creative courage e-course + interview

firstly, thank you all so much for the wonderful comments on my last post ~ it's such a boost to read all these and i'm sure i'll pop back and re-read :)

i thought i'd post a link here to stephanie levy's excellent e-course about opening up your creative confidence. i've done an interview for the course, which is exciting! so great {and flattering} to be involved. {thanks stephanie!}. there's an introduction to the women involved on stephanie's blog.

enjoy!

an interview

thanks to brittni {paper n stitch} for this interview posted on scoutie girl today ~ and thanks if you've read it and left a sweet comment :)

wilkins + kent + an interview

some exciting news: a big stack of my prints and 2011 calendars are now in wilkins + kent! they have 2 really great shops selling beautiful furniture {which they make at the back of the fitzroy shop} and a huge range of handmade work, art, books, stationery etc.

their shops are here: 372 little bourke street, melbourne + 230 brunswick street, fitzroy. go see!

also, i did a small interview on meredith's blog {there's a discount over there too!}.

have a great week :)

:: image from the wilkins + kent website.

mid week shopping list + an interview

:: skinny pyramid . bluebicicletta
:: buzz . debbo9
:: death in art journal . the time is now
:: the clearing 6x6 photo . erin tyner

** all images from the shops listed.

also, i did an interview about my 'tools of trade' here.

happy mid~week :)

art biz mama interview

i did this interview with dana barbieri as part of her blog series 'art biz mama'. i love to read interviews on this very topic as i have so many questions for other mothers who do stuff and live life too!! thanks dana.
if you have any tips, please post here :)

art making + marketing :: an interview with brandi strickland

:: intertidal . 12 x 12" mixed media on board 2009

i am beyond excited to post this art making + marketing interview with brandi strickland ~ one of the first artists i hearted on etsy {way back at the start of 2008!}.
i hope you love it.

does marketing your work come naturally to you, or do you find it to be a task that is always lives dangerously at the top of your to-do list?
Marketing is not my game. But I definitely like sharing my work. Participating in the flickr/facebook/twitter communities, blogging, and sending out monthly newsletters are things that feel good and come naturally. I think of these outlets as fun show 'n tell activities, not ways to make a buck. I'm naturally excited about my work, so I want to share it in ways that keep me enthusiastic instead of dragging me down. Anything I dread never gets done anyway, so if I'm doing it you can bet I'm having fun. Mostly I just want to share my work on my own terms, and enjoy whatever audience or success that it brings. My coffee cup has a great quote, one I try to keep in mind: "If it doesn't absorb you, if it isn't any fun, don't do it." - D.H. Lawrence


:: secret password . 12 x 12" mixed media on board 2007

does knowing that you will be marketing affect the way you work?
Knowing that I'll be sharing my work, that it will be seen, has an extremely positive effect . . . I certainly don't function well in a vacuum. The communities I've come to be a part of over the last several years are inspiring, encouraging, outright helpful and kind. Slowly gaining an audience of friends, fellow artists, and people who enjoy my work pushes me to do my personal best every day.
Paper Whistle itself is a huge motivator. Having a great outlet for my creativity challenges me to keep steady making work that I'm truly excited about. It's a perfect platform to share and sell my artwork on my own terms and it also allows me to be fully involved with the process. Everything is 100% hands on and created with so much love!
Marketing always has the potential to poison a good thing. I see some artists who find a style of work that is highly marketable and then seem to stick to it unflinchingly because it has mass appeal. I don't ever want to feel afraid to grow and change. If something sells well, great. If it doesn't, that's fine too. I am absolutely intent on making work that I love and am proud of, regardless of it's marketability. I never want to create artwork that feels stale or hurts my eyes to look at, just to make a buck.
Neil Young, Ani Difranco and 'Lil Wayne are huge inspirations because they share this notion of 'always do what you want to do the way you want to do it'. Not what you're expected to do, not what's most marketable, but what you really feel and love. I think if more people shared this idealism the whole world would be a better, more authentic place.

:: mountain house . 12 x 12" mixed media on board 2010

i love your new{ish} website {and shop front/logo} that you and robert have set up. has your working partnership helped your confidence in terms of marketing your work?
Definitely. Robert is very creative, but he also has the marketing, technical, and analytical skills that I struggle with. We overlap where it's important and also have really helpful, balancing differences. He's way more easy-going! I've learned so much from him over the last four years, and I think we make a good team. We try to keep it pushing--always surprising, challenging and inspiring each other . . . I know he brings out the best in me. We've had lots of challenges over the years and have overcome all of them together.


:: nine billion names of god . 12 x 12" mixed media on board 2009

has exhibiting your work taken any pressure off self-promotion?
It hasn't taken the pressure off, it's just a different kind of pressure. I think if I had really strong or exclusive gallery representation, or if I showed more often, it might be different. Right now I'm walking the middle path between self-representation and gallery representation. I have a DIY spirit and want to be involved in the process of sharing and selling my own work. But I view galleries as invaluable magical spaces dedicated to putting the physical artwork in front of people's faces, and I hope to move towards showing more in the future.

:: sunken treasure . 12 x 12" mixed media on board 2008

do you have a best selling piece or series? is this piece/series your personal favourite?
Secret Source seems to be the crowd-pleaser and also happens to be a personal favorite. She's probably the most circulated around the internet and is one of my best selling prints. She belongs to the Dark Crystals series, which felt like a pretty big breakthrough in my work.

