There are times in our lives when we can become stuck or fearful about accomplishing some goal or moving forward with a project, or even getting out of bed in the morning. There are many tools we can use to overcome these roadblocks, from reading or listening to self help books, or spending time with a life coach or therapist. For some people drugs are an outlet. Then we have mentors like Lester Fu who helps people with hypnotism.

I met Lester in Santa Fe and experienced a hypnotism session with him to understand the power behind this mind altering method. I learned a lot and was so impressed, I now offer two recorded video sessions with Lester in the online Artist As Brand online workshop! He took time out of his busy schedule to chat with me about this unique talent.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got interested in Hypnotism?

Growing up, like many people, the only thing I learned about emotions was to hold them back. However, that’s not the way to go because they come out in one way or another. In order to get more in touch with myself, I was attracted to theater, philosophy, and psychology from a very young age. Some of the places that I have had the privilege to go to and learn from are Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, St. John’s College, and UC Berkeley.

I got into hypnosis when I was looking for something to help myself. I did talk therapy, and worked at a psychology lab in UC Berkeley. Both experiences were fun and enriching. However, at one point I felt like I ran out of things to say in talk therapy - it’s like I’m still processing things inside, but I don’t know how to talk about it. And the work at the psychology lab was a little too academic for me.

So I searched for other things to help myself, and that’s when I found hypnosis. Despite the fact that I was very skeptical, I was able to connect with my subconscious mind in hypnosis, and got in touch with what I didn’t know how to talk about in therapy. It was a very cathartic experience involving a decent amount of tears and nose bubbles and some really good emotional release.

Now I work as a professional hypnotist focusing on helping people feel more confident and secure in their relationships by releasing anxiety, fear, insecurity, and self-doubt.

What would you say are the three top benefits of hypnotism?

1. Connect with your subconscious mind to gain more clarity (e.g. help you get in touch with your inner voice and what you truly want)

2. Tapping into your internal wisdom for insights and guidance (e.g. access the answers that you already have inside)

3. Creating powerful positive changes in a relatively short amount of time (e.g. overcome insecurity and feel more confident)

How can this practice benefit those creating their own art businesses?

In general, it can help with unleashing your creativity, getting more aligned with your “why”/ heart virtue, help you remove blockages and feel more confident when it comes to promoting your work.

Are there negative or fear based preconceived ideas to hypnotism?

Yes, and I think we have all heard of the stereotype of “quacking like a duck”/“clucking like a chicken”. Most of the misconceptions about hypnosis come from the fictional idea of “mind control”, whereas in reality hypnosis is more like a guided meditation for your subconscious mind - you are aware of what’s happening and you are actively participating in the process.

I have not experienced any negative results from hypnosis, apart from occasionally (actually fewer than you think) people fall asleep during the session and I need to find creative ways to wake them up and continue the session.

Are there cultural differences in the context of how hypnotism works?

For cultures that are more open to internal reflection and spirituality, hypnosis is a very good method to help people access their inner mind. It may take some more time at the beginning to prepare and explain to people - who are from more analytical cultures - in order to get on the same page, and have a good and informed experience with hypnosis.

What are the biggest lessons you have learned from practicing hypnotism?

There’s a lot but here are 3 of them:

1. A huge part of our experience slips from our conscious awareness. Curiosity is the key to unlock a massive amount of treasure within ourselves.

2. Change can often happen faster than we think - it doesn’t have to take years or even a lifetime. It is essentially a deep learning/ re-learning process for the subconscious mind.

3. There’s so much more within us, and there’s so much more we are capable of, that we may or may not be completely aware

Do you ever hypnotize yourself? If so can you share some of that experience?

I go into hypnosis myself very often. We naturally enter different states of attention and awareness throughout the day. For example, before we are fully awake in the morning, or before we are fully asleep at night - we tend to have a very “hypnotic” experience and it’s fun to pay attention and play with it. Also, when meditating or doing things of that kind, we enter a similar state to hypnosis.

