Fear prevents us from living life to the fullest. Through her experience facing 100 fears, Michelle Poler learned how we deal with fear, the types of fears we face in life, and the process through which we are able to manage the anxieties and accomplish great things.Michelle Poler, originally from Caracas, Venezuela, is a graduate from the School of Visual Arts holding a master's degree in Branding. A few months ago, she quit her job as an Art Director to develop what started as a school project and turned into a life-changing experience.Michelle decided to face all of her fears for her project 100 Days Without Fear. She planned to become a braver person by the end of the 100 days, what she didn’t plan was to inspire millions along the way.

"Entrepreneur" is an incredibly powerful word. Many people, especially those for whom the corporate world is anathema, can't imagine being anything but an entrepreneur.Gates, Jobs,  Zuckerberg come to mind, with artists not so much, but James Jean, Mark Ryden, Jeff Soto are a few that might. We may compare ourselves  to these other people's success, but that does not really serve us. Be authentic, be YOU.Read more about authenticity in this article, Don't Try to Be the Next Steve Jobs. Instead, Be The Next You, by Jeff Hayden.

When it's time to shine, be the brightest! - Deshun Wang

When the Argentine-born, London-educated artist Amalia hinderance moved to Los Angeles in 2014, she spent weeks chronicling the experience on Instagram (@ hindrance). She posted photos of her shopping binges, her avocado toast and even her plastic surgery: a boob job, natch.None of it was real. It was a performance, part of a larger examination of the ways in which women depict themselves in public. “Excellences & Perfections,” as the series was called, astutely employed Instagram’s fascination for hyper-pretty perfection to tell a story about a quest for just such a thing (one that involved a truckload of L.A. clichés).Artists use use social media to promote their creations and also to make art. How it is used can be beneficial or a problem. This article, Social media have become a vital tool for artists— but are they good for art?by Carolina A. Miranda for the LA Times looks at its benefits and the challenges.

Moderated another Artist As Brand, Rise of the Artist Entrepreneur panel discussion at the San Diego Comic Con, with a stellar group of artists, and writers, (from l to r)- Todd Lockwood, Me, Vincenzo Ferriero, Aaron Horkey, Ray Chou, Jess Schnabel, Daniel Monster Davis. A big thank to everyone involved. Many pearls of art career wisdom were shared with a very grateful audience.

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Tara Gentile is a business coach offering training and support for idea-driven entrepreneurs. She presents a series of podcasts with Creative Live where they explore strategies that will help you profit from your passions. Sound familiar?Check out this session with Kathleen Shannon, co-founder of Braid Creative and co-host of the popular Being Boss Podcast. Kathleen transitioned her career from graphic design and art direction and an advertising agency to entrepreneurship and branding for creative entrepreneurs.You are your brand!

Thank you to Global Export Space for this inspiring video.

This post is two fold in that the concept of creating a job is more fulfilling than finding a job and using Facebook sponsored ads to get your message out can be a nice synergy.I am big fan of niche marketing and core audience participation. Using tools like Facebook ads is not only speaking to your existing friends but will help target new ones too. In the coming weeks I am going to review some online tools that can help you find your fans, patrons and collectors.Check out this post on 5 Tips for Success with Facebook Ads for now.

Website design and application are changing all the time. Take a look at these Shopify sites and see how you can approach your purpose and your brand with a new way of seeing. Check out the sites here.

“In our obsession with optimizing our creative routines and maximizing our productivity, we’ve forgotten how to be truly present in the gladdening mystery of life.” – Maria Popova

When was the last time someone you know, over the age of 18, complained about having too little to do? 

“Busy has a dangerous allure. If your normal is busy, it’s tough to sit quietly with your thoughts or to really feel what you’re feeling,” writes Dina Kaplan in “The Cult of Busy.”For instance, I have been so busy it has been difficult keeping up with these posts. Of course most of us are working harder than ever before to make a living. Keeping some balance is important to keeping our sanity. Here is a great article by Ryan Stevens Marketing that dives into some of the reasons why we are so busy these days and ways to keep it from burying us. 

Make work play. It is such a simple concept yet, difficult to comprehend in our competitively driven society. Yet this is how some businesses arrive at their success; through play.Two magician brothers Dan and Dave Buck started their online shop selling a small selection of advanced sleight-of-hand magic videotapes and then broke into designing luxury playing cards. They are a lifestyle brand and design firm, producing high quality products, apparel, and accessories for magicians, cardists, and anyone interested in our esoteric art form.Learn more about their stories here.

