I met Peter Clothier two years ago and felt an immediate kinship. Hence, I interviewed him soon after our meeting: Kindred Purpose. Now with a new book to share it is time to speak with this amazing art spirit again.

By his own words, he is a reformed academic but still teaches in mostly non-traditional ways: workshops, continuing groups, individual coaching/mentoring for artists and writers. Mostly he writes. His Blogs, TheBuddhaDiaries.com, PERSIST: THE BLOG, and commentary on the HuffingtonPost are read by many. Last year he was invited to speak at TEDx Fullerton.

Clothier's first book, Persist: In Praise of the Creative Spirit in a World Gone Mad with Commerce was a collection of musings on the art and the creative process. His latest book, Mind Work is a collection of short essays where he explores the journey of self. Parami Press describes it thus; Within the framework of an active Buddhist meditation practice, Mind Work is an authentic search for the creative core through a process of uncompromising self-examination, conducted in the belief that the closer we come to core of the individual “self,” the more we discover about our shared humanity, and the more we open ourselves up to creative inspiration.

GS: Why do you write?PC: The answer I usually give is “Because that’s what I’m given to do.”  I knew this already at the age of twelve, but I spent a good deal of my life doing other things to make a living. The other answer is that I feel wrong about myself when I don’t.  I have a powerful sense of mission, and writing is a part of it.  And finally, writing is my way of coming to understand myself and the world I live in. If I did it for the money, I’d be in the poor house!GS: Living from the heart is profound and difficult. Saints and sages have spoken of this for ages yet we still are reminding ourselves that it is worthwhile. Could it be that this world, this reality pulls us away from our center?PC: Oh, yes, it does.  There are many distractions that pull us this way and that.  My own way of staying in touch with the creative core is through meditation.  I do it every day, and it has become an essential part of my life and work.  It affords me the opportunity to observe what’s going on in my heart and mind, and to make corrections when I get off track.  As I see it, it’s vital to stay centered, and to know how to pay attention to the things that are important.GS: Meditation is a powerful tool for connecting to the source. It is an essential facet of my life too. I want to call you the observer, because in true buddhist form you take a neutral look at reality. However, your humanity pushes in and we also feel your passion. It is nice balance. Is this a conscious approach to writing or has it evolved naturally?PC: That’s a nice observation, and I think a very acute one. I have found that balance—let’s say I keep finding it, because I’m perfectly capable of losing it, over and over again—through practice. And I mean practice in both sense of the word: the meditation practice, and the writing practice. I have been doing the writing for more than fifty years, and I suppose it’s really a blend of hard work and a “natural” development over time. I find that I write with greater and greater ease and fluency, and the balance comes without my thinking much about it any more.GS: I tell my students that the best art I have created is when I get out of the way and let it flow. You write that the words of your favorite Buddhist mantra are: "This is not me, this is not mine, this is not who I am." Is this the same thing?PC: Yes, I think it comes from the same source. I do my best work when I manage to get my ego out of the way and quit worrying about whether it’s “good” or “bad.” For a long time, I worked with an editor sitting on my shoulder and cautioning me along the way. I used to fight him; nowadays, I just thank him for his kind concern and tell him that just now is not a good moment for his judgments.GS: How do you feel your writing has evolved over the years?PC: I started out as a poet, I became a fiction writer and an art critic, I now think of myself as an essayist. But essays, for me, are akin to poetry. I love the brevity, the precision. I feel comfortable with the genre. My writing, it seems to me, has found a good home. Interestingly, when I look back to what I wrote years ago, I find many of the same concerns and themes that occupy me today: I have always abided by that wonderful old adage: How do I know what I think ‘til I see what I say? Writing has always been, and continues to be, my means of exploration into the unknown: an adventure.

