~Thoughts for the Day!~

It’s Butterfly Pea Tea at the ready today. It’s a pretty blue or if you at lemon it is purple. Trying new things for their benefits.

Yesterday was a great day as it was about exploring new ideas, such ideas need time to gel. I journaled those ideas to rattle them around. New people have come into my world where one is an artist, the other a poet. Both are much more, a lot of common interests. Reaching out and doing new things has brought some really great people, it’s a whole tribe of people. Unexpected to find others interested in the same things, in a whole tribe of people. I don’t recall how many we are now, at least a dozen woman bonding in our women’s circle. I would have to say do reach out and do new things! I have a mirror as I did with Thomas. Apparently, my clothes are cute on me. That is nice to hear. Little plusses make you feel good in an ageing body. LOL. I am beginning to notice how I look like my mother and grandmother, aunts. However, I am still me and I am ok with this new me.

I love finding age does not matter within this group of women. It’s good to be liked, loved for who you are. Respected. I do run across ageism. Some people respond to you differently where others learn about who you are. Those are my kind of people! I would recommend being all that you are, don’t worry about being older or looking older. It happens to everyone. Don’t let your age stop you from doing new things. That is what makes life interesting. Don’t trap yourself. Consider what you can do to make a difference in your life. Figure out how to push past limitations. LOL I sit on my stool to vacuum my floor as I do not hurt when I do so. The point is why be traditional about something, there is a way to do most things. We can do it differently. Make things work for you. It’s not just letting life move forward, it is finding a way into life where you can have happiness. There is a flow to the day.

I am finding bed exercises helpful because of my own limitations; they allow me to be prepared for other forms of exercise. Being an artist and writer is more sedentary. Moving is very important for everyone. Timers help so you know when an hour has past. Doing something and returning you are fresher. Bulling straight ahead got me in trouble with my body. LOL. It helps with weight control as well to move and muscle tone. It’s not just an older person thing. I should have been practicing it long ago. And there are benefits from walking outside.

~In the studio!~

Today it will be to continue working on the same Shibui. Plenty of good light to do so. Some pick up in there to prepare for a visit with a new connection who is excited about what Shibui can do as an art as an original art form and therapy tool. Students will be creative young people. I will be preparing by choosing examples of new to her, Shibui. This visit is a return visit so new works, put it in order of importance with lots of foundations she can find things in herself. Have her take one she falls in love with to do herself. The goal is to obtain a teaching position. She is already excited.

Planning things out is key to “hob knobbing or courting people”. It’s how to draw attention in the best possible ways. Presentation matters! It adds to your confidence to be prepared. After all this time since 2011 I know a lot about the subject. Showing the materials I use, the foundations, my set up gives the person I am courting visual clues about me. It creates interest and lead into questions. It’s a way to capture attention. The idea is to show what a working studio is like.

When I set up my studio, I planned it out so that it was versatile. Would easily do multiple things for me. I wanted to display art on the walls, have access to materials. My art file has a draw where I can use it as an extension of what I do as I work at my table. The table’s flat surface can be use or I can put a portable drawing table on it’s surface. This gives me three drawing tables in a small studio space. Organizing materials is important. I also added BoHo touches, a bit of style by using vases to hold brushes, a colorful pleasant chair for a visitor. Along with two BoHo lamps. These things add color and tell a bit about you. They add interest. You don’t want a lot of distraction in a studio, there already is a lot to see. You want it to be practical and a touch of class or self-expression too.

~The business end of art~

Artist need to be seen as businesspeople. It’s not all fun in the studio. An artist needs to put the effort in on selling their art to be a professional artist.

I recommend Catherine Orer’s pod casts. I was involved with The Artist Entrepreneur Network, (Catherine’s Facebook group.) Worth every penny! Catherine has pivoted to pod casts with the same wonderful advice. She is an impressive person as a business coach for artist. Look her up! I am grateful, to have learned so much about the business end of art through her. Now to put what I learned into practice in my new studio and share some things with you.

As I said above, presentation is everything! Not just the presentation of the studio itself. But do consider your own appearance. You need to be practical about it of course as creating art is a fun but most times a messy business. But nice, neat clothes help when you’re courting someone in your space. You’re courting someone to make a connection, not creating the art at that time. You want them to remember you. Leave your apron in view let that be your messy self-evidence.

Developing portfolios for the different art forms you do is also important. I have divided my portfolios to give order to the different types of art.

The art you put into a portfolio needs to be “cleaned up” then put into sleeves. This will ensure the crisp, clean appearance of your work. Carefully removing marks or smudges with a kneaded eraser brighten the work to its initial color value.

There is nothing like flipping through a body of work when it looks sharp! Mine are sorted out into kinds: drawings, photography, printmaking images, and Shibui. Other types of art need to be set up as slide shows. (Soft pastels, oil and acrylic paintings, sculptures).

“Office time!”

“Office time is when you make connections using the computer to look potential clients up or to email them, its part of the hob knobbing/courting part of being an artist entrepreneur. Use these tools, the phone to strut your stuff! Make appointments or meeting to tell about your art. Learn how to advertise yourself by doing mailings, leaving business cards, getting things about you in the free newspapers of consider putting yourself in an art magazine. Get yourself noticed! This is the time to make phone calls, dig out your business planner and your business journal. Add people to your business phone book but don’t just add them keep in touch and follow up with them. When you have new stuff tell them about it! Write about them and your ideas in your journal. These people are leads to follow through with. Take a part of the day to do these things. Look into what grants are, develop projects. Talk with other artists don’t feel you need to keep what you do a big secret!

May love and laughter find you! Pejj