letter to Dean Marianski with a hand-drawn cartoon including the quote bubble “I’ve always wanted to work with Merv.  He’s awesome!!!!!”

      6. While it’s critical to outline your philosophical take in a cover letter, some statements are best kept to yourself, such as “I believe arts educators should not get married or have families because it shows a lack of commitment to the profession.”

      7. Refrain from spending two paragraphs clarifying your time behind bars. (Save that for the interview.)

      8. Here’s one that I made (ouch!!!) as a compulsive document saver.  After my letter was finished and in perfect condition, I subconsciously saved a couple last times before emailing it off.  But in my haste, “control” and “S” were pressed in the opposite order, adding two “s’s” to my document.  This transformed the phrase “With a strong background in music theory pedagogy” to “With ass strong background in music theory pedagogy.”

      9. Even if you are extremely famous, do not replace your letters of recommendation with the phrase, “For referrals, just talk to anyone in the music business.”    

      10. Do not conclude by writing “I believe my outstanding record of success and diverse profile make me the perfect candidate for Eastern Iowa University.” At least not when the application is being send to Yale.

Check out David Cutler’s

THE SAVVY MUSICIAN: Building a Career, Earning a Living, & Making a Difference

“Hands down, the most valuable resource available for aspiring musicians.”

— Jeffrey Zeigler, Kronos Quartet

Our fortune cookies and No More Starving Artist Button Board were a big hit at the Chicago Creative Expo.

On Saturday April 10th, at the 7th Chicago Creative Expo held at The Cultural Center in Chicago, The IAE was in full blooming form.

Our imagination training ensemble, The Bite-Size Arts Ensemble, performed What’s Your Imagination Worth? to a just about full house in the Claudia Cassidy theater.

During the day, Bite-Size Arts Ensemble members Shawn Bowers, Lance Hall, Dharmesh Bhagat and a helper from our PR firm, PR Chicago maned the IAE booth, fielded questions and  handed out applications for our workshops and 2 year program. We had so many different kinds of artists stop by, and every imaginable question asked about our workshops and programs, that not only were these guys talking all day but they gave almost ever brochure, button, and application we brought with us away!

Meanwhile, I spent the day in the Consult-A-Thon helping artists work through various issues with their existing business or start-up ideas.

Bite-Size Arts Ensemble member Dharmesh Bhagat signs up a potential student to our mailing list.

Shawn Bowers fields a question about The IAE curriculum

Bite-Size Director Lance Hall answers questions about our 12 week imagination training workshop that begins June 7th.

Here are some quotes from emails I received already today from some of the artists I met at the Consult-A-Thon!

“Thank you for giving me such a positive experience at the Consult-a-Thon.”

“You showed me so many different angles to look at things I would have never thought of (or it would take me a very long time).”
“I’m still decompressing from this weekend but will  regroup and take action!”

Is Your Imagination Worth Investing Into? The Bite-Size Arts Ensemble gave away over 300 fortune cookies with our special message inside.

“Just wanted to tell you thanks for the wonderful meeting on Saturday at the Expo. You may have changed my life!”

“You gave me so much to think about. I have been in a buzz with friends ever since.”

I have already signed up for the boost camp online..”

So what about you? While the Chicago Creative Expo 2010 may be officially over, the energy, enthusiasm and support for The IAE it created has just begun and we are calling YOU to action too!

Do you know what your imagination is worth? Is it worth investing into by becoming a Bite-Size Arts Ensemble member and creating your own show to build your communication skills and test your business ideas in our 12 week workshop beginning Monday June 7th?

Or what about shaping or re-shaping your business idea to create a better plan of action to move your career and ideas forward with our 2 week Boost Camp that starts Monday July 26th?

Or what about joining us and learning how to live life on your own terms  ONCE AND FOR ALL by attending The IAE’s 2 year weekend program that begins January 5th, 2011?

Early Bird registration discount of 20% for The Bite-Size Arts Ensemble Workshop or Boost Camp if you apply by May 15th. Discount code is: ICanFlourish

And for all you local artists- this Saturday is the big event! The Chicago Creative Expo runs all day! The Bite-Size Arts Ensemble is performing at 1:30 in the Claudia Cassidy Theater.  I am also offering free one on one consultations.  The consult-a-thon will be on the 5th floor on the Washington side of the Cultural Center, 78 E. Randolph. To schedule an appointment click here. I am also willing to set up additional times after the expo for any of you who are unable to schedule a time with me there. Email me at lisa@theIAE.com if you are interested.

Here is the complete list of all of the FREE workshops being offered at the expo and where they will be held! Hope to See you this Saturday at the EXPO!

Peter Singer is famous for posing a stunningly difficult question, paraphrased as, “If you are walking by a pond and you see a child drowning, do you save her? What if it means ruining a very fancy pair of Italian shoes?” Okay, if we assume the answer is yes, then why not spend the cost of those shoes to save 20 kids who are starving to death across town or the world? There’s really no difference. Or by, extension, invest in research or development that solves a problem forever… The issues are proximity and attention.

My take is that most people would instantly save the kid, but given the choice, probably wouldn’t take the road by the pond again any time soon. We like to avoid these situations, because these situations make us uncomfortable.

Avert your eyes.

The reporter tells you, I’m going to show you a video of the meat you’re going to eat for dinner being slaughtered. Avert your eyes. Or the fundraiser says I’m going to tell you about easily avoidable suffering in the developing world. Avert your eyes…

It boils down to a simple question, “how much is enough?” She knows that one iPod is all she needs, but she wonders how much philanthropy is enough?  And this is a key marketing question for anyone seeking donors.

Do I have to use up all my Italian shoes? How much is my share? …and at some point, will we end up avoiding Singer’s question altogether?

If you don’t give anything to good causes, then you define enough as zero and you have no worries about achieving ‘enough’. A sad but effective strategy.

If you give money to emergencies, friends with the guts to ask and the occasional feel good moment, you’ve also defined ‘enough’ in an easily achievable way. Your gift is a reaction to inputs.

What about people who make substantial, anonymous donations to long-term causes? How do they know what’s enough? How do they decide that now it’s okay to go out for a fancy dinner and not send the money to the worthy cause instead? If the solution isn’t clear, if it’s limitless, how do they avoid the temptation of avoiding the problem by doing nothing?

Marketers at good causes have a real challenge as they try to raise money from people who aren’t billionaires. As they approach people with $10,000 or $100,000 in the bank, this fear of not seeing a limit is very real, and if it’s not confronted, they will fail at both raising the money and generating satisfaction for the donor.

