 Here is one of my favorite books about how to maintain an authentic life as an artist. Sally Warner, an artist herself, writes to those who have lost their way and are trying to find a path back to a creative life.
Every artist I know feels lost at some point. You may feel overwhelmed by the noisy demands of social media. You may have recently gotten rejected by everything you’ve applied for. Or you’re lost in the confusion and stress of your own life, where too many people want a piece of you. What can you do? In a chapter called “Strengthening Your Creative Resolve” Warner describes ten qualities that will help you continue to make art. These include endurance, perseverance, and flexibility, but her most original recommendation is for artists to value their own creativity. For me, valuing your creativity means that you trust yourself and your talent. You are patient with yourself when you encounter obstacles, you celebrate your smallest successes, and you silence the inner voice who says that you’re not good enough. You strengthen your creative resolve by allowing the art-making process itself to heal you and move you forward. You go back into the studio (or wherever you make art) and spend just a little more time every day reconnecting with your art practice. Even if you don’t have a new idea yet, honor your creativity by being present in your own art space. Touch your materials, make a sketch or look at your portfolio, write a few words or read an inspiring chapter in a book like Sally Warner’s. Gradually your art will make room for itself. ~ Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D Career & Life Coach for Artists “Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People” Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards  We’ve been talking about the challenges of the new year and new decade. You may have big goals in mind, or even small but difficult ones. You have gotten organized, you’re being strategic, but you still aren’t quite there yet. Maybe it is time to ask for help.
There are many kinds of art professionals who can help you with your career, including agents, curators, art consultants, and coaches. Today let’s talk about art coaches, people who help you make progress in your art practice or career. Take your time in finding a coach who is right for you. Look at their websites, read testimonials, and check out their background and expertise. Reputable coaches are certified by a professional organization and offer a free consultation so that you can get a feel for their style and personality. A good coach will help you figure out what you want to achieve. They will recommend practical strategies. They listen to you carefully so that they hear what you are saying and struggling to say. A good coach is your partner and champion, someone who believes in you. A good coach will give you a structured process to follow. Typically you’ll begin by defining your goals, identifying the obstacles that might get in your way, and planning specific action steps for you to follow. The coaching process offers what is called a “structure of accountability.” This means that you are motivated to take action steps because you have an objective partner who cares about your progress. Interview several coaches before you decide. Ask yourself, who do I trust? Who is best qualified to help me? Keep looking until you find the coach who is right for you. ~ Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D Career & Life Coach for Artists “Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People” Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards  We’ve been talking about the challenges of this new year and new decade. My last blog post was about being strategic in your art practice, so that you spend more time on what matters most to you. The first step for many artists is getting organized. How do you organize your time, your studio, your paperwork—how do you organize yourself?
Most systems of organization are not “artist-friendly.” They are linear, like an Excel spreadsheet, or a checklist of to-do items. Such left brain systems do not capture your imagination or release your energy. These systems are often invisible--they get lost somewhere in your desk or on your computer. Out of sight, out of mind. Artists are visual people, so you need to organize yourself visually. Find images and objects that represent your intentions. If you’re trying to plan a career path, draw a map with signposts along the way. If you want to get on top of paperwork, find or create a beautiful container where you collect all the bits and pieces of paper that you need to keep. If you want to organize your time, use a big paper calendar and block out your days in different colors or shapes. Getting organized also means making choices and setting boundaries. You begin by putting your most important work right in front of you. You shape your days around your priorities. You might have to let go of some activities and even some people. You won’t always be flexible and available to others. Since getting organized means doing more of what matters to you, you begin to say NO to less important demands. What is your first step in getting organized? ~ Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D Career & Life Coach for Artists “Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People” Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards  Facing the New Year can be both exciting and daunting, and facing a new decade only increases the pressure. In my last blog post I suggested that you begin by creating a mantra to guide your thoughts and actions, because a simple word or phrase keeps you on track. A good mantra for artists who want to grow their practice is “be strategic.”
What does it mean to be strategic in your art career? First, think about what really matters to you. Maybe it is making time to create a new body of work, or making an effort to reach out to others who can help you advance. Perhaps this is the year when you will seek advice about gallery representation, or build your presence on social media. Pick just one thing to work on, for now, and “be strategic” about it. Being strategic means that you are conscious of what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. You don’t worry that you cannot control the outcome, you just go ahead and act. For example, if this is the year when you want to reach out to others, you reach out to someone every day. If you decide to develop a new body of work, then you increase your hours in the studio, and say no to less important activities. Being strategic means that you shape your days around your priorities. Even If you’re not a morning person, you start the day with what matters most. No matter how many demands and distractions come at you, each day you do at least one strategic thing. In this way you gradually build momentum, so that your actions become natural and new ideas start to flow. Remember, as an artist you are a visual person. Try to find an image that represents your strategy, and keep it visible wherever you are working. Let me know what you discover. ~ Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D Career & Life Coach for Artists “Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People” Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards  This is the time of year when many of us look back at what we have accomplished and think about what the new year will bring.