GS: In your essay, "Stepping Back, Stepping Out, Stepping Up," you proceed to talk about the sometimes difficult choices you made throughout your career. There are moments when it becomes necessary to leave certain parts of one's previously established self behind, in order to make space for something new. Surrendering to the new can be a challenge for us all, whether it be in art or in life. What are some techniques you now use to help ease these transitions?PC: I know that I do best when I’m willing to take a risk and venture, as I said just now, into new territory. I watch out for those moments when I find myself doing the familiar and getting bored with it. It’s when I get comfortable that I know the time has come to take a risk. Then I ask myself what is the last thing I want to do, and go ahead and do it. I look for the point of resistance, and head for it. It’s like the lion hunt: you go for the roar.GS: There is definitely something to be said about the benefits of taking risks. I love your quote, "fear and laziness are not acceptable excuses for willful ignorance." Willful ignorance is definitely an illusion I have battled from time to time. You could almost consider this attribute to be rampant in our society. Not knowing is one thing but not wanting to know is an easy way out and does not serve anyone. How do we remove this lazy brain?PC: We do the work. I think my answer to your last question is relevant here. One way is to wonder, how would it be if the opposite to what I believe happens to be true?GS: You mention that, "compassion is best understood as a matter of practice not a matter of choice." Some people consider compassion a weakness. How can compassion be shown to have as much strength as the instinct to protect our self interests?PC: I find it sad that some consider compassion a weakness—and particularly that this judgment seems so prevalent in our political life today. Curiously, there’s a good deal of research being done that suggests that compassion is indeed in our self-interest, and is likely hard-wired into our human make-up. Perhaps you have read that very few soldiers actually fired at other human beings in the Second World War? They aimed above and to the side, but not to kill. The military has had to learn new training methods in order to make the soldiers more efficient killers. Curiously, too, that training draws not on their “killer instinct” but on their natural compassion—their desire to protect their buddies or the lives of the innocent. Compassionm is turns out, was a necessary survival skill for our species eons ago. In protecting others, we protect ourselves.GS: Are you happy and content with your writing career, or do you desire something more? Do you have any other goals?PC: Yes, I’m happy and no, I’m not content! I still wish for a wider audience for what I write, and work hard to develop my readership. I nourish a conviction that what I have to say is of value to my fellow human beings, and I want every single one of them to read it. My goal, then, is to keep writing, and keep expanding my audience. More specifically, I have another book almost ready for the publisher. It will be called “Slow Looking”—by analogy with “slow cooking”—and it’s about my gallery and museum events, “One Hour/One Painting.”GS: I have heard about the “One Hour/One Painting” events, where a group of you contemplate a painting for one hour. Sounds like a great exercise in expanding your awareness. How are you promoting your book? Any cool events you are creating/attending that my readers can know about?PC: Yes. Watch out for a “One Hour/One Painting” session at a local museum or gallery. These sessions are all about “Mind Work”—the title of the book I am promoting right now. These sessions ask participants to slow down and put their minds to work in the contemplation of a work of art. Otherwise, I’m doing what I can to promote the book online, getting podcast interviews and blog interviews like this one (thank you!) and sending out copies for review. I have pretty much given up on “book-signings,” and prefer instead to lecture and lead discussion groups. I have been quite successful in developing a reputation on the lecture circuit, and find this to be the best way to get the word out.GS: Sounds like you have the high touch, high tech promotion format down. Excellent. Any final pearls of wisdom?PC: Pearls, hmmm. I guess I go back to the title of my last book, “Persist.” I find it hard to believe that I am now in my mid-seventies, and that persistence is still of absolute importance to me. I love what I do, I am committed to my writing and the ideas I work with, and know that it’s only through persistence that I’m able to pursue this work that is my life. The other pearl? Gratitude… It does wonders for the spirit!GS: Well, I am grateful for knowing you Peter! Thank you kindly for sharing your thoughts and experiences with me and my readers. May your books and teaching continue to inspire and shake up/wake up the world.Onward and upward,Greg

Kinkade at Comic Con 2010

Whilst studying at Art Center College of Design I met a fellow student who rode a motorcycle to school, dressed in dark clothes and always sported a leather jacket. He reminded me of the Fonz in the television sitcom Happy Days. Thomas Kinkade was only at Art Center for about a year but he definitely left an impression. He would tell me stories of hopping trains (like a hobo) with another student James Gurney (Dinotopia fame) to create plein air paintings in the countryside, then hop the train back home. Upon returning he shared these little painted gems of landscapes with me that reflected a passion and intuitive understanding of natural light.

He disappeared from school and it was not until almost a decade later in 1989 that I ran into him at a New York Society of Illustrators event. Now he was married, a born again christian, and dressed in a very conservative suit. Whoa, what happened to the Fonz?! Bringing me up to speed on his rising success advertising his art in magazines like House and Garden, Kinkade proceeded to show me one of his iconic Cottage paintings hanging on the wall of the gallery. Whoa, again! This was not my idea of great art, but it did show his ongoing fascination with capturing unique qualities of light.

Fast forward another decade and the “painter of light,” grew into franchised galleries filled with reproduced artwork and spin-off products in excess. His paintings/prints ranged in cost from hundreds of dollars to more than $10,000. At it's peak Kinkade’s Media Arts Group, once a publicly traded company, took in $32 million per quarter from 4,500 dealers across the country! Talk about a large niche market.

Art critics despised the work, but this was not a concern for Kinkade. Ultimately time will determine what great art is anyway. In the meantime, if you are making art you love and selling it to fans, patrons and collectors who cares? Is the art kitsch? It is a sell out? If your art is aligned with your authentic purpose then these are irrelevant questions. Kinkade was perfectly aligned with his vision.

Did he make mistakes with over marketing and selling his work? Absolutely!

Whether it was ignorance or greed, 4,500 dealers selling your craft is a huge error in judgement. When you have too much of anything being made or manufactured it will create a glut in the market dropping in value. In 2010 Kinkade was dealing with lawsuits and filing for bankruptcy. He was also struggling with other personal challenges which appeared to reflect a life out of balance.

