If you’re going to present yourself to the world in the best possible light, your portfolio and resume should be first rate.  If your presentation is weak, the client will assume you’re unorganized and unprofessional.

Your portfolio presentation may be your only chance to get it right the first time around.  Here are a few tips to make your presentation stand out:

1.       Be meticulous—Wait to show your presentation when everything is neat, clean, and perfectly functional.  Just imagine walking towards a potential client with things dropping out of your portfolio. It’s not a pretty sight, and one that won’t easily be forgotten.

2.       Integrate your package—Make sure the logo, business card, and your folder and everything in it convey one central theme.

3.       Incorporate multimedia—In today’s world, the best portfolio presentation will include a multimedia presentation, CD, DVD, in a beautifully designed case. Make sure you include a killer resume.

4.       Segment your artwork—This may seem like redundant information, but take a moment to consider how important it is to group artwork according to style.  A painting of a landscape and a portrait may fit into the same category, but abstracts and realism should be separated.

5.       Make the information accessible—Make sure your clients understand exactly what it is they’re buying; oil, giclee, hand painted silk etc.  The price should be included as well.  Never make your clients search for information.

6.       Assume a positive attitude—No matter what, the first rule of winning is to be positive.  This has to include an air of confidence in your work.  Never apologize for your artwork.  If you love what you do, chances are it will be contagious.

7.       Learn to sell yourself—The most important thing you’ll sell—is yourself.  Don’t assume that the art world will find you.  Make it a point to get out and network.  Get involved with the world of art in every way possible.  These things will give your portfolio a great deal of credibility.

8.       Never give up—Keep going, keep smiling, and believe in yourself.

Marketing your talent through the internet is a lot easier than you might at first think. Once you get past the first hurdle—figuring out what you want to sell—everything else begins to fall in place. Men and women have made millions by putting together winning internet strategies and selling online, and it’s possible for you to do the same thing.

There are a host of tools available which include; affiliate programs, e-books, guides, web hosting services and so on. I admit, at first glance all of this can be quite overwhelming. However, if you’re going to reap the rewards from your artistic talent, you’ll have to take advantage of the internet and learn about its tremendous power.

The most important aspect of selling online is to have a product or service that people need. Always think in terms of “what people need”. This will take some quality soul-searching. Take for instance this website about art! I had to narrow down my focus to find a select group of people whose need I could fill in the art world. In this case, my site is directed at providing the information to artists who are eager to take their work to the next level.

So, I’ve decided to focus on three areas of importance: 1. Reveal the many factors that can keep an artist motivated. 2. Examine the many ways an artist can promote their talent. 3. Master a number of valuable internet skills to gain an online presence. As you can see, I have my work cut out for me. The next challenge is to make the information valuable and timely.

Let’s face it. Being an artist is a challenge, and can be nothing short of frustrating at times. Maintaining the creative “spark” is going to require a different thought process than most other jobs or professions. You’ll spend a great deal mining the inner spirit for inspiration and drive. And, that inspiration and drive will be kept alive by your success.

So, your success as an artist will be the result of a balanced effort on your behalf. We’ll spend some quality time, first laying out the groundwork of taking your art to the next level, and then focusing in detail on the internet tools that will help you to accomplish your goals.

The first thing you should consider is the wisdom of establishing your presence on the internet that clearly indicates who you are, what you do, and how you can be reached.  This means establishing a clear persona if your goal is to be accepted as a serious artist.

The first thing I would advise doing is to create a signature file in your mail program.  It should be found under Tools and Options, and should include your name, email address, business, and perhaps a brief slogan that describes your business.   There’s no need to attach lofty quotes, as these will only distract from your message.

Joining discussion groups and mailing lists is a great way to get exposure. Make it a point to spend a little time on several forums just to get the idea of the general discussion tones.  You can always break ground by asking questions on the topic of art and painting.  I would make it a point to avoid idle chatter and conversations that are off –topic.  If you’re well informed on a particular topic, you can build credibility and be considered a valuable participant.

Consider starting a newsletter about your area of expertise, and build a mailing list for it.  Make sure the mailing list is opt-in or subscription.  By doing this, you won’t be accused of spamming your customers with unwanted mail.  People will resent receiving unsolicited mail sent to them.