Personally, I don’t necessarily distinguish these experiences from hypnosis. If anything I play with them and notice what my mind may be revealing to me as I do that.

Everyone can learn to go into hypnosis/trance/hypnotic states/theta brainwave state intentionally, just like how everyone can learn to meditate.

Any final pearls of wisdom on how hypnotism can become a daily tool for success?

Knowing our mind can change and is changing all the time opens up more doors and reveals more possibilities than we could think.

Thank you Lester, for your insights and the benefits of hypnotism. I learned even more with this interview! You may work with Lester directly from anywhere in the world, simply contact him at his website. Otherwise sign up for the Artist As Brand online workshop and experience Lester in two video sessions. Enjoy!

We cannot live happily by spiritual sustenance alone nor by material prosperity alone. It is only by having ambition and by crowning that ambition with the idea of service to others, either by helping them individually or by working for some great cause, that you will find a spiritual reason for making money for yourself and others. To help others to help themselves also spiritualizes ambition. An Almighty Power has linked us all together. Whenever you help others you are helping yourself. “

-Paramahansa Yogananda

Mahatma Gandhi once stated, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Understanding this simple concept aligns us to the power within ourselves and to the world at large. Much of the Artist As Brand philosophy revolves around this truth. Know Thyself begins the journey.

Here is a great article on The Power of Service.

If you are using the Artist As Brand® principles to promote your products then you know that High Touch Marketing is key to your success. That means finding the right venues to meet your people.

If you are selling a book then schools that are appropriate to your market are great places to meet your fans. Kevin Gerard is a children's book author who has visited hundreds of schools presenting his stories and selling lots of books too. 

Check out this post on the Publicity Hound and learn how he does it. This is an older interview but still relevant today.

Whenever a new idea is born it is often greeted with awe, disdain or simply, ‘What?’

When the synapses in my brain aligned to create a class on artist empowerment and prosperity, it was crystal clear as to the concept and worth of what I was manifesting. However, the idea of Artist As Brand is so unique to any education taught in any school, college or university out there, so it's understandable that there are some questions about what it is I teach exactly. This post is going to clarify the principles/manifesto of this course (some call it a movement) and exactly what value you will receive from your time and $295 investment.

What is Artist As Brand?

The goal of Artist As Brand is to connect the individual to their purpose, art and prosperity. Connecting your art deeply with your truth creates a mark that is so authentic and profound it embodies a unique power. Align this vision with your individual collectors through targeted marketing techniques and you begin to build a one-of-a-kind art empire that can sustain you financially for the rest of your life.

ARTIST art·ist [ahr-tist]–noun 1. A person who produces works in any of the arts that are primarily subject to aesthetic criteria. 2. A person who practices one of the fine arts. 3. A person whose trade or profession requires a knowledge of design, drawing, painting, etc… A commercial artist. 4. A person who works in one of the performing arts, actor, musician, singer; dancer, public performer. 5. A person whose work exhibits exceptional skill.

BRAND [brand]–noun and verb 1. Kind, grade or make, as indicated by a stamp, trademark or the like. 2. A mark made by burning or otherwise, to indicate kind, grade, make, ownership, etc… 3. A kind or variety of something distinguished by some distinctive characteristic. 4. To impress indelibly. 5. A brand name.

The essence of these two words together can be defined thus: A creator who has made their mark!

Some fine artists scoff at the word brand. Whether you like the word or not, all visionary creators throughout time who have made their mark on humanity are brands. They are remembered for their impact on the collective consciousness of the planet and many are household names. I call the Artist As Brand workshop an artist boot camp because it is highly focused with the intention of aligning and defining (in some instances re-aligning and re-defining) the purpose and direction of an individual's career path. We start deep in the heart and move outwards connecting your talent to your marketing, patrons and collectors so there is perfect alignment.