The Mormon Church says, “tithe”. Loosely paraphrased, they say, “10% is a lot, and 10% is enough.” This is actually very smart, because they’ve created a difficult but achievable standard, a way to be a member of good standing in their tribe.

When my dad ran the local United Way drive as a volunteer, he pushed for one percent. “One percent isn’t a lot, but it’s enough.”

What’s enough? I don’t think good cause marketers need to worry so much about which number or figure they choose, but I think they need to dream hard about whether giving people comfort with a ceiling will bring in a new class of significant donors. Too many people still avert their eyes.

PS this same thinking works for marketers trying to persuade people to join a gym, learn an instrument or go on a diet… if people can’t figure out what ‘enough’ is, where the end lies, they may decide it’s not worth starting. Sad but true.

A Case for The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship™

Introduction:

Founded in 2009, The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship™ (The IAE) is a Chicago-based 501c(3) organization committed to helping artists create sustainable artistic careers through achieving self –sufficiency.  Our mission is directly tied to the belief that artists have an extraordinary amount of yet-to-be-realized value they can provide to society, especially in these economically challenging times, if they can be taught to apply their artistic capacity in new ways to allow their talents to become relevant and necessary.

The 2009 Artists and the Economic Recession Survey created by Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC) demonstrates how financial difficulties can impact an artists’ ability to sustain a productive creative life:

• Artists often have to hold multiple jobs to make ends meet – 66% hold at least one job in addition to their artistic practice, while 21% hold two or more additional jobs.
• Two-thirds reported their total 2008 income was less than $40,000, including nearly one-third who earned less than $20,000.
• Artists have experienced a decrease in sales of work (48%) or a need to lower fees/rates charged for work (44%), both of which suggest the arts are experiencing the contraction in consumer spending as much as many other industries.
• More than a third of artists reporting a decrease in the monetary amount of grants (37%), the number of awards granted (36%), and the number of grant opportunities available (35%). More than a third of artists’ report that compared to 2008 they have fewer bookings scheduled (38%) and fewer opportunities to exhibit/perform/present their work (35%). About three in 10 say there are fewer services available by nonprofits (31%) and fewer teaching (30%) and artist residency (27%) opportunities.

And yet these financial challenges pose more than the obvious problems they reflect in an artists’ ability to create their art or deliver quality cultural experiences to their audience. It is the belief of The IAE that the economic stability of artists, or lack thereof, has not only significantly contributed to the erosion of the demand for cultural and artistic expression in general but, in today’s economic environment, has put at risk the very need for it to exist entirely.

With roughly 100,000 fine arts majors graduating each year from institutional arts programs around the country, and no decline insight of prospective students who want to study art, the fact that only 2.1 million tax payers in the US report that they earn a living as artists demonstrates the attrition rate after graduation is quite high.

While the romantic stereotype of the “starving artist” to a young artist/student initially often serves to only further fuel their artistic imagination and desire of what life can be like living a bohemian lifestyle, comments from family, friends, employers, colleagues, and distant admirers as to their career prospects as an artist, once he/she graduates, creates both external and internal pressure to embrace a profession that assures stability. After all, even the bohemian lifestyle of an artist gets old when you can’t afford your car payment, let alone buy a house and raise a family—which an annual income, at best, of $40,000 a year income does not provide.

The IAE believes that the rate of attrition of post-graduates has contributed to the decline of the creative sector. The value of the full-time work these artists could have been doing has never been realized inside the communities they would have served. And the communities in which these artists began to work experienced, on some level, these artists inability to survive — reinforcing the lack of relevant value the arts must hold, despite their patron’s attraction to them.  Thus the notion of the starving artist syndrome continues. And as we know, perceptions create reality. And as such, over the course of a 40-year career span, the impact those artists could have made, we believe, has had a slow, steady and now significant and measurable impact on society’s view of the need and relevance for consuming cultural experiences in daily life today.

Henry Fogel in a speech he gave to the National Association of Schools of Music in November 2009 said this: “Any careful examination of newspapers across America over a fifty-year span, will demonstrate dramatically the shrinking of arts coverage. Fifty years ago, every small town newspaper had an arts critic, sometimes more than one.  Now, many smaller communities have let that lapse completely, and even many large cities have offered buyouts to retire their art critic, and chosen not to re-fill the position. Look at Public Television if you want further proof of the decreasing importance of the arts in America. Public Television was started precisely to broadcast programming that would have too small an appeal for commercial TV. (Never mind that in my youth, classical music was seen regularly on commercial TV – the Ed Sullivan Show, Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s concerts, the Voice of Firestone, the Bell Telephone Hour, and live operas on NBC). Now, PBS considers Sarah Brightman, Andrea Bocelli, or André Rieu to be “highbrow” programming. The number of symphony concerts, quality jazz, dance, and even staged operas, available in this country on television has been declining at an alarming rate.”

Specifically, as a result of the absence of proper training to ensure more artists who graduate from art school can fill needs in their communities and financially afford to remain in the creative sector, we believe society has been left with little choice but to be unable to perceive the impact, value and relevance of the arts in their daily lives as a whole.

According to a 2003 major study, Investing in Creativity, completed by The Urban Institute and financially supported by over 38 foundations, only 27% of adults think artists contribute “a lot” to the general good of society, far fewer than recognize the social contributions of teachers (82%), doctors (76%), scientists (66%), construction workers (63%), and clergy (52%). The public perceives the contributions of artists in much the same way it perceives those of elected officials (26% say they contribute a lot to the general good), and just slightly better than it perceives the contributions of athletes (18% think they contribute a lot).

And yet, as noted by John Cimino, Creative Leaps International, scholar Thomas Homer Dixon says the space between problems that arise and our ability to solve them- the “ingenuity gap”- is growing today at an alarming rate in business, scientific research, education, the environment and world affairs. And innovative thought leaders like Ken Robinson, Daniel Pink and Richard Florida are helping to create a mindset that the arts, and artists, are capable of offering so much more to society. Author Ken Robinson proclaims we are “Out of our Mind” to have sidelined creativity and the arts when every layer of American society from elementary education to supply-side economics is starved for more imagination, more original thinking, and more creative intelligence”. According to business writer/entrepreneur Daniel Pink, “Artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big-picture thinkers – can now reap society’s richest rewards and share its greatest joys.” Economist Richard Florida argues that artists and other members of the “creative class” are vital to regional economic development.  He suggests that they comprise the vital cultural core essential to attracting and developing workers for knowledge industries, which are increasingly important to the U.S. economy.