Success can mean a lot of things to a lot of people.  If you’re an artist, and depending where you are spiritually and creatively, success might just be defined as fame and fortune.  Many people define success by what they have-a new vehicle, home, healthy bank account, trendy clothes, or the social networks and ties they keep.

As we mature, we can all agree that success is far more than possessions and money.  We can all agree that money is important, and that no one in their right mind should condemn or scorn it. Maturity, however, causes many of us to look at success in a different light, and that the definition that becomes more universal is that success is feeling good about yourself. Knowing what matters to you is the key.

When you know what it is in life that you value, you have a clearer path to defines what success means in your life.  As an artist, you’ll know you’re approaching a more spiritual meaning of success when strive to create art that is meaningful, not just for art’s sake, but for the sake of humanity.

When a person can look you squarely in the eyes and tell you they were sincerely touched and moved by your work-you’ll know that you’ve arrived.  The sale of your art work is not the complete end result.  Rather, touching lives and spirits, and inspiring others onwards and upwards to a higher vibration should be what you strive to achieve.

The time you spend painting is valuable beyond measure.  Trouble is, when you’ve sold a painting, it’s gone forever.  Having art prints created allows you to sell your creation over and over again at a reduced price so that many can enjoy it.  Today’s methods of making art prints, though sophisticated, are quite easy.  And, you may just find them to be within your price range if you’re a buyer looking to add on to your art collection.

It’s true, that when art prints are purchased, you’re customers are pretty much buying the frame. The print won’t appreciate in value. However, for people that love to collect art, buying art prints is a great way to collect and appreciate great art for a minimum amount of money.

For the artist, the next step is to find a printer who makes giclee art prints.  If you belong to any art organizations, you can ask around when networking.  Local printers might have the equipment to produce high-quality giclee art prints on demand.   

Additionally, you can use the power of the internet to narrow your search for a local vendor who can handle your artistic needs.  Remember, if you’d like to gain as much exposure as possible for your art, prints might be just the answer you’ve been looking for.

I’m finding one the biggest pitfalls of artists with talent, is there are too many artists who are grounded when it comes to selling their work online.  Like any good marketing guru, I choose to focus on the artists who have chosen to represent themselves through online marketing-the internet.

There’s a lot of information to devour before you really start to enjoy the benefits of selling your work online.  Some of you may have a simple profile page, while others may have a full-blown website.  I can tell you the following with a  great degree of confidence.  If you don’t take the time to understand all the nuances of developing an effective online presence, your work will never gain the exposure and recognition it deserves.

Think about it!  There’s a slight overwhelming feeling that no matter how much time you spend on your art, it might never get the exposure you covet.  There are thousands of artists like yourself that have an inner feeling of frustration!  The cause isn’t hard to fathom. You’re frustrated because you haven’t figured out the mystery of the internet. You haven’t put all the pieces together yet that allows you to comprehend the “impact” of what happens when artistic talent is merged with web savviness.

My goal is to help you find that perfect balance!  It’s a worthy journey, and achieving that balance will give you a great deal of fresh insight.  And insight-will lend itself to a wonderful new emergence of artistic creativity.

Just imagine!  What would it feel like to sell your art all over the world!  Trust me, it can be done.  Armed with the right knowledge and understanding of how website traffic is generated, you’ll be able to position your website in higher search engine rankings.  And, correct me if I’m wrong.  The purpose of being an artist is: both to express creativity-and to make a comfortable living as well.

Getting your talent in front of a world audience, or if you choose, a particular geographical location, can be the difference between success or failure as an artist.

Stay with me, and enjoy the journey.

‘Style’ is that ‘something’ that defines you, no matter what the subject of the painting is. It enables someone looking at a painting to know that it’s your work. Galleries, in particular, look to display the work of artists’ who have developed their own unique style.

Given the wide range of options, it’s a challenge for many artists to decide what their painting style is. Style is something that is developed over time, and honed as you journey through life as an artist. For example, an artist can start out in impressionism, and ending up painting in realism; and then make the transition to expressionism later on. or, you advance the approach of being a little bit of everything.