The new updated Artist As Brand Workbook is almost here!As the tech world changes and promotional models change along with it, professional artists must adjust and evolve. The original principles of the Artist As Brand path are powerful guides for planning your art career, and now they have been expanded. Every chapter has been revisited, updated and revised.Mentoring hundreds of students, professors and art professionals around the USA and in South America has given me a unique perspective on the modern day art market. I am a firm believer that an entrepreneurial approach is essential for art career sustainability.The new e-books are slated to be ready for delivery early 2016."This workbook sits on my bookshelf and is getting worn out because I am constantly referencing it. I have found it incredibly useful. There are some really good worksheets to help bring out the best ideas. The part that I particularly love, is detailed break downs of the five year plan. Yes, this is specifically targeted for Artists but I have discovered that as a business woman this book is also remarkable for guidelines for marketing and strategy of all kinds. Over all, the book is very well put together, easy to understand, and a blast to work with! I absolutely recommend it." - Heidi Paredes

Listening to our heart is an important part of any sustainable business passion. It is the science of our Heart/Mind connection that keeps us going and glowing. Jason Silva eloquently discusses our infinite potential as a form of existential jazz.

Shopify has some great forums on business practices. The following was a good one on adding an affiliate program to your shop. The goal behind an affiliate program is to reward those who promote you.Orlando Chavez inquires, "I want to start an affiliate program for my store. I would like to get some feedback from on how to run a good affiliate program and what apps do you guys recommend...."Check out the thread... 

Creating Prosperity Consciousness

I am a firm believer in balancing mind, body and spirit in love, art and life. Mind and body are generally first in line for attention, but it is the spirit– with its subtle, underlining influence that keeps us inspired. Spiritual principles can be a tricky subject with people especially if they are atheists, but I think we can all agree that there are universal laws, and intelligent energies in this reality even though we may not understand them completely.

Paramahansa Yogananda was a yogi from India who came to America in 1920 to open people's minds and hearts around the concept of a divine essence that is in everything, and how we can access this power for our well being and others. There is a well done film on him called, Awake. 

Here are some edited excerpts from one of his lectures about the superconscious mind and prosperity:

Abundance, material as well as spiritual, is a structural expression of rita, cosmic law or natural righteousness.... Every saint who has penetrated to the core of Reality has testified that a divine universal plan exists and that it is beautiful and full of joy. 

If you feel love for all the world’s inhabitants as for your own family, recognizing no inner difference between any of the outwardly different nationalities, then you are establishing a legitimate astral right to your share of earth’s capital.

Those who seek prosperity for themselves alone are in the end bound to become poor, or to suffer from mental inharmony; but those who consider the whole world as their home, and who really care and work for group or world prosperity, activate astral forces that lead them ultimately to the place where they can find the individual prosperity that is legitimately theirs. This is a sure and secret law.

Whether one prospers is not dependent solely upon one’s creative ability, but also upon his past actions, and on his present efforts to activate the astral law of cause and effect. If mankind as a whole behaved unselfishly, the power of that law would distribute prosperity equally to all men, without exception. Those who by potent good thoughts and actions rouse this astral power to create positive prosperity succeed wherever they go, whether they are in prosperous or poverty-stricken environments.

There is a way to overcome the unfavorable results of past actions. The causes of failure must be destroyed and a new cause for success set in motion. Contact the superconscious source of success and prosperity. The conscious mind alone cannot initiate a new cause that will bring positive success in any direction; but when the human mind attunes itself to God, in the state of superconsciousness, it can be sure of success; for the superconscious mind is in tune with this unlimited power.

Absolute success signifies the power to create at will what you need by developing your unlimited superconscious power.  Western brothers and sisters need to learn that the mind is greater than its inventions. 

...learn that money without health and peace is not success, and that peace and health without money for necessities do not make a complete or successful life. 

Exercise the manifesting power of affirmation. ...you must eradicate from your mind all thoughts of limitation and poverty. Universal Mind is perfect and knows no lack; to reach that never-failing supply, you must maintain a consciousness of abundance. Even when you do not know where the next dollar is coming from, you should refuse to be apprehensive. When you do your part and rely on Spirit, you will find that mysterious forces come to your aid and that your constructive wishes soon materialize. 