It was during the 2010 Comic Con that Kinkade stopped by my booth to say hello. He gave me a recap of the past twenty years, the good and bad, the successes and mistakes. At one point he became very enthusiastic about a micro-chip that can be placed into an art print or other limited edition object essentially removing the possibility of someone counterfeiting your artwork. Overall he was very positive and  looking to the future. I enjoyed seeing him.

He was 54 years old when he died last Friday. I reminisced on my career and wondered what pulling in $100 million dollars a year making my own art would have looked like. I had a hard time imagining it.

It is obvious he didn't!

As of yesterday one of his galleries just sold a painting for $150,000.

Whatever your opinion is on Kinkade as an artist, as a business person, or as a person will not change the fact that he made an indelible mark on millions of people who own his work. He loved what he was doing and it resonated with a HUGE group of supporters. It took time for him to build up those numbers, but he believed in his vision and never stopped promoting.

Onward and upward,

Greg

There's No Place Like Here: Brazenhead Books

Can't find the right gallery, convention, museum, restaurant, cafe or club that will show your masterpieces, or present them the way you want? Create your own! I am a firm proponent of the DYI spirit when it comes to getting your work out there, or in the instance of Michael Seidenberg's secret secondhand bookshop, getting your passion together anyway you can.

Twitter like all social media has its place in your promotional line up. The key is to remain fairly consistent with your tweets just like your blog posts. I suggest "pulsing" your promotion. Like your heartbeat it does not do much good if it stops for a long period of time. Keep your tweets vital and informative.To follow or not to follow other tweeters? Following others can increase your exposure.Your Twitter can become a portfolio. If you tweet photos, it all collects in a gallery by your profile, so people can easily access them (up to 100 of your most recent photos). All you have to do is click on the tweet box and there is an camera icon to click on.Learn from some Twitter masters:Banzai ChicksMark Murphy Design Irene Gallo Etsy Daniel Lexo Maria Brophy Lillyella Xenotees Douglas RushkoffWho are some of your favorite tweeters?

In July 2010 I met a young artist name Ray Sumser selling a poster of his art in front of the San Diego convention center during Comic Con. I included him in an article I wrote about street artists called Artist As Brand Grassroots. At the end of last year I noticed he had started a Kickstarter funding event that did very well.For those who are not familiar with Kickstarter.com it is the world's largest funding platform for creative projects. Every week, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields. It is a new form of commerce and patronage. This is not about investment or lending. Project creators keep 100% ownership and control over their work.It is such hit that sponsors will curate pages. Even colleges like SVA and RISD have gotten into the action supporting their alumni and students.

What's amazing is the amount of money some projects acquire. How about Joshua Harker's, Crania Anatomica Filigre sculpture which pulled in $77,271. Or the comic The Order of the Stick which pulled in a whopping $1,254,120! What?! You heard right, check it out.

Bottom line is if you have a great idea Kickstarter can help you start funding it.

Every year we have "wins" even if they are small ones. Sometimes we are so focused on experiencing the big win, that the little ones get pushed aside. Stop and smell the roses my friends!I have some accomplishments to share with you from AAB participants who were with me over a year ago. These individuals have much to show and tell so I am going to present them one by one over the weeks to come.

Sandra Chang-Adair is a force of nature.