In these economic times, innovation is a critical tool that can grow revenue like never before and catapult our largest companies and newest start-ups to new levels of international competitiveness and profitability that we truly need to not only save, but redefine how we achieve our future economic vitality. Certainly the arts offer, with training, fertile ground to devise new ways to contribute and become vital, integral and again relevant to society.

After all, the visceral nature of the arts provides a unique barrier breaker -a unifier- regardless of race, religion, gender, age, status or income across all sectors of society and industry. No matter what the subject matter, using the arts in new interdisciplinary ways can bring people to new levels of understanding and simultaneously create new sustainable financially viable career paths for artists.

According to the Investing in Creativity study by The Urban Institute, their research suggests there is a substantial demand for artists in hybrid markets and yet few programs exist to support their development. Artists are involved in art and community development, social services, education, health, civic engagement, and youth development, among other areas through arts-based organizations such as Project Row Houses in Houston, Street Level Youth Media and Little Black Pearl in Chicago, Cornerstone Theater in Los Angeles, El Centro de la Raza in Seattle, Life Pieces to Masterpieces in Washington, D.C., Zumix and Troubador in Boston and many more examples can be found in every one of LINC’s case study sites.

Although many artists do important work primarily in the context of conventional cultural markets, LINC found scores of examples like the ones listed above.  Investing in Creativity research suggests that many artists work in all of these sectors, either at the same time or switching from one to another. Their field research in fact highlighted this pattern.  It also reveals that artists seem to benefit when there is a wide range of different sector opportunities in which they can engage.

And yet demand for what artists do is not fully conceived or well articulated, in large part because the formal validation mechanisms in both arts and non-arts contexts are relatively narrowly developed.  For example, if an artist is working at the intersection of arts and community development and making contributions in both areas, it is very likely that the full extent of those contributions will not be recognized or valued in either the cultural realm or the community development realm.  Moreover, adequate language to describe such practice and contributions currently does not exist.  The IAE seeks to bring clarity to the value of these hybrid roles to the community by focusing on the development of self-sufficient career paths for artists who will be motivated to illuminate the value of their hybrid roles to society.

Additionally, arts administrators, researchers and analysts, funders and policymakers tend to view the public, commercial, nonprofit and informal sectors as separate realms with little connection to each other.  Often artists seem to be categorized as “nonprofit” or “commercial,” as if those categories were mutually exclusive and as such funding sources are difficult to obtain and not rising in priority as demand, and need, is growing because of the cross pollination that occurs in a hybrid artistic role.

Respondents to the Investing in Creativity study emphasized the critical nature of peer-to-peer and mentoring relationships for training and professional development across the discipline spectrum and how important these relationships are to successful career transitions. Artists working at the intersection of arts and other fields, such as community development, education, health, justice, or other areas noted that the public validation and training programs needed to sustain and advance these practices is generally weak. Furthermore, many artists feel they lack the skills to market themselves to the wide range of realms where they could potentially be successful.  Our own survey, currently underway, indicates the same results. Over 83% of all respondents have said they would undertake a two year course of study to increase their skills to earn a living as a self-employed artist.  Additionally, LINC’s research revealed that many higher education and training institutions for the arts are not proactive in developing markets for artists or teaching them the business skills they need to succeed and that funding for such programs is virtually non existent.

The IAE believes that by helping artists imagine and create new innovative career paths we can play a significant role in helping both artists and the community rediscover new ways for artists to be recognized as contributing “a lot of good” though the development of self-sustaining hybrid careers that can become relevant to the communities these artists will serve. As such, through our programs at the IAE, we seek to helps artists grow their artistic imaginations about what is possible, while teaching them tangible necessary skill sets to give them the assortment of tools they need to turn their creativity into self-sufficiency.

The IAE seeks to make it possible for artists to develop a business arising from identifying gaps in the market place they can uniquely fill with a form of their creative practice. These businesses will be varied and may relate directly to a product, societal problem, service or process, a form of expertise, consultancy, or their values, beliefs or knowledge.  IAE training will provide the means for artists to understand how to create the infrastructure and environment for new creative opportunities to be realized.

Although there are increasingly quality arts entrepreneurship courses and programs in colleges and universities around the country, given the attrition rate of artists exiting the field, the need for more quality programs is self -evident. Furthermore,  The IAE knows of no other school focused exclusively on the development of self-sustaining hybrid career paths in the arts leveraging the strengths of ongoing one-on-one mentorship and experiential learning across all artistic disciplines. The most notable nationally recognized program happens to be here in Chicago, at Columbia College. Unfortunately,  the Arts, Entertainment and Media Management Program,  not for a lack of student enrollment or interest, but instead because of a change in institutional priorities, it is in the process of undergoing a major restructuring that will result in a majority of its programs being eliminated or significantly diluted.

The IAE is committed to bringing artists and their creativity into the center of economic activity.

Check out this quote:

According to Barnes, the decision [to let fans tape shows] was not entirely selfless: it reflected a shrewd assessment that tape sharing would widen their audience, a ban would be unenforceable, and anyone inclined to tape a show would probably spend money elsewhere, such as on merchandise or tickets. The Dead became one of the most profitable bands of all time.

It’s inspiring stuff, and shows that a little bit of innovation (and goodwill toward your audience) can go a long way.  I’m not even a Grateful Dead fan, but I think I might be now.  Full article is in the link below.

Management Secrets of the Grateful Dead [The Atlantic]

Happy 10th anniversary SEA! The SEA conference is coming right up and if you have never attended you need to! Come learn more about how to turn your artistic passion into a living from other successful artists.

What The Conference Offers

In addition to keynote presentations, topic specific sessions by artists, panel discussions, faculty sessions, and workshops,  come hang out with a lot of really fun, creative artists and entrepreneurs.  I will be speaking and hanging out there too! Hope you will join the fun.

