Your Blog is part of your Social Media kit. If it is not by now, then get started. Facebook and Twitter and any of the other social media platforms are there to support your platform which includes your blog and website.If you are still feeling a little unsure about how to start your blog with a bang go HEREto learn more.  

 I plan to start showcasing more artists who really have their social media together. Your High Tech promotion is vital for a thriving art business. Social media platforms are always changing, hence everyone who relies on Facebook for instance may have a rude awakening when they have put all there energies into promoting themselves there and it goes belly up.

Prioritize your online presence with a website that authentically represents your vision.

Your website is your home. Entice people to stop in, and help them get so comfortable they do not want to leave.Mammoth & Companyhas designed their website intelligently. It looks stellar and has all the e-commerce and social media principles working together seamlessly. Check it out. They are using Shopify as the design platform.

The well known street artist, Bansky set up a booth in central park and sold pieces of art for $60.00 each. People did not know it was the famous artist's work, but some bought the art anyway, and now own art investments worth thousands of dollars. Ultimately this was great promotion for Bansky (which he a master of), and it made a fun comment on the art world, but more importantly he also made $420 in one day, with a stripped down booth and an elderly man who sat out front doing absolutely nothing.What I love most about this piece of theater is that it affirms what artists in SOHO, NYC have told me before– you can make a living selling your art on the street. The artists I spoke with made between $250-$500 a day with a booth on the street. That is pretty good money folks. Add it up. If you make an average $400 a day and sell five days a week that is $2000, or $8000 a month. Not bad.Thank you, Bansky for reminding all artists that street art can make for a very profitable business.Go here for more-Three older AAB posts about selling art on the street- Taking it to the streets. Artist As Brand Grassroots. Artist As Brand Grassroots Part 2. 

Launching any project can take a lot of time and effort, and that is not including the promotion. There are many factors that go into advertising the premier of a product that may have taken a year or more to birth. Business strategist Tara Gentile has some great advice about preparing for a launch and the psychology of your patrons.She says, "Many of my clients come calling because they’ve had the scare of a launch that didn’t preform to their expectations. It’s not because their plans were bad. Nor was it that the product design was subpar. It might not even be that the messaging or positioning was off.Often, it’s because the wham-bam-thank-ya-ma’am style launch that everyone from that super successful life coach to the latest iPhone wonder app developers make look highly effective is actually the wrong choice for most new products or programs.That blitzkrieg-style launch is actually the final iteration of careful planning, testing, and incremental sales cycles.Why is this important?Sure, planning and testing is always a good idea. But really, the reason the initial stages of introducing a new product, program, or service to the public is that there are 3 kinds of good customers and you need to sell to each differently.Moreover, you must sell to each in their own way in the right order. More...

I have mentioned Kickstarter before but it is nice to see it can be consistent for artists and even their fans. It appears a fan of Amanda Palmer (Palmer's last Kickstarter garnered over $1,000,000.00) has decided to create a tarot deck around her and has pulled in as of this post $45,000. There is still two weeks left in this campaign. That is a nice chunk of change to start any project. Here.If you are complaining that you do not have enough cash to start anything then crowd funding is one way to infuse your business with capital without going to the banking industry or using credit cards. Even if the first attempt does not live up to its expectations you have started the momentum and can do another one with more knowledge about what to do better next time. So rev up those crowd funding engines and let the world know you have something worth investing in.By the way, if you have not seen the TED talk Palmer gave a little while ago, it is a MUST SEE. Here.

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.

The tagline for publicity expert Joan Stewart's website, The Publicity Hound is Tips, Tricks & Tools for Free Publicity. Personally I would use the tagline, The Science of Free Publicity because much of the promotional research and knowledge that Joan garners and shares is time tested and always pushing the envelope of possibility.http://publicityhound.com/Joan is a master at online visibility and print and broadcast publicity.She has written more than 1,000 blog posts and articles, offers hundreds of learning tools, and lots of free advice on how to tell your story to the world. Her popular ezine, "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," is a treasure trove of tips for free publicity. I highly recommend signing up for this free advice at the end of the article.Joan was gracious enough in her busy schedule to answer some questions about publicity for the artist entrepreneur. Greg: What is the best social media for artists right now?Joan: Google+ is the best social site for ANYONE. That's because it is now part of Google's algorithm that determines where Google ranks your website when someone types keyword phrases into the search engines. As soon as I started using Google+, I started ranking high on Google for my keyword phrases. It can be confusing, but stick with it. The payoff is huge!

