Charlene Vickers & the Top 10 Links of the Month

ARTIST: Charlene Vickers, Sleeman Makazin, denim, beads and beer case

THIS MONTH: Understanding your target market; applying for grants, residencies and funding assistance; five myths of Internet marketing; self-publishing art books; how to craft the perfect press release; and, more....

Arts & Upstarts: Marina Guglielmi, Maker Technical Sculpture Services & Box 47 Sculpture Studio

Artist/Business Owner: Marina Guglielmi with partners Andy Stretch and Aleks Bozovic

This is a special post of Arts & Upstarts. I know it's wrong to have favourites but Marina Guglielmi is perhaps just that. We met through the first instalment of my Don't Get Good at What You Don't Want to Be Doing business course in the spring of 2010 and I knew right away that she would just kick it. Here is an interview with an unbelievably talented artist and awesome business owner whose go get attitude just makes me smile every time I think of her.

MARINA GUGLIELMI
Sculptor

COMPANIES:
Maker Technical Sculpture Services
Providing specialized skills for the production, maintenance and restoration of sculptural work.

Box 47 Sculpture Studio
A unique co-sharing 3D studio.
Both started: 2011

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a practicing sculptor, principal of Maker Technical Sculpture Services and the studio manager of Box 47 Sculpture Studio. I studied fine art at The Art Centre in Toronto, with a focus on sculpture under the direction of Canadian sculptor Richard McNeil. I currently run my business, co-sharing studio, personal artistic practice and reside in Toronto.

Erin Finley & the Top 10 Links of the Month

ARTIST: Erin Finley, Portrait of the artist in Louis Vuitton and maxi pad with wings,
black and metallic ink on paper

THIS MONTH: The psychology of undercharging; how to set up a blog for beginners; professional guidelines for artists; the key to independent film marketing; and, more....

Two Cool Arts Marketing Videos

Here are two really good arts marketing videos that will be useful to artists and creative business owners alike. The second one, although focused on 3-D artists specifically, should still leave you with some new promotion ideas. Enjoy!

The Wealthy Artist: 6 Myths and 6 Tips on Marketing your Art from CanvasPop on Vimeo.

How to Raise Your Profile as an Artist from Andrew Price on Vimeo.

Lose the Crutch of Control

PHOTOGRAPHER: Buaiansayapanomali, Alone

If I asked you to recall a major accomplishment in your life, you would not only remember the effort it took, the commitment involved, or your unwavering tenacity, but also the support you were given along the way. At times, it is the latter point — other people's support — that some creative business types shy away from. To those for whom this applies, my advice to you is to lose the control.

Arts & Upstarts: Julie Gladstone, Starving Artist Yoga

JULIE GLADSTONE
Mixed-Media Artist, Abstract Painter

COMPANY: 
Starving Artist Yoga
Creative and affordable yoga classes, held in alternative spaces, to feed body, mind and spirit. Started: 2009

What type of business do you run and why did you decide to start it?

Starving Artist Yoga provides yoga classes that most people can afford, in spaces that feel personalized and inviting. The classes are geared towards providing an alternative for people working in the arts, who are self-employed, students or both; however, everyone is welcome to attend, including those who aren’t artists or who have never practiced yoga.

Denial & the Top 10 Links of the Month

STENCIL ARTIST: Denial (a.k.a. Daniel Bombardier), Use Once and Destroy

THIS MONTH: Finding grant money to fund your dreams; why you're undervaluing yourself (and how to stop); ways to increase your business referrals; get more sales by saying "no"; and, more....

Relaxing Your Rules of Engagement

Photo credit: Ayu-mi-x/detail from Ayumi Hamasaki CD cover, AUDIENCE

As I entered week four of the spring installment of "Don't Get Good..." — my business intensive for self-employed artists — an interesting discussion came about in class regarding the importance of getting feedback from one's "tribe," as it may. It was rather apt, as the topic emerged during our session about identifying your niche.

soJin Chun & the Top 10 Links of the Month

PHOTOGRAPHER: soJin Chun, Scarborough Thando

THIS MONTH: Goal setting for creatives; three tips for setting business boundaries; the simple reason why you're not reaching thousands of people; creating a better budget; and, more....