Most of what happened for me in 2019 grew out of commitments made before the year began. I ended up writing a lot. In addition to this blog, I made progress on my book, Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People. I also created a number of long articles for the online newsletter CallforEntries.com, including a series on How to Approach a Gallery. So what will 2020 bring for you? Sometimes New Year’s resolutions are so specific that they set you up for failure. You really cannot control the activities of others, especially people in the random and chaotic Big Art World. So you might want to take a more fluid approach, where you commit to making gradual changes in areas that matter to you. Ask yourself these two questions:
In order to make progress as an artist, you need to change subtle patterns in how you use your time, what you pay attention to, even what you think about. Your creativity is embedded in the rest of your life, so think broadly about the two questions. Always start with the positive--what you want to do MORE OF. As you shift your energy, the LESS OF will become obvious. Then turn your intentions into a simple mantra, a word or phrase that will guide your behavior. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight, your mantra might be “drink more water.” If you need to free your mind for your own creative work, a good mantra would be “take long walks.” If you’re trying to improve your presence on Instagram, try the mantra “take better pictures.” My own mantra for 2019 was “write every day.” Specific goals and measurement systems are useful, but a mantra stays with you because it’s easy to remember. It can speak to you in a whisper or a shout, but it’s always on your mind. What is your mantra for 2020? ~ Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D Career & Life Coach for Artists “Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People” Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards  In my research and my own work with artists I’ve discovered 10 behaviors that make a difference in an artist’s career. Take the quiz below to see how you are doing. Be honest as you answer the questions! Then pick one or two areas to work on, and see what happens. If you would like to know more, feel free to contact me.
Mary Edwards, Ph.D Career & Life Coach for Artists “Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People” Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards Checklist for a Successful Art Career How are you doing? Think about your current behavior, and rate yourself 1 (Rarely) to 5 (Always).
 When you write about your art you leave the world of images and enter the world of words. Going from the visual to the verbal plane is a profound shift in perspective.
When you try to write about your art, something happens. You procrastinate because it feels awkward. You fear that words will destroy the fragile integrity of your work, or reduce it to something less than it is. Try to remember that making art and writing about it are profoundly different ways of communicating what you know. One does not replace or destroy the other. When you write well about your art, you open a door to all the people who live in the world of words. Writing, like art-making, is a creative process that you can learn. The process develops in stages, where one stage leads to the next.
Create good conditions Pay special attention to your setting, materials and process. Find an appealing place to write. It might be a corner in your apartment or a table at your favorite café. Choose a place that you like to be. Then think about writing materials. If your brain shuts down when your fingers hit the keyboard, consider using an old-fashioned pen and notebook or a stick of charcoal and a sketchbook. These implements create a physical connection between your hand and your brain. Make your writing process portable. Even if you start at a keyboard, always have writing materials with you. Discover what you want to say To begin, don’t stare at a blank screen or empty notebook. Look at your art. First, look through your bodies of work. Review images as well as actual works, and think about what they have in common. Write down a few words or phrases that capture your intentions. Then pay attention to individual works of art. Choose one or two of your favorites, and notice the details. How do they convey meaning? You might note your use of color or composition or choice of materials. Again, write down a few details that are worth noting. Create that messy first draft Your goal is to write a page or less about your art. Think of it as a new artist statement, written in the first person. Your page will be messy and long because you won’t find the right words until you write down a lot of almost-right ones. Work for an hour or so, and then stop. Put your writing aside. Take a walk or do something else that keeps you in motion. Your brain will keep working, searching for better words. This is why you have a mobile writing process, so you can easily keep track of new thoughts as they occur. Revise, edit, and polish When you have a first draft that makes sense to you, print it. Your words look different on the screen vs. the printed page. Revise again. Editing at this stage is a pruning process, where you cut off the dead parts to help the living plant grow. Now you can ask for feedback from friends and professionals. Ask them to tell you if your ideas are clear, or if there are awkward or confusing places. Incorporate useful suggestions. You learn to write by writing, just as you learn to play the violin by playing it. Honor the stages of this creative process, and you’ll gradually become a better writer. * Please note: I recently published a longer version of this article in the October 2019 Newsletter for www.callforentries.com. This is a well-curated national site which lists open calls for artists and photographers. Please take a look, artists can join for free! ~ Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D Career & Life Coach for Artists “Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People” Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards  Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, Betty Edwards’ classic book, has sold almost three million copies and is essential reading for artists and other creative people. She teaches us that in order to learn how to draw, first we have to learn how to see. This requires a radical shift in perspective, as we let go of the “left brain” world of words and thoughts and numbers, and shift to a purely visual plane.
The book is a powerful reminder that our brains operate in different modes that we use for different purposes. Living in a purely visual world comes naturally to artists. You get uncomfortable when you have to come back to the world of words. When you need to talk and write about your art or do other career tasks, you are making a profound shift. Pay attention to this transition. If you’ve spent the whole morning in the studio, happily making art, don’t get on the computer right away, even if you just plan to do a simple task. Take a walk, read a book, listen to music, play with the dog. Give your brain the time it needs to make a transition to a different way of operating. Then spend an hour or two doing all those left brain tasks. Answer emails, update your website, enter that juried show, draft the proposal. All of these activities use the same part of your brain, so it will be easier to do them together. When you’re done, take another break before you re-enter your creative space. Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D Career & Life Coach for Artists “Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People” Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards  How do you price your work, especially at the beginning of your career? Artists often look for a shortcut, a simple way to figure out pricing, like adding up the cost of materials or charging so much per square inch or counting the number of hours it took to create the work.