Get onto Google+ today and start sharing information that includes the keywords and keyword phrases you want to rank high for.

Pinterest is second best, because it is visual. Also, I see so many artists who are paranoid about having their works appear online for fear that another artist will steal the idea. This is nonsense. I'm betting that most of your competitors are online, displaying their works and linking back to their websites.G: Google + will energize your search engine rankings but artists must get their work online for that to happen. I'm always stressing the importance of of getting the artwork in the public eye. What makes a great personal website and blog?J: Explaining who you are, what you do and why visitors should stay---all within about 10 seconds. If your site doesn't communicate that, visitors will leave. I see so few artists capturing email addresses at their websites. This is a mistake. There's gold in those email lists! To get an email addresses, promise something of value to the visitor.Easy navigation.Calls to action on every page so people do exactly what you want them to do.Also, artists, do NOT use white type on a black background. This is too hard on the eyes.G: Getting people to talk about you is the best promotion ever. Any thoughts?J: Say something that's either helpful or interesting. If you have a contrarian viewpoint on a controversial topic, say so. Offer tips advice and helpful information---yours and others---that will help visitors.G: What would be some online and offline strategies to finding a target audience?

First, identify the target market.

Too few people bother to do this. Once you have defined the target market, look for them in LinkedIn Groups, in Google+ circles, on Twitter lists, in Facebook Groups, and on Pinterest.G: You are the queen when it comes to the art of the press release. Is promoting through traditional median outlets like newspapers and magazines still a vital form of marketing?Yes, of course, if your target market reads those newspapers and magazines. Since the question deals with press releases, it important to add that you don't get major publicity through press releases. You get them through a customized pitch to each media outlet on your targeted list. I have an entire category at my blog on the topic of pitching at http://publicityhound.com/blog/keyword/pitching. I also offer a free email course on how to write and distribute press releases. More than 6,000 people have taken it. Find it at http://publicityhound.com/prwriting

Most people use press releases incorrectly.

That is, they use them to get major media publicity. Truth is, the media hate press releases. You need a customized pitch so that each blogger or reporter who you pitch think, "This is PERFECT for my audience!" You can't do that with a one-size-fits-all press release.You can, however, reach consumers directly via online press releases. That's the real value. Make sure they include keywords in the headline, first paragraph and throughout the release. Also make sure you use a few links and a call to action, telling readers exactly what you want them to do. My press release writing course explains all this.G: Plus you have great suggestions on how to follow up on those pitches. I was so impressed with the work you are doing  I decided to become one of your affiliates. Tell us a little bit about affiliate programs and how it may benefit artists.J: Affiliate programs pay an artist for promoting someone else's products and services. For example, let's say the artist paints animal portraits. The artist should look for affiliate programs for companies that sell thinks like dog beds and dog strollers. You join their affiliate program and they will give you a link that your unique ID code within it. The best way to promote their products and services is through enthusiastic first-person endorsements. Or even reviews. When someone clicks on that link and buys, you earn a commission. When sharing an affiliate link, let your readers know that you are a compensated affiliate.G: What about creating an affiliate program around our own products?J: If you have a lot of products, to do it right, you need a program that has an affiliate module and automatically calculates sales, commissions and payouts. I have a lot of products and I use-1Shoppingart.com which has an affiliate module. I am their affiliate, by the way, and if you want to take a free test drive and watch their tutorials, you can use this affiliate link: Marketers Choice. If you buy, I get a commission.That's a high-quality shopping cart but most artists probably don't need that.There are many other option. E-Junkie performs very well. By the way, I am also an affiliate for them. Click on this link to take a look: e-junkie.comG: That was great! An affiliate model is one that artists could really benefit from. Any last pearls of wisdom?J: Yes. If you like these tips, you can get more of them, for free, every Tuesday and Saturday by subscribing to my ezine, "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week." It focuses on free for very inexpensive tools you can use to self-promote. Subscribe in the box at The Publicity HoundConnect with me on Google+ HEREFollow me on Twitter at TwitterRead my weekly tips on my Facebook page HEREExcellent! Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us, Joan! You are an inspiration.

