The Genesis of my book, Artist Survival Skills, lies in the harmonic convergence of my need for a job, Opus Framing & Art Supply’s need for a monthly newsletter and the visual arts community’s desire for professional development information. After twenty-two years of writing for the newsletter and answering the many questions from artists it stimulated, my accumulated knowledge informs the book. So in a way, it is “your” information coming back to you.
When Opus proposed that I visit each store during November to do mini-workshops on visual arts marketing, I was happy to comply and it has been an interesting experience of give and take. I chose to make brief points in the workshops entitled “Acts of Genius in Visual Arts Marketing,” and illustrate each one with examples put into practice by working artists.
As of today (November 12) I have done two workshops: one at Opus on Granville Island in downtown Vancouver and the other at Opus Victoria. At each one, I had a great crowd. At each one, there have been people who have read my book and come for clarification and others who may or may not have even known about my book.
What is wonderful about each one is that the questions and comments that participants raise, become more fodder for my blog, newsletter and website. The tradition continues of learning from the questions and experiences of other artists. But the best part about the workshops for me has been hearing from those who have read my book.
In Victoria, at the end of my workshop there, a woman near the front asked if she could make a comment. “Of course! I said. And she launched herself into the most heartfelt and enthusiastic endorsement of my book, raising her copy to show all present the yellow highlighting throughout and the pages flagged with adhesive tags. I was deeply moved by what she said and a huge sense of relief and gratitude engulfed me.
Do you think everything you do is excellent? Just good? Do you believe you do some bad work sometimes? If you do, do you show it anyway or try to sell it anyway in case it is just your self-doubt at work? Do you think the first work you do in a new medium is going to be critically well received? I live with a lot of self-doubt, so I had no idea what I had done in writing my book. But now I feel OK—even good, based on what someone has said at each workshop.
Thank you anonymous participants. Thank you for your gift. As I go forward to the remaining workshops and others I may do in the future, I go with enthusiasm and pride.
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