Last January I participated in a telesummit by the name SmArtist Telesummit.
It was founded & moderated by Ariel Goodman. It was well done & featured
speakers from around the country. I think around 300 artists listened in on the
various topics from licensing to press releases to blogging. It was chock full of
information & if we artists had a team of worker bees to facilitate the suggestions,
we'd all be benefitting greatly.

Unfortunately, we are typically a one horse studio with the occasional
helper or spouse assisting with a task or 2. The "creative" is done by the artist &
that alone is a full time job. Juggling the rest from invoicing, packing assembling,
etc. takes up an incredible amount of time that would best be spent doing what
we know best - our art. Of course, without the marketing & mundane paperwork,
our art sits on the shelf unseen & unsold.

My goal a year ago was to put together a small team of my own. The biggest challenge
to date hasn't been finding the assistants, it's relinquishing control & learning how to
delegate. I have to keep the end result in mind - more time to make art, so I'm getting
better & better.

Later,
nina

Yesterday was stormy here in Michigan. Today is perfect, sunny & a bit cool, a Sunday made for artfairing. Will the buyers come? I sure hope so - it will make many artist's weekend worthwhile, especially here in snow country where the summers are way too short & they only have a short time to make hay while the sun shines. The artists are arriving in their booths right about now, unzipping tents & considering removing the sides. The dilemma is always "will it rain later & I'm screwed?" and of course it's always good to remove the sides to let more light in & facilitate tear down. I suspect many sides will be removed today.

I didn't go to the fair yesterday. I may sneak out this morning & take the dog. THE DOG??! I can't believe I'm even considering this. It's laughable now that I'm on the other side. I used to HATE it when people brought their mangy mutts to the fair. First, it was too hot in my opinion for their paws on the pavement. Second, what do dogs (even the most refined dogs) know about art? And third, they ALWYS took up way too much room in my booth - that expensive real estate was MINE for the weekend! That said, someone has to walk the dog, she does need socialization around crowds and I could multitask which is my expertise! If I go, I'll be polite, really. I promise. Unless I see a really nice pair of earrings or a bracelet. Or a purse, maybe. Then I'll step on the leash while I dig for my wallet. I promise. Really. And I'll be quick.
Have a fun Sunday.

nina

I'm looking outside at the rain & can't help but have a sinking heart for the zillions of artists who are participating in art fairs as I write this. I haven't done an art fair in years but i can still sense that sinking feeling.

Sitting in their little 10 x 10 white tents lined up like soldiers, handmade work carefully placed on shelves & priced, their day is not beginning well. Buyers slept in, are still barefoot watching CNN & sipping a cup o' joe. The artists have been up since dawn, shlepping tents, pulling out credit card machines & polishing artwork. The promoters got their money upfront, the advertisers got their's & the photographers got their money, too. All on the backs of the artists who took a gamble that the economy won't keep buyers from the show, the weather will cooperate, blah blah blah. How sad.

Off I go for another cup of coffee & to say a prayer for the weather to change. Or maybe I'll grab an umbrella and go to the fair anyway.

Artfully Your's,

nina