These methods don’t work because they ignore how the art marketplace operates. It is not just your time, but your talent and experience. Think about it. A 36” by 24” oil painting might sell for $500 or $5000 or five million dollars. Your name and reputation determine your prices. In order to establish your first prices, you need to do research. Visit local galleries and art centers who show emerging artists. Find a juried group show that includes work in your medium, like traditional landscape painting or abstract art or ceramics. Choose artists whose work you admire, and note their prices. Later on you can check the websites of these artists to evaluate their background. Are their prices justified by a solid record of accomplishments? Now look at the wider art world. You can do most of your research online. Both UGallery and Zatista are juried sites that offer original art for sale. Again, find artists in your own category whose work you admire, and note their prices. You can also look at large retailers, like Crate & Barrel, who sell both prints and original art online (see “wall décor”). Compare the artists’ resumes with your own. If you are a maker of handmade goods, you can do research in the same way. Take a look at the range of prices on Etsy. Find items that are similar to your own in terms of quality of materials, originality, and skill, and see what they cost. Does your jewelry fit at the low end, in the middle, or in the higher “one-of-a-kind” market? When you are ready to establish your own prices, start with your largest and most complex work. Based on your research and your own selling history, what would a fair price be? Imagine yourself walking away with a check in that amount. Are you smiling or puzzled? Do you think you’ve received fair compensation for your effort? Then price medium-sized and smaller works accordingly. You might want to provide a range within each category, so that you can adjust prices for works that are more or less complex. Your goal is to establish prices that are credible in the current art marketplace. The next time a buyer asks “how much is that?” you will have a confident reply because you know the value of your work. Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D Career & Life Coach for Artists “Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People” Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards  Your art career might seem like a pile of unrelated puzzle pieces. You are trying to do a lot of different things: make a plan, be strategic, use social media to become visible, develop a coherent body of work. But when will the whole picture become clear?
Entrepreneurs face the same challenge, and you can learn from their experience. Artists and entrepreneurs have a lot in common. You both struggle to make an idea happen. Entrepreneurs have to identify potential customers, just as you need to find your audience. You both need to present your work in a clear and compelling way. Successful entrepreneurs have an attitude that can be inspiring to artists. They approach their work with an open mind and a spirit of experimentation. They take risks, they invest in themselves, they get advice from experts, and most of all, they learn from their failures. Biographies of entrepreneurs always tell stories of their early efforts: an idea that proved impractical, an experiment that didn’t work hundreds of times before it succeeded. Artists embrace this spirit when they are making art, but somehow forget to apply the same attitude to their art career. You try something once, and if it doesn’t work you give up and blame yourself for your failure. Entrepreneurs teach us to embrace two ways of being in the world. First, you organize and plan. You set goals and measure your progress. You ask for advice and follow it. These activities start to fill in the outlines of your jigsaw puzzle. They help you see the larger picture of what is possible. And then you let go, and open yourself up to the random gifts of the universe. Again and again entrepreneurs tell us about the opportunity “that came out of nowhere,” the accidental meeting with an investor, the sudden insight about a new approach. These seemingly random happenings are the result of all the hard work that went before. Think of your art career as a jigsaw puzzle, where your job is to put enough pieces in place so that the outline of the whole picture begins to take shape. That’s when the magic happens. Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D Career & Life Coach for Artists “Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People” Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards  In my last post we saw that artists often face a dilemma. Your creative process is one way of perceiving the world, while managing a career requires a whole different set of skills. When you are making art and then trying to promote it, you go back and forth, again and again, using opposite parts of your brain. No wonder you get exhausted and discouraged!  So what can you do? You can use your strengths as an artist to transform “left brain” career skills into artist-friendly tools and techniques. Here’s an example of how this works. An abstract painter was trying to grow her business. As a mid-career artist she had already been successful in finding gallery representation, and was also using a number of other strategies to sell her work. Her bookkeeper kept track of her sales, providing monthly reports on Excel spreadsheets. This information, so vitally important to her business, was presented in a detailed, logical, sequential, linear format. When she looked at the documents they didn’t mean anything to her, so she kept forgetting them.  Huh?? When this data was transformed into an artist-friendly format, the artist suddenly realized what those excel spreadsheets were trying to tell her.  She immediately understood how to grow her business. “The famous gallery isn’t really doing much for me! I’ll talk to Joyce (gallery director) to see what’s happening there. Maybe another mid-level gallery would be better for me.” Later on she noticed: “My studio sales are a larger part of my business than I thought! I’ll schedule more regular events in the studio.” Her pie chart was a visual shorthand that communicated directly to her artist brain. In another example, an emerging artist went to a workshop and developed a business plan for her art career. She spent a lot of time and energy on the plan, and was very excited about it. She then kept it hidden away in a file on her computer. Months later she was surprised and disappointed that nothing was happening, and blamed herself for being lazy. The artist’s good ideas disappeared because they were no longer real to her. She needed to figure out how to translate her plan into an artist-friendly format so that she could see it, touch it, and feel it. She constructed a topographical map out of papier-mâché, showing the sequence of steps she wanted to take.  She included a small maquette of an urban gallery space, since that was one of her goals, plus a tiny version of her art placed in a sculpture garden. By creating a version of her plan that she could see and touch and feel, the artist brought her business plan back to life. She then was able to make it happen.
If these suggestions seem a little odd, remember that you are simply replicating what you do as an artist, as a maker. When you make art you give form to an idea or a feeling. You capture an impression in clay or on canvas, or in a photograph. You can use this same ability to learn the career skills that will help grow your practice. Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D Career & Life Coach for Artists “Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People” Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards   A sculptor is working in his studio, completing a large scale piece of public art. He gets so lost in the process that he forgets the 5:00 p.m. deadline to enter this work in a national juried competition.  An abstract painter is at home at her desk, checking off items on her family’s to-do-list: make a dentist appointment for her son, pick up the dry cleaning, balance the checkbook. She wonders why she has no energy to go into her studio and paint.  A fashion designer is sketching in her notebook, pleased at the look of the new dress she has created. She can envision her model walking down the runway at New York Fashion Week. But when the designer sits down at her sewing machine, she has difficulty following the detailed instructions about how to get a zipper to lie flat on the delicate fabric. What is going on here? Why does the sculptor forget his most important goal? Why does the painter get stuck in routine tasks, when all she really cares about is making art? Why is it easy for the fashion designer to imagine her creation walking down the runway, but difficult for her to execute the details of the design? Are any of these dilemmas familiar to you? Do you recognize your own struggles as an artist?