Here’s the list of speakers and topics that will be presented:

Visual Arts:

Robert Fishbone – Keynote & Social Media Panel
Jeanette Smith (Art Consultant) – Art Licensing
Robert Lee Fritz (3-D Artist) – Creating niches and corporate sales
John McDavitt (Commercial Artist) – Heroic Decision Making
Janet Bloch (Artist & Consultant) – Exhibiting Professionalism
Andie Burchett (Pencil Artist) – TBD
Jessica & John Page – Photography & New Business (Alum)
Ping Wu – Fashion Design (Alum)

Media Arts:

Kelley Baker (Filmmaker) – Guerilla Marketing & Self-Distribution
Julie Freestone (Sundance Institute) – TBD
Jeffrey Fisher (Fisher Creative Group) – Be a Mobile Media Mogul

Performing Arts:

Matt Hennessy (Musician and Recording Engineer) – Recording Industry
Greg Eichelberger (Musician) – Creating & Managing a Career
Lisa Canning (Musician & Entrepreneur) – New Economic Opportunities for Artists
Victoria Lyman (Dance Boutique)- Turning Your Artistic Passion into a Retail business
Vanessa E (Singer) – Multiple Income Streams
Matt Boresi – Mock Auditions & Closing  Keynote

Literary Arts:

Jennifer McCord & Sheryl Stebbins – Publishing Today
McCord & Stebbins – Writing a book proposal
(A limited number will have the opportunity to have a book proposal reviewed.
Please see website for more details.)

Nuts & Bolts:

Elizabeth Russell (Russell Law)- Legal Issues
Tim Kelley (Columbia College) – Legal Issues for Performing Artists
Kay Osborne (Drury University) – Accounting for Artists

Panel Discussions:

Marketing
Social Media & Websites
Portfolios
Getting Started
Faculty Sessions:
2 Faculty Panels of Coleman Fellowes
Pam Mickelson (Morningside College ) – Brand Builder Matrix (for faculty & students)

Learn more about the speakers presentations:

Here is the schedule at a glance:

There is no time like RIGHT NOW to register! See you at SEA.

Can’t come to Lisle, Illinois?  Here are a few other opportunities to get involved:

March 13th SEA OzArts : Coordinated by Drury University in Sprinfield, MO

March 26th & 27th SEA BizArts:  Coordinated by Edmonds Community College in Washington

March 27th Southern Entrepreneurship in the Arts Conference: From Survival to Success
Coordinated by The University of North Carolina Greensboro

TBD SEA South: Coordinated by The University of Tampa

Identifying Your Ideal Client Profile

1. Identify the Qualities of Your Ideal Client: Identify your ideal client by asking yourself the following questions: Is there a particular group of people you’d be excited to work with? Are they appreciative of your efforts and insights? Do they want to work with you in a big way? Do they have the resources to afford you and the willingness to refer others? Are they easy to reach and connect with?

2. Know Your Ideal Client: Know WHO your ideal clients are, WHAT their particular issues are, WHY they’re having them, and HOW you can solve these challenges.

3. Identify Common Factors Among Your Clients: What is unique about your ideal client profile in terms of the problems that you can help them solve? Think about issues they’re faced with, goals they want to achieve and the biggest challenges they face. Then identify the insights you are able to provide them with and the results they will achieve from working with you.

4. List Your Favorite Clients: Make a list of your favorite current and past clients to help determine your ideal client profile. Consider their gender, age, location, industry, number of employees, title, and so on.

5. The Mass Market is Not Your Market: It’s expensive and difficult to differentiate yourself if you go after the mass market. By targeting a niche market, you will see better results at a lower cost. Be specific about who you are, what results you bring and who can most benefit from your expertise and experience.

6. Find and Reach Your Ideal Client: When determining your ideal client, one of the factors to consider is whether they are easy to reach through various groups and associations. Identify associations where they might be, newsletters they might read, and communication mechanisms to reach them. Who can introduce you to your ideal client?

7. Describe Yourself as an Expert: In establishing yourself as “the expert” in specific areas, among a particular client and industry – you can command more money, increase your client base and attract the attention of the press as well.

8. Identify the Insights You Can Provide Them That Your Competition Can Not: Get to know your competition by doing some research. Visit their websites, read their press releases, sign up for their newsletters, do a web search, review their marketing materials, and attend industry events. Think about five key attributes that are selling points for using you versus someone else.

9. Firing Incompatible Clients: If you are feeling drained, frustrated, or set up for failure with a particular client, working with them is probably not worth it. If any of the following sound familiar, you are not working with an ideal client: They seem unsure of what they want and how you can help, conversations are strained and tense, they continually question your credentials, their insecurity causes you stress, they want to see your work prior to it being completed, they don’t appreciate what you offer, or they don’t want to pay what you’re worth.

10. Take Advantage of Your Current Client Base: Use your current clients to get new clients. Oftentimes people are afraid to ask their clients for referrals, or for their help. In most cases, clients are happy to help if you simply ask. Send a letter or email to some of your best clients and explain what makes them an ideal client. Ask them a few questions that will help you to identify other clients like them (i.e. what associations do you belong to? what publications do you read?).

Assignment: Write down the top three to five decision makers that you would like to spend an hour with. Do some research and find out where they will be in the next few months. Can you attend a conference they’re speaking at? Or, do you have a mutual connection?

I’ve had the pleasure of producing work at the Gorilla Tango Theatre and asked Dan to talk a little bit about what drives his perspective on the relationship between business and the arts.  It’s bound to be a controversial opinion, but one that I believe has a lot of merit as one tries to break into an increasingly saturated marketplace.  To check out the Gorilla Tango Theatre and its full schedule of shows, or to find out how to produce your own (if you’re following my Produce Yourself series, this could be the perfect oulet!), check out www.GorillaTango.com.  Here’s Dan:

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Congratulations to me! I believe this is my very first blog entry of any kind. Despite my years of programming and development experience on the internet I never sat down and wrote an article(?) entry(?) post(?) whatever you want to call it. My previous writings have always been in the form of documents of higher-level philosophy courses in an academic environment. I have never entered the fast paced realm of bits and bytes article writing that is so prevalent and inviting to praise and criticism at seemingly the speed of light. Well, it’s probably best that I begin to work now in this new world of experience for me. Here it goes.

When I was asked to write this entry, I was asked to speak on the subject of the artistic as an entrepreneurial business enterprise (I’m paraphrasing, but that was the basis of it). This subject I have quite a bit of experience in and am excited to share my thoughts and the philosophies that guide Gorilla Tango Theatre, my other business ventures and dare I say it, my life in general.

The common perception of art academically, politically and culturally is that it is somehow good or valuable in itself. People living in developed nations (third world and underdeveloped nations perspectives’ on art and business could be an interesting treatise that I will leave for another day – for the purpose of this document I am limiting the scope of application to developed nations only) seem to have a built in preconceived notion of things deemed to be “art”; or the action of making “art”, etc. The word “art” carries weight above beyond the power of all things good. Something to be respected, nurtured and admired no matter what the form, circumstance or sacrifice.

