You C.A.N. Do It!

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always dream, dreamer, dreams, girls, goals, healthy living, inspiration, inspirational, inspirational quotes, spirit, spirituality, women

Inspirational Art

You Can Do It

Sharon Cummings

2015

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http://fineartamerica.com/featured/inspirational-art-you-can-do-it-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

From H.U.M.B.L.E. Beginnings….

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art, Artist, artwork, blessings, blue art, career, career change, contemporary art, eBay, encouragement, faabest, goals, hope, modern art, painting, paintings, sharon cummings, Sleeping Beauty, tampa artist

Since this week has been dedicated to artwork of the past, I thought I’d share a little about the history of my online art sales.  I have always been an artist.  But I have only been creating professionally for about 12 years.  Before my career transition, I was a personal trainer, kick boxing instructor and nutritional consultant.  I enjoyed working with people and inspiring them to make healthy choices in their lives.  It was very rewarding and I had no plans to do anything else.  However, a nasty fall that broke my left foot and a car accident that left my shoulders and neck in disarray provided me with an opportunity to choose something different.  It took my body about 3 months to heal enough to even consider working again, but what happened next proved to be the best healing of all.

When I graduated from high school, I wanted to be a writer, but art seemed like a more viable option.  I couldn’t have been more wrong “at the time.”  I signed up for art school with the excitement and delusion of youth.  I worked hard and did well.  With a degree in hand and a few interviews under my belt, I soon realized that there was no money in art “at the time” so I put my dreams on the shelf and pursued other ventures.

It’s funny how a tragedy like a car accident can sometimes lead to something wonderful in your life.  That is exactly what happened to me.  I was broke, disabled and too stubborn to take financial aid.  Then my husband asked me if I could just find a way to make 1000 per month so we could pay our bills.  Personal training was off the table as my body has never been the same since my injuries.  One night while searching the Internet for inexpensive business clothing, I discovered something that I had never even considered.  People were selling their art Online!  I was pumped because I knew it was something I could do with hard work and perseverance.  I had been there and done that already.  So I got that old dream off of the shelf and got going!

This piece above titled “Sleeping Beauty” is the very first painting that I listed for sale Online.  It sold for 75.00 on eBay.  I was hooked!  And I have never looked back……

You can see more of my artwork here:

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-sharon-cummings.html?tab=artworkgalleries

Making M.O.N.E.Y. While I Sleep…

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abstract art, abstract art for sale, abstract prints, art for sale, artists, buy art, buy modern art, buying prints, canvas prints, career, goals, hard work, making it as an artist, making money, modern art, modern art for sale, money, perseverance, print sales, prints, prints for sale, selling prints, sharon cummings, strength, success, successful artists

 

I am back this morning from a 3 day getaway with my daughter.  We had a blast in Orlando enjoying the Gaylord, noshing and shopping!  While I was away, I sold 15 prints between Etsy, Society 6 and Fine Art America.  I still have to smile big when I realize how amazing it is to “make money while I sleep” or in this case vacation.  For years I resisted selling prints of any kind.  I thought they would reduce the value of my originals.  But the opposite has been the case.  I’ve been able to raise the prices on my originals and commissions and enjoy a steady income from my prints.  I no longer have to paint 6 hours a day plus promote myself for another 6.

Of course it wasn’t easy to get to this point with my prints.  Many countless hours have been spent over the last 2 years using intensive social media promotion to get my prints “out there”.  I have blogged, Tweeted, Facebooked, Buffered, Houzzed, Waneloed, Pinned, Tumbled, Link’d, Stumbled and Googled my way to sales 7 days a week (except for small bits of time off here and there).  And for the past year, I have had a group of 12 other artists and photographers that I cross promoted with daily. On average, I’d say I spent 4 hours a day promoting myself and cross promoting others.  Whew!  That’s a lot!  Especially when all I really want to do is create.  However, it has finally paid off and I can now make sales even when I am on vacation and doing nothing to promote myself. Since May 1st, I have not done any cross promoting and very little self promotion.  About 30 minutes a day 5 days a week.  And I get weekends free again!

Hard work…….it can pay off!

If you have goals for your life, do not give up!  And for goodness’ sake, do not listen to those who tell you that it can’t be done. 🙂

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From Humble Beginnings….

Tags

art, Artist, artwork, blessings, blue art, career, career change, contemporary art, eBay, encouragement, faabest, goals, hope, modern art, painting, paintings, sharon cummings, Sleeping Beauty, tampa artist

 

I have always been an artist.  But I have only been creating professionally for a little over 10 years.  Before my career transition, I was a personal trainer, kick boxing instructor and nutritional consultant.  I enjoyed working with people and inspiring them to make healthy choices in their lives.  It was very rewarding and I had no plans to do anything else.  However, a nasty fall that broke my left foot and a car accident that left my shoulders and neck in disarray provided me with an opportunity to choose something different.  When I graduated from high school, I wanted to be a writer, but art seemed like a more viable choice.  I couldn’t have been more wrong “at the time.”  A degree in hand and a few interviews later, I realized that there was no money in art (at the time) so I put my dreams on the shelf.  It’s funny how a tragedy like a car accident can sometimes lead to something wonderful in your life.  That is exactly what happened to me.  I was broke, disabled and too stubborn to take financial aid.  So I got that old dream off of the shelf, dusted it off and got going!  This piece above titled “Sleeping Beauty” is my very first painting that I listed for sale.  It sold for 75.00 on eBay.  I was hooked!  And I have never looked back……

You can see more of my artwork here:

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-sharon-cummings.html?tab=artworkgalleries

Are You A Perfectionist?

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http://fineartamerica.com/featured/colorful-nautilus-shell-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

As I start off the new year with new work I am reminded to strive to be my personal best.  For my entire life I have been labeled a “perfectionist” by family, friends, bosses and coworkers.  I used to think this was a bad thing.  A judgement call against me.  But today, psychology has established that there are two types of perfectionism.  Normal perfectionists pursue perfection without compromising their self-esteem, and derive pleasure from their efforts. Neurotic perfectionists strive for unrealistic goals and consistently feel dissatisfied when they cannot reach them.  I was happy to learn years ago that I was in fact “normal”. 🙂  I always have goals in mind that I know I can accomplish and I write up a plan to achieve them.  I work hard to get through the outline I created and when I arrive I have a deep satisfaction in my efforts.  Like anyone else, I do not like setbacks, but I do not let them “get me down”.  I just rewrite the plan to get me back on track.

All of the goals I have set for myself in 2014 are attainable.  Today I start the work!  

I hope each of you reading my blog can strive for “your own personal best” this year and not some unrealistic standards set by society/your family/your mate/etc.  Set goals…..write out a plan….and get busy!

The Right Direction

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abstract, achievement, aqua, art, artwork, blue, bright, brown, buy prints, colorful, contemporary, digital, energetic, energy, goals, gold, happy, inspiration, joy, joyous, life, modern, mustard, painting, primary colors, prints, prints for sale, sharon cummings, spirituality, striking, vivid

 

Have you ever had that sense that you were moving in the right direction?  That finally all of the pieces of the puzzle were coming together?  Things that didn’t make sense just a short while ago come with totally clarity and understanding now?  That is exactly where I am right now.  I’ve been cleaning negativity out of my life…people who were unhealthy for me…foods that weren’t serving my body…attitudes which brought me down.  Those are all going and I am moving forward.  Those changes are really making a difference as I see and feel all of my goals coming to fruition even more abundantly than I imagined. 🙂

Move in the right direction….

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-right-direction-abstract-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html