If you do, you may realize that the source of these dilemmas is not “out there” in the challenging demands of the art world, but right inside your brain. Think about your own experience as an artist. When making art you are using right brain skills and processes. You are visual, intuitive, spontaneous, and you may stay in that mode for hours or even days at a time. You experience the world in a holistic way; your imagination runs freely as you make something new. This is how the creative process works while you are making art. But when you are working on your career, suddenly all of the demands are for a different kind of thinking. You must pay attention to deadlines, follow detailed instructions for entering your work in exhibitions, develop and follow a business plan to get where you want to go. You have to become skilled at talking about your work to collectors and the public. You need to write about your work so that others can understand it. Unfortunately, all of these critical career skills are housed in the left side of your brain. Do not despair. My work with artists has revealed a simple and elegant answer to this dilemma. When you translate left brain concepts into visual images or spatial objects, your right brain understands what they mean. You are then able to see how such ideas apply to your own career. You are able to use your strengths as an artist to learn skills that seem foreign to you. In my next blog post I will show you how this process works! Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D Career & Life Coach for Artists “Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People” Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards  It’s Summer and you may be taking it easy. But if you’re looking for inspiration, consider the Workbook for Julia Cameron’s classic book, The Artist’s Way.
The workbook is organized into 12 chapters full of wonderful ideas and exercises designed to help you recover the basic building blocks of a creative life. Cameron assumes that creativity is our birthright, whether or not we define ourselves as artists. Her workbook shows you how to bring your creative self back to life. Here are three of my favorite exercises: 1. “Describe five traits you liked in yourself as a child. Next, write a little bit about why each one appeals to you.” 2. “List five childhood accomplishments (got straight A’s in seventh grade, trained the dog, punched out the class bully, short-sheeted the priest’s bed). Reflect below on your memories of those experiences of success. And a treat: List five favorite childhood foods. Buy yourself one of them this week. Yes, Jell-O with bananas is okay.” 3. “Make a list of friends who nurture you—that’s nurture (give you a sense of your own competency and possibility), not enable (give you the message that you will never get it straight without their help). There is a big difference between being helped and being treated as though we are helpless. Describe which of these friends’ traits particularly serve you well.” (From “Week Three: Recovering a Sense of Power” The Artist’s Way Workbook, by Julia Cameron) I recommend these exercises because many artists are hard on themselves when they are not making progress. You tend to judge yourself harshly, when what you need is loving care. The first two exercises help you go back to your childhood in a positive frame of mind. You identify some of your core strengths, qualities in yourself that you can recover if you remember them. In the third exercise you think about the people in your life. When you identify the friends who nurture you, you will gradually make more space for them. And then you’ll have less tolerance (and time) for people who do not support your growth. Enjoy your Summer! Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D Career & Life Coach for Artists www.coachingforartists.com coaching@coachingforartists.com Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards  You just received an email from a New York gallery, saying that they saw your work online and loved it, and would like to offer you a solo show in a “real New York Gallery.” WOW, you think, you’ve been discovered at last! You respond right away, spend quite a bit of time sending high resolution images and other information they request. You start telling your friends about your New York gallery.
After several enthusiastic emails, they casually mention that “your share” of the cost of the show will be $3000. This number should stop you in your tracks, because you really do know better. But you’ve been seduced by their flattery, already invested time and effort to meet their requirements, and told all your friends about this great opportunity. You seriously consider sending that check because they make it seem like it’s just the next step in a normal process. That’s how pay-to-play galleries operate. They get your attention, flatter your ego, make you invest your time, and then ask for the money. Artists need to learn how to evaluate these scams. When you first receive such a letter or email, slow down. Do not respond at all until you learn more. First check to see if the gallery has been listed as a “pay-to-play” gallery. Artbusiness.com has a reliable list, organized by location. You can also type the name of the gallery and the words “experience with” into any search engine. People who have had bad experiences don’t keep it a secret. So, what’s wrong with a pay-to-play gallery? Everything! They don’t add strength to your resume, you are unlikely to sell any work, and you may be associated with artists of doubtful quality. Your money would be better invested in a new website or marketing campaign. Since a legitimate gallery needs to sell your work in order to earn their commission, they cultivate a base of established collectors.. Your work might also be shown at art fairs or other high-profile events. A pay-to-play gallery does none of this, because they don’t have to. They already have your money, so they don’t invest the time and effort required to market and sell your work. You will have an actual show in a real New York gallery, because that’s what you paid for, but it is unlikely that the exhibition will generate sales or good visibility for you. If you have already been taken in by such opportunities, don’t feel bad. Many artists struggling to find gallery representation are vulnerable to these offers because they seem to present a shortcut to doing the time-consuming work it takes to create an art career. Don’t waste your time and money! Develop your own plan and follow it. Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D www.coachingforartists.com I am a Career & Life Coach for Artists, based in the San Francisco Bay Area and working with artists nationally and internationally. If you have a question, please write to me at coaching@coachingforartists.com. You may visit my website to sign up for future blog posts or schedule a time to talk with me about your own career.  Here are the qualities to look for in a gallery contract:
Mary Edwards, Ph.D Career & Life Coach for Artists  Approaching a gallery is like an old-fashioned courtship, where you get to know each other gradually before you commit. In this series I’ve described how to identify the galleries that are right for you, find ways to become visible to them, and then start a conversation. When all goes well you are ready to sign a contract.
