Blog Triage - HW 1 - Desperately Seeking Art-Loving Readers

Since the birth of my blog, "Art Making is a Journey" in January 2009, it has grown into the spirited and precocious toddler.

It has changed from a place to share my artwork and journey as an emerging artist to a place that I can connect with artists and readers from all over the world.

It is a visual and written representation of what is in my head, my heart and what is being created with my hands. It is a necessary and exciting part of my own creative process.

But it wouldn't have grown to this without you.

My readers (frequent or first-timers) help me to define what it is that I write about.

When people email me asking about encaustic techniques or set-up, I know it is because of posts on this blog. I love to share my knowledge with others, and this blog has become my platform.

Yet, sometimes it is neglected. ::Cough, Cough:: Even sick. Ignored. Needing medical attention...

So to help revitilize my blog's health, I have signed up for the online "Blog Triage" class taught by Art Biz Coach Alyson B. Stanfield and Original Impulse/Journey Juju Cynthia Morris.

I have been reading Alyson and Cynthia's blogs since the birth of my blog, so I feel like I know them personally. They are doctors who know the secrets to a healthy blog.

Our "Homework" for this class will be completing assignments on our blog. I hope by sharing this that you will be inspired to check the pulse of your own blog. Here is part 1 of Homework 1.
__________________________________

Blog Triage - Homework 1, part 1 - Describe your ideal readers

Desperately Seeking Art-Loving Readers

You:

• Highly interested in Encaustic (hot beeswax painting) and want to know more about it

• Has a sense of humor!
• Love to look at and/or make art
• Lifetime learner and seeker of knowledge
• Enjoy reading about the creative process
• Visually stimulated
• Loves process art and experimentation
  
• Cares about contemporary art
• Can be artist working in any medium
• Can be a student, retiree, working person, male or female (or cat), physical appearance does not matter
• Hardworking and dedicated to the creative process
• Wants to learn more about how to market your art
• Interested in Feminism, Conceptualism, Post-Modernism, and other Art History-isms
• Understanding if I ramble and change topics
• Willing to support an "unknown," emerging artist

Preference: Living in San Diego area, CA, but open to other areas of the country/world

Enjoy reading blogs and social networking a plus, but not necessary

Me:

• Emerging, Mixed media and Encaustic artist

• Loves to share and promote Encaustic paintings and sculpture
  
• Hardworking and dedicated student and mother
• Loves to write about process art
• Tends to write excessively about own life - even the "bad" stuff
• Takes lots of in progress pictures
• Needs to blog as part of the creative process
• Lover of knowledge, with a tad bit of nerdiness
• Needs to teach and share that knowledge with others
• Cannot resist sharing on Social Networking sites
• Very interested in Conceptualism, Feminism and Art-isms yet to be named
• Supports other artists
• Tends to talk too much and change subject at will

Looking for long-term relationship with multiple readers.
Let's get together and share this love of art! Will you be my reader?

No application needed - just read and enjoy.

Feeling moved to reach out and connect with me? I am always available to respond to your comments and email.

Thanks for sharing in this journey with me, however long you have been here!

Until next time; Happy Art-making! ~ Jaime Lyerly

Join me at the 2010 smARTist Telesummit in January 2010. Take the leap to the next level in your art career!

Happy Holidays everyone!

I have been waiting to send out this information about the 2010 smARTist Telesummit until after Christmas, but the offer below is too wonderful to wait. So you will get my testimony and plug for this awesome event now while you are in the frenzy of holiday preparations. Don't worry; I won't take up too much of your time!

The 2009 smARTist Telesummit launched my art career last January. I found out about it through the Art Biz Coach, Alyson Stanfield, since she was one of the Keynote Speakers.

I had just started reading her book "I'd rather be in the Studio," and was decompressing from another long and grueling college semester. But the timing was right for me. The smARTist Telesummit is in between my Fall semester and the start of Spring semester. I would actually have time to process this information. What a better way to start of the year than to focus on the beginning of my art career?