 Markets have a strong pull on the style that an artist will create. And, while it’s recommended to create in the medium you love, it’s also prudent to understand the art market well enough to make a comfortable living from it. You’ll often be required to create a balance between the style in which you prefer to paint, and what the public wants to see and own. Art in this aspect is like any other business—provide a product the people want.

One thing is for certain: The longer you explore your artistic creativity, the better you will become at mastering its intricacies and challenges. This will cause you to look very closely at the elements of your craft; and the amount of knowledge you can learn becomes quite amazing.

Style emerges of its own volition, and may not emerge until you’ve done a considerable number of paintings. Painting will help you to develop a unique style! There comes a time when imagination and experience merge into something that enhances the ability to create a very unique painting style.

Success, as you well know, means having the correct mindset along with the right behavioral patterns. It never hurts to revisit the things we know in life that work and universally true. I make it a habit to never assume I’ve read or heard it all. This keeps me open to seeing an entirely new angle on the things I already know.

Successful people, no matter what their profession, all share a set of common personality characteristics. You can set the candence of your life by the following traits of successful people.

1. Successful people make it a habit to dream big.

The “big picture” is always on the minds of a successful individual. You’ve heard it a thousand times before! It takes the same amount of energy to dream big as it does to dream small.

2. Successful people have passion.

You won’t find a successful person who isn’t passionate about their field of expertise. They rise to the challenge—and they do it with style. Things are never done half way. They believe that you must “Do what you love”, and “Love what you do” in order to maintain success.

3. Successful people have strong vision and a clear focus.

These are the people that understand the current trends of their profession. Learning new things is second nature. They love to read, attend lectures, and network withing their communities. In short, they do everything possible to stay at the pinnacle of their game.

4. Successful people cultivate and nurture strong positive beliefs.

They believe in themselves, and more importantly—they believe in the success of others. It’s a common belief in this group of people that success is something that is “deserved”. They don’t waver, because they know the universe will pick up on the equivocation and manifiest their deepest held beliefs.

5. Successful people “live” by the law of attraction.

They have a closer walk with spirituality than most people. They know that the universe will return to them what they express outwardly, and that this is a law that is as old as the universe itself.

6. Successful people never give up.

Perhaps this is the most noble trait and ongoing result of success. They never, ever, give up. They have an inner conviction that success is just around the corner.

These traits aren’t impossible to come by, and if you can apply them in your lives with the spirit of conviction, your success as an artist is all but guaranteed.

Why It’s Important to Personally Take Charge of Your Art Career

You can be one of the best artists on the scene today, but if you’re not serious about the “business” of art, then you’re not likely going to find the success or recognition you deserve. Most artists cannot afford to hire a marketing manager to take care of the important business details.  Success, means that you’re more than likely going to handle the important details yourself.  This means finding a business system that works.

Use the interent and build a powerful presence

The web has been a personal launching pad for many careers, and when you’re looking to enter and make an impact in an industry, the internet can be your best friend.  This is a major way of building your own individual brand and improving your prospect base and perceived worth. 

Your goal should be to develop visibility and industry connections.  If people are going to talk about you, they need to know that you exist. The web is where you can create an effective persona.  Understanding how to gain visiblity on the internet will help you to forge the solid relationships that success demands.

1. Create a blog or a portfolio website.

A blog can help you share your niche topic, and you can also include a page for your resume and portfolio.  Establishing this kind of home base can be in the form of a simple blog or a static site that offers a bio, resume, portfolio, and contact information.  A well-written blog has the benefit of driving traffic to a website.

2. Find the right social communities to join.

You should take your time in this effort.  Finding the right communities to join and particpate in can drive a lot of traffic to your site over time. Your list should target the well-populated social media networks, blogs, and social news sites.  A thorough internet search should yield any number of good results.  Create a “participation” schedule where you can contribute to the online community by commenting, submitting stories, and engaging in discussions etc.

3.  Identify and specialize in your niche topic/s

Write and lecture on the art topics you want to be identified as an authority on.  Continued association of your brand in a specific field will help to develop your reputation as an enthusiast—and in time—an expert.