Here’s how to prepare for that moment: Know what matters most to you. The best way to negotiate a contract is to know what’s important to you. As an emerging artist you won’t get everything you want, so think about your priorities. You might care most about your selling prices, or how the gallery promotes your work, or even how soon you’ll get paid. You’ll feel more confident when you are prepared to talk about what you want and why. Take your time to read & understand the contract. Sometimes artists feel pressured to sign a contract they haven’t read or understood. When an artist friend of mine was faxed a gallery’s “standard contract” she thought she had to sign and fax it back immediately, even though the contract was full of phrases that made no sense. Take your time, ask questions, look up words you don’t understand. Ask for help from legal sources like Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. Trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to say no. In the gradual “getting to know you” process I’ve been describing, you already have a sense of how the gallery operates. How they treat you now is how they’ll treat you later. Do you feel respected? Are your questions answered promptly? Does the gallery staff seem professional? Since there are no credentials required to open a gallery or any regulatory agencies, a gallery stands on its own reputation. Ask other artists showing there if they are satisfied with their experience. If you begin to feel that the gallery is dishonest or unreliable, or their terms are unfavorable to you, don’t sign the contract. You can create your own letter of agreement. Sometimes a gallery says it doesn’t use contracts. Listen to their point of view but keep talking so that you reach verbal agreement about all the areas that are most important to you. Take notes. Then follow-up with a friendly email that summarizes what you’ve discussed. Ask if they have anything to add. You will have created a written letter of agreement. In my next blog post I’ll describe the qualities of a good gallery contract. In the meantime, let me know if you have questions. Mary Edwards, Ph.D. I am a Career & Life Coach for Artists. Visit www.coachingforartists.com to find out more or email me directly at coaching@coachingforartists.com to send a comment or ask a question. *Please note: I recently published a longer version of this article in the May 2019 Newsletter for www.callforentries.com. This is a well-curated site which lists open calls for artists and photographers. Take a look, you can join for free!  In my last blog post I listed five questions for discussion with a gallery. The purpose of this conversation is for you and the gallery to decide whether you want to move forward to the next stage: signing a contract.
As you ask and answer these questions, pay attention to your instincts. If the gallery owner seems evasive, or has policies that don’t fit your needs, take note. You are developing a relationship that needs to be based on trust and mutual respect. Here are the questions:
Everything you learn at this stage will prepare you to negotiate a good contract with a gallery. I’ll cover that topic in my next blog post. Mary Edwards, Ph.D. I am a Career & Life Coach for Artists, based in the San Francisco Bay Area and working with artists throughout the United States. If you would like to ask a question or set up a time to talk, visit my website (www.coachingforartists.com) or write to me at: coaching@coachingforartists.com.  In Part I of this series I described how to find the galleries that might be right for you, and how to make yourself visible to them. So what comes next?
Think of your relationship with a gallery as a gradual courtship. You both learn more at each stage and then decide whether you’ll make a commitment. Your first connection might be in person, or on the telephone, or in an email exchange. Since you can’t predict when or how this will happen, get ready now. Remember, you’re preparing to have a conversation, not give a speech. You’ll want to be brief, positive, and honest as you describe your background. Here are five areas to think about:
Your body of work Galleries are looking for what they call “a coherent body of work.” This usually means 12-20 pieces of completed work, ready to show, or enough to fill one of their gallery spaces. You’ll need fewer pieces if they start out by including you in a small group show. “Coherent” doesn’t mean that your work is all the same, only that it is unified by theme, materials, technique, or point of view. In a gallery setting, your art should look like it belongs together. Your intentions and process If you’ve spent the time to create a strong artist statement, you’ve got this covered. When talking with a gallery, you might describe what inspires you, or how your work connects with issues you care about, or how you use materials. Just tell them what your art is all about. Your exhibition history Most galleries expect you to have some experience showing your work. If you’re an emerging artist, you might have shown in juried group exhibitions, or in local cafes or bookstores, or at Open Studios. Don’t apologize for anything you haven’t done yet. After all, you’re looking for a gallery because you want to reach a wider audience. Pricing and sales history This is a tricky area, especially if you haven’t sold much work. A gallery will help you set fair prices for your work, so if you think your prices are too low, say so. They do want to know about previous sales, but it’s OK if you’ve mostly sold to friends and family. Your audience (includes social media presence) Galleries are interested in the audience you attract. Think about the kinds of people who respond to your art. If you have enough information, cite demographics such as age, income, geography, etc., to provide a profile of your potential audience. If you are active on social media, talk about not just the number of followers but how they respond to your work. Remember, you’re preparing for a conversation and will get to ask questions of your own. Here are five good ones:
Everything you learn in early conversations will help you be effective when it is time to negotiate a contract with a gallery. In the next part of this series I’ll explain how to do that, and show you what a good gallery contract looks like. Mary Edwards, Ph.D. I am a Career & Life Coach for Artists. Visit www.coachingforartists.com to find out more or email me directly at coaching@coachingforartists.com to send a comment or ask a question. *Please note: I recently published a longer version of this article in the April Newsletter for www.callforentries.com. This is a well-curated site which lists open calls for artists and photographers. Take a look, you can join for free!  Every time I ask a gallery owner how they found the new artist they are so excited about, they describe a process of discovery:
Notice the language here. Galleries like to discover artists. They want to find you, instead of being bombarded by your emails. Even galleries reviewing portfolio submissions tend to respond to artists whose work they have already seen or heard about. Your job is to be visible, to get on the radar of galleries that interest you. First, do your research, both online and on foot. Identify a short list of galleries that could be right for you. Start local! Pay attention to galleries in your own city or region. This will make your process logistically easier, and you will build your confidence and skills as you go. As you review galleries, notice that most of them have a focus. They may show only abstract art, or documentary photography, or works on paper, or minimalist work. This is called their “program” or “aesthetic.” By looking quickly at each artist represented, you’ll see what they have in common. Would your own work fit into the overall look and feel of the gallery? Pay attention to how each gallery talks about their artists. They may say they represent “emerging artists” or “mid-career artists,” but you need to know what that means. Review each artist and check to see where they are in their careers. Sometimes a gallery’s “emerging” artists have long and impressive resumes. When you have identified 6-8 galleries that interest you, let everyone in your network know who is on your short list and why. Ask them for other suggestions. Ask them for introductions. Be open to new ideas. If well-known galleries are outside your reach right now, consider new galleries or artist-run spaces. Then begin the process of becoming visible to the galleries on your list.
