I am honored to be presenting a workshop at the historic Westbeth in NYC.Located in West Greenwich Village, Westbeth has provided affordable living and working spaces for artists and their families since 1970. The workshop is open to all artists. I guarantee that any participant that faithfully applies the principles learned in the class  will sell more art in the coming year than they did the year before or I will refund their registration fee.

$295

$150 For Westbeth residents!

REGISTRATION CLOSED

REGISTER BY LEAVING YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATIONHERE.

Westbeth (Community Room) 55 Bethune Street New York City, 10014 212- 691-1500

Read the REGISTER page before signing up.

Learn more about the workshop on the

ABOUT

page.See what art professors, professionals, and college students are saying

here.

When you finish this seminar you will be empowered to take any success you have now to another level.See you soon!

Greg Spalenka

I met Shaun Tan five years ago in NYC at a dinner with Roxana, Donato, Irene Gallo, and John Jude Palencar. Shaun's picture book 'The Arrival" had recently been published and was winning awards. Who would have guessed that five years later he would receive an Academy Award based on another picture book he published that year called "The Lost Thing"! Congratulations Shaun! See more at the website HERE.

Another fine example of creating a product that is uniquely your own and translating it into another format with stellar results! Good stories fused with an artful imagination are timeless. Keep making art!

To your creative empowerment!

Greg

The NYC gang- Ramomar Buckley, Greg Spalenka, Lynne Foster, Kari Christensen, Jerome Miller, Omari Cameron, Thomas Kowal, Matthew Wachnicki, (not shown Mel Odom, Charles Saputo, Nancy Hart).

AFTER

I just presented my AAB Workshop at the NYC Society of Illustrators with ten talented art professionals and college students. I want to thank Anelle Miller and Tom Stravinos at the Society for allowing the workshop to be held there. I am in gratitude to Mark Heflin at AI-AP for donating ten beautiful American Illustration Annuals for the participants. A thank you also to Karen Santry who is a true champion of the art spirit. It is always a pleasure to return to NYC even in freezing temperatures!

In my last post I shared someof these artist’s feelings BEFORE the workshop, now you will hear some AFTER workshop commentary. I will be adding comments to this post over the next week from the participants as they trickle in. Here are the first bunch...

"It was incredible Greg. I have been thinking about the workshop all week ."-Lynne Foster

"Just wanted to thank you again for this past weekend.  It was extremely helpful and your willingness and hard work really meant a lot to me. "-Matt Wachnicki

"The class was intriguing. Thanks for the insights."-Mel Odom

"I'm getting back on my creative track! Right now I'm drawing out sketches & designs. I designed a website I'm finishing up. It was definitely an honor to meet you & the group last week."-Jerome Miller

"It was a privilege to meet you and I truly enjoyed participating in your workshop."-Tom Kowal

"The workshop was great!  It was extremely inspirational... and gave me so many ideas and options to advance artistic opportunities.  The whole experience was much more than I had anticipated.  This workshop is definitely something that I would recommend to anyone who is aspiring to build their own career!  Greg is an excellent instructor with an immense amount of positive energy!  It was absolutely worth the time and energy."-Nancy Hart

"Wow. Thank you.You have finally put it all in perspective. I understand how to make my unique voice heard.  And even more importantly you have dug down and brought out my core. I see the power and goodness of where my heart is telling me to go. I see honesty and courage coming together to make something better than what society is comfortable with. I see that there are going to be people who don't understand, but for others I know they have been waiting for this- just like me. I can finally stop waiting and dive into a new blue sea.You are making the world better for artists and everyone that is seeking a fulfilling and loving life.Thank you for being so generous with your time.It was a sacred experience."-Kari Christensen

AFTER WORKSHOP QUESTIONS

1. Did the workshop prepare you to define your career in a new and empowered fashion?

Kari:Yes it did. I feel completely excited about my work. And I am also excited about helping other creatives with their work. I finally have a clear vision and a plan how to make it happen. I can let go of the creative frustration I had before the workshop and focus.

Matthew:I certainly have a sense of direction I didn't have before taking this class.  It was clear taking this workshop that the techniques we were learning are essential to getting ahead in today's market.