From this rather lofty understanding of art we can derive a view of the “artist”. Someone who believes that what they are doing is good, great and meaningful. Without them to create “the art” a void in culture and society would develop so large that our entire system would break down and all creativity will cease to exist. That life as we know it will turn into a 1984-esque world of black and white realism. The artist is holding us back from the very brink of disaster of the human sprit, mind and experience.

These definitions of art and artist give a creative person who ultimately finds him or herself in the world of art a very difficult task. The activities that they choose to participate in have been elevated to a level beyond mere mortal behaviors and the troubles of daily lives. Thus, the expectations on the individual from the culture around them and from their internal perspectives of themselves makes them inflexible in their ability to adjust to outside stimulation and situation that is affecting their course of action. After all, what they are doing is great no matter what its form or function because they are an artist creating art as defined above. Per this classification there is no need adjust to anything outside of themselves and their art.

At this point you might be asking how does this relate to business and artistic entrepreneurial endeavors? Well, in any type of business the key is creating a product that people want. If no one wants what you are selling then, well, you better find something else to sell. The process of finding a marketable product is a process of trail and error, laser sharp focus and lucky guesses somehow all wrapped into one. Even then over time your marketable product may lose relevancy and certain aspects need to be tweaked, completely overhauled or the product may need to be abandoned all together. That is life and business, a series of births and deaths, we never know how long until the next one.

Now the problem for the artist is they don’t approach their art from this Darwinian understanding of business. They lock into a system of development/artistic expression that is about creating a product that they [the artist] desire to bring into existence not on its ability to stand on its own in the marketplace. Consequently they do not respond to the market forces that should be affecting their product. Non-art businesses, like the artist, can easily fall into these traps as well but for different reasons (that we will leave for another discussion). The reasons of course for the artist to fall into this world of iron fisted inflexibility is because they have been taught (many times formally in academia) and cultured to believe that art is not a business product but something that in itself demands respect, admiration and elevation above other activities. The falseness of the proceeding is why so many artistic ventures are complete and utter failures. Art is a product, a product is produced by business and businesses must adapt to consumer demands to succeed. The artist as a stubborn mule cannot and will not succeed in any business venture.

So where does that leave the artist that has a burning desire to create what they want to create, how they want to create it, void of outside influences? Simple, the same place it leaves the bowler who wants to bowl the perfect game or the kid playing video games 20 times through to see those special closing credits – the world of hobby. Art that does not respond to market forces must be understood by the artist as a hobby. It may have great personal significance but to the rest of society is of utter uselessness and is certainly of no value from a business perspective.

Now, take note that I am by no means putting down the hobby artist. Many times from the hobby bowler comes the professional, the same is true of the artist (and businessman for that matter). It’s just that the artist does him or herself a huge disservice and much time is wasted waiting for an “angel investor” to appear and help them, if they do not realize that the process, costs and burden of becoming the professional falls squarely on them and is not the responsibility of society, institutions or culture as a whole to offer support or encouragement in any form along the path.

Long story short, get ready to adapt constantly and get your teeth kicked in over and over again. It’s not fun all the time, but that is art, business and life.

So there you go. My first blog article. I know this first article took on a more general response to the topic of art and business and perhaps leaves many questions bubbling to the surface. I’m sure, if I’m asked to write again, there will be plenty of opportunity to go into great detail on a variety of artistic/business topics in more detail. Feel free to email dan@gorillatango.com with questions, ideas, etc. for future discussion.

For those hoping to thrive as a professional artist, the question is easily answered. Without a website, you don’t exist.  You’re invisible…at least in the eyes of the world.  And there’s more: Without a significant web footprint, you haven’t been successful. 

This assessment may seem harsh, extreme, and exaggerated.  Obviously, the logic is flawed. But perception is everything. So how well is your career going? “Google” your name to find out.

Just think about it. Let’s say you’re looking to hire a trombonist for a gig, and a friend provides three referrals. A keyword search on the first player turns up nothing.  Nada.  The second name unveils a nicely designed website, presenting a bio and other information about this low brasser. For the third musician, 130 unique hits emerge: an artist website, social networking pages, news releases, calendar listings, extensive blogging, etc. True, it may be impossible to assess who is the better performer from this exercise, but contestant #3 certainly has the most “fame.” And #2 is has at least done something. Who would you contact?

The Internet, more than any other invention, has transformed our society.  The great equalizer, it places individuals on equal footing with even huge multi-national corporations, since it’s no more expensive to visit one website over another.  But flip the equation on its ear: An artist without a site is disadvantaged not only against big companies, but also individual competitors with web representation. 

There’s no way around it.  It’s difficult to be taken seriously if you don’t have a website. Building a beautifully designed site with compelling content should not be the goal for entrepreneurial artists.  It’s the minimum.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are the main benefits of a website?

• It’s about the cheapest form of marketing available
• It allows you to carefully craft a message and emphasize your “brand”
• It’s accessible to anyone in the world with an Internet connection
• It’s open 24/7
• It allows for virtually unlimited material to be stored and displayed
• It provides an easy way for viewers to learn about you and your work
• It allows new people to discover you
• It has the potential of keeping past clients/fans engaged, building trust and enthusiasm over time
• It makes it easier for the media and presenters to obtain photos, bios, etc.
• It can generate revenue (through merchandise sales, affiliate programs, ads, etc.)
• It forces you to think about what’s really important about your work, what makes you different, and how you’d like to frame professional activities
• It can fulfill just about any function imaginable

Will a website automatically make me more successful?

While having nothing definitely decreases your likeliness of success, the mere fact that you own a website doesn’t guarantee stardom.  Far from it.  It just puts you in the game. In fact, many musician websites do little to help their cause.  But a carefully crafted site with the “right” content has the potential to help you immensely. 

Is it ever too early in my career to have a website?

This is a question I hear frequently from students.  There are varying opinions.  For me, if you’re accomplished enough to work professionally, you can probably benefit from a site.  At the least, the experience of developing one will teach you valuable lessons about the omnipotent World Wide Web.  But how you present yourself is vital; changing perception is always difficult.  Carefully craft your message.  If you want to be respected like a pro, present yourself appropriately.   

Can a website actually hurt my career?

Indeed it can.  Poor quality recordings, weak content, sloppy writing, and irritating design all count against you.  When someone finds your site, they quickly form an opinion.  Make sure it’s a good one.  