During your visits to a gallery, always be prepared for the unexpected. Although you’re not there to promote yourself, sometimes you strike up a conversation with gallery staff. Make a connection if you can. If they seem receptive, ask about how they find new artists. After you have done your research, and visited your top galleries, see if you can find someone in your network who is willing to introduce you. The best person is an artist friend who is already showing there. Choose someone who is at a point in their career when they are willing to be generous to other artists. Finding a gallery is a slow, incremental process. It requires you to operate in two opposite ways simultaneously. You are planful and systematic, doing careful research, while also staying open to the random nature of the art universe. You reach out to others, asking for advice, referrals, introductions. Most important, make yourself visible. Put your name, and your face, and your art out there in the world. Mary Edwards, Ph.D. I am a Career & Life Coach for Artists. Visit www.coachingforartists.com to find out more or email me directly at coaching@coachingforartists.com to send a comment or ask a question. *Please note: I recently published a longer version of this article in the March Newsletter for www.callforentries.com. This is a well-curated site which lists open calls for artists and photographers. Take a look, you can join for free!  When artists are asked to write about their work, they often resist, thinking that it isn’t important or that someone else could do it for them.
The purpose of good art writing is to illuminate your work. After you’re famous the critics will take over the task, but right now it’s up to you. You can ask for help polishing the writing later, but the first words must come from you. A good statement is powerful and personal and takes real effort to do well. It is worth your time now because it forms the foundation of other documents you’ll need as your career progresses. Here’s a short list:
So start with your statement. Write in your own voice. Use “I” and “me” and “my.” Your statement should sound like you on a good day, when you are rested and clear. Artists sometimes think that a statement needs to be full of big words--that it has to sound fancy to be good. The opposite is true. Clear, simple language is always best. Here are 7 questions to help you think about what you want to say. You can use them to prepare a new statement or revise the one you have.
The first three questions overlap, as they suggest different ways for you to think about what your art is all about. This is often the hardest part to write, so if you get stuck just go on to other questions and come back later. Questions 4 & 5 ask you to get specific about your process and materials. The best statements are grounded in the details of your work. When you’re trying to write about your art, don’t stare out the window! Look at your work and at the materials you use to make it. Here are a few examples of artists being specific: "When I paint bits of light on leaves, the paint itself becomes those flickers of light moving through the field." (Janet Jacobs) "For example, I call this series “Escaping the Noise” because the city is seen from far away in my compositions..." (Patricia Oji) "My sculptures incorporate unusual materials, like assorted ribbons, pipe cleaners, and tinsel..." (Erika Roth) Question 6 is optional. It asks you to think about artists who have inspired you. Choose two or three and describe how their work influences your own. Be specific. You might mention their color palette, or subject matter, or technique. Question 7 lets you include anything else you want people to know. Just be sure to keep the focus on your art. Your statement will probably go through several rough drafts as you struggle to tell the truth about your art. The first draft might be full of repetition and awkward language. I call this "the ugly draft." Don’t worry, you will get there. The final version should be no more than a page, and ideally shorter than that. As your art develops, you’ll revise the statement. When you create a new series you might add a paragraph or two. Your statement is a living thing, and grows with you. Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D. Career & Life Coach for Artists To receive Free Tips for Artists (twice a month), visit www.coachingforartists.com and click on “Mailing List Sign-Up.” If you would like to schedule a time to talk, write to Mary at: coaching@coachingforartists.com.  How do you know you’re stuck? You diet for a week and the number on your bathroom scale doesn’t change. Or the same items appear each Monday on your to-do list. Sound familiar? When you feel stuck, you start to think that nothing you do matters, so you stop doing it, and then you really are stuck. My favorite advice on getting unstuck is from the author Jack Canfield, who offers a useful formula:  “Do more of what is working, do less of what isn’t, and try on new behaviors to see if they produce better results.”
Canfield’s advice assumes that the only thing you control is your own behavior—what you do, or don’t do, every day. For artists who are struggling to make their way in the confusing art world, it’s a strategy worth trying. Start by identifying what’s working in your art practice, and then do more of it. Maybe you love being in your studio, or taking art classes, or visiting other artists. So try doubling the amount of time you spend doing these activities. The best part of the exercise is that you have to think about what is working in your art practice, and that alone can make you feel less stuck. Then think about what’s NOT working. Most of the artists I know come up with this list easily! But instead of complaining, slowly begin to do less of the things that aren’t working for you. Maybe you’ve been volunteering as a docent at a museum, and you get little out of it. So you cut back on your hours. Making small changes, wherever you can, puts you in motion and gives you control over your life. The last part of Canfield’s advice is to try on new behaviors to see if you get better results. Even though artists are the most imaginative people I know, they sometimes have difficulty bringing an experimental spirit to their art career. New behaviors are often tiny, and work only gradually. If you have a to-do list that never gets done, try breaking down your first item into smaller and smaller bits. Eventually you reach an action that is so small it is laughable, and easily done, so you do it. And then you do the next one, because you have broken the logjam. For most of us, it is easier to keep going than to begin. Set yourself in motion. The best new behaviors get you out of your head and into the world, so that you are engaged with others. Make an appointment with someone, perhaps to ask for advice about museums you’re interested in. The best kind of appointment is one where you need to prepare ahead of time, so that you’re forced to complete a task you’ve been avoiding. In this example you’ll need to make a list of museums, and visit their websites, so you have your questions ready. Just making the appointment gets you started. The opposite of being stuck is to be in motion. Motion can be physical (making that phone call) or mental (thinking about what’s working in your art practice) or emotional (feeling that new behaviors could make a difference). So, ask yourself:
Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D. Career & Life Coach for Artists www.coachingforartists.com I’m a Career and Life Coach for Artists, based in the San Francisco Bay Area and working with artists across the United States and internationally. If you’d like to ask a question or set up a time to talk, please write to me at: coaching@coachingforartists.com.  Before you go on a trip there’s a lot you have to do. You buy tickets, book a place to stay, find someone to feed the cat, and pack a suitcase. You get ready.