Tom:Yes, definitely. Discovering my core virtue has increased my confidence level, and the workshop in general helped me to think of myself as an entrepreneur.

Mel:It gave me some significant ideas on ways to broaden my scope.

Jerome: Yes, the techniques taught in the seminar pretty much put the pieces of the puzzle together.

2. Was it what you expected?Matthew:The workshop was more introspective than I anticipated but I found that to be very useful.  Beginning at the most basic level of who I see myself has helped to define not only what my niche markets can be but also the type of work I should be creating. Kari:I was hoping to find a creative focus and develop a business plan. It was that and more. It was an intense self discovery and a reprogramming of some cynicism I picked up from working in the illustration business.Tom:More.Mel:I really went with no expectations. Jerome:I wasn't really expecting anything much since the seminar was new to me, but I did like the results.3. Did you learn new ways to accomplish your creative and economic goals? Kari:There were great new ideas. And discussions about things I have been doing for awhile. The amazing thing is AAB puts everything in a manageable perspective that is based on the individual's personal vision. A five year plan no longer seems overwhelming.Matthew:I really appreciated the blueprint concept.  It's hard enough thinking a week a head, but I found it to be a very useful technique for setting realistic goals for myself and then working backwards to find ways to reach these goals. Tom:Yes. It gave me a blueprint to follow as well as practical advice, i.e. the nuts-and-bolts steps to take.Mel:Yes.Jerome: Yes, I'm more clear & organized on what I'm looking for & need to do.4. How was the teacher?Kari:Greg is an art guru and a great teacher. I don't know if there is anyone out there that can match his energy and heart for helping other artists.Matthew:Greg was fantastic.  He is deeply committed to this process and seemed to fully understand what each of us was looking to get out of this experience.  He really went the extra mile and it meant a lot. Tom:Excellent. I really felt Greg's sincerity in sharing his experience and information, as well as his commitment to every participant so he or she received the most value from the workshop. He gives 110% of himself.Mel:Committed.Jerome: Ridiculously Awesome! 5. Was the workshop worth the time, energy and investment? Kari:Obviously I am very happy with my experience. I could have used the information from the workshop years ago. For me, it tapped into the way I want to do my work and live my life. It was more than worth it.Matthew:This workshop was worth it for many different reasons.  I only wish I had taken this class sooner. These tips and techniques are beneficial regardless of career level or how much some of us had already accomplished.Tom:Yes. I'm making a list of friends to recommend it to.Mel: I think so.Jerome: I plowed through snow & slippery ice on a sloppy hill by foot to catch the metro north train a mile and a half away from my house to be on time for the last two classes in the city. But to give a direct answer, YES! Thank you everyone for your comments. As more responses to the questions arrive I will post them. I am humbled by the gratitude, and yet each of these individuals dove inside themselves to find their clarity and empowerment. They remembered their purpose, what was really important to them, and now can bring it to the world with an entrepreneurial art spirit.To your art prosperity,Greg

Pre-Register by December 19th by placing your name in the comments box below.No payments until January 3rd.

$295

15 PARTICIPANTS ONLY!

January 21, 22, 23rdFri- 2:00-8:00Sat- Sun 10:00-8:00Society of Illustrators New York

See what art professors, professionals, college students are saying.

Make sure you read the REGISTER page before signing up.

*****

You will accomplish the following in the Artist As Brand workshop:

• Connect your art deeply with your truth, creating a mark so authentic and profound it embodies a timeless power.

• Unlock the secret to your personal niche markets and the fans/patrons/collectors who are hidden there.

• Introduce your vision to individual art collectors around the world through targeted marketing techniques.

• Begin building an independent Art Empire that can create income for the rest of your life.

• Align with other like minded individuals to establish a MasterMind expanding your Art Empire.

• “See” your career five years into the future.

*****

This is an artist boot camp. When you leave this seminar you will be aligned and defined, prepared and empowered to take any success you have now to another level. I am committed to empowering truth and inspiration within you. The truth within you combined with your art and business can manifest prosperity beyond your dreams.

Learn more on the ABOUT page.

To your creative empowerment,

Greg Spalenka

Photos by Spalenka

*MINI ART EMPIRES IN THE ROUGH*Street Artists make a living selling directly to the public.