I am going to let her share what she has been up to. You will learn much if you read it through-"This may be interesting for your students. My husband, Dustin, is a 3D animator who worked for 10 years doing special effects in Hollywood. Seeing the eventual outsourcing of visual effects to foreign countries, he decided 2 years ago to try his hand at developing an iPhone game. So he created "Poker with Bob", a poker game with a 3D Pixar-like character talking "smack" back to you. He launched the game after programing and working nights and weekends for 2 years in May of 2011. By July, Caesar's Palace contacted him, bought the IP from him and hired him as a consultant on the game. We packed up and moved to Las Vegas. So the lesson here is hard work and dedication does pay off, we should all learn from his focus and concentration. Anyway, I will recap what I've accomplished this past year and what I've learned. I updated my sandrachang.net and Banzai Chicks websites.1.) Did extremely well selling Banzai Chicks merchandise at the San Diego Comic-con 2011. Made a big splash with my 2 Mord'sith (Legend of the Seeker) costumes as well (I actually sold more stuff to guys on those days). I shared a table with my husband (you can see his Poker with Bob) stuff. I have to show off my costumes (it cost a lot to get them made), I know it doesn't have much to do with Banzai Chicks, but it's fun!2.) Did also very well with Banzai Chicks at the Wondercon 2011.3.) Got into Unique LA (a hand-crafted design show) in the summer. Didn't do as well as I hoped, they stuck me along the narrow hallway near the bathrooms, so my space was not as visible from the main showroom. I did learn that a design/fashion show was probably not the best venue for my stuff as much as comic book conventions, but it could be that my location was bad or too much competition with jewelery.4.) Did the 2 day Pink Parlour show at the Santa Anita Racetrack (a show geared towards woman and Kitsch). I did fairly well. Got to put some of my stuff on consignment at the Pinky Star store in West Covina (the proprietor of the show owns this store). The Banzai Chicks merchandise didn't sell as well, so in September, I removed my merchandise. To my disappointment, they had stuck labels underneath the arm holes and ruined some shirts with holes from the plastic tags. I think if any of your students want to put stuff on consignment, they have to be careful with whom they are dealing with.5.) I got my stuff into Happy Six, a Kawaii type boutique in Santa Monica. I had my eye on that store earlier this year and I met a friend of Diana Levin's who knew the owner, Sophie Snow. I befriended her on Facebook and Sophie started following my tweets on Twitter. So I sent her a message asking if I can be in her store. She agreed right away. It's consignment, but Sophie is a great person to deal with. She is meticulous with the invoicing and consistently sends you an inventory of goods sold and a check  every month. She is also expanding to an online store which she requested I participate in. She is a good example of how networking on Facebook and Twitter can work to your advantage. I also got a deal going with an Australian publisher through Facebook called Centauress. He wants to publish art journals and license my artwork on the cover. He is in the process of making his company public and rewriting the contracts for the artists.6.) I sold a few items wholesale to a boutique in Burbank called Audrey K and a boutique somewhere along the 5 from LA to San Jose, but when I inquired about more business, I never got a response. I had stuff in a store in Highland Park called Studioroot 66, but they closed down because of the bad economy during the first quarter of this year. When I moved to Las Vegas, I was at a carwash called 7 Hills and I noticed they had handmade jewelry for sale. So I have some of my Banzai Chicks jewelry for consignment there. It's an odd place, but who cares. I will have to do my homework and scout out for more places to sell my stuff in Nevada.7.) I met a friend of my husband's at the San Diego Comic-con that works at Applehead Factory, a Branding Company. As a favor to my husband, he agreed to help advise me on branding Banzai Chicks. He said my next step was creating a bible and later a style guide. He sent me some examples of transmedia bibles for other intellectual property as samples. So I am working on a Banzai Chicks Transmedia Bible. So I started developing  the  Banzai Chicks universe and characters in more depth and plan to lay it out in a cohesive package. I designed and reworked some new characters and mascots. I'm hoping that he can help me shape this into a viable property for licensing. It's going to be a lot of work. 8.) I developed some new Banzai Chicks jewelry. I engineered Interchangeable Magnetic lockets and rings. There is a magnet inside the locket or ring and I have my characters inside glass lids with washers attached to the backs of them. You can switch out the glass lids on the locket or ring. This is my best selling item at conventions. I also designed three types of bracelets and dangle glass earrings.kawaii-mika-the-punk-girlbanzai-chicks-glass-interchangeablesweet-cartoon-girls-hearts-charmcute-cartoon-geisha-chibi-glass-pierced9.) After neglecting my Etsy store for over a year, I decided to give it a big push in December (just in time for the Holidays). I bought a macro lens for my camera and a lighting kit off of Amazon. I bought background paper from the scrapbooking department in Michael's and studied product photography (as well as a layman could off the internet). I worked on improving my photographs to make my Etsy store look better. I also bought search ads, but I discovered that the best trafficking tool is to constantly listing new items so they show up on the front page. The shop stats on Etsy really helps.10.) I created a Zazzle store that has sneakers (and stamps) and a Spreadshirt.com store to sell T-shirt designs I don't have the money to manufacture and screen print myself. I learned how to create artwork for a flock print (a t-shirt with a velvety, soft surface) using vector art created to certain specifications. I get occasional orders from these online stores.zazzle.com/banzai+chicks+giftsspreadshirt.com/banzaichicks11.) Besides Banzai Chicks, I sold 4 painted sexy girl pin-ups to Hustler Magazine.12.) I finally signed a contract with SQP Publications with Sal Quartuccio, the owner, for a 48-page sexy pinup book. I've been trying to get this deal going for 3 years now, and I was able to connect with him during the San Diego Comic-con. Persistence pays off. The book is slated for an end of 2012 or early 2013 release. I can fill about 1/2 the book with paintings I'm created before, but I have about 22 more paintings to make between now and the end of next year. I love doing Banzai Chicks stuff, but the other part of me loves making realistic fantasy paintings. Here is a painting I'm working on for the book, it's not finished yet, but it's coming along nicely.

13.) Did a 3-day art exhibit, San Francisco Erotic Art Exhibition, in September. This was crazy because I just moved to Las Vegas and two days later, I had to drive up to San Francisco. I didn't sell anything, but met some great people and the exposure was good. The show was on Mission Street and was in a high trafficked area, but over all, very few pieces of art actually sold. I also participated in several smaller art venues, the One-day Character's Show in Hollywood hosted by Diana Levin (You Go, Girl!) in February; Women on Top, An All Female Artist Exhibition in Oxnard hosted by Patty Arellano in April; and Ladies Night, another all female art show in Oxnard run by Gloria Centurion in June.14.) So that's it. I'm a full-time artist now in Las Vegas. I was able to quit my stressful graphic design job. On the personal side, I got two certificates in kung fu at my school, Beijing Taichi and Kung fu Academy in Santa Monica before I left (had to test on a bunch of forms and fighting) -- a Certificate in Traditional Kung Fu and a Certificate in Traditional Weapons. My school does not issue black belts unless you win in a national tournament in an advanced division and I didn't compete. In Las Vegas, I joined a kung fu school recommended by my Los Angeles Sifu, the Sifu at the new school is a 32nd generation Shaolin Monk from China...how cool is that? After 2 months, I'm already a yellow sash and have learned 3 new forms."

