Alyson B. Stanfield - Id Rather Be in the Studio!: The Artists No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion

Copyright 2008, 2019 Alyson B. Stanfield. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations used in critical reviews, this bookor parts thereofmay not be reproduced in any form without permission from the author.

Pentas Press

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Golden, CO 80402

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Cover and book design by Brand Therapy.

eBook formatting and design by Veronica Yager, YellowStudios.

Publishers Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Stanfield, Alyson B.

Id rather be in the studio: the artists no-excuse guide to self-promotion / Alyson B. Stanfield. updated and revised 4th ed.

p. cm.

Originally published: 2008.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

LCCN 2019932331

Paperback ISBN 978-0-9831462-3-0

eBook ISBN 978-0-9831462-4-7

1. ArtMarketing. 2. ArtVocational guidance.

I. Title.

N8600.S73 2008 706.88 QBI07-600267

FOURTH EDITION

To all of the artists over the years who have used this book to make bold moves toward your dreams.

Thank you for your trust and inspirational work.

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

EXCUSES

Introduction

TO THE 4 th EDITION

When I started my weekly email newsletter in 2002 there were no other weekly newsletters to help artists with their businesses. There may have been some that appeared less frequently, but I dont believe they lasted. Thats when we were known as Art Biz Coach. In 2018 we became Art Biz Success, which better reflects the aspirations we have for our clients.

There was no Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or Pinterest in 2002 and no podcasts, webinars, or Facebook Live.

When my first blog post was published on November 30, 2004, there were no other blogs that I know of specifically for helping artists with their businesses. I remember spelling b-l-o-g for my workshop attendees before explaining this very foreign concept to them. I explained that the word was short for weblog, a reference we no longer need to cite.

Little did I realize when I began this journey that I would have to be equal parts consultant and tech support for my artist-clients. I recall describing to my students in painstaking detail how to listen to a teleseminar by simply dialing on their phones. Yes, you just dial your phone and listen in. Its magic! You would have thought I was giving them directions to Mars. Now, its simply Click here to join me on the webinar.

Is any of this bringing back memories?

The world is noisier today, and you are more tech savvy than you ever thought youd have to be (or ever wanted to be). You have loads of information at your fingertips, which presents a different problem. With so much knowledge available, its difficult to discern whats critical from what is a distraction that will throw you off your path. What you need instead of more emails, for example, are routines that help you (1) make sense of all the information youre consuming and (2) run your art business with confidenceso you can spend more time in the studio.

Thats why we at Art Biz Success devote most of our energy to creating plans and systems for you, the artist, while providing support and accountability to help implement them. The need for new systems and support also explains why, after 10 years, I have updated Id Rather Be in the Studio, which we affectionately call IRBITS.

Much remains the same throughout all of the editions, starting with the first (2008). There are still 8 big excuses that artists give for not promoting their artexcuses that delineate the sections of this book. One by one, I counter those excuses with step-by-step actions you can take to move beyond them. At the same time, there is a set of guiding principles for self-promotion. The original 6 principles have been updated and expanded to 8 in this fourth edition.

I continue to emphasize nurturing personal relationships because this is the most valuable thing you can do to improve your art career and business. It feels better than adopting the latest technology hack, and it also lasts a lot longer.

Speaking of nurturing relationships, youd think that sending a newsletter wouldnt be that much different than it was 10 years ago, but in both of the first two editions I suggested sending a newsletter in the mail might be a good idea. Can you imagine? Im not against this practice, but its impractical for most people. I have been adamant about the need to create and send a regular newsletter (or whatever you want to call it) to subscribers. In this new edition, youll find that my definition of a newsletter has evolved. I wanted to make it less scary for some artists and to reflect the reality that so much of what we put in a newsletter is also posted on social media first. Its an opportunity to leverage all of those social posts.

This fourth edition is most similar to the third edition, which was published in e-book format only in 2015. The biggest difference between these two editions is, of course, that this one is in print. Message received! You like paper. I do, too. My hope is that by seeing this book nearby, you use it more than you did the electronic version.

The first edition of IRBITS had a single mention of Facebook. In contrast, the second edition (2011) was heavy on social media, with an entire chapter on how to begin using social media. This fourth edition assumes that you already have social media accounts and know how to use them. Reminders to use social media are sprinkled throughout the relevant sections of the book. Its critical to integrate social media throughout your marketing rather than view it as separate. Everything needs to work together.

By far the biggest change in this edition is the way the book is organized. To improve the flow, text and chapters were eliminated, condensed and moved from the second edition. Every attempt has been made to eliminate extraneous information that you probably already know or is no longer relevant. The goal is to help you focus on what is most important without sending you on a chase for the sake of gathering information. Im a big fan of simplifyingof removing unnecessary passages and getting to the point, which is why I believe this book has resonated with so many artists over the years.

As with all previous editions, this edition is intended to be a reference for you. I hope it continues to serve and inspire. Thank you for your continued trust.

CONGRATULATIONS

ON TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
FOR YOUR ART CAREER

As an artist, you relish your freedom to paint, draw, sculpt, sew, cut, glue, throw, blow, or carve all day, every day. After all, thats why you became an artist. You love having the freedom to create whenever you want and as much as you want. You cant imagine a day in your life without art.

You may be one of the many, many artists who are happy to simply make art for yourself. But if you want to sell your work consistently and to an ever-widening audience, you must distinguish yourself from the crowd.