Pablo Picasso 1962 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Someone visited Picasso's studio, stood in front of a painting for several minutes and asked, “What does it represent?” Picasso replied without hesitation, “Two hundred thousand dollars.”Do artists sell their artistic souls when they consider not just the aesthetic value of their work, but its monetary value? Of course not, but read an interesting conversation with Sue Hostetler, Editor in Chief of Art Basel Miami Beach Magazine. The interviewer, Allen Adamson still focuses on the old paradigm of branding from the outside- in, but some of the commentary is surprising considering it has some Artist As Brand overlaps. Here...

Spectrum Fantastic Art Live was a beautiful and inspiring venue. Arnie and Cathy Fenner along with their talented and devoted crew pulled together another stellar event that celebrates fantasy artists. My Artist As Brand Workshop was held at TAD (The Art Department). Here you see part of my booth setup with Roxana. More pics to come.

 See an Artist As Brand master in action at the ARTISAN FRAGRANCE SALON and Chocolate show this Sunday, May 5th in Seattle!Roxana Villa of Roxana Illuminated Perfume will be showcasing her botanical essences and speaking at the event too. She sells her products to all fifty states and over seventy countries. See how beautiful a traveling booth can look. I will be there too. Stop on by!You must purchase tickets online before the event at the ARTISAN FRAGRANCE SALON website. There are no onsite sales of tickets.

FOR DEVIANT ART MEMBERS, ETSY SELLERS, AND STUDENTS

NORMAL REGISTRATION $495

Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 2 and I are bringing the workshop that has been called "phenomenal, and life transforming" back to Kansas City. Learn the secrets of connecting the power of your art to your collectors, and see how these principles can be applied at an event like Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 2. It is an amazing opportunity.

All participants will receive a free pass 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 the ABOUT page. Read the FAQs page before signing up. See what art professors, professionals, and college students are saying on the RESULTS page.Want to take the workshop but need more time to pay for it? Take up to six months to pay (no payments, no fees, no interest for up to six months) with PayPal’s, Bill Me Later financing option. Details on the PayPal site when you purchase.

$395 for Etsy Sellers, Deviant Art Members, and students

$495 for all others“The Artist As Brand workshop has revolutionized the way I look at everything about my work and its relationship to my overall level of fulfillment. I am certain that the Artist As Brand experience will mark a pivotal point in my career. Thank you Greg, for your hard work, innovation, and inspiration in the creation of something so significant."-Ben Soward, Illustrator, Professor at Southern Utah University, "Your workshop was amazing! Every hour was packed with useful information--I feel like I learned a year's worth of material in only three days. You'd think that having that much info crammed into my head in such a short period of time would be exhausting, but instead I feel re-energized. I've been so focused on trying to find an art job that I'd almost forgotten what it was like to paint something that I felt passionate about. Your workshop showed me that making a living and living my dream could co-exist after all. Thank you, a million times!"-Alyssa Parsons, Student at Kendall College of Art and Design“We received a map and tools—where to go and what to do when we got there. And confidence, that we CAN be entrepreneurs with our own art and not have to rely on other people giving us work. If you are an artist and feel a pull to be making a living doing what you love by your art, TAKE THIS CLASS. No, seriously sign up, and TAKE THIS CLASS. NOW."-Gina Terzino, Artist“Truly life changing and inspirational.”-Chad “Hero” Hardin, Illustrator, Comic Artist“I want to thank you for your dedication and hard work. You are amazing. I believe that small business ventures are essential to the health and wealth of our country. You have found a path through the forest of corporate trees and soon it will be a well traveled road.” -Shelley Masters, Artist, Muralist, Teacher"I really enjoyed my experience at Greg Spalenka’s Artist As Brand workshop last May (Spectrum Live). It gave me a lot of insight and really helped me to clarify where I come from as an artist and as a person. This is helping me more authentically shape my current choices and know that what I’m choosing is in alignment with my very essence! Nothing is more important to me.  Big thanks to Greg for guiding and supporting me in this process."-Tara Larson Chang, Artist, Founder TLC Workshops

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A pic from my patron Kelly Alton

Fans, patrons and collectors who truly love your art want to you to know they appreciate it beyond just purchasing it from you. They will send pictures of how they framed it or where they placed it in their home. Above is an example of a simple print that one of my collectors has framed, then took a pic and sent it to me.

