One can hardly go five minutes these days without hearing or seeing the words “recession”. Over the past several days I’ve been reading and reflecting on several posts on Katherine Tyrrell’s blog: Making a Mark. Katherine has been providing unique commentary since January about the economic slowdown, however over the past couple weeks, her posts have become more pointed, declaring, “The Art Economy is in an Economic Slowdown.”
Katherine’s posts are unique, I believe, because in her earlier life she was senior finance manager and business advisor. And because I have to work hard to make sense of money matters (I’m a stereotypical math-challenged artist) I’ve been paying extra attention to her art economy posts, in particular one post titled “10 good habits for good times or bad“:
1. Clear identity - Be able to explain who you are, what your art is about and how it’s developing in a clear and confident manner to anybody who asks - or looks at your websites.
2. Focused - Have a clear set of objectives each year which are written down, specific and measurable (eg I want to produce x paintings for y series in time for z exhibition in December).
3. Market-orientated - Know your market, know your buyers and spend at least 50% of your time on marketing your art.
4. Efficient - Save time and frustration by keeping good accessible records of all art produced - from photos to spreadsheets to digital files.
5. Presentation matters - remember that applies whether it’s framed artwork, how it’s wrapped for shipping or emails.
6. Managing the money - Keep on top of what generates the cashflow - both receipts and payments.
7. Work as a team - Make sure you check and don’t assume people can help out when you need them.
8. Time management - Double the time you think you need to get ready for an exhibition.
9. Business records - Make sure you keep records which give you all the information needed for your tax return.
10. Don’t be stupid - Archive important records - and ALWAYS remember to do your computer back-ups.
I think Katherine’s top 10 habits would make an excellent lens through which to re/view one’s own art business goals and in December I intend to do just that: look at them as they impact my own art business heading into 2009.
In the immediate future I’m going to concentrate on number 8, time management, by heading back into the studio to put the finishing touches on work I’m entering in two shows: Reflections of Nature 2008 and the Regina Federation of Artists Fall Show and Sale.
Winter Rose Hips. Photograph, 5 x 7 in. Copyright 2008, Tania Nault.
Between doing my business books, working out a budget for my upcoming group show (Regina Federation of Artists Spring Show & Sale, March 28, 29 and 30) and trying to make sense of my pay stub from the day job, my head feels like it’s about to explode. Well, it could be the math, or it could also be the horrible sinus cold I’ve been nursing for the past few days (my sister inherits my dad’s blue eyes while I get his tendancy for sinus infections, genetics, you gotta love ‘em). Either way, I feel like my left eye ball is going to pop out at any moment.
Did I mention it’s freakin’ cold out there today? -52C (-62F) with the windchill. I don’t care where you’re from, that’s cold. Well, I’m off to make myself a hot chocolate. And yes, I’m adding some Baileys to it.
Mack: Sketch. Coloured pencils on toned paper, 5 x 7″. Copyright 2008, Tania Nault.
Now that I’m back from visiting family and it’s the first Monday of 2008, it seems like a perfect time to think about the year ahead, and to take Maggie up on her recent resolution/butt-kicking offer. Towards that end, here are my artistic goals for 2008:
1. Daily drawing: exactly what it says, I will draw every day. As I’ve taken on more commissioned work, I have been creating more finished pieces (for the record I’m not complaining about) and that’s been good. But it actually means I’m drawing less and less, and that’s not so good. I will post some of my efforts here, so what that means is that, at least until it warms up outside, you’ll be seeing a lot more of Mack… (see above).
2. Blogging: daily, Monday through Friday; with weekends off. The only exceptions will be for travel to Internet-free zones, i.e. the cabin or my parent’s farm.
3. Web site: January will see some significant overhaul; after that, monthly updates.
4. Networking: basically, I suck at this, so if I meet one new person in 2008 and successfully remember his/her name at our second meeting it’ll be a 100% improvement over 2007. Seriously, I need to take better care of the contacts I do have and make more, which will mean creating a formal contact list by the end of March, making contact with everyone on the list twice throughout the year (once in the Spring and again in the Fall) and growing the list by 10% over the year. (I know this sounds like a “gimme” but I think it will be my greatest challenge.)
5. Entrepreneurial: I need to learn more about making sales and marketing, but I hardly even know where to begin. I think this will be my “research” related goal for the year (research is a real “gimme” for me, but the topic will be the challenge). And to keep it in the action category, I will ”test drive” at least one thing I’ve learned, shall we say, quarterly (yeah, that sounds business-like). Uugh, maybe I should just change this one to: learn how to spell the word “entrepreneurial” without using spell-check.
6. Paperwork: the last weekend of every month I’ll be doing “the books” for that month. (See, there’s a reason for the “no blogging on weekends” thing.)
7. Creative writing: What I’m hoping is that this isn’t it. I enjoy writing, and I do a fair bit of it, but 2007 saw me doing a lot of “non-fiction” writing and practically zero creative writing. My husband and kids gave me some new haiku books for Christmas and I’ve fallen in love with them (haiku poems, I was never out of love with my family) all over again. I will write one new haiku each week and, to keep me honest, I will post them here. Maybe I’ll even pair some with drawings and make some contemporary haiga.
I think that about covers it for the year. I have a calendar all laid out in my studio, ready to track my progress. So, Happy New Year to All!