The 2009 smARTist motto was:

Get Clear.
Make A Plan.
Inspire The World
With Your Art.

Get clear? That I needed to do. Make a plan? Yeah, I guess I need one of those...and Inspire the World with you Art- that sounds right up my alley!

I was hooked. The only obstacle was the cost. The smARTist telesummit is a hefty price for a self-supporting student and mother to afford. But smARTist offered a 100% money back guarantee. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

So I signed up for the smARtist Telesummit and was amazed on how much information could be crammed into these 1 hour phone call/recordings. You "attend" the conference by either calling into a special phone number during a certain time or downloading an MP3 recording and listening later. There are handouts to download and print out, and a members only discussion board where you can ask questions of Ariane (the facilitator), connect with other participates or just gush about the wonderfulness of the presentation.

After just a few days of listening to the recordings, I learned so much about social networking that I hopped right into Facebook, Twitter and Blogging. I am pretty tech-savvy so this part was easy. Plus there were handouts to tell exactly how to do it all. Then I started on the more difficult items, such as making a plan for my art business. Since this conference is meant for people of all stages of their career, there is lots of information that I am not quite ready to implement (such as getting corporate sponsors for your work). As the school year started for me again, I was prepared to maintain and enhance my sprouting artist career while tackling my classes. If you want to know all that I accomplished this year, check out my post Celebrate your Accomplishments for 2009.

Long story short - the smARTist Telesummit is amazing and worth every penny - for ANY STAGE of your Art Career.

2010 smARTist Telesummit is this motto:
Focus, Facts and Fabulous Art
Get Recognized,
Exhibited,
and Paid what you Deserve!

Check out the pre-event recordings to hear what this is all about. Right click and open this in a separate tab to check it out and then come back here to register using my affiliate link.

http://smartist.com/live-telesummit/pre-event/recordings/

Now for what would drive me to send out this information now! This is a steal! I really wish I would have paid for this upgrade last year so that I could have the transcript recordings. But if you act now, you get this upgrade for FREE! Crazy, I know.

For the next 48 hours (until midnight Dec. 24th PST/CA), or up to 50 registrations, you can get all 3 upgrades ($97 value) for the price of a standard registration for the live 7-day conference:

* A COMPLETE SET OF WRITTEN TELESUMMIT TRANSCRIPTS-all 14 Sessions

Download immediately to your computer. Print. Read. Highlight.
2 MasterMind Panel Days, and 12 Keynote Speaker Presentations.

* Ariane’s "STAY-ON-TRACK" GROUP COACHING PROGRAM

A unique 15-day, "Stay-On-Track" group coaching program, to help you get results before the dust settles. Ariane will be your personal guide to help you
1) identify the holes in your career before the event, and then
2) create your post-event action plan to fill in those holes.

* ACCESS to SPECIAL PLATINUM MEMBER'S ONLY FORUM
Enjoy special access to a Platinum Members' Only Forum where you can dialogue directly with Art Career coach, Ariane, and chat with other artists about how they are using the "Stay-on-Track" Program to get the most out of the conference.

Step 1: Click here to register (please use this link, since it is my affiliate link):
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=887631

Step 2: After you choose to upgrade, type (or copy/paste) this code in the Coupon Code Box and click "apply" to get all 3 upgrades immediately: 2010UPGRADE

Then, let the wild January rumpus begin, where your art career gets all the attention.

PS: Registration is open for the 7-day conference in January, and for a limited time you can choose to pay over 3 installments:

Click Here >
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=887631

Feel free to email me with any questions you have about last year's smARTist Telesummit. It was really life changing. You owe it to yourself to at least check out this conference.

Happy Holidays! I look forward to seeing all that you can accomplish this next year! ~ Jaime Lyerly

Celebrate Your Accomplishments for 2009

Picture of me stamping my travel journal at Himeji Castle in Japan.
To be able to go to Japan was a HUGE accomplishment; one that I still am not sure how to put into words.