How sweet is that!?

Of course some of you may think what is the big deal, it is just a framed poster on a wall. The big deal is that next time it could be a much more expensive piece that is hanging within this fan's home. To take the time to frame, take a pic and send it shows these people are proud of their relationship with you and your vision and are most likely sharing you with all of their friends too.

This is the bond that artists can expect when they connect with the people who love their art. It is a different paradigm when someone buys a piece of yours in a gallery for investment purposes. Generally you will not see that art again, nor will you know who the buyer is.

Nurture these relationships and they will nurture you in return.

I was invited to bring an Artist As Brand Workshop to Seattle through the TLC Workshops. Tara Larsen Chang, the founder of TLC invites stellar artists to inspire and instruct at the Arts Umbrella studio. Greg Manchess, Brom, Iain McCaig, etc. have been guest faculty and so I was honored to bring AAB to this venue.The day before my class, Julie Baroh of Krab Jab Studios invited me to a round robin discussion with Jon Schindehette, Creative Art Director for Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast as well as author of The ArtOrder blog and the iconic fantasy artist, Todd Lockwood to speak about the world of commercial art and its alternatives.The students for my class were an amazing group of artists consisting of a wide range of ages. A wonderful synergy developed between all of us and new alignments were created.

The class was small and cozy.

Todd Lockwood stood strong voicing his heart virtue! Much transformation took place and tears were shed as individuals realized their potential. I always feel blessed to share in this awakening of creative development. See more of the workshop here.

The day after the workshop ended I arranged a photo shoot with the amazing model Jessica Lough for imagery to accompany the new fragrance, Noir, by Roxana Illuminated Perfume. Jessica's partner Andre and Tara helped assist in the shoot. What a team! The art spirit is alive and well in Seattle!All photos by Tara Larsen Chang.

The art of doing what you love can translate into products that for this artist are hidden from view, but make a fun and unique statement all the same.

Your High Touch promotion is important for increasing your numbers of  fans and collectors. These are all the events you go to, to meet your people face to face. It creates a bond between you both. How you dress and carry yourself during these events reflects on you as a person, and an artist. At Comic Con for instance some artists dress up as characters and really play the part.Robert Suchan created a character he calls 'Aunt Barbara' to help sell Tupperware. He has been so successful selling his products with this persona that it draws a cult following, and last year made him $275,000 in sales – a Tupperware 'milestone.' You could say his art is his comedic flair that just happens to sell Tupperware. Bottom line is he is doing what he loves and reaping the benefits.More...

FOR DEVIANT ART MEMBERS, ETSY SELLERS, AND STUDENTS

GENERAL REGISTRATION $495

Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 2 and I are bringing the workshop that has been called "phenomenal, and life transforming" back to Kansas City. Learn the secrets of connecting the power of your art to your collectors, and see how these principles can be applied at an event like Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 2. It is an amazing opportunity.All participants will receive a free pass 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 the ABOUT page. Read the FAQs page before signing up. See what art professors, professionals, and college students are saying on the RESULTS page.

Register Below. Want to take the workshop but need more time to pay for it? Take up to six months to pay (no payments, no fees, no interest for up to six months) with PayPal’s, Bill Me Later financing option. Details on the PayPal site when you purchase.