The knowledge for this workshop is derived from 28+ years working as a professional artist inside and outside of the publishing, film and gallery industries as well as teaching higher education.

The following is an outline of the course and what students will learn and come away with. This is an evergreen online course. Students get lifetime access to the course including all future updates and resources.

MODULE ONE: DECLARE YOUR PURPOSE: You will learn your Core Virtue. Knowing your core virtue is the first step to establishing a foundation which your career is built upon. This intimate part of yourself is a driving force in your life. It goes deeper than your art. Declaring your core purpose aligns your heart with your art in a profound manner.

Design a Personal Logo/Heraldic Shield: You will create a simple image that will represent what you just learned about yourself. It will represent your Core Virtue.

Design a Vision Board: This template is defined by everything you love in your life—what turns you on and keeps you motivated as a unique individual. The Vision Board represents the niche markets that will be your domain and will make up your one-of-a-kind art empire.

Practice The Art of The Blurb: You will learn how to introduce and represent yourself to people. Most artists do not have a clue how to speak with others about who they are and what they do. This exercise is designed to increase your confidence and generate interest in who you are and what you have to offer.

Every workshop includes special lectures by esteemed individuals who encompass the Indie Art Spirit. Guests include art writer Peter Clothier, licensing expert Maria Brophy, social media master and botanical perfumer Roxana Villa.

MODULE TWO: PLAN YOUR BRAND: You will learn to design your art and product line. We will look at artists who are successful in this area and discuss new approaches to making income from your art. We will define what art and products can manifest from your Vision Board.

Create An Innovative Marketing Blueprint: You will learn to create a marketing blueprint that integrates high tech and high touch medias. We look at these two very different but synergistic marketing models. You learn how to best utilize these promotional mediums.

Learn The Simple Yet Powerful Art of Business and Commerce: Are you an art hobbyist or an art professional? This is a short lecture on straight up, common sense business practices. If you are selling art, you are a business. Start acting like one.

Connect With Artist Entrepreneur Leaders: Learn to create a community and hook up with those who are successful in order to keep yourself inspired and in the company of great people.

MODULE THREE: EMPOWER YOUR PROSPERITY: Commit to sustainability. You will design a five-year marketing strategy that takes a serious look at your finances, living situation and overall goals personally and professionally. What is possible? Connecting to your BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal).

Recognize the Potential of Team Building and The Power of a Mastermind: Your peers can be some of your greatest assets from a personal, professional and moral support capacity. You will start this process right in the class!

Conceptualize a Product Ready for Manufacture: We begin to look at the details of what it’s going to cost in labor, time and materials to create a product from start to finish.

Review: In addition participants will have access to other career enhancing promotional opportunities only available to Artist As Brand students! Some of these details can be found on the ABOUT page. Now you are ready to create your own Art Empire!

I hope this information helped to clarify the purpose and design of my class. Come on and join the Indie Art Revolution! Sign up today! Lifetime access is included and you may complete the class online at your own pace.

See what participants are saying.

To Your Artist Empowerment and Prosperity,

—Greg

A recent article in the Washington Post has put the total student loan debt in the United States at a whopping 1.75 trillion dollars! While most counties around the world provide low cost and even free college education to their citizens, it seems that ideologies in America have changed and that college education is no longer seen as a ‘public good,’ but rather one for the privileged few who can afford the prohibitive cost.

Ronald D. White wrote a great story for the LA Times about the problem of college debt. He focuses on one individual, Andrew Post, age 13. When most boys were fretting about the perils of girls and middle school, Andrew Post was attending Cal State Los Angeles, working on degrees in computer science and applied mathematics. At 18, Post was entering USC Gould School of Law. At 22, Post became a member of the State Bar of California.

Along the way, the U.S. economy took to the slow track. Like many in his generation facing the worst job market in decades, Post opted to stay in school. The Altadena resident is now 24 and has landed a well-paying job as a programmer for a website operator. But he also faces $215,000 in student loans, with a minimum monthly payment of $2,756.