Since it is finals week at SDSU, I am rushed to finish everything I started and study for those big tests. Yet, I already feel the tension and pressure lessening each time I turn in a project, take a test or finish a paper. College classes will be over in three days for me, and I am READY FOR A BREAK! I can finally focus on my art and enjoy life for a month before the madness of classes starts again at the end of January. Until then, let's talk about celebrating this year in a truly artistic way.

The Art Marketing action tip from the Art Biz Coach Alyson Stanfield this week is one that I am ready to start now and try to finish up by the end of the year.It is all about celebrating your accomplishments.

I am fond of bubbling to my friends, co-workers and other students about what I am doing now and my accomplishments. I have been know to jump up and down with excitement. I blog, twitter, post status updates on Facebook and pictures of work in progress on my fan page. Yet, I don't take time to celebrate my accomplishments for the year. I have made a huge jump this year into the art world, and know that is would be a great time to start writing my accomplishments down!

Check out this post (right click and open in a new tab).

Art Marketing Action Podcast: Celebrate Your Accomplishments

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Here is the start of my accomplishment list for this year:

Started and maintained a blog
Got into my first juried show, Women's Caucus for Art "Herstory" at the Women's History Museum
Participated in the Women's Caucus for Art member invitation at Queen Bee's (formerly 8teen Art and Cultural Center)
Started in the world of social networking
Participated in the smARTist Telesummit 2009
Got hooked on the Art Biz Coach's blog and book, "I'd Rather Be in the Studio"
Featured article in SDSU's Daily Aztec
One of the featured artists in an article on Encaustic by America Creates
Participated in an Encaustic workshop at the San Diego Art Department
Participated in Artist Trading Card Workshop (ATC) at Escondido Municipal Gallery
Initiated into SDSU's Mortar Board Senior Honor Society
Won a scholarship from CSEA - GCCCD union employee scholarship
Won a scholarship from Mortar Board for outstanding community service
Won a scholarship from the Junko Koike for study abroad in Japan
Won a scholarship from Fu Foundation as the 2009 Fu Scholar for study abroad in China and Japan
Participated in a two week study abroad tour to China and Japan
Took Japanese I with Dr. Higurashi at SDSU (hardest academic class I have taken)
Took Beginning Woodworking and Furniture Design at SDSU with Wendy Maruyama (hardest studio class I have taken)
Took Handbuilt Ceramics with Joanne Hayakawa at SDSU
Took Figure Drawing with Jeanne Dunn at SDSU
Took Intermediate Sculpture with Richard Keely at SDSU
Took Figure Sculpture with Jesus Dominguez at Grossmont
Taught Beginning Encaustic Workshop at Escondido Municipal Gallery
Taught Encaustic Technique Workshop at the San Diego Women's Caucus for Art Annual Retreat
Learned more about and experimented with 3-D encaustic sculpture
Developed "micro-movement" type art projects called Art Actions
Visited Luis de Jesus Seminal Projects Gallery
Visited Escondido Municipal Gallery
Visited the Buddhist Center of San Diego for their annual Food and Music Festival
Participated in monthly San Diego Women's Drum Circle
Participated in Drumming and Movement Workshop (uncomfortable but made me grow)
Participated in Family Constellation Workshop (uncomfortable but made me grow)
Participated in the Stone Soup Challenge
Participated in a collaborative mail art project (tried and failed at this by holding everyone's pieces too long)
Started a mailing list (although I still haven't sent out any newsletters)
Investigated different art file management programs
Got a person art website (template) and actually put something on it!
Got more involved with the San Diego Women's Caucus for Art
Started blogging for the SD/WCA
Transitioning into being President of the SD/WCA for 2010
Re-joined the San Diego Writers Ink
Joined the International Sculpture Center
Joined the Encaustic Ning and Owning Pink Ning
Found awesome sites for growth and creativity Owning Pink and Journey Juju
Read more SARK online
Subscribed to Art News, Art in America, Works and Conversations and Sculptural Pursuit Magazines
Read and bought issues of Stampington Co: Somerset Workshop, Artful Blogging, Art Journaling, and Cloth, Paper, Scissors
Submitted art to Women Made Gallery juried show (did not get in)
Made an online tutorial/demo for Encaustic Monoprints
Made new business cards featuring my current art on them
Made connections (in person or online) with artists Lisa Bebi, Renee Richetts, Helen Redman, Gray Gray-Adams, Thea Haubrich, Lissa Rankin, Ellie Benfatti, Cynthia Morris, Lincoln Maynard and many more
Was able to honor artist/professor David Fobes at the Mortar Board Faculty/Staff Appreciation Dinner
Submitted art for the Featured Artist section of the National Women's Caucus for Art
Attended lecture by Janet Koplos (check out my essay "Redefining Craft" on this talk here)
Attended Visiting Artist talk by Tom Loeser
Attended Visiting Artist talk by Virginia Scotchie
Saw shows by SDSU student work
Saw SDSU gallery show "Animalkind"
Saw SDSU faculty show
Tried wood carving, stamp carving, watercolor crayons, assemblage, intuitive knitting, oil pastel over magazine collage, art journaling, encaustic on photographs, encaustic on 3-d forms, oil sticks, encaustic on board and fabric and working in plywood.
Wrote a blog post "100 Contemporary Artists you need to know, NOW"