When I was in New York last week for my lecture at the Society of Illustrators Educators Symposium I had an opportunity to walk around SoHo. When I lived in Manhattan during the 80's the blue chip art world of Leo Castelli, and Mary Boone ruled this corner of the Big Apple. Since then the art arena has moved around to different parts of the city, yet some galleries still remain on the streets of SoHo, literally. Walk along Prince st. and vendors line the sidewalks selling clothing, jewelry, incense, nick nacks, and art.

Generally I walk briskly past most of these fold out tables piled high with stuff, but this time I came to a realization that stopped me in my tracks! What I was seeing here specifically with the artists were mini art empires in the rough! I decided right then and there to interview a handful of these budding entrepreneurs and find out more about their story and methods. The following sheds some light on the businesses of eight artisans who make their living selling art on the streets of Manhattan.

When it comes to real estate we know the importance of Location, Location, Location!

It is no different in the world of street art. Mathew Courtney's "Steps To Nowhere" Gallery was organized neatly on historical cast iron stairs near J.Crew. How do the shops feel about artists selling their wares next to their location? Mathew smiled, "We get along."

Mathew utilizes markers, colored pencils and watercolors to create art over newspapers, cardboard, and other found objects. He laughed, "I make art on just about anything!"

A daughter of one of his patrons came by to see what new works he was showcasing! I mentioned to him that I have found fans to be very loyal and he replied, "Yes, some people return many times to see what new art I have created."

Kurt McRobert

Some of the artists I spoke with were veterans of seven years or longer, others like SVA graduate Kurt McRobert were out for the first time. "I got tired of waiting around for illustration jobs and decided to set up shop and see what happened." He threw up some fold out trays and rigged up a table of super heroes and girlie pics.

Did they need special clearance from the city to sell art on the sidewalks? "You just need a sellers ID number," he said. That's it!? "That's it." I was surprised that you could set up shop so easily on the streets of NYC.

Comic book characters appeared to be big sellers in this market. This was the weekend the New York Comic Convention was happening and I attempted to inspire some of these artists to go to it. "You can make some great connections and open a new market for your art," I suggested. A few of them said they were too busy holding down the shop, and besides the "weekends are the best selling days, can't afford to miss that opportunity," was the response. They had found their niche!

Most of these artists were focused on selling and had not thought much about social media promotion, or even simple business tools such as business cards. When I asked Pedro (?) if I could see him online or if he had a business card, he patted the pockets of his paint spattered pants and said, "I got to make up some cards. Don't have much online yet, checking out Flikr, but haven't put up a website, blog, whatever."

"Not much time for advertising. Don't really want to. I'm too busy painting." Most of his acrylic pieces were created on stretched canvases. Finished paintings (no frames) were stacked in front of each other, lined up on the ledge of a building.  He stopped working for a moment on a Batman painting which was securely fastened to a fold out easel and took a drag on his cigarette. "Don't have much time for anything else."

Optimo

Others like the graffiti artist Optimo painted on just about everything, with everything. People would bring him license plates, signs (city, private, etc), pieces of wood to make art on. Of course walls of all sort were game too, but he could not bring those to his street shop. If it can be painted on, it can become art. "Graffiti is beautiful, because art is beautiful. Just because other people can't see the fuckin beauty, doesn't make it so," he said passionately.

Optimo was setting up shop with a table on the street side of the sidewalk and art propped up next to the building across from him. "Sometimes the cops ask me where I got the signs (city owned) to paint on and say that what I am doing is not art. It's art, I tell them. Generally they don't bother me but I have to watch out for them."

When I took his picture he did not want his face shown much, so he covered it with his hand. A picture is not going to hide an artist with this much passion, especially when its crowned with a top hat! But I felt his sincerity when he said, "I love making art. It's what I do."

When I asked most of these artists if they actually made a living selling art this way, the consensus was they did pretty good. "Recently sales have been slow because of the economy, but people still buy," Pedro confided.  Optimo added, "It's always up and down, but I have a little girl to take care of so I must be out here."

How much do these guys make in cash amounts on a day to day, week to week basis? You will be surprised at the answers which will be revealed in the second part of this post next week. I can give you a hint... it's as much and more that most animators and concept designers in the film industry make!

Wrap your brain around that one.

To your creative empowerment,

Greg