What does it mean for an artist to be ready? It’s not a passive state, where you sit around waiting to be discovered. Getting ready involves intense preparation for what hasn’t happened yet, and won’t, unless you are ready. This preparation is especially important because the art world seems to function in a random way. Your friend gets into a gallery even though you’re the better painter. A jeweler’s ordinary work is selling out on Etsy.com, while your one-of-a-kind pieces attract few buyers. That photographer’s fuzzy experiments get reviewed in Lensculture and suddenly he’s a phenomenon. If you are an emerging artist, you have to ignore all of this noise and concentrate on one thing: getting ready. Perhaps the best way to understand this idea is to remember the last time a moment of opportunity appeared, and then quickly disappeared, because you were not ready. Here are some examples:
Each of these questions assumes that you have an up-do-date website, a resume, and a price list. You want to respond right away, and you can’t. Instead of feeling bad about it, use your energy to get ready. Getting ready may take you a few weeks or a few months. You may need help with parts of it. Just remember that getting ready will save you time (and frustration) later on. You will also develop the confidence that comes from knowing you are ready. Getting ready includes knowing what you want from your art practice. Be honest with yourself about your intentions and circumstances. Think carefully about where you are right now, and what success would look and feel like for you. What’s important to you? Maybe recognition is your primary goal, or you want to increase sales, or just spend more time in the studio, making art. Take a moment, and try to visualize your own success. What do you imagine? You’ll also need to take into account the circumstances in your life. You might have a full-time job, or two small children at home, or elderly parents to care for. Part of getting ready is being clear about what you’re willing and able to do now in order to create the future you envision. A successful art career, no matter how you define it, takes time, energy, resources, and (above all) perseverance. You might have to learn new skills, ask other people for advice, put yourself out there and even risk rejection. But nothing will happen until you begin. Ask yourself, “what’s one thing I can do to get ready?” Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D. Career & Life Coach for Artists www.coachingforartists.com I’m a Career and Life Coach for Artists, based in the San Francisco Bay Area and working with artists across the United States and internationally. If you’d like to ask a question or set up a time to talk, please write to me at: coaching@coachingforartists.com.  Recently I’ve been describing three successful artists with unusual careers. We saw that they were guided by moments of insight and they found a creative community. What else do these artists share?
Alisa Burke (alisaburke.com) Alisa Burke is a painter, printmaker, teacher and writer. She supports her family by running a multi-faceted art business. She offers online classes, sells books and DVDS, hosts workshops and retreats, sells her paintings and collages and adult coloring books, and even started a fashion accessory line. Alisa writes a daily blog and has 50,000 followers. Chris Motley (chrismotleyart.com) Chris Motley spent 30 years in a “left-brain” job, as a lawyer in the public sector. She has no formal art credentials. After retiring from her legal career, she began to knit 3-dimensional sculptures whose originality gradually brought her national recognition. She has shown her work in galleries and art centers across the United States, and recently had a solo museum show. Lia Cook (liacook.com) You can find Lia Cook’s ground-breaking work in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Smithsonian, among many others. She works in a variety of media, combining weaving with painting, photography, video and digital technology. She is currently collaborating with neuroscientists to investigate our emotional response to images by mapping these responses in the brain. Alisa, Chris, and Lia share another quality common to artists who eventually become well known. Before they discovered universal themes or reached large audiences, their art was first personal. It grew out of their own lives. One of Chris Motley’s early sculptures was “Living Alone,” a female torso holding a backscratcher. “It was for me, the essence of my mother’s life after my father died, since she’d never lived alone in her life.” The work is both humorous and sad, conveying complex emotions. As Motley’s art developed, it became more abstract. Such works as “Confusion” and “Up, Really Down and Up Again” evoke different states of mind that punctuate our days. Other works, such as “Homeless” and “Brown is the New Green,” address issues we face as a society. Motley’s work now explores universal themes, but her Mother’s personal story started it all. Lia’s Cook’s work with neuroscientists grew out of her own curiosity. “I was always interested in how the brain works.” When she started to explore faces she based her work on her own family photographs. “My mother was a photographer, and so we had a huge collection of family photographs.” She tried using anonymous images, but found that her personal photographs were more evocative. These intimate faces from her early life made viewers recall their own family histories. Alisa Burke’s life and business grew out of her personal vision. She created her art business in order to live on her own terms. Alisa was raised in a family of artists, whose pottery studio was part of the family home. She assumed that running a creative business from home was a natural way of life. Alisa integrated her art practice and her life into a creative whole, based on her DNA. “I always saw the world though a lens of creativity.” Each of these artists reminds us that art grows out of the core of yourself. The famous artists you admire started with a personal vision. Remember this and honor your own beginnings. All the best, Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D. Career & Life Coach for Artists www.coachingforartists.com I’m a Career and Life Coach for Artists, based in the San Francisco Bay Area and working with artists across the United States and internationally. If you’d like to ask a question or set up a time to talk, please write to me at: coaching@coachingforartists.com.  In my last blog post (“Moments of Insight”) I introduced three artists whose unusual careers reveal what successful artists have in common. Here they are again:
Alisa Burke (alisaburke.com) Alisa Burke is a painter, printmaker, teacher and writer. She supports her family by running a multi-faceted art business. She offers online classes, sells books and DVDS, hosts workshops and retreats, sells her paintings and collages and adult coloring books, and even started a fashion accessory line. Alisa writes a daily blog and has 50,000 followers. Chris Motley (chrismotleyart.com) Chris Motley spent 30 years in a “left-brain” job, as a lawyer in the public sector. She has no formal art credentials. After retiring from her legal career, she began to knit 3-dimensional sculptures whose originality gradually brought her national recognition. She has shown her work in galleries and art centers across the United States, and recently had a solo museum show. Lia Cook (liacook.com) You can find Lia Cook’s ground-breaking work in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Smithsonian, among many others. She works in a variety of media, combining weaving with painting, photography, video and digital technology. She is currently collaborating with neuroscientists to investigate our emotional response to images by mapping these responses in the brain. Each of these artists followed her own unique path to success. Yet when asked, “how did your art career happen?” all three artists mentioned the importance of finding a creative community. Their success didn’t happen alone. They found people who offered support, encouragement, information, validation, and a connection to a wider world. Lia Cook found her first community of artists when she exhibited her work at the International Biennial of Tapestry in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1973. The opportunity was unusual because established artists were exhibiting their work alongside unknowns. She applied, got in, and as a result got connected to an international group of textile artists, some of them already well known. Fifty years later this network is still part of her creative community. Chris Motley wouldn’t have become an artist without the support of her community. She met her first critique group at a workshop. When they invited her to join she realized that her fiber sculptures could be taken seriously as art. Another critique group continues to give her feedback on developing work, often encouraging her to explore new directions. Chris also finds community by showing her work at galleries, museums, and art centers across the United States. Whenever possible she shows up at receptions to connect with the other artists. Alisa Burke created the community that now supports her business. She was one of the earliest art bloggers (2005), sharing her do-it-yourself creative projects before she even had a website. The enthusiastic response to her early efforts established a loyal customer base for all of the products and services she offers today. While Alisa offers many online classes, artists still sign up for the retreats she holds in her home studio several times a year. The human connection is part of a creative community for both Alisa and her students. These three artists show us the importance of reaching out to other artists and art organizations. When you get a response from the larger world of art you know that your art matters and understand how it fits into a larger context. Being connected to other artists gives you objective feedback and support. A creativity community helps you grow. Think about it. What can you do to find or develop your own community? All the best, Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D. Career & Life Coach for Artists www.coachingforartists.com I’m a Career and Life Coach for Artists, based in the San Francisco Bay Area and working with artists across the United States. If you’d like to ask a question or set up a time to talk, please write to me at: coaching@coachingforartists.com.  What do successful artists have in common?
Artists’ careers are as unique as their fingerprints. They unfold in unpredictable ways, often without conscious planning. We see artists showing in galleries, licensing their images on products, teaching art to the developmentally disabled, and having their first solo museum show at the age of 88. What can we learn from such variety? Here are three artists whose unusual careers reveal what successful artists have in common. Alisa Burke (alisaburke.com) Alisa Burke is a painter, printmaker, teacher and writer. She supports her family by running a multi-faceted art business. She offers online classes, sells books and DVDS, hosts workshops and retreats, sells her paintings and collages and adult coloring books, and even started a fashion accessory line. Alisa writes a daily blog and has 50,000 followers. Chris Motley (chrismotleyart.com) Chris Motley spent 30 years in a “left-brain” job, as a lawyer in the public sector. She has no formal art credentials. After retiring from her legal career, she began to knit 3-dimensional sculptures whose originality gradually brought her national recognition. She has shown her work in galleries and art centers across the United States, and recently had a solo museum show. Lia Cook (liacook.com) You can find Lia Cook’s ground-breaking work in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Smithsonian, among many others. She works in a variety of media, combining weaving with painting, photography, video and digital technology. She is currently collaborating with neuroscientists to investigate our emotional response to images by mapping these responses in the brain. Each of these unique artists experienced a moment of insight, where they saw their future and it became possible. Alisa Burke had found it hard to make a living selling her paintings and drawings and prints at galleries. When she volunteered to teach at a nonprofit art center, the openness of the environment allowed her to create her own teaching style and content. Suddenly she knew she didn’t have to choose one art form over another, to become just a painter, or a printmaker, or a crafter, but that she could do it all, and share what she knew with other artists. This insight became her brand: “Redefine Creativity.” Chris Motley never thought of herself as an artist. Her knitting was an enjoyable hobby that gave her something to do after she retired from a busy legal career. She had always had an identity as a lawyer, and when she retired she was relieved to be able to say: “I’m not doing nothing, I’m knitting.” Then she began to show her neck pieces at art festivals. Her moment of insight came when she saw a small placard placed on her table. It said: “Chris Motley, Artist.” Lia Cook had also tried out several different careers. Even though she had a job showing slides in an art history class, she didn’t think of art as a career. She studied political science and thought about going into the foreign service. Then she took a bus trip to Mexico, visiting Oaxaca and Chiapas, where she saw women weaving on looms. This was her first discovery of hand-made textiles, a medium that would inspire and inform her career for decades. She later realized that the trip provided her moment of insight, and became a turning point in her career. So think about your experience as an artist. You don’t have to call it a career, but do pay attention to your own moments of insight. They might contain the seeds of your future success. All the best, Mary Mary Edwards, Ph.D. Career & Life Coach for Artists www.coachingforartists.com I’m a Career and Life Coach for Artists, based in the San Francisco Bay Area and working with artists across the United States. If you’d like to ask a question or set up a time to talk, please write to me at: coaching@coachingforartists.com. |