Did I mention that Sandra was a force of nature?! Thank you Sandra, your an awesome inspiration.Onward and upward everyone!Greg

2012 will be year of the artist entrepreneur ______________

Arnie and Cathy Fenner, the organizers of Spectrum Fantastic Art Live to be held in Kansas City this May sent me this email "Looks like we are all ahead of the curve on what we're doing." I am presenting an Artist As Brand workshop in conjunction with the event.They connected me to this article by Michael Wolf about artists taking control of their prosperity:While 2011 was a big year for political unrest, another uprising was afoot in the world of content creators and artists. Everywhere you look, artists are taking more control over their own economic well being, in large part because the Internet has enabled them to do so. You see it in all forms of content, from books, to video to music.A few examples from this year:e-books: Probably the most active area in large part because there is huge shifts taking place in digital publishing. From former mid-list writers like Barry Eisler to superstars like JK Rowling, writers are increasingly making waves in digital publishing.Video: The story of the year for artists-as-entrepreneur came at the tail-end, with Louis CK saying no thank you to corporate middlemen and putting his new concert video online for $5 a pop.Radio/Music: All sorts of independent entrepreneurs are putting audio entertainment online, from the rise of podcast kings like Leo Laporte to a huge number of independents like Adam Carolla and Marc Maron. Music artists are being given freedom too, through new platforms to create and share their music like Soundcloud.So what is driving this movement towards the artist-entrepreneur that will give it huge momentum in 2012?More...

I love people whose passion is to inspire and empower others. This is one of the reasons I enjoy bringing special guests to my workshops! There is such a wealth of knowledge to be gained.As a writer, private art-career coach, and entrepreneur who grew up in a family of artists, Ariane Goodwin, Ed.D., has learned that it is possible for an artist’s creative right-brain, and career-strategy left-brain, to become smooth-as-silk dancing partners. Ariane considers herself an artist’s ally, especially when artists understand that presenting artwork with confidence and credibility is as basic as good art supplies. Ariane uses the knowledge from her doctorate in Human Development and Creative Behavior to create a wide range of art-career materials, and events, to help visual fine artists catapult their careers to the next level. Besides authoring, "Writing the Artist Statement: Revealing the True Spirit of Your Work"– she is also the founder and host for a professional development conference for visual artists— the smARTist Telesummit.Greg: Tell me why you love what you do?Ariane: Here’s what I deeply believe: What artist do for our collective society is essential to our humanity. Many studies show us that wherever the arts are thriving, the entire local economy around those arts is also thriving. This reality has to fight tooth and nail against the multiple myths of the starving artist. The outsider. The rebel. And even though these myths have sprung out of Zeus’s head of truth, it is not the whole story – or even a major portion of the story. Changing this collective perception begins at home, with the artists. My work is about all the ways I can support visual artists to do this by successfully putting their work into the world.

Josephine A. Gieger- Middleton Courthouse Majestic Oak- smARTistTelesummit Alumni

G: I love that! How would you define artist empowerment?A: Empowerment is a state of being activated by every decision and choice we make. As we make our choices, if we pay attention to the small, quiet flame of life energy in our hearts,  we can easily feel, or see, when a choice is increasing that flame of life energy, or decreasing it. That’s where our true power lies.Empowerment is an inside -> out reality.  A big mistake in our current culture is the way making money – an outside -> in phenomenon – has become the benchmark for how we value ourselves and what we create. Money is an essential element that supports us best when it’s in harmony with the rest of our life. However, when money flow runs the show, it steals our ability to be self-empowered and blinds us to the creative power that is the elemental wellspring of all empowerment.G: I agree with you completely. Living from the inside out is the foundation of empowerment. Prosperity flows from that place too. Tell me about your book, Writing The Artist Statement, Revealing the True Spirit of Your Work .A: An artist statement is a first person account of what, how, and why you do what you do, from the artist’s perspective. The secret lies in how an artist statement builds a psychological bridge between the artist and the audience. An effective statement creates a personal connection to the artwork and stimulates our human thirst for story. This in turn triggers longer memory storage about the artist by immersing the viewer in two languages: visual and linguistic.For people who see your work, a well-written statement keeps your name in front of them even longer. Name recognition, or branding, as it’s know in business-speak, is nothing more than remembering -- out of a virtual storm of cultural stimulation -- what has struck a deep chord within us. Another secret is that the artist statement is not just for art patrons and gallery owners. It is also for the artist. Writing an artist statement gives artists another way to reflect on their work. When you dare to climb this small, professional Mr. Everest, a surprising view of your own work awaits you at the top.