Many college graduates are not as lucky as Andrew to find well paying jobs in their fields of study and instead find themselves working at low paying jobs, strapped with crippling debt. The promises for a better life and income that college educations used to provide, now seem empty and grossly overpriced.

At Artist As Brand, we have sought to help artists who may be feeling lost after graduating. Many come out of pricey art schools with no knowledge of how to make it in the real world. This course is designed to help light the way and provide clear guidance on the path to creative success.

In a recent post I celebrated Sean Fitzgibbon who finished the Artist As Brand Workshop, embraced the principles and then reaped the benefits. When he finished his graphic novel grand opus, “What Follows is True: Crescent Hotel” I was curious about the evolution of the story and comic, but also how he managed to fund such a beautifully printed, high end, hard cover book with a slip cover.

Sean shared that he had crowd funded the project through Kickstarter and pulled in almost $29,000. I asked him if I could interview him about the process and he graciously agreed. His responses were a gold mine of crowd funding knowledge! Below are a few excerpts from the interview.

Sign up for the Artist As Brand Online Workshop and access the entire interview!

-Tell us a bit about the journey of creating the story for your graphic novel, “What Follows is True: Crescent Hotel.” What piqued your interest in this particular story?

When I was a kid my family would visit Eureka Springs, AR. I was always intrigued by its charming, Queen Anne dwellings perched on limestone bluffs, steep elevations, and serpentine roads that don’t intersect.  However, the most compelling and mysterious feature to me has always been the 1886 Crescent Hotel with its bizarre, dark and varied history. Years later I stayed at the hotel and went on the ghost tour.  What lingered with me was the story of the fraudulent medical practitioner that transformed the hotel into an abnormal hospital. Elements of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Stephen King’s The Shining left me morbidly intrigued.  Who was he and how could something like this have happened?  After conducting extensive research, I learned of his assorted and controversial past.   

-As you wrote the story and worked out the panels of the comic, did you decide to roll out the comic as a series, or was the goal to premier the final product as a finished graphic novel? What was your strategy?

This was my first attempt at a full-page graphic nonfiction book, so the process was all new to me. I always envisioned the book as a standalone piece.  If I were putting together the book today I probably would have broken it up into smaller segments and combined them as a way to build up interest in the project as I’m working on it. However, when I was working on this book I was working on many other art projects as well so the release of various segments or chapters of the book would have been irregular. Nowadays, I’m focusing primarily on my “What Follows is True” series of books so when I’m working on larger books, I can release small segments in regular intervals and then combine them into a nice hardcover edition. 

-After you decided to produce a series or a finished graphic novel was the plan to find a publisher or did you decide to go another route and self publish?

 My original plan was to find a publisher once the book was completed so I submitted to literary agents but was unable to stir up any interest. Just as I decided to search for publishers on my own, I was contacted by a literary agent who is also a working graphic novelist. He represents both graphic novelists and children’s book authors. He submitted my book to major publishers for one year and despite the praise the book received from many publishers, none decided to take a chance on the book. Publishers have become extremely risk adverse to unfamiliar projects and authors whose work they feel doesn’t fit into a specific niche. Nonfiction books are common but graphic nonfiction books are not as well known. 

 After careful consideration I decided a crowd funding platform to fund the printing costs of my book would be the best option. I then had to figure out which platform was right for my project. After researching the various platforms, I chose Kickstarter because it’s a major platform that focuses on creative projects like art, music, film, and it is well curated with quality products and the fees are reasonable.  

-After you decided to crowd fund the project what was your promotion strategy at this point?

Most of my promotion at this point was from my website and social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. I find online platforms to be a decent way to promote your work but it’s also passive and I prefer to connect with people directly, so I knew I had to come up with a more effective way to reach potential backers. 

