Peace On Earth!

Joy to the World ~ Joy to You

May the New Year bring you joy and prosperity.

While there are obvious difficulties each of us face—some are personal, others related to things we can't control—there are reasons to be optimistic and hopeful for 2012. We are seeing a mild upturn in economic news, the Christmas shopping season is looking good, the War in Iraq is over, and most of all, visual artists continue to find new ways to get their work sold.

Bring Back the Good Old Days

Many of us pine for the good old days when things were simpler. But, simplicity aside, it always was a tough row to hoe to become a successful artist. Straight up, it was never easy. What's different now is artists are not dependent on a gallery distribution system to get their work sold. Many still effectively use galleries, but they also are supplementing their sales by including some form of direct sales.

These Are the Good Old Days

Previously, it was nearly impossible for a single artist to amass a large mailing or emailing list of potential collectors. The degree of difficulty and the associated costs were too great for visual artists to handle, especially emerging artists.

Your Gifts from the 21st Century Are Modern Marketing Tools

Affordable websites, blogs, social media and e-commerce solutions have taken marketing art and made it the equivalent of print-on-demand printing technology. No one has to bet the farm on whether they get it right or not these days. You don't have to eat huge inventory costs of prints that don't sell. And for instance, you don't have to spends thousands on trade magazines and tradeshows to gain awareness for your art. Those are still useful marketing vehicles, but not as potent as in the past.

You Will Hear from Me About Marketing in the Digital Age in 2012.

Putney Painters Week - Scottsdale Artist's School.

If you are in Scottsdale this January, I'm speaking at the Putney Painters Week

Date: January 16, 2012 - January 20, 2012 ♦ Location: Scottsdale Artists School and Legacy Gallery

"Outside the Box" Art Marketing Seminar with Lori Woodward and special guest speakers. Difficult times call for different approaches to selling artwork. Join Lori, along with guest speakers Jason Horejs and Barney Davey as they present both traditional, as well as unconventional ways artists are actually making a living in today's economy. January 19-20, Thursday and Friday, 9am - 4pm. $200 for 2 days - In studio at SAS.

2012 smARTist Telesummit

For the third year, I'm back with new ideas to present at the 2012 smARTist Telesummit. This year's lineup of speakers is jam-packed with entrepreneurship, art marketing and art career training experts.

My presentation is:

Marketing Art in the Digital World; Embracing Change and Using What You've Got to Get Ahead.

For a complete list of speakers, see my blog post about the 2012 smARTist Telesummit. Sign up now to get on the no-obligation Interest List. It's the only way to be advised of the Early Bird Discount.

Last Call for Alyson Stanfield's Art Biz Coach Santa Sale.

Monday, December 19 is the last day to get in on Alyson's fabulous Santa Sale.

When you buy her book she throws in six extra goodies. These bonuses offer value and insights you can use to help you market more effectively in 2012. They make this one heck of a deal!

I should know, one of them is mine. It's my new unreleased How to Sell Art, Make Money and Be Happy – Essays on the Essence of Art Business Success e-book.