Tricia Simmons- Silver Pod with Australian Boulder Opal- smARTistTelesummit Alumni

G: Speaking your truth this way sounds like a perfect fit with living from the inside out! I am curious about the smARTist Telesummit this January 26/27 with MasterMind Panels and January 30 – Feb 3 with 10 Keynote speakers. Tell me more.A: Seven years ago, when I trolled the Internet, I searched in vain for a professional development conference for visual artists. I couldn’t even find the term “art career” connected to the key words: visual fine artist. Oh sure, I could find it in the “How to Have An Art Career Illustrating Children’s Books” categories, but not in the fine art arena. That took me by surprise in the same way I was taken by surprise years earlier when I discovered that artists thought artist statements were a worse fate than having a root canal. In fact, until the first conference (for that’s really what smARTist is: a virtual conference), you simply could not find anyone talking to visual artists about a “career.” About a business, yes. About how to market, yes.  But a “career?” It just hadn’t evolved to that point in our collective consciousness — yet.My opening remarks at that first conference, January 2007, was all about the need for artists to embrace what they did at the level of a career because that was the key for turning around the starving artist myth. It was the key to shifting our cultural, collective awareness of who artists really are! In 2007, “telesummit” was part of a new, online vocabulary designed to create a clear distinction between events in our non-virtual world and our ever-expanding, transforming online world. Today, the word “telesummit” has morphed way beyond the concept of a brick and mortar conference. But the event of smARTist is still that: the equivalent of an offline, professional development conference for visual fine artists and artisans.I tell all my keynote speakers, “Give all the deserving artists, who come year after year, the best material you have in you! After all, they shower our collective humanity with the magic and power of their creative flow, and deserve nothing less.”

Judith Gleason Glover- Hollyhocks- smARTistTelesummit Alumni

G: Bravo! How do you feel the Telesummit differs from what participants may learn in college, or other art institution?A: First off, college and art institutions have, for the most part, completely neglected any preparation for the reality that an artist is simultaneously an entrepreneur, a business person. Even if an artist manages to find someone to take on that role for them, they are their brand. They are inextricably tied to their art even after they’ve produced it. In many ways, college and art institutions have fostered the myth that an artist shouldn’t “soil their hands” with the dirty business of business. It’s a hierarchy of myths slapping each other on the back: that somehow business is a lower order of human experience/expression than art. The result is that many artists have become handicapped because of a mindset, a perception, which, as far as I’m concerned, is as easily shifted as one shifts a camera’s focus from a mossy stone to that soaring eagle.At the smARTist Telesummit, we aim to expand an artist’s creative experience from the studio to the artwork’s journey into the world. There is no reason for any artist to stop respecting the vision and gift of their creativity because the artwork has been produced. In fact, ushering your artwork into the world is a vulnerable and tender act of continued commitment and care. I liken it to having a baby and not leaving it in a basket on someone else’s porch.Each year, this professional development, online conference has a new focus. This year its about learning how to connect with collectors and communicate with confidence so you get more sales.With a doctorate in Creative Behavior and Human Development, I hold a strong belief that we learn best when it’s combination of practical art-career information (with 10 leading art career authorities speaking to you over 7 days you get a lot of “practical”), and raising our inner awareness (which, this year, centers on how to define and establish your value as an artist).

Barb Beckman- Angular Reflections- smARTistTelesummit Alumni

G: It has been my experience teaching at colleges that the business of art is neglected. Most higher education teach art making skill sets with an eye on preparing artists for the gallery world, or  publishing  and entertainment industries. What would be your suggestions for artists graduating with this mind set and do you feel its sustainable?A: There’s always room for multiple ways to be successful. Publishing, galleries, and the entertainment industries are all viable options. However, there are even more options. However, an artist’s survival depends on multiple ways to create cash flow, which is another reason the conference is so critical because it introduces artists to new ways to create income with their art.G: I read that one of your participants came up with an idea for a TV show focused on 'Plein Air Painting' where he could combine his passion for painting with travel. Within a few months he had negotiated an agreement with a television network. Those kinds of stories are a testament to the inspiration your conference brings to artists. Can you share another promotional strategy that has helped artists?A: I could pull out specific strategies, only after five conferences over five years, 46 speakers, and 62 topics, it would be like offering you one grain of sand instead of the whole, crystal white beach.What seems much more valuable to me is the huge shift that happens in an artist’s mindset. Because the conference offers such a wide expanse of ongoing, information (especially about how artists can best interface with the New World online), and 7 days of lively connection and exchange with fellow artists (the forum is a goldmine of stories, shared resources, priceless feedback, brainstorming – artists all a buzz with each other about what they are learning and how they are going to apply it to their art careers-right now!)--an artist’s entire career can catapult forward.You can see why I’m juiced to get up every morning to do this – spend 10-hr days for months at a time preparing for one event—because I hear back from artists about how it transforms their entire vision of what’s possible for their art careers.