Is a personal website better than other formats, such as a MySpace or Facebook pages?

Each kind of site offers unique advantages, with the potential to reach different communities.  Most savvy musicians maintain multiple sites.  Some use secondary pages as a means for directing traffic to their primary URL.  But if you’re just starting out, just pick one as a starting point.  Building web presence is a process, not an afternoon activity.

How much does it cost to build a site?

There are many ways to create a website.  It’s easier than ever to start with a template and build it yourself for next to nothing.  The other end of the spectrum involves hiring a designer, which can range from a few hundred dollars to $10k+.  Additional options include working with a friend, employing a student at a discounted rate, or bartering your time and skills in exchange for web design. No definitive correlation between price and efficacy can be drawn, and each method is accompanied with pros and cons.  But being on a budget is not a valid excuse for failing to have a site. Low cost options abound.

So what makes a website powerful? 

My book The Savvy Musician has a thorough and detailed chapter exploring this very issue.  I will also explore aspects of this issue in future articles.

Love music, but hate to starve?  Visit www.SavvyMusician.com for a Resource Center with 1000+links, valuable articles, info on the most relevant music career book in print, and more.

The most recent shout out came from  ENTmind– a blog devoted to Entrepreneurs helping them develop their skills in web design, blogging, web hosting, search engine optimization (SEO)  social media optimization (SMO), and search engine marketing (SEM) . ENTmind has over 128,000  that subscribe to their blog via feedburner alone.

On a daily basis, they blog to help their readers learn how to make money online. Their basic goal is to educate internet users and train them to be successful online entrepreneurs. They have a lot of valuable content on a wide range of topics. I would recommend checking them out.

Poster art is expanding beyond concert promotion into small-business arenas as companies break away from conventional marketing.

Forget Starbucks, Caribou and Seattle’s Best. Chicagoans in the know frequent Metropolis Coffee Co., an independently owned cafe and coffee wholesaler located blocks from the Lake Michigan coastline in the city’s Edgewater district. With its hip, scruffy clientele, amiably funky décor and fervent dedication to organic, small-batch artisan roasting,

Metropolis doesn’t operate like rival coffeehouses–which means it doesn’t market its products and services like other coffeehouses either. Metropolis instead turns to Jay Ryan, the Chicago-area poster maker behind hundreds of screen-printed concert posters for renowned musicians, including the Decemberists, My Morning Jacket and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy. Ryan–a longtime Metropolis customer whose own band, Dianogah, regularly practices in the company’s roastery space–has created two different and equally attention-grabbing promotional posters for Metropolis, both printed by hand at his Skokie, Ill., print shop, The Bird Machine. Pasted up in the windows of Metropolis’ wholesale clients throughout Chicago, the posters are not just a sign of an exemplary cup of coffee, they also communicate the company’s commitment to old-school virtues like authenticity and handicraftsmanship in a world where homogenization and mass production are the status quo.

“We’re a young company in a hip business–the people who work for us are rockers, our customers are rockers, and we’re trying to be rockers, too,” says Metropolis co-owner Tony Dreyfuss. “We’re artisan in the way we do things, and Ryan’s posters tie in with that philosophy. They’re hand-drawn and made by a person. They’re just cool. It’s as simple as that.”

A growing number of small businesses are turning to screen-printed posters, exploiting the medium’s potent marriage of advertising and art to reach a customer demographic impervious to conventional marketing approaches. In addition to Metropolis, Ryan has designed posters for Columbia Crest Winery and the annual Illinois State Cyclocross championships, as well as InterContinental Hotels Group. The posters serve as promotional tools, retail merchandise and even sought-after collectibles.

That popularity has led a legion of artists away from the sterile perfection of digital media to something more real. “Screen-printed posters are a little different from everything else in your life these days,” Ryan says. “Everything done on a computer is perfectly laid out. However, digital prints are relatively lifeless and substantially more expensive to make. Screen-printing is accessible. It’s an imperfect medium with limits, but working within those limits challenges craftsmen to do better.”

Ryan is at the forefront of a renaissance in rock concert art, also known as gig posters. It’s a tradition that flourished during the late 1960s, when San Francisco-based illustrators Rick Griffin and Wes Wilson defined the eye-popping, brain-warping iconography of the psychedelic era.  Screen-printing gave way to photocopied handbills in the ’70s, as Flower Power faded and punk ascended. But with the emergence of grunge in the early 1990s, screen-printed posters again blossomed.

The Internet has galvanized poster art, connecting designers from across the globe with fellow artists, bands, promoters and venues. The web also is responsible for expanding the appeal of poster art to small-business marketers–and for forging an entrepreneurial community of poster artists. Limited-edition, signed-and-numbered prints from fan-favorite artists such as Ryan, the one-named Emek, Rob Jones, Tara McPherson, Brad Klausen and Aaron Horkey now routinely sell out in minutes.

“People want a physical artifact they can hold or put on their wall to show off their musical taste,” says longtime poster artist Steve Walters, whose Screwball Press has launched the careers of a number of Chicago-area artists.

Posters typically sell for between $20 and $50, with production runs averaging between 100 and 300 copies. The artist often splits the run with the band he or she is helping to promote. The band sells  its share of the posters at the performance or on its official website, and the artist sells on his or her website or at events like Flatstock, a series of poster exhibitions sponsored by the nonprofit American Poster Institute and held in conjunction with music festivals like South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and Bumbershoot in Seattle.

“There’s no other scene where you can get this level of quality art for $20 or $30,” says Mitch Putnam, who owns online retailer Postersandtoys.com.

The online nexus of the poster art community is GigPosters.com, a website devoted to cataloging the evolution of the medium. Founded and operated by Clay Hayes, who also edited the 2009 Quirk Books anthology GigPosters: Rock Show Art of the 21st Century, the site boasts more than 110,000 posters from nearly 9,000 artists.

“GigPosters.com brings people together and showcases what’s out there in the world, whether it’s different art, different mediums or different music,” Hayes says. “It brings together a community of like-minded people and helps them get better at what they do.”

Gig posters sometimes lead to more lucrative commercial opportunities: Ryan says he was offered the chance to design the book jacket for Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon’s The Final Solution after Chabon spotted a framed copy of Ryan’s Flaming Lips concert poster hanging in his agent’s office.