and the single best thing to happen to my art career in 2009 is that it started! I am finally getting my work out for other people to see. I am still developing a solid portfolio, connections with others, and ways to show my art, but I got a firey start on this year by attending the online smARTist telesummit and reading the Art Biz articles and books.

Thank you to everyone who supported me in this fabulous year. It is never easy, but it takes each of you who helped me in some way with a kind word, a critique or an opportunity. I am looking forward to great next year with a much longer list of accomplishments!

Your Turn:

What is your list? This is what I could think of in a hour. I could probably do more over time. A year goes by very fast (and seems to get faster as we age), but what are your accomplishments. Post a comment here to let us know or just spill it into your journal or blog post. Either way, make sure you honor your busy year with a toast to your attempts and successes!

Happy art making! Enjoy your holidays! ~ Jaime Lyerly

Gratitude Time and Affirmation for Artists Video from Art Biz Coach

As the holiday season hits us, I am doing my best to stay grounded and relaxed in my highly stressful schedule. Thanksgiving is this week, and it seems to be the only time of the year that I think about the blessings in my life. Art Biz Coach Alyson Stanfield reminds us today in her Art Biz blog post on what she is grateful for and how to "exercise your gratitude muscle."

Here is a snip from her blog post from last year called: "Exercise your gratitude muscle"

"Taking the time to practice gratitude isn’t a bunch of hooey. It’s a must for everyone trying to build relationships and an art career. Try it.

I’ve witnessed the magic of a sincere Thank You over and over again! ( Additional resource: See Action 10 in I’d Rather Be in the Studio! for more about following up with people. )

KNOW THIS———-~> Practicing sincere gratitude opens you up to receiving even more abundance.

THINK ABOUT THIS—~> When is the last time you wrote a thank-you note?

DO THIS————~> Exercise your gratitude muscle. Identify your weak points from the four items above and decide what you will work on. Do you think maybe you could send 5 thank-you notes a week for the next month? Or write your gratitudes in your journal every day for 28 days? Challenge yourself and start right now.

Tell us how you practice sincere gratitude and listen to the podcast on the Art Biz Blog. For the last few days I’ve been posting about gratitude there and more is coming up. "

Since I am so unpracticed at exercising my "gratitude muscle," I'll give you one line about that I know is true:
I am thankful for all the wonderful and supportive artists that read my blog and interact with me on Facebook and Twitter. Sharing my art and life with you has been a joy.