Laura Muir- My Garden Next Year- smARTistTelesummit Alumni

G: Sounds like a treasure trove of inspiration and ideas for artists to build from. Thank you Ariane, for your artful wisdom and information concerning the smARTist Telesummit. Artists can save $60 right now on registration until this Friday, Jan 6th. Read testimonials here.

Look at the palms of your hands and recall what you accomplished with them in 2011. At the end of every year I look back at my life to review what I learned, what goals I attained, who I helped, and how I could have made more of a difference. The lines in my palms connect to the lines in yours reminding me we are all in this together, hand in hand on our journey of love, life, art, spirit.

I place my palms together and bow to the compass of your heart. May it guide your creativity, and prosperity in 2012.

Peace

Greg

Grow a voice

Art by Roxana Villa

I am huge fan of out of the box solutions for selling art and promoting it. One of my suggestions 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!” she exclaimed in an interview with American Craft Magazine. “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 he does will be great. But he can ask people to invest in the value of what he does.” 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. 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.PeaceGreg

Alfred Paredes

Alfred Paredes took my Artist As Brand class at Laguna College of Art and Design in the Spring of 2010. He is a very talented sculptor who graduated from LCAD but was disappointed with his career at the time. Alfred loves classical and fantastical sculpture and wanted to know how to work both markets. He really applied what was learned in the course and is reaping the benefits. You can see his work here-alfredparedes.comapsculpturestudio.comHe just sent a note that touched me deeply.Greg, I want to thank you for inspiring me to follow my dreams and believe in my work. This year has been the best year I've had (financially and exposure-wise). My work is gaining a reputation for quality and originality and I'm selling more and more. I may still take on work for other people, but it's on my terms and part of my business plan. Plus I get to take the projects I want to work on and say no to projects I don't want to work on. That's a great position to be in from my perspective.Despite having started a family, I'm still creating a lot of work and getting myself out there as much as I can. The website has been a great success in getting my name out there. I've even had some celebrity clients. I'm currently working on a 9 foot tall monument for the city of Arcadia (currently in the design phase). It'll be my small mark on the history of sculpture, as that bronze statue will out live many generations to come.Keep spreading the word and doing what you do. I've been recommending your workshop and speaking highly of it whenever I get the opportunity.I hope you've had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that the rest of your holiday season is filled with creativity and love.Cheers!! Your friend,AlfredThis is the kind of empowerment and success I want all artists to experience.  It is why I created Artist As Brand.To your success,Greg

© 2011 Greg Spalenka and Artist As Brand ®

"The Artist As Brand Workbook is an easy read and jam packed with all kinds of resources. It's great to keep looking back to."-Miranda Sharp, Student, Kendall College of Art & Design, Michigan"I received a map and tools—where to go and what to do when I got there. And confidence, that I CAN be an entrepreneur with my own art and not have to rely on other people giving me work."-Gina Terzino, Artist, Los Angeles"You have finally put it all in perspective. I understand how to make my unique voice heard. I see the power and goodness of where my heart is telling me to go. I can finally stop waiting and dive into a new blue sea."-Kari Christensen, Professional Illustrator, New York

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THE ARTIST AS BRAND WORKSHOP IN A BOOK

You can now own the official PDF (digital) textbook participants use while taking the Artist As Brand Workshop. It is for serious creative individuals, students and professionals who want to manifest prosperity from their art, on their own terms. You will learn about the history behind Artist As Brand as well as it's synergistic principles. It has live links throughout that can be utilized while reading through the material.What's included?

DECLARE YOUR PURPOSE

• 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 this core purpose aligns your heart with your art in a profound manner.• Design a Vision Board. Learn how to target the exclusive niche markets that will make up your one of kind art empire.

PLAN YOUR BRAND

• Design your art and project/product line.

We look at artists who are successful in this area, and new approaches to making income from your art. Define what art and projects/products can manifest from your Vision Board.

• Create an innovative marketing blueprint that integrates high tech and high touch medias. These are two very different but synergistic marketing models. You learn how to best utilize these promotional mediums.• The simple yet powerful art of business and commerce. Are you an art hobbyist or an art professional? If you are selling art you are a business, start acting like one.• Connect with artist entrepreneur leaders. Creating community and hooking up with those who are successful will keep you inspired and in the company of great people.• Your Name, Tagline, and art of the Blurb. The name of your business, and how you represent it is a reflection of your professionalism whether it is online or in person. 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.

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.• Recognize the potential in 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.Read the book, do the work, take the steps even if they are little ones, and you will reap the rewards. Dive into the Artist As Brand Workbook and begin to see your art career in a new and unique light.