“Gig posters are a really good business card. A lot of people see that work,” says illustrator Diana Sudyka, Ryan’s wife. “When I do gig posters, it often leads to other jobs.” For Sudyka, that includes the album design for Andrew Bird’s 2009 Noble Beast release and illustrations for two books in Trenton Lee Stewart’s bestselling children’s series The Mysterious Benedict Society.

Poster art also can spark new relationships. In 2003, Austin-based artist Rob Jones created a poster for the White Stripes’ performance in Lyon, France, without the band’s permission. The group was so enthusiastic about Jones’ effort that it commissioned him to create future posters. Jones’ artwork is now synonymous with the White Stripes–he designs their album art and related merchandise, and the collaboration extends across frontman Jack White’s side projects, the Raconteurs and the Dead Weather.

“I get to bask in the White Stripes’ heat–it rubs off on me,” the self-effacing Jones says. “People associate the excitement of the White Stripes with me.”

Jones also is involved with the Austin cinema chain Alamo Drafthouse’s Rolling Roadshow tour, a series of outdoor screenings that present famous movies in the locations where they were filmed. Jones curates the original posters commissioned in conjunction with the events, assembling a who’s who of artists to interpret movies spanning from The Searchers to The Shining. “The posters are good publicity,” Jones says. “They fulfill the aim of bringing attention to films that the Alamo crowd likes.”

But you don’t have to be a hip, left-of-center business like the Alamo Drafthouse or Metropolis Coffee to maximize the potential of poster art, he says. “Anybody can use posters. As long as the artwork is desirable, people will want it.”

As consumer and entrepreneurial interest in poster art continues to grow, so too does the attention of the music industry. Superstar acts Pearl Jam, Phish and Dave Matthews Band inspire some of the most rabid fanaticism among poster collectors.

“We’re going to see artists dealing more closely with bands as posters become more viable merchandise,” says Postersandtoys.com’s Putnam. “Now that bands are selling 100 posters per show, they’re embracing this as their official merchandise, as opposed to something that just advertises the show.”

Artists such as Ryan are wary of corporate influence. “It’s going to be interesting to keep an eye on all the record labels who have screwed themselves as they start looking at posters as a viable commodity and demand a bigger hand in controlling them,” he says.

The art and business of posters may change, but its practitioners are here to stay. “I don’t know of any other design job with this much creative freedom,” Screwball Press’ Walters says. “At the end of the day, I have something that I created myself, from conception to finished product, that I can hold in my hand. And that’s a rare thing.”

That ethos speaks directly to Metropolis’ Dreyfuss and other businesses chafing against the norm. “Traditional marketing and branding are so static,” he says. “Posters are a more authentic form of communication. Having an independent, rock ‘n’ roll image is a lost art.”

Todd Slater was a graphic design major at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas when he started collecting concert posters. As his interest grew, Slater began frequenting GigPosters.com, collecting tips and insights from the artists posting on its user forum. In 2004, he made his first professional foray into printmaking. He’s now one of the busiest illustrators in the business, creating posters for acts ranging from Neil Young to Nine Inch Nails to Ween.

“What’s appealing about gig posters is you can do everything yourself–you can design yourself and print yourself,” Slater says.

Slater is the quintessential example of an artist directly inspired by the digital community nurtured by GigPosters.com. The site continues to welcome aspiring talent at a snowballing rate, but established artists warn that the perception of a career making concert posters doesn’t necessarily line up with the reality.

“People see the success of artists like Jay Ryan and think they’re going to make a million dollars, and that’s not the case,” says Steve Walters, founder of Chicago studio Screwball Press. “It’s very easy to start out. But it’s also very labor-intensive, so some people give up right away. ”

Walters’ Screwball Academy offers budding poster artists a hands-on course: Students arrive at the studio with black-and-white line art and leave with as many as 50 three-color, 11-by-17-inch prints they produce themselves, created either during the course of a six- to eight-hour session or two shorter sessions. Screwball graduates can then return to the facility to print additional projects.

Here’s other expert advice for artists looking to draw up a career in gig posters:

It’s who you know. “With anything you get into doing, it’s important to do what you know,” Ryan says. “If your brother’s girlfriend is playing at a local coffeehouse, that’s where you start, and you take it from there.”

Just do it. “Don’t wait for people to approach you,” illustrator Diana Sudyka says. “Be disciplined, get out there and stick with it.”

Be professional. “In the beginning, a lot of my success came from my dependability,” Slater says. “I was so eager to make posters that promoters and bands put up with my inexperience because I was so on top of things. I ran a really organized show. Be dependable, and the art will improve from there.”

Keep everything in perspective. “Do it because you love it and because you love holding something in your hand that you made,” Walters says. “It beats having a real job.” –J.A.

While Seth speaks of this decade being the year of frustration– it is NOT going to be for all of us!!

Welcome to The Frustration Decade- a post for us artists to begin to live by….

Oh, and Seth, I am not so sure the MBA’s will be taking over for us either- or at least not for long. This IS our decade to rise.

1.    People are not always honest.
2.    Sometimes people do not have good intentions.
3.    When the praise is good, it is never good enough and when it is bad, it can be devastating—I have to give credit to Stan Wojewodski for this one.

And, most dangerous of all,

4.    You are reliant on other people for your sense of worth and success.

Number 4. is not a very empowering place to be. It’s not good for one’s self esteem. As a teacher, I try to instill in my students, a strong sense of having their own internal success monitor (not to be confused with self-judgment or criticism). They know how they have done and do not need to ask other people. This knowledge stems from working with goal setting and practice.

It is natural to want to hear peoples’ thoughts on how we are perceived…and it’s fun. But, the artist needs to have a core that shields him or herself from the winds of external opinion. I am a Texan and sometimes we live up to our stereotypes. In Texas, we have a sayin’. Here it is: “Opinions are like a**holes. Everyone’s got one”.So, take opinions with a grain of salt (whether positive or negative).

Now, this said,  your success in the market, which is guided by peoples’ purchasing, which is ultimately peoples’ opinions, determines one’s success and the market often has very different ideas about what is of value (when compared to peers).

Relying on other people for your sense of success in your work as an artist is poisonous thinking. It is not good for your self-esteem. Why? Because you are giving away your power.

It is far more empowering to be your own judge of how you are doing and here is a simple exercise to assist you in your process:

Goal Setting.

When approaching your respective “canvas”, have specific goals in mind (goals that are challenging, but realistic to achieve). “I want to accomplish these specific things today”… in my performance or painting…or whatever your medium.

After you complete your work, ask yourself the following:

“Did I accomplish my goals”?