-I understand that there is much preparation and organization for the Kickstarter campaign. Can you share some of the highlights and main points for pulling it together?

 Once I decided on using Kickstarter for my campaign I began learning as much as I could about how the platform works and how to run a successful campaign. I read various books about the platform and listened to a very insightful podcast called Comix Launch.I also had to think about budget and printing costs, production, shipping etc. and I’d use this information to set my funding goal.  

 Another important factor to consider when preparing a Kickstarter campaign is the readability and design of your Kickstarter page. I researched similar projects on Kickstarter that were successful to understand how they built their page. I made sure that not only was the site well organized and user friendly but also that the overall aesthetic worked well with my book and overall brand. Videos are also a very effective way to engage potential backers and tell them about the project, so I created a trailer for my book utilizing iMovie with images from my project. 

 Also, Kickstarter is more than a platform, it’s a community, and before launching my campaign I made sure to support other Kickstarter campaigns that were similar to mine. Potential backers see that you’ve supported other projects, and you get to see how the process works from the backer’s standpoint. Most importantly it makes you feel good to invest in the success of another project.

Thank you Sean, for sharing your process!

Sign up for the Artist As Brand Online Workshop and access the entire interview. After reading it you will be informed and inspired to create your own successful crowd funded project.

I like to celebrate individuals who finished the Artist As Brand Workshop, embraced the principles and then reaped the benefits. Sean Fitzgibbon is one of those people. He attended my live class years ago, and then slowly finished his graphic novel grand opus, “What Follows is True: Crescent Hotel.”

Sean crowd funded the project through Kickstarter and pulled in almost $29,000. He has since then been promoting the book at different venues to great effect. “I learned more about the business and marketing aspects of being an artist from Artist As Brand® than I did in both undergraduate and graduate school.”

Sean recently reviewed the new Online Workshop and remarked, “I find it so inspiring and invigorating! I can't tell you how many times I've recommended your course to various students over the years. In fact I was giving a lecture to students at the University of AR at Monticello on Wednesday and I mentioned Artist As Brand in my lecture as being one of my biggest influences in building my career as an artist.”

“I loved visiting the new additions to the course workbook such as the updated videos, artist examples and interviews. Also, the updated use of social media applications and Google Analytics and other statistics services. I also was unaware of Funnel Software. I found this extremely helpful as well. “

Sean is such an inspiration that I intend to interview him in the near future to share more of his experience. I have hundreds of success stories like this that I will be sharing throughout the months.

Take one step into the Artist As Brand Online Workshop and your art career will never be the same.

Grow a voice- by Roxana Villa

Out of the box solutions for selling art and promoting it, get people’s attention. One suggestion is to start an Art Block Party. Gather all your neighbors who have some talent to share (artists, musicians, chefs, etc.), go to the city to get a permit to close down your street to traffic, then send out flyers promoting your amazing outdoor event to showcase the talent of the community. Now you have an outdoor gallery!

Betsy McDermott Altheimer, associate director for an artist service organization called Springboard for the Arts, located in the Twin Cities had another great idea for selling art. She was inspired by community-supported agriculture (CSA), where consumers receive a monthly lot of produce through purchasing shares in a farm. She thought if it works for farmers it could work for artists. “We should just do a CSA! Only this time, the ‘a’ would stand for ‘art.’”

Altheimer believes that food systems are the perfect metaphor in the reality of today’s art scene. “People have this mythical notion of what a farmer does. In reality, there is a lot of risk. You can’t guarantee every crop will be successful,” says Altheimer. “Likewise, an artist can’t guarantee that everything they do will be great. But he can ask people to invest in the value of what they do.”

Each season, nine artists participate. By signing up for a $300 share, a patron receives nine original works, plus admittance to three parties where the artists will be in attendance. Of course where the program seems a little less than ideal is the artist’s commission — for producing 50 pieces, he or she will only receive $1,000. But it’s up to the artist to create small, sensible works with a budgetary restriction in mind. Limited Edition prints might be a way to go.