$49.95

"Greg, I wanted to thank you for giving us the tools to really go forward with our art businesses.- Diana Levin, Artist, Los AngelesI gained perspective on my future and myself. There is a world of possibilities for artists."-Tannie Duong, Student, San Francisco Academy of Art"I finished the Artist As Brand Workbook and really liked it. It has everything an artist needs to know to get started."-Mariana Benkovic Zeljko, Artist, Croatia

*All sales of the Artist As Brand® Workbook are final and there are no refunds.

Ideas flow through me like water. They can be drips, streams or rivers but they are always moving through my mind and spirit. If not for meditation I do not know how I would sleep at night! Of course even a great idea is just an idea until you make it real so the challenge becomes the art of the start.Jerry Gretzinger's idea started with the drawing of a small map. Watch this video on how a simple idea continued to grow into new possibilities. He sells mainly on Ebay and has an interesting approach to expanding his collector base-"A word on my pricing of the prints and originals: when posting a panel for the first time I put it out at 120% of the average price paid to date for that type of panel. If it hasn't sold after 30 days I mark it down 20%. I keep doing that every 30 days until it is sold. I want you all to become collectors, and I want The Map to be affordable for everyone. I will let the market set the price."May your ideas extend outward and create new territories in art and life.PeaceGreg

Sign Up deadline is May 6th.

Spectrum Fantastic Art Live! and Artist As Brand are aligning to bring creative empowerment and prosperity to artists in Kansas City, May, 2012.

Spectrum Fantastic Art Live! is a natural extension of the eighteen-year success of the award-winning Spectrum: The Best In Contemporary Fantastic Art annual.The Spectrum book has come to symbolize the vibrancy, diversity, and overall excellence of this international art community. Spectrum Fantastic Art Live! is an art fair in which creators will be able to sell originals and prints while promoting their work to patrons, collectors, and potential clients. Whereas the ubiquitous comic con focuses on all facets of popular art culture, Spectrum Fantastic Art Live! focuses on the artist and their sales.

This focus makes it a perfect fit with Artist As Brand! I will be presenting a workshop three days before the event. It is open to all serious artists, students and professionals. Learn the secrets of connecting the power of your essence with your art, to your collectors, and see how these principles can be applied at an event like Spectrum Live.

All participants will receive free access to all three days of Spectrum Fantastic Art Live. The workshop is held at the Historic Aladdin Holiday Inn Hotel, just blocks from the convention center.

Learn more about the workshop on theABOUT page.Read the REGISTER page before signing up.See what art professors, professionals, and college students are saying on the RESULTS page.

Register Here

Kendall Students

I presented an Artist As Brand workshop at Kendall College of Art and Design this past weekend and wow, these students were on fire! They were already formulating ideas for a multimedia community art event to be held at the school next year. I was impressed with the strong independent art spirits in this group. Go Kendall!The amazing life coach Greg Montana was Skyped into our session pumping up the group. Twenty eight students, alumni and faculty stuck it out for the three ten hour days. You could feel the love! See more pics here.

Artist As Brand was a complete success!!! 3 day illustration boot camp, followed by a lovely dinner with the amazing illustrator that created it!... I have had the best weekend ever!! I mean ever!!.... priceless.-Amanda Schaub

I am going for what I want in life. I'm getting my mind, body, and soul together and failure is a foreign word now.-La'kenya Shauray TerrellI can't thank Greg enough for sharing his wealth of knowledge and more importantly, touching my heart. -Kirbi FaganSweet! I will be back next year.Thank you also to Christine Brown, Nancy Hart, and Jon Mcdonald for introducing me to such an awesome school.PeaceGreg

Interested in worldwide exposure? Here is one way to do it. The Sketchbook Project encourages artists to create singular sketchbooks, which are then exhibited in locations around the world. In the words of the Sketchbook Project team, “It’s like a concert tour, but with sketchbooks.”

Create an event that will spark other people's creativity.  Manifesting a team of like minded individuals can start with as little as two artists. In this instance it involves hundreds. If you can produce a concept that it timeless and timely it can become the spark for something much larger than yourself.

To your empowerment,

Greg

Create a video of your art process and pull people in with your magic. Choose your background music wisely! In this case you might want to turn your volume down.

I have been talking about the magic Five Years ever since it took me as much time to really lock in my illustration career. It can happen sooner, but the five year mark generally holds true. Check out this post on Muddy Colors where Chris Moeller talks about the five year mark. He is talking generally about the industry of illustration but the principle of how long it takes is the same with building your independent art empire outside of industry.

My students create a five year marketing blueprint in the AAB workshop. This way you begin to shape your career long term instead of leaving it up to fate.

Peace

Greg

REGISTRATION CLOSED

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!

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

Creating a website can be done many ways. I recommend using Wordpress however there are other options that can give you more power and flexibility in designing what you want to see. HTML is one of those ways. It can appear daunting and feel like learning another language, but never fear, here is a great website for HTML beginners with easy tutorials and its free! It's called, Don't Fear the Internet. Check it out to gain at least a rudimentary understanding of how this  internet code works.