$395 for Etsy Sellers, Deviant Art Members, and students

$495 for all othersThe Artist As Brand workshop has revolutionized the way I look at everything about my work and its relationship to my overall level of fulfillment. I am certain that the Artist As Brand experience will mark a pivotal point in my career. Thank you Greg, for your hard work, innovation, and inspiration in the creation of something so significant."-Ben Soward, Illustrator, Professor at Southern Utah University, "Your workshop was amazing! Every hour was packed with useful information--I feel like I learned a year's worth of material in only three days. You'd think that having that much info crammed into my head in such a short period of time would be exhausting, but instead I feel re-energized. I've been so focused on trying to find an art job that I'd almost forgotten what it was like to paint something that I felt passionate about. Your workshop showed me that making a living and living my dream could co-exist after all. Thank you, a million times!"-Alyssa Parsons, Student at Kendall College of Art and Design“We received a map and tools—where to go and what to do when we got there. And confidence, that we CAN be entrepreneurs with our own art and not have to rely on other people giving us work. If you are an artist and feel a pull to be making a living doing what you love by your art, TAKE THIS CLASS. No, seriously sign up, and TAKE THIS CLASS. NOW."-Gina Terzino, Artist“Truly life changing and inspirational.”-Chad “Hero” Hardin, Illustrator, Comic Artist“I want to thank you for your dedication and hard work. You are amazing. I believe that small business ventures are essential to the health and wealth of our country. You have found a path through the forest of corporate trees and soon it will be a well traveled road.” -Shelley Masters, Artist, Muralist, Teacher"I really enjoyed my experience at Greg Spalenka’s Artist As Brand workshop last May (Spectrum Live). It gave me a lot of insight and really helped me to clarify where I come from as an artist and as a person. This is helping me more authentically shape my current choices and know that what I’m choosing is in alignment with my very essence! Nothing is more important to me.  Big thanks to Greg for guiding and supporting me in this process."-Tara Larson Chang, Artist, Founder TLC Workshops"I've been a designer and illustrator for 30 years, picking up a lot of varied kinds of work that I've loved doing, from book illustration to art direction, creative direction, to video, plus the constant of music performance and writing. A fun list, but pulling in many directions. Greg Spalenka's "Artist As Brand" workshop (Spectrum Live) was very helpful in bringing me back to focusing my output on painting with new energy and heart. When I look back at the output and learning of the last several months, I see many pieces I've made that I value, many pieces I'm sure wouldn't be there without having taken the "Artist As Brand" workshop. I'm very grateful to Greg for the experience."- Paul Micich, Illustrator, Song Writer/Musician 

All art copyright Tara McPherson

Tara McPherson is a living, breathing, walking brand. She projects an authentic creativity and style that turns heads whether it is viewed in a gallery or via the fashions and tattoos that adorn her body. Driven, determined and greeting the world every day on her own terms, this is a woman who knows the power of living in the art spirit.I have been following her career for a decade now and when Fleske Publications asked me to write the introduction to Tara's chapter in the 2013 Spectrum Fantastic Art Live book (Tara is a guest at this years event) I felt it was about time she was featured on the blog. I know Tara mostly via the San Diego Comic Con where she has been a speaker on my Artist As Brand panel discussions. She may join us this year in Kansas City.

We have all seen the many versions of her trademark heart cut into the chest image (Hey, We All Die Sometimes, All Goodness Is In Jeopardy, The Weight Of Water, etc.). The image is about heartache but these women are nude content, passive, even happy. Her art conjures up some serious dialogue.

 Born in San Francisco and raised in Los Angeles, Tara did not start taking art seriously until enrolled as a student at Santa Monica Community College, where she experimented with various forms of printmaking. An interest in astronomy and astrophysics also sparked her interest initially, but the gravitational pull of art was stronger, and she ended up at the Art Center College of Design, earning a degree in illustration in 2001.

 Checking out the historic Jabber Jaw Cafe in L.A., she was turned on to a lot of metal bands and caught a glimpse of her first rock poster art. While playing bass with The New Detectives Tara was recruited to make fliers and promotional posters for their shows. Her beautiful silk-screened posters caught on, and soon she was being commissioned by bands such as the Melvins, Duran Duran, Green Day, Strokes, Kings of Leon, Mastodon, Torche, Beck and others. Elle magazine called Tara the “crown princess of poster art.”

Tara’s work has been showcased at the La Luz de Jesus Gallery in L.A. and published in art magazines such as Juxtapoz, but her popularity continues to grow into other areas. Showing at comic conventions, rock-poster art expos and pop-art culture venues, as well as fine-art galleries and institutions around the world, has increased her number of fans. Embracing an entrepreneurial approach introduces her art to new markets. I asked her when the entrepreneurial spirit sparked her imagination and she said it was when she worked at Banzai Anime in West LA. Bonzai Anime (not around any more) showcased art and toys from creators in Japan. She loved what she saw and decided that is what she wanted to do too!

Tara manufactures a wry sentiment with her editions of soft and hard sculptures as well as vinyl toys. “The Day’s Eye” collection of one one-eyed flowers, “Skull Flower” and “Mr. Wiggles” are whimsical and nostalgic. The materials are varied—including polyester, suede microfiber, bamboo fiber, polyfill, wire, real glass eyeballs, etc.—but the spirit is pure Tara.“Sweet” and “Creepy” are terms many use to describe her work, but this limits the breadth of her message. Tara speaks of the healing and understanding she hopes much of her imagery can bring to people. Art will resonate with those who are on the same wavelength of its intention and meaning.