Here is a gift to you from the Art Biz Coach which goes with gratitude like apple pie and vanilla ice cream. Check out the Affirmation for Artists Video: http://artbizcoach.com/affirmations/
Embedded video (will not view in Facebook, so check it out on my blog post)


Your Turn:
What are you grateful for? Are you exercising your "gratitude muscle" everyday? How about in your art career? Are you one of those amazing people who actually sends hand written Thank You notes? I am not yet... Take a quick moment to comment on this post and I will be very grateful!

Happy art making! ~ Jaime Lyerly

Promoting Your Art in Today's Economy - Workshop in San Francisco by Art Biz Coach

Artists - If you are in the San Francisco area and are ready to take your art career to the next level, then this workshop by Art Biz Coach Alyson B. Stanfield is for you! Check out the details below.

PROMOTING YOUR ART IN TODAY’S ECONOMY
[ Even if You’d Rather Be in the Studio! ]

A No-Excuses Art-Marketing Workshop in San Francisco
with Alyson B. Stanfield of ArtBizCoach.com and ArtBizBlog.com

Saturday, November 14
9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Sponsored by the Artists Guild of San Francisco

- - > BONUS GIFTS FOR ALL WHO REGISTER
BY OCTOBER 15 < - - Read the details and register
right now: http://artbizcoach.com/freegifts

You'll learn how to:

*Differentiate yourself with your artist statement
*Organize, expand, and use your mailing list
*Put together first-class marketing materials
*The do’s and don’ts of artist websites
*Five email secrets that produce results
*Why you need a blog and how to get started
*Approach galleries without fear

Just $75 until October 15.

A link to registration and all of the details about the workshop
and free bonus gifts can be found here:
http://artbizcoach.com/freegifts

Remember to register by October 15 to save a little
and get the bonuses.

Don't miss out on this chance!
Happy Art Making! ~ Jaime Lyerly

Art Marketing Action: Resist the urge to be The Fixer

I am swamped with my own projects/classes right now, and having difficulties finding time to do anything but the bare minimum for my classes, work and life in general. But again, I couldn't resist sharing these wonderful Art Marketing Action tips from the Art Biz Coach.

This one calls out to me as loudly because I admit - I am "The Fixer."

Art projects, Writing, Resumes, Blogs, Motivation, and everything in between; I will try to help. I don't even need to be asked, I WANT to help. But if the person is not ready, all it does is make me stretch my time thin and the person's life/art/whatever I am trying to "fix" stays exactly the same as it was before. So I am going to try my best to Resist the urge to be "The Fixer."

Art Marketing Action: Resist the urge to be The Fixer

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Check out this article and let me know what you think. I promise not to try to "fix" you.

I hope to have my life balanced a little more evenly soon. Then I can get some real blog posts and in progress pictures up.

Until then, Happy Art-making! ~ Jaime Lyerly

Encaustic Sculpture & Art Marketing Action: Get your art out of the studio

3-D encaustic sculpture, detail view, © 2009 Jaime Lyerly
To see more of these encaustic sculptures, click on the link.

As I face another busy day today of work, classes, art and family, I have to share this article from the Art Biz Coach that, again, reminds me to get those pieces collecting dust out of the house.

As for putting this action tip into practice, I am working on it! I just submitted to the Women Made Gallery last week for a encaustic show in November. I also am going to submit to the Conrad Wilde Gallery for their 12 X 12 inch painting show (deadline is October 1, 2009). Locally, I am working on getting a space in one of the galleries at SDSU with two fantastic and innovative artists, Debra London and Julie Kitterman, for at least a few days. We are submitting a proposal, images and a group artist statement, which will go through a committee to decide if we are gallery-worthy. Wish me luck!

The image above is for a particular set of 3-D encaustic sculptures that I would love to get out into the public eye. Unfortunately, the fact that they should be viewed in a darkened room with a strong spot light where you can see the cast shadows limits where they can be viewed. If I can get the group show that we are proposing, then they will be shown there because we will be curating the show ourselves. Other than that, I would need a solo show - which is not yet going to happen. So, these will have to collect dust for a little while longer. How about your art?