If you did, awesome. Good for you. Go celebrate.

If you did not, ask yourself “Why”? Then ask “What will I do differently tomorrow” or next time?

This ritualistic self assessment of goal progress will keep you focused.

It enables you, as artist, to maintain your self-empowerment and maintain your own internal meter or monitor for success. It gives you a gauge, by which you can better yourself.

This little technique is profound, in that it enables you to become your own teacher. Become your own teacher and you will forever be in a state of learning.

Independence. Pass it on.

Jim Hart is the founder of The Hart Technique and The International Theatre Academy Norway.

1. A dance troupe wants to attract bigger crowds to their shows.  They place ads in local newspapers.
2. A college professor wants to recruit drama majors.  She asks her school to place ads in magazines geared towards actors.
3. A guitarist wants to increase sales of a new CD.  He asks his label to place ads in trade journals and catalogues.
4. An art school for children wants to drum up more business.  They place an ad in the Yellow Pages.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of advertisements.  They’re expensive and, with a world drowning in a sea of competing ads, certainly don’t guarantee sales.  In fact, countless marketing gurus have declared death to conventional advertising. Whether or not that’s 100% true, they rarely work in isolation.  To have any impact whatsoever, they must be supplemented with additional compelling messages.

For my book The Savvy Musician: Building a Career, Earning a Living, & Making a Difference, we made a conscious decision not to place a single ad anywhere (and so far have made good on that commitment).  Yes sales have been, according to our distributor, “exceptional.”  And there’s a reason why.  We market like crazy beasts. 

So what exactly is marketing?  Here’s my definition: EVERYTHING!  And everything is marketing:

• The projects you pursue—what they are and why others should care
• The products your produce—including quality and if they solve real problems
• The art you create—and whether its newsworthy
• The brand you build—your name, what makes you different, and how others perceive your work
• The relationships you cultivate—how much trust exists, and if you wish them happy birthday  
• The web presence you maintain—quality and quantity count, as does a strong call to action
• The visibility you demonstrate—showing up and participating actively
• The promotional materials you craft—both content and presentation
• The e-mails you send—message, accuracy, and speed with which you respond
• The persistence you show—whether consistently following through or giving up after 3 attempts
• The customer service you demonstrate—especially when there’s a problem
• The way you engage fans—both online and during the concert (including intermission)
• The loyalty you cultivate—because active engagement generates buzz and referrals
• The testimonials you generate—since words are more credible when coming from others
• The look you wear—including the expression on your face
• The attitude you project—even on your worst days

A bio or resume doesn’t just state what you’ve done.  It’s marketing.  Volunteering for a great cause isn’t just charitable.  It’s marketing.  Showing up late isn’t just unprofessional.  It’s (negative) marketing.  Your performances, recordings, paintings, lessons, and workshops are not just artistic products.  They’re marketing! 

So how much marketing are you doing?  And which messages do you convey?

 STOP!  I think I see the problem.  You’re not following The Rule of Five. 

THE RULE OF FIVE:

Take five pro-active steps every day that promote your cause

That’s it.  Mail a press kit.  E-mail a colleague.  Invite a contractor to lunch.  Phone a past client. Update your website.  Design business cards.  Reconnect with a mentor. Write a blog post. Mail a press release.  Create a newsletter. Just do something!  Well, actually, five things.

The Rule of Five doesn’t have to take long. 10-15 minutes before breakfast can suffice. Or a few quick tasks scattered throughout the day. Consistency, and not necessarily time spent, is the key.

You can even take off a day off per week.  And heck, let’s throw in a fortnight of vacation per year.  That leaves around 300 days, times 5 actions per day, or 1500 promotional efforts per year.  If you’re willing to make that kind of commitment, things will go better.  Much better.  I guarantee it.

If you don’t know exactly what to do, there are scores of marketing texts available.  My book The Savvy Musician, for one, is filled with marketing suggestions and techniques galore.  (And here’s a bonus: reading about this topic counts as one of your five daily steps!)   You’ll figure out what to do along the way.  The important thing is that marketing momentum is established and maintained.

Products don’t sell magically.  Careers don’t take off on their own.  If things aren’t going well, there’s one likely culprit.  You’re not marketing.  Or at least not enough.

No more excuses.  No more pointing the finger. No more procrastinating.  Stick with The Rule of Five!

Love music, but hate to starve? Hoping to achieve more success with your career? Visit www.SavvyMusician.com for a Resource Center with 1000+links, valuable articles, info on the most relevant music career book in print, and more.

So how do you create this kind of emotionally positive connection to your audience?

I came up with the ETA contest in hopes of helping you begin to learn how to. Let me explain.

In any venture you begin, to initially and continuously draw in your potential client, you need both “features” and “benefits” to do so.

A feature of your product or service might be that you “brand” runs free competition for great prizes, writes interesting articles and offers free informational resources like book lists, free on-line business tools and more.

A benefit, on the other hand, is when you actually use or experience the services that “brand” provides and you receive a benefit, something tangible and concrete that is at least as valuable to you as the price you paid for it– but hopefully far more valuable to you than the sum you paid.

The difference between features and benefits is that features focus on what makes or defines the product, while benefits focus on your experience of that product.

At any level, beginner entrepreneur (aka I have an idea I am willing to try!) to those in an advanced class (aka I am building my customer base daily,) your support base from day one must begin to grow by offering features and ultimately real benefits your customers’ experience that keep them coming back for more.

Whatever level you are currently at, rallying support around your features and benefits is critical, not only to developing your business daily, but especially to your overall mental health, as Kelly Penick described in her recent post ” Stop and Reflect on YOU, for once…” Given the certainty of feeling fearful from time to time, and having moments of anxiety, which often are particularly high in the beginning, (when you least know how to cope with them because they seem unfamiliar) I can assure you votes of confidence are VERY important to beginning and sustaining your entrepreneurial evolution and journey.

So how can the contest help you begin to build your brand?

You may notice that one of the ways contestants for the ETA Competition are being evaluated is based on how much attention they draw to their post.

How are these contestants drawing attention to their posts? Are they posting links to the ETA site on their websites, on YouTube, Facebook, blogging about the contest and asking readers to read the post? What exactly are they doing to seek out potential votes of confidence for the features and benefits of their established or emerging brand?

Not only will studying what each of the contestants is doing give you some insight into what you might want to do, but it also might help you to recognize how much further you will get developing your ideas by asking for a little bit of support for what you are trying to accomplish.