PSA For Other Artists…

Tags

abstract art, art, art selling, art success, Artist, artists tips, best selling practices, Colorful Art, how to sell art, how to sell art online, how to sell prints, modern art, print selling, selling art, selling art online, selling prints, sharon cummings, sharon cummings art, successful art business, successful art career, successful artist, successful artists

PSA for this blog means Promoting Sells Art. I am focusing on ONLINE PROMOTION.

Everyday someone says to me, “How do you sell so much art?”….”You sure are lucky!” or “I wish I could (fill in the blank) like you.”

The answer isn’t luck, magic or talent beyond compare. No no no. What you have to do is promote yourself. A LOT. This means being on various social media platforms actually interacting with other human beings. Liking their posts, commenting in a meaningful and sincere way and getting your work out there regularly. In means being grateful and saying “thank you” all day long. It means TIME.

“But I don’t want to waste all of that time on promoting. I just want to create. That’s what makes me happy.”

In a perfect World we would spend all of our extra time slinging paint, clicking that mouse or snapping that picture. But we don’t live in that World. The one we inhabit doesn’t work that way if you want to SELL YOUR ART. If you just want to have fun and don’t care if you ever make a single sale, then you are already set. Read no further.

All others:

Understand that I am a CAREER artist…Not a hobbyist. I don’t look down on people that dabble, do this for fun or just have a side hustle. I don’t look down on anyone. Selling my art is my ENTIRE source of income. So the stakes are high for me. I am willing to sacrifice more of my time than others. But I still manage to have a happy healthy life! I maintain a strong marriage, spend time with my daughter, (with Hubby) take care of a 10 acre homestead with 32 animals, exercise daily, go to church several times a week, read and go to my bookclub, hang out with my friends regularly, travel and visit family, travel for leisure a few times a year, AND create for 4 or 5 hours a day and I also do other things not listed. And I do it ALL without griping about the things that aren’t awesome. My life is REALLY HARD sometimes, but REALLY GOOD too. I am genuinely thankful for every day!!!

There are 24 hours in each day and I sleep for a solid 8. I spend about 3 hours TOTAL per day on Social Media…That leaves me 13 hours to do everything else. Yes 3 hours seems like a lot and I would much rather be CREATING during that time. But the REALITY of actually making SALES dictates more interaction on Social Media….Not just DUMPING posts and running away….But actually communicating with other human beings and cross promoting other artists. That is making me sales, growing my audience and getting me to where I need to be to make consistent sales.

EVERY real job I have ever had since the age of 13 required me to do things I did NOT enjoy doing. EVERY SINGLE ONE! Some required discomfort for many hours a day. Some ALL day long. 3 hours of Social Media time not only seems reasonable to me in light of my previous jobs, but I have found that my ATTITUDE has shifted. I decided to make Social Media enjoyable and that has made ALL the DIFFERENCE! Most of the things we complain about come down to our thoughts and beliefs about them. And thoughts can be changed. Try purposely changing your feelings about something. Force it until