Here is the article that you need to read:

Art Marketing Action: Get your art out of the studio

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Your Turn:
How about you? Any shows that you are applying for or places that you are arranging to show your art? Anything unconventional counts too - coffee shops, doctor's offices or friends' houses. I would love to hear it and celebrate your successes!

Happy Art-making! ~ Jaime Lyerly

Art Marketing Action: Believe - from Art Biz Coach

If self-doubt about your art (and therefore yourself as an artist) plagues you frequently, check out this week's Art Marketing Action from Art Biz Coach Alyson Stanfield.

Art Marketing Action: Believe

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I would love to know what you think about this article. Leave a comment here to share with us all.

Happy Art-making! ~ Jaime Lyerly

P.S. More in progress photos to come of my current projects for the college classes I am taking. One is a full sized male head in red clay and the other is carved wood. They are not anywhere close to being done, but it is fun to show you what has been happening the last two weeks in my own art world.

First 4 steps toward selling your art - from the Art Biz Coach

For those of you who not my Twitter follower or Facebook friend or fan, you may have missed all my posts about these steps. So, I present to you the Art Biz Coach Alyson Stanfield's "First 4 steps toward selling your art." They are wonderful and a great reminder that it takes more than just work in the studio to make it as an artist.

It is because of the Art Biz Coach's book "I'd rather be in the studio" and newsletter that I even started my blog and all this social networking. Knowing the steps and learning how to follow through with them is a must for artists at all stages of the game.

Here are the steps:

Step #1 is Devote yourself completely to a studio practice

Step #2 is Create your mailing list

Step #3 is Connect with other artists

Step #4 is Start writing about your art (and never stop)

I have steps #3 and #4 down. I love to write, blog, tweet, and connect with other artists. I write for my own blog, Art Making is a Journey and the Women's Caucus for Art Blog. It is even more fun to write about other artists than my own work. Over the past year, I have written about other artists such as Lisa Bebi, David Fobes, May-Ling Martinez, and events such as the workshops at the Escondido Municipal Gallery, the Women's History Museum's "Herstory" show, and Dance, Vocal and Drum Workshop led by Kat Fulton and Draza Jansky. Granted, most of these events I was somehow involved in, but what better way to write about something than to experience it firsthand?

Step #1 is simple, yet hard to manage. Devoted studio time. Do I have that? I spend lots of time making art, but I recently have been making art in hours of creative energy. When my college classes start again at the end of the month, I will be back on a normal routine of making art almost everyday. Then I will be back to devoted studio time.

Step #2 is the most difficult for me. I am just starting my mailing list, but am not sure which is the best service to use. I signed up for a free trial of Constant Contact email marketing service. I also have downloaded a free trial of Flick! which is a program to manage my art and my contacts in the same place (more information about software programs for artists on the Art Biz Coach Blog). I want to be able to send out art newsletters to announce my art and pass along the great information that I find on the web. If you want to be on my email list, please fill in the box on the right of blog post. Yet, I am still confused on which comes first. Do you have any tips?

So check out these first steps, and let me know what you think. If you have any tips on software programs, email programs or keeping up with studio practice, I would love to hear about it. Put it in the comments here to share with everyone.

Until then, Happy Art-Making! ~ Jaime Lyerly

Using Other Artists' Images on your Blog

"Ritualistic Goddess Worship" - acrylic on canvas
© 2005 Chris Miner

Alyson Stanfield's Art Biz Coach Blog gives you another golden article for anyone who promotes other artist's work (like me!) It is really hard to know where the line is between copyright infringement and promoting another artist's work by featuring in your blog, newsletter or website. Here is a link to the article:

Using other artists’ images on your blog

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The way I usually do it depends on my relationship to the person. If I think that the person will be receptive, I write up the blog post with the low resolution pictures (taken from their website or blog), and then email the person with a link to the blog post. I let them know that I can change or delete anything that they want. If I don't really know the person well or think that they may object, I will email for permission first. I love how the article tells you to make sure you credit yourself, also. I sometimes forget that others who come across my images may not have know they come from this blog.