:: secret source . 12 x 12" mixed media on board 2009

what are your tips for marketing fine art?
Make work that you're excited about, share it in ways that make you feel good, and you'll naturally connect with others who are excited about what you're doing too. People can smell a rat if you do operate only for money, popularity or obligation, so be authentic and use your powers/energy for good not evil! Connect with these like minds and become part of communities that will offer sincere feedback (not just back-patting).

Some practical things, of course:
1. Invest in a D-SLR and learn to take good pictures of your artwork.
2. Keep a solid up-to-date online portfolio of your work, with an easy way for people to get in touch (contact forms are great).
3. Be professional and communicative with customers, clients and people who offer good opportunities.
4. Don't underestimate the power of bloggers and word of mouth.
5. Use social media but don't be skeezy or spammy.
6. Research, learn, seek advice.
7. Do what you want to do how you want to do it :)

thanks so much Brandi for taking part and sharing your thoughts.

www.paperwhistle.com
www.brandistrickland.com
www.brandistrickland.etsy.com

interview . 74 Lime Lane

i've done an interview on kellie's gorgeous blog, 74 Lime Lane, as part of her 74 ways to be inspired series. *thanks kellie*
happy mid week :)

art making + marketing :: an interview with nancy mungcal

the second interview in the 'art-making and marketing' series is with the lovely nancy of prettylittle thieves. i hope you enjoy her responses, and her specially drawn illustration as much as i did :)



does marketing your work come naturally to you, or do you find it to be a task that is always lives dangersously at the top of your to-do list?
Marketing does not come naturally to me at all. It also sadly does
not come close to being at the top of a very long to do list. It's
honestly something that I have to make a conscious effort about. I'm
trying to become friends with marketing.

does knowing that you will be marketing affect the way you work?
I don't think about marketing when I'm working. For me, this would
not be a good approach for my work. My priorities tend to be with
being happy with the work and to feel I've interpreted my thoughts
and inspirations.

do you have a best selling piece or series? is this piece/series your personal favourite?
My personal favorites sometimes find new homes and sometimes stay
in mine. I do have certain recurring themes in my work that seem to
resonate with people more than others.

do you find it tricky to single out one piece to represent your shop/work as a whole?
If I had to pick a piece to represent my work as a whole, my
anxiety level would greatly increase. This would be followed by my
head hurting from thinking too much. It would be a daunting task as
I feel my work is a constantly evolving process.

what are your tips for marketing fine art?
Please pass the marketing tips over here. I like to think of
marketing as introducing my work, saying a friendly "hello". There
are many great online sources such as design sponge, modish,
pikaland, bakery, and the storque, which is etsy's blog, to name a
few with lots of ideas for getting your work out there. I tend to
read a lot and do lots of research especially for shops, galleries,
and shows I might be considering. It's important to be open and
fearless in the experiences that your work could bring. I'm also a
list maker and like to document the progress of any effort I make in
this area...such as lists of people to contact.. I also do my best
to set goals, even if they are small steps to try to expand my world
everyday. I also think that it's important to try different things
(blog, flickr, twitter, facebook, etc..) but to also remember that
not all things work for everyone and that's ok. Find the ones that
work for you and share what you love to do.

prettylittlethieves.com
www.prettylittlethieves.etsy.com

thanks so much nancy :)

a little hut/craft synergy interview

big thanks to Patricia of Craft Synergy/A little hut for posting this interview this morning. her blog is beautiful and if you love paper projects, you will love her book. go see :)

mini interview with annamaria

i did a mini interview with annamaria on her lovely blog. thanks again annamaria!
you can see her gorgeous work here :)

my creative space . ll&o interview

today's work was punching holes and re-stocking my little collage pieces ~ which i try to keep organised in this tool box/container from spotlight!
i didn't get through that many as it seems to take a while to punch carefully. i included a close up shot of the couple that came out with some areas coloured and some not ~ i use the punch upside down so the blade doesn't take away some of the paint on the surface of the paper and actually can't see what i'm doing. i like these ones best!

am off to get my neck fixed {am having a little trouble turning my head to the left!!}.
hope your day has been creative so far. to see more creative spaces or play along here.

i did an interview with lisa on lou lou & oscar {thanks lisa} ~ such a beautiful blog, and a big honor :)

not paper interview

i did a short interview with aprile on notpaper about my collage work. if you love to read about collage artists and techniques you should have fun reading this blog - it's a treasure discovered {<-- sorry, maybe i need a second coffee thismorning}. thanks aprile :)

artists who blog

i've done an interview with Stephie Levy on her artists who blog blog, which is very exciting {thanks Stephanie}! if you don't already follow this blog, go have a look as there are some amazing artists interviewed in this series. Stephanie makes very gorgeous work - here is her shop.
also, on may 9 artists who blog is turning 1 and there will be an interview posted each day this week to celebrate!

i missed my saturday shopping this week, if i get time i'll make a midweek post . . .

the weekend went really well – the look of surprise on dad's face when he saw us there was worth all the sweaty palm stress/fear of flying to get there! {i tried really hard to calm my mind and 'relax' on the take off + landing but i noticed that even tho i felt ok, my palms reminded me that actually i hate flying}. it was fun to meet all dad's work mates too. this is the view from the surf life saving club. the bottom pic is a combi fest on the highway heading to byron - i couldn't resist a pic from the back seat.

hope you are having a peaceful sunday nite/monday morning :)

interview

just popping quickly in on my Dad's pc to say that Brittni has posted an interview with me on the papernstitch blog today! hope you are having a great start to the week . . .

{thanks Brittni :) }