 Advocating affordable art for all, Tara with Sean Leonard opened the Cotton Candy Machine art boutique in Brooklyn, N.Y., creating a venue that specializes in art prints, posters, apparel, books, toys and more by a variety of artists. It hosts monthly art shows, events and signings, and is the exclusive shipper of Tara’s merchandise. Talk about building an art empire!I asked her what percentages she felt she was making from her own personal art as opposed to the commercial work? "It fluctuates, but generally it is 75-85% personal work, 15-25% commercial work. I am happiest creating my own art, but it is hard to turn down a $10,000 advertising job."Tara represents the empowered artist entrepreneur. May success continue to shine on her journey. 

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 AAB workshop and workbook.

Here.

photo by @drsmoothdeath

This is a wonderful post from Miss Modish that I want to share with you for this New 2013. Enjoy..."I've been taking these past few days of 2013 to figure out what I really want for my life in the year ahead...And I've decided, I'm making no resolutions. I'm setting no goals.I'm focusing less on the things I want for my life, and more on how I want to FEEL.I'm focusing less on what I want to do up ahead, and more on who I want to BE.I'm tired of hoping for someday, and am ready to ACT on today.I think when we become so worried about which path to take and if it's the right one, how long it's going to be and "when are we going to get to the end already?", that we forget to look up at the trees, and the light shining down through them- we forget about the happiness that we have access to, here and now.We forget that there are signs pointing us in the right direction, and opportunities all around us, if we only look.We forget that it doesn't really matter which path we pick- as long as it's our choice, it will lead us to that sense of fulfillment we seek."More...

TLC stands for Tara Larsen Chang. I love the double meaning (Tender Loving Care) as it is so appropriate for her.

Tara is an illustrator and a lover of the art spirit who I met when she participated in my Artist As Brand Workshop in Kansas City during Spectrum Fantastic Art Live last May. I learned that she was passionate about Connecting, Creation and Authenticity. While manifesting an art career, she felt a strong desire to connect with other creators and was soon championing them with the TLC workshops that showcased artists skill sets and their techniques. To date she has featured Greg Manchess,Terese Nielson, Brom, Iain McCraig and Justin Gerard.I am next in March with an Artist As Brand Workshop.

I interviewed Tara to get more perspective on her art, her passion to share the art spirit with the world and her thoughts on the Artist As Brand Workshop.

Greg:  You are an illustrator that has focused mainly on children's media, stories and books. Tell me about this journey.

Tara: Some of my earliest memories are of images in picture books. I would stare at and study them for hours as a child. Especially illustrated fairy tales. I wanted to *live* in them. This love of narrative illustration, especially in children's literature, has remained with me my entire life. After a number of ill-fated attempts at other possible vocations, I ended up getting a degree in illustration and don't seem to be drawn to more 'grown up' art making.

© Tara Larsen Chang

What do you love most about the illustration business and what do you dislike about it?I love being able to create for a living. I love creating things in many forms, but there is something about producing images that get printed, seen and enjoyed by many that is very fulfilling. Especially if I feel I've successfully created a piece of a world that I would like to live in, like those I was drawn to as a child.Conversely I hugely dislike it when the creativity is severely limited in a given job. Some are so tightly art-directed that there is no leeway for personal vision, and I find those jobs really stifling and unsatisfying. They're 'work' in the least positive sense of the word. The illustration market is also shifting dramatically in publishing, and in children's books specifically. Work is seemingly harder to come-by for nearly every working children's illustrator I know. Not so fun.

