Raise your arm if you love self promotion!I don't see many hands. When I was illustrating full time aspiring illustrators would always ask me how I promoted my work. In the 80's it was generally through source books like American Showcase (now gone), The Workbook, and juried annuals like the Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, American Illustration. They were really the only promotion available except for direct mailing of postcards and other material. During the 90's the internet kicked in and the website opened the new doors of high tech marketing. The last decade the digital world has kicked into high gear with all sorts of social media from Blogs to Twitter to Facebook.When I talk about promotion now we are looking at a hybrid. I call it High Tech/High Touch marketing. They work hand in hand creating a synergy.Much or your promotion these days will come from your own volition. The source books, juried showcases, and community websites are all valid exposure (any promotion is good promotion) however meeting your fans firsthand will take it all to another level. This is happening across the arts spectrum whether it be with musicians, actors, dancers, writers, artists, talented individuals are reaching out to the public and creating their niches. How you reach out can be a way of making a unique promotional splash!Check out this article by Carolyn Kellogg, Book Tour? More like a Safari about a Texas-based couple who celebrated the simultaneous release of their debut books this fall by jumping in their car for an 8,500-mile, 27-day, do-it-yourself tour.Now that's the spirit!Moving out of your promotional comfort zone may be a challenge for some, but pushing the possibilities of advertising can be fun too. Simply approach it with the same creativity you bring to making your art. Who has some cool out of the box ad stories to share? I will talk about unconventional promotional strategies in the coming weeks.To the new box,Greg
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 skillBRAND[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. 1.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. 2.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 Spalenka1. Wikipedia.org2. The Branding of America, By Ronald Hambleton
Understanding the history behind life styles, and economic models we grew up with, can help us create new ones. Award-winning writer, documentary filmmaker and scholar Douglas Rushkoff explains how the history of the corporation has colored the way we approach commerce, and how its up to us to create a new economy based on the value of what we can bring as individuals to the world. Watch his nine minute film and you will see your potential in a whole new light.To Peace and potential!Greg
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. 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 that our skill set can fill, right?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 Path to success is no longer labeled in the Los Angeles Times on how musicians and bands are shifting their marketing principles. Innovation and re-invention are key components I stress in the Artist As Brand workshops to create your own economy.PeaceGreg
The Quito Gang, 2009
When Eduardo Villacis, professor/illustrator asked me to present a workshop last year at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador little did I know that Artist As Brand™ which was brewing inside my head for many years would manifest as flame in my heart too. I am committed to empowering truth in us all through art, education and introspection. When Artist As Brand™ struck such a deep chord with the students in Ecuador it became clear to me this concept of artist entrepreneurialism was meant to be shared. I am amazed at how quickly wings have grown around this idea as it journeys to other locals . Laguna Beach, Salt Lake & Bountiful UT, Los Angeles venues are lining up.Its exciting to see the enthusiasm in peoples eyes when I mention the ability to connect their heart with their art and their income on their own terms. I'm inspired to shift our perceptions of the ubiquitous corporate model into a new view of possibility. Yes, to paradigms that are good for the heart, mind, spirit, and business too!Stay tuned for the first Artist As Brand™ giveaway! Win a free workshop.PeaceGreg Spalenka