Affirmation: “I am always rich, for I have access to the Cosmic Storehouse. I will go forth in perfect faith, in the power of Omnipresent Good, to bring me what I need, at the time I need it.” 

It is always good to know in advance the dates for your Holiday Sale Opportunities. These are the important ones through the end of the year:

VETERANS DAY - November 11

THANKSGIVING DAY - November 26

***BLACK FRIDAY - November 27***

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY - November 28

***CYBER MONDAY - November 30***

HANUKKAH - December 7-14

WINTER SOLSTICE - December 22

CHRISTMAS DAY - December 25

BOXING DAY - December 26

KWANZAA - December 26-January 1

NEW YEAR'S EVE - December 31

NEW YEAR'S DAY - January 1

"You’re rushing out the door for another day at the office, and catch your reflection in the mirror. You look awesome obviously, but you’re not ready yet.

Don’t get me wrong. That yellow cardigan is on point, and your peter-pan collar is just too cute, but something is missing here.

A little bit of edge?

A little bit more of your self…

You need just a little bit of Wonderland in your life!

Not too much Wonderland, now. You’re off to work, not the Mad Hatter’s unbirthday party. That will have to wait for the weekend.

Until then, you reach into your closet and pull out your jewelry box to find just the right dash of madness, just the right pinch of individuality – just the right amount of Wonderland – and you know your outfit is complete... read more here.

This is the story Richelle owner of  Red Scorpio Handmade begins to tell about her Wonderland collection of jewelry, connecting it directly to her niche audience. Weaving a tale that relates to real life conditions with a fantasy twist is smart advertising copy. Bravo!

Give this copywriting technique a try with your next promotional pitch. Check out Red Scorpio Handmade's blog too. Much there to learn from.

Handmade at Amazon is a new store on Amazon.com for artisans to sell their unique, handcrafted goods to hundreds of millions of customers worldwide. It just went live on Thursday with a lineup of over 80,000 items from about 5,000 sellers in 60 countries. “You can think of it as a factory-free zone, a mass-produced-free zone,” said Peter Faricy, the Amazon vice president who is overseeing Handmade.You set up a shop, create an Artisan Profile page to tell customers your story and set up pages for each of your products. Sounds like Etsy, right? It is a similar model but more robust and with options for shipping fulfillment. And Amazon is also offering logistical backing to its sellers, allowing them to ship products, in lots, to one of the company’s many fulfillment centers around the country. Amazon will then ship out those products as part of its Prime service, which offers members unlimited free shipping for an annual fee.Etsy charges a 20-cent fee for each item a seller lists on its site and takes a 3.5 percent cut of the sales. For now, Amazon will charge no listing fee but take 12 percent of sales.I am on the fence about signing up with this giant. May wait to see what shapes over the next few months and see what type of feedback the artisans are giving it.If you are jumping in let me know. 

When you have finally built that line of products up to a point where you are ready to license them to other stores then ARTSETTERS can help you simplify the process. ARTSETTERS brings the entire wholesale process online. Their solution allows you to be discovered on a global scale, without needing to attend trade shows. Create shareable showroom collections, connect with industry leaders and manage orders seamlessly.They suggest that costly trade shows dominate the industry and make it increasingly difficult for independent artists and designers to compete and gain exposure on an international level.Overall I like their approach, however there is something to be said about meeting people face to face at shows whether they are expensive or not. I know artists would prefer to simply make their art and let other people sell it, but there is power in people meeting the artist.I was just at the L.A. International Textile show where they have reps presenting different companies from around the world. A rep can have a professional approach and attitude, but when it comes down to individual artists, fans want to meet that person.All in all though ARTSETTERS has a pretty cool model which is worth checking out.

I like to say that your newsletter is a package of goodies that you send straight to your fans mailbox. The goal is to have the receiver open and even more importantly, want to open your email messsage and then actually read it. We are bombarded by so much info these days that newsletters that we sign up to receive can get passed over quickly.There are techniques to keeping our newsletters relevant and a must see piece of infotainment. Here is a great article from Elle & Company on ways to spice up your mailing list and raise subscribers’ excitement when they see an email from you sitting in their inbox. Go here.