Artist As Brand is in the news again!More and more articles in the press are reaffirming the premise that an independent approach to marketing your art is the future of artist sustainability, today. Check out these two articles in the Los Angeles Times,Drive-By Spectacles by Holly Myers, and Honing the art of the sales pitch during hard timesby Tina Sussman.The models of art promotion I learned in school 30 years ago and still perpetuated by Academia and much of the fine art world today are breaking down. Generally creative people do not like promoting their work. We prefer to have others do it for us so we can concentrate on the art. Hence we have agents, representatives, curators, promotional source books, etc. to take the burden off us.Plus it is perceived as bad form in fine art circles if we appear to be selling anything. The smallest hint that we may be marketing, cajoling, or manipulating a buyer into a sale is not tolerated and simply bad form in the fine art elite. Even the sniff of a professional demeanor in the form of a well designed logo can be  looked down upon as being too commercial.However, the reality is that promoting yourself professionally is good business, and fans, patrons, collectors appreciate the connection and the attention! Every aspect of how you present yourself is vital to the zeitgeist of your vision. Elevating your presence tactfully in a sophisticated manner, in your style, reflecting your authenticity, is empowerment my friends. Do not be intimidated by the old guard. You can thrive from your talents financially however you want to. Remember your art will stand the test of time based on it's value in peoples eyes. You do not have to starve to achieve that goal.To your artistic empowerment,Greg