Helping Artists Succeed!

Helping Artists Succeed!

News, The Flourishing Artist
Creating a Niche Market for your art. While in Lansing MI a couple of weeks ago, and before heading down to St. Louis, I had the honor of facilitating a workshop for a dozen extremely talented local artists. I am an affiliate member of a wonderful arts administration firm based in Lansing called Opportunity Arts LLC, and the founder of this organization, Mike Mariott, organized the event. The workshop took place at the famous Lansing heritage landmark, Turner-Dodge House, and the theme was how to create a niche market for ones art. I also gave tips regarding how to making your living as an artist as well as creating consistent reliable income as a career artist. What a great group of artists, all with their own creative skills and diverse…
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New Project to Help Artists Flourish

New Project to Help Artists Flourish

News, The Flourishing Artist
Why not make your living from your art?   While the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the world in unprecedented ways, one of the hardest hit sectors is the global arts community.  Museums had to close their doors. Concerts, art festivals and individual shows which so many artists rely on, were suddenly cancelled. Regrettably the end is not in sight. Not only am I fortunate to work mainly from home, but by increasing my marketing efforts I continued to receive commission requests for my architectural art from around the country. After achieved my goal of creating paintings of homes and historic buildings in all 50 states, I used the lockdown period to compile a coffee table book which documents that journey. However, my heart aches for fellow artists who have not fared…
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Announcing my next Flourishing Artist Workshop!

Announcing my next Flourishing Artist Workshop!

News, The Flourishing Artist
  Flourishing Artist Workshop Sunday October 7 at my studio in Clearwater After working professionally as an artist for many years, and knowing the struggles of other artists, I started my Flourishing Artist Workshops in Los Angeles three years ago to offer my help. Due to their success, I began holding local workshops wherever my studio was based, which is currently in Clearwater FL. Workshop Purpose:  To help visual artists to find success and take positive action to make their living from their art. “Starving artist” myths abound and while it is not always easy, it is possible and there are solutions. Focus of this workshop: The basic actions that are the foundation to making one’s living from one’s art. How to find and establish a niche market for your art. Meeting with…
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Finding a Niche Market for your Art

Finding a Niche Market for your Art

The Flourishing Artist
 Finding that perfect niche market to sell you art is not difficult as long as you are willing to do some soul searching along with thorough research.  Following that you have to be willing to actually implement actions and there is always a certain amount of trial and error involved with this.   For best results, approach finding your niche market in a professional and methodical manner and most importantly, record in writing the answers to the questions below. You can then use this information to formulate an overall plan per step 6.  1. What is your purpose? Think about what is the purpose of your artwork.  Most people need and want to make money -- obviously. But beyond that, what do you want to achieve with your art?  Do you want…
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Re-implementing my Flourishing Artist Workshops in Florida!

Re-implementing my Flourishing Artist Workshops in Florida!

The Flourishing Artist
Invitation to artists wanting to make their living from their art! Now that I am established in my new studio here in Clearwater, FL, I am re-implementing my monthly Flourishing Artist Workshops to help other artists to find success and make their living from their art. I personally don’t believe in the starving artist theory and while it is not always easy, there are solutions. I am joining forces with Jennie Peart, another professional artist in the Tampa Bay area, to offer tips, guidance and artist community networking.  There will be other professional artists speaking in the coming months who have expertise in different artistic fields. The workshops are interactive and relaxed. The artists who organize and speak at these workshops will give their time freely, with the sole purpose…
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19 Ways to Promote and Sell Your Art

19 Ways to Promote and Sell Your Art

The Flourishing Artist
I realize that suddenly dumping your day job and making your living solely from your art may seem daunting. So where do you start? Being that so many artists ask me what promotional actions they should take, I have listed out some really basic ones below. These are all actions that I took to get my art career up and running. They mainly apply to visual artists, but can be adapted for any artist who is starting out. Even if you are currently doing your art as a part time hobby while juggling a 9 – 5 job, make a START on these actions and you can build on them from there. This list includes promotional actions within your local community as well as much broader on-line actions. Both are…
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The Joy of Creating!

The Joy of Creating!

The Flourishing Artist
Much has been said about art and creativity. People often tell me how lucky I am “to be born with creative talent” and how they wish they were also “a creative person” . Let me dispel this false idea on creativity. Let’s look at the definition of the word “create” as per the Meriam-Webster Dictionary: a. to produce through imaginative skill b. to bring into existence My point is that we are ALL capable of using our imagination and creating something as a result! Whether it’s making a delicious meal, a beautiful garden, a knitted sweater or a new dance step, each of these creations is as unique as the person creating it! So let’s get back to making a living from your art. The first step is to use…
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The Flourishing Artist

The Flourishing Artist

The Flourishing Artist
Yes, you can become one! At a time in my life where many people are thinking of future retirement plans, I decided to pick up my art career where it left off - three decades earlier - and make my living solely from my art. Fast forward to now, five years later, I have a thriving original art business and around 700 clients across 41 states in the USA. I keep my own schedule, travel extensively, work on projects I am passionate about that help others, have sales reps on both the west and east coasts, and have so much work I can’t keep up with it. How did I do it? Here is where my story begins. At 17, nearing the end of high school, I was thoroughly sick…
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