Your turn:
Check out the article, then come back here and let me know how you do it! Do you feature other artists on your blog or do you think it is too tricky to do? I am looking for more artists to feature, too! Are you interested? Let me know via email or in the comments here.

Happy Art-Making! ~ Jaime Lyerly

Try Twitter - for Artists

For those of you who haven't figured it out yet, I love Twitter.

Sometimes it makes me angry (like when it suspended my account for suspicious activity yesterday - all fixed now); sometimes sucks away all my time; and sometimes I wonder why I am still on it. But most of the time I find it to be a effective tool to promoting my art, blog, workshops and other art related activities. You can too!

Check out this article Try Twitter by Art Biz Coach Alyson Stanfield. While you are there you can subscribe to her weekly Art Biz Coach newsletters which come every Monday.

I know you are saying to yourself "but I already have a Facebook account, why do I need Twitter?" Facebook is wonderful, but it can be overwhelming with pictures, applications, "friends" from high school and many more things. Twitter strips it down to the bare bones. Read a "tweet" (post) or make a tweet yourself.

Sure, you can get fancy and post pictures on Twitter. But in general, it is a simple way to make connections with people who have similar interests and may be interested in your art. I have found some of the best artists and connections through Twitter - and then I found them on Facebook!

Try Twitter. It is a tool for your art. Use it.

When you get on Twitter, come follow me! Send me a tweet or question by typing @jaimelyerly I will help you make sense of it all!

Happy Art Making! Jaime Lyerly

Artists - Design your PowerPoint presentation

photo (c) Freefoto.com

Isn't great when the information you need falls into your lap right when you need it? Talk about synchronicity, energy, attraction or whatever - it happens all the time.

My connection today is has to do with my Japan and China Study Tour scheduled for this summer. Although the trip is not going to include studio time like I had originally thought, we are still going to visit two art colleges, one in China and one in Japan. Now to the exciting news...

I have volunteered to give a presentation of my art a group of about 50 students at a university in Japan! It is a great opportunity for me.

I am so excited to present my art to a captive and international audience. Public speaking is hard for me, and I am not sure how the language barrier will be addressed. Will there be an interpreter? Do I need to calculate my presentation time and speech to include this interpretation? Are they going to be culturally offended by my artistic nudes? Are all the students going to be studio art majors? Will there be time for questions? These questions lead back to presentation itself.

Enter the synchronicity! The article waiting for me in my inbox today is called Design your PowerPoint presentation from Alyson Stanfield, the Art Biz Coach. This post reminded me that 1. Start working on my presentation NOW, 2. Text on the slides will just distract them from my art, and 3. Practice, practice, practice my speech so I won't be so nervous. Wonderful! Please check it out.

For artists who are not in the know yet, let me enlighten you to the power of the Art Biz Coach. Alyson Stanfield's Art Biz Coach newsletter, blog, and book "I'd rather be in the studio!" are amazing resources for artists who are marketing themselves. The newsletter comes every Monday and is brilliant start your week. It will help you promote your art, figure out why you need to blog, and help you make your time out of the studio more productive. It kicks me into gear to promote myself, and reminds me why I started my blog - to connect with other artists! If you haven't noticed, most of my blog posts are written on Monday. Guess why? You got it!

So now that I have turned you on to the Art Biz Coach's fabulousness, you can help me with my "Your turn" section! I love hearing from you super-talented and super-helpful artists!

Your Turn: What do you do to prepare for a presentation of your art via PowerPoint? Is there something in Alyson's article that you don't agree with (bullet points, perhaps)? Anyone ever had to deal with a language and cultural barrier when preparing and giving a presentation?

Until next time, happy art-making! Enjoy the journey! ~ Jaime