The hope is that the artists will pick up new fans and patrons who will continue to follow and collect their work beyond the CSA share. “Our version of success is when the relationship continues beyond us,” affirms Altheimer. Check out her interview and then start your own CSA. If you have other ideas let me know and I will share them in a post.

Here are two more inspirational blog posts that will pump up your powers of introspection.

1. Right now is a great time to take a good look at the past year, reflect on your accomplishments and business strategies. Go to this Etsy post for some insight.

2. Caroline Myss is spiritual teacher who says she's living the life her soul was meant to lead. Caroline says everyone has the ability to fulfill their own "sacred contract"—a set of assignments the soul is meant to achieve. This dialogue between Caroline and Oprah touches on some of the Heart Virtue work we do in the Artist As Brand® workshop. Here.

What does Artist As Brand mean?

ARTIST art·ist [ahr-tist]–noun

1. a person who produces works in any of the arts that are primarily subject to aesthetic criteria.

2. a person who practices one of the fine arts.

3. a person whose trade or profession requires a knowledge of design, drawing, painting, etc.: a commercial artist.

4. a person who works in one of the performing arts, actor, musician, singer; dancer, public performer.

5. a person whose work exhibits exceptional skill

BRAND [brand]–noun and verb

1. kind, grade, or make, as indicated by a stamp, trademark, or the like.

2. a mark made by burning or otherwise, to indicate kind, grade, make, ownership, etc.

3. a kind or variety of something distinguished by some distinctive characteristic.

4. to impress indelibly.

5. a brand name.

What do Michelangelo, Beeple, Geogia O’Keeffe, Andy Warhol, Tom Cruise, Auguste Rodin, Apple, Beyonce, Frida Kahlo, Porsche, Picasso, Damien Hirst, Mark Ryden, Annie Leibovitz, James Jean, Greenpeace, Maxfield Parrish, Ray Bradbury, Joseph Beuys, and Emily Blunt, all have in common? They are all brands. A brand is a purpose transformed into a product or service that connects to people, the planet, and beyond.

The key word here is purpose, and specifically your purpose. This is where the heart of your essence resides, where your most potent art manifests, and the strength of your perseverance matures. The purpose inside you aligned with your personal vision is the foundation of your creative power. When your heart is joined with your art, a vital one of a kind signature is formed. This brand is unique to you and your intimate product.

The word “brand” is derived from the Old Norse brandr, meaning “to burn.” It refers to the practice of burning a mark (or brand) onto a products.

The artist’s mark is unique to its owner even if its a copy of something else. However the ambition of most artists is to make a mark that touches their so audience deeply, it burns this symbol into memory. The lifetime of a creative mind can burn a series of meaningful marks into the mindset of a generation, but if their passion is great its possible to start a fire that contributes a brighter light to the world.

Sign up for the October, Online Group Workshop. Your art, life and prosperity will never be the same!

Learning to create a new economic paradigm for yourself can feel daunting. We all want to relax in the lap of corporate and economic models we were brought up with, even though most people hate their job. There is security knowing we are going to be taken care of by larger business entities that have planned for economic downturns and other market changes, right?

There will always be a job out there for us, right?

However, who just wants a JOB (just over broke)? Most people today are looking for a vocation that aligns with a deeper purpose. A job can work out fine if it aligns enough with who we are as a person. Even flipping burgers can be a start for something larger if your calling is about becoming a chef!

Living as a freelance artist for 28 years gave me a certain perspective on the economy as I had my feet in the corporate world but still remained independent of it. Living and working as a sole proprietor gave me a certain resiliency and exercised my creative brain powers into thinking differently. Cranking up my innovative capabilities or aligning with those who were in "the flow" increased my chances for manifesting other income possibilities.