© Tara Larsen Chang

Yes the industry has become more challenging. So are you able to make a living solely as an illustrator?Not in this genre. I've almost always augmented illustration with teaching or something more consistent.What inspired you to create the TLC workshops?There's not a lot of 'higher end' ongoing education or training readily available out there for already working artists, especially in the children's genre. I stumbled across Rebecca Guay's Illustration Master Class (www.illustrationmasterclass.com) the first year she ran it in 2008, and tentatively decided to go. The faculty were all top-tier fantasy illustrators (and I was the only children's illustrator in attendance), but I learned so much from them - it improved my craft, transformed by business and led to an incredible network of professional art friends. It was literally life changing, and such an incredible 'high'. I attended twice more, but hated that it was merely once a year, and clear across the country. The only apparent way to alleviate the withdrawals and frustration seemed to be to start something with the same caliber of people in my hometown. :-)

Tell me more about these hands on workshops and some of the artists you have invited to share their wisdom.The thing that impacted me most in my IMC experience was the one-on-one time spent with both faculty and students alike (so many of the student body are pretty incredible working professionals themselves). I wanted to recreate that aspect by inviting top-of-their-field faculty, and primarily professional students, with small enough classes that everyone gets individual attention and a chance to interact with each other. These workshops are aimed directly at working artists who want to up their game.And what better way to up your game then being able to spend a long, intimate weekend with the likes of Greg Manchess, Terese Nielsen, Brom, Iain McCaig, Justin Gerard, Dan Dos Santos, Jean-Baptiste Monge, and of course, *you*? (and this is just the tip of the planned iceberg. Just wait til you see the line-up for the next couple of years that is already in process!)

Any favorites of the bunch?How can one pick a favorite from this kind of group? I have favorite things about each of them - no one does more gorgeous thumbnails and comps than Greg Manchess, and boy, he can whip *yours* into shape in about two seconds flat. I don't think anyone on the planet does a more beautiful, idealized likeness than Terese Nielsen. Watching Brom paint is a delight. Iain McCaig's boundless energy and seemingly boundless talent and enthusiasm can probably power a small town for a month, and I could go on and on. These teachers are so spectacular - in talent, in experience, and especially in generosity of spirit.

Awesome! You recently took the Artist As Brand Workshop. What were some of the highlights for you?The most potent thing for me was being able to clarify my 'heart virtue'. It took some work getting there, but once I did, it was so obvious and spot on, and explained so much. Then being able to think about everything else you presented in the workshop through that lens was pretty transformative.Did it shift your thinking in regards to how you can make a living from your talent and if so what are you doing now that was different from before?Very much so.

My discovered heart virtue is "I am passionate about connection, creation and authenticity."

I finally understood why my experience of attending Spectrum Live directly after your workshop (like when I attended the IMC) was so euphoric. It was a weekend spent connecting with authentic creators - my personal Nirvana. This re-confirmed why hosting these workshops is so important to me, and so congruent with my core - I get to continually recreate these types of experiences for myself, and for others.It has also shifted how I think about the art I do. Since your workshop I have been exploring and making sure that the art I'm creating is something that I love and feel a connection to. It is an entirely different experience.Have you thought about your own products?Yes. This year the 'product' has primarily been workshops, but as I get the workshop thing down I hope to produce more heart-felt art, in whatever form I'm led to do that in.Have you brought any AAB principles into how you promote the TLC Workshops?Definitely! After your workshop, I did an overhaul of the website and expanded all the social networking. I keep thinking about your principles of 'added value' in all aspects of my workshop business, for both the faculty and the students attending. Optimally, I want it to be an incredibly positive and nurturing experience for all involved (I don't use "TLC" just because they are my initials. :-)I love hearing that. As you know students are not taught artist entrepreneurial skill sets in school. How important do you feel this information is for art career sustainability?They're probably the *most* important skills needed!

Artistic 'talent' will only get you so far if you don't know what to do with it, especially for the long haul.

It is unfortunate that so many of us spend years spinning our wheels for lack of direction, or only slowly learning from hit-and-miss experimentation. How fabulous to have a road map and seasoned experience to help guide you!Why should artists take the Artist As Brand workshop?So many reasons. It will help clarify why you make art, what kind you really want to be making and what to *do* with that in the most successful way possible. For me the most valuable reason was finding the connection between my inner essence and my outer artistic expression in both painting and in my business ventures. Months later, I'm still thinking about and applying various aspects of what we learned in your workshop as I push my professional life further than I ever have in the past.Any final pearls of wisdom?I am very excited for your students at TLCWorkshops. The class size is purposely small so that they can spend potentially life changing one-on-one time with you throughout the weekend. Their individual work combined with your personal insights on their specific situations is such a potent experience! One I wish every artist could have.Thank you Tara, for your passion, insight and loving art spirit. See you soon!Greg