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Making Sense. Part two.

© Jo Murphy

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In Part One we looked at the business side of an artistic career. We asked why we can find it can become so stressful? The following is a list of suggestions about designing your business for comfort and success.

• Journal your experience of the Art World. Keep track of the ebb and flow of your feelings. As you come to know and understand your emotions, you will be able to start devising strategies for managing them.
• Have regular counseling. Talking over issues and problems is empowering because through this process you come to drop 'old baggage' and learn new coping strategies and tricks. Believe me it is worth the money.
• Don't use substances in an attempt to cope with stress. Substances don't help deal with stress - they simply create more problems with which you will have to deal.
• Continually seek to improve you skills, your repertoire, your dispute resolution techniques and your relationships. Keep reading Marketing Manuals - I sure do! They are full of tips tricks and ideas. Don't get bored with them and think that you know it all already! Repetition of key ideas will ensure that techniques of NLP kick in. This kind of subtle brainwashing will ensure you are confident when facing 'your public.'
• Diversify. Look at each image and say to yourself,
  "Is there another way I can use this image?"
  "Is that beautiful painting of a rose just asking to be placed on to a greeting card?"
  "Could I teach that skill to another?"
  Find ways to create 'multiple streams of income'. If you do this you will eventually create an income 'cash flow system' so that you are never left stranded financially.
• 'Part time paid work' is in areas related to your main ambition.

  Huh? What do I mean by this?

  #Example .... I have to teach to survive. I choose to teach Art. That way I do art all day. This means I am enhancing my skills and making valuable contacts at the same time. So working in a related field means my time is never taken away from my central aim, which is to freelance as an a part time job work for you, not against you.
• Compete locally, nationally and internationally regularly. Start by entering small competitions. Keep on entering - keep a flow going. The process required will give you focus. It will perhaps generate some much needed income. The exposure will make sure your work is being seen. Deadlines will give you incentives to work towards.
• Piggyback on the work of others.

  HUH? I thought you said this was Spiritual?

  It is! If other artists have opened a gallery in your area for heavens sake don't open in competition to them. Work with them. It makes sense. Don't create stress in areas where you don't have to. Always 'work with' rather than against.

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