Check out this great article 10 Artists Explain How They Became Art Entrepreneurs. Innovation and re-invention are vital components to creating new paths of success– like taking the best of the Artist As Brand Workshop and turning it into a self guided online version. Create your own economy, in your unique new way!

Heads up! The Artist As Brand June Discount is ending July 1st! Save $100 on the online course which includes an hour consultation!

Whenever artists decide to go it alone, make their own way,  fear comes along for the ride.

As freelancer for so many years I understand where this fear comes from. The goal of being secure in your finances, being safe in general  (food, clothing, shelter) are real considerations and pounded into our brains since we were kids. However fear is also an illusion. What would it feel like if the concept of security was an illusion too? Would it freak you out?

We live in an unpredictable world. What I have learned over these many years of going it alone is that security is an illusion. Making friends with that reality brings a sense of freedom and empowerment. I can do what I can in this moment to live in my highest potential and reap the fortunes of what life has to offer. It is a mind set most people are not used to.

The following is short post by Chris Guillebeau that touches on this concept too:

“Micro-entrepreneurship is changing the world. The best opportunities in the new economy are centered on creating your own assets. It doesn’t matter who wins a U.S. election, at least not in terms of how the economy affects you. No matter what happens, the unemployment rolls will continue to be full. Perhaps even worse, many people will remain underemployed by working at jobs that offer few benefits and little opportunities for advancement.

Speaking of opportunities, however, there are now more than ever before. It’s never been easier to take matters into your own hands. All over the world, people are thinking differently about risk and security, and many of them are taking action on their new perspectives. This is a good thing.

What is risky? Whether you work a “real job” or strike out on your own, relying on someone else is risky. What is secure? Creating your own freedom through side projects, independent work, instant consultancies, and creative self-employment of all kinds. What is freedom? The ability to make your own choices. Ultimately, freedom relates to value, which is taking responsibility for yourself by making something valuable for someone else. More...

ARTISTart·ist [ahr-tist]–noun1. a person who produces works in any of the arts that are primarily subject to aesthetic criteria.

2. a person who practices one of the fine arts.

3. a person whose trade or profession requires a knowledge of design, drawing, painting, etc.: a commercial artist.

4. a person who works in one of the performing arts, actor, musician, singer; dancer, public performer.

5. a person whose work exhibits exceptional skill

BRAND[brand]–noun and verb1. kind, grade, or make, as indicated by a stamp, trademark, or the like.

2. a mark made by burning or otherwise, to indicate kind, grade, make, ownership, etc.

3. a kind or variety of something distinguished by some distinctive characteristic.

4. to impress indelibly.

5. a brand name.

What do Michelangelo, Ralph Lauren, Geogia O’Keeffe, Andy Warhol, Clint Eastwood, Auguste Rodin, Apple, Sting, Frida Kahlo, Porsche, Picasso, Damien Hirst, Mark Ryden, Annie Leibovitz, Henry Moore, Greenpeace, Maxfield Parrish, Ray Bradbury, Joseph Beuys, and Elizabeth Taylor, all have in common? They are all brands.

A brand is a purpose transformed into a product or service that connects to people, the planet, and beyond. The key word here is purpose, and specifically your purpose. This is where the heart of your essence resides, where your most potent art manifests, and the strength of your perseverance matures. The purpose inside you aligned with your personal vision is the foundation of your creative power. When your heart is joined with your art, a vital one of a kind signature is formed. This brand is unique to you and your intimate product.

The word “brand” is derived from the Old Norse brandr, meaning “to burn.” It refers to the practice of producers burning their mark (or brand) onto their products. In the beginning, before multi-national corporations, before boards of directors and proxy fights, before mergers and franchises and takeovers, there were family businesses founded on individual enterprise or invention. Before the corporate image or the company logo, there was the individual name stamped on a product, a service, a laborsaving device, or a form of entertainment, usually because it was the proud handiwork of one individual.