Arts & Upstarts: Sandra Alland, sandraslittlebookshop

Sandra Alland
Writer, Multimedia Artist, Performer

COMPANY:
sandraslittlebookshop
A micropress that publishes chapbooks and books and curates an online poetry journal. Started: 2003


What type of business do you run and why did you decide to start it?

sandraslittlebookshop primarily makes chapbooks, although I've also published one full-length book (Some Poems By People I Like, 2007) and continue to sporadically publish an online poetry journal (More Poems By People I Like).

Tim Okamura & the Top 10 Links of the Month

 

ARTIST: Tim Okamura, The Crown

THIS MONTH: 5 reasons why artists need social media; why your mailing list is your number one asset; how to network on a daily basis; how to avoid deadbeat clients; and, more....

Arts & Upstarts: Tanya Pillay, HypnoSage

TANYA PILLAY
Theatre Performer & Creator

COMPANY:
HypnoSage
Motivational hypnosis for personal change.
Started: 2007


What type of business do you run and why did you decide to start it?

I became a Motivational Hypnotist to help people change, enhance, or achieve in any aspect of their lives. I say "motivational" to distinguish my work from stage hypnosis, which is usually only for the purpose of entertainment. I guide clients to relax using various suggestions, personalized imagery, and meditation techniques. Together we explore the obstacles holding them back and co-create acceptible solutions so that they can move forward. I started the practice after I tried hypnosis as a client; other attempts to address chronic stress and tension produced minimal results. After a few sessions, my life changed in ways I  believed to be possible but could not seem to achieve in any other way. I felt empowered with a vision of my ideal self. I also walked away with a more supportive inner dialogue.

Off-Line & Left Behind: Why Living Artists Suck by Not Having a Web Site

ARTIST: Joane Cardinal-Schubert (1942–2009) / Urban Warshirt – Metro Techno 

What a way to come back from the holidays. Just this week I received my CARFAC newsletter in the mail, flipped through to the obits and found out — months after the fact, don't ya know — that one of my favourite First Nations artists had passed away. I remembered the first time I had seen Joane Cardinal-Schubert's work: it was a two-person show with Jane Ash-Poitras (who I have an unbelievable and relentless hankering for), back in the early '90s at Harbourfront. And it was awesome, particularly her The School installation, which for the record, after an hour plus of Google searching, I couldn't find a great picture of to share.

Amanda Strong & the Top 10 Links of the Week

PHOTOGRAPHER: Amanda Strong

THIS WEEK: How NOT to use the Internet to find investors for your film or theatre project; 50 questions to evaluate the quality of your Web site; the seven deadly sins of submitting a self-published book; and, more....

Joey DAMMIT! & the Top 10 Links of the Week

ARTIST: Joey DAMMIT!, David Bowie

THIS WEEK: How to "crowd fund" your film, self-publishing vs. vanity publishing, using video to promote your business, generating creative business ideas, and more....

Wayne Salmon & the Top 10 Links of the Week

Photographer: Wayne Salmon, Untitled 

THIS WEEK: The benefits of gallery representation, leveraging your blog to promote your services, 102 small business marketing questions for people who don't speak "marketing," and more....

Julian Calleros & the Top 10 Links of the Week

Blog MorenaMedia will now be formatted as an Artist's Business Digest, which will be more useful to readers and is also a good outlet for me, since I naturally collect an unbelievable amount of these links. In the future, original articles will be posted on the MorenaMedia Web site and will be made available to those who subscribe to the mailing list.

[ Modista by Julian Calleros ]

THIS WEEK: Quit looking for an artist agent, learn how NOT to approach a gallery, working backwards to accomplish your goals, and more....