The artist’s mark is unique to its owner even if its a copy of something else. However the ambition of most artists is to make a mark that touches their so audience deeply, it burns this symbol into memory. The lifetime of a creative mind can burn a series of meaningful marks into the mindset of a generation, but if their passion is great its possible to start a fire that contributes a brighter light to the world.

Peace and passion, Greg Spalenka

Artist As Brand Workshop at Brigham Young University.

Great group at Brigham Young University! BYU consistently inspires tremendous creativity with an entrepreneurial spirit. Thank you to Robert Barrett who saw the benefit to bring a workshop to the school.

The workshop at CURA in Orange, CA was amazing! Thank you to Carolin Hosac Peters for inviting me. Ron Brown, Dean White, Aixa Oliveras, April Solomon, Katlin Evans, Jeni Geneva are a very talented group of artists and I was honored to be in their presence.

More to come!

• In progress...

The new revamped Website, Workbook, Online Workshops, Forum, are still in the works. Thank you for your patience. Looking at a fall launch.

Artist As Brand® Workshops are coming to Santa Fe! Classes will be presented at the School of Lost Arts (website coming soon), and for high school students at Warehouse 21. You will absolutely love coming here to Santa Fe to take classes.

Lastly, a workshop is in the works to coincide with the San Diego Comic Convention in July. Stay tuned.

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Tara Gentile is a business coach offering training and support for idea-driven entrepreneurs. She presents a series of podcasts with Creative Live where they explore strategies that will help you profit from your passions. Sound familiar?Check out this session with Kathleen Shannon, co-founder of Braid Creative and co-host of the popular Being Boss Podcast. Kathleen transitioned her career from graphic design and art direction and an advertising agency to entrepreneurship and branding for creative entrepreneurs.You are your brand!

The new updated Artist As Brand Workbook is almost here!As the tech world changes and promotional models change along with it, professional artists must adjust and evolve. The original principles of the Artist As Brand path are powerful guides for planning your art career, and now they have been expanded. Every chapter has been revisited, updated and revised.Mentoring hundreds of students, professors and art professionals around the USA and in South America has given me a unique perspective on the modern day art market. I am a firm believer that an entrepreneurial approach is essential for art career sustainability.The new e-books are slated to be ready for delivery early 2016."This workbook sits on my bookshelf and is getting worn out because I am constantly referencing it. I have found it incredibly useful. There are some really good worksheets to help bring out the best ideas. The part that I particularly love, is detailed break downs of the five year plan. Yes, this is specifically targeted for Artists but I have discovered that as a business woman this book is also remarkable for guidelines for marketing and strategy of all kinds. Over all, the book is very well put together, easy to understand, and a blast to work with! I absolutely recommend it." - Heidi Paredes

Get your hashtag mojo on! #HashTagMojo These little symbols have power to move your visibility up the search engine chain in a big way. It's all about metadata folks. There are some great resources and articles about how to use hashtags effectively.Overall view on hashtags- Here.Trending hashtags- Hashtags.orgAnd why its ruining the English language- Here.Ha!

Artist As Brand-Rise of the Artist Entrepreneur was the title of my San Diego Comic Con panel on art career sustainability with Donato Giancalo, Daniel Davis of SteamCrow, Drew and Maria Brophy, and Dawn Schiller.We had a nice crowd and a super conversation on the art of the start (begins in the heart), and outward toward what projects to make, how to connect with our fans, what social media is working or not, and ways to integrate your lifestyle into all of it.Donato spoke about listening to your inner path, Daniel talked about the power of experimentation in art and marketing, Drew reflected upon the importance of  fusing lifestyle and art, Maria touched upon licensing agreements, and Dawn about being respectful of your fans and fellow artists and many more topics.I thank my incredibly talented panel for sharing their expertise and love with the comic con audience which was filled with newbie art professionals.I was also signing my new book published by Titan Books in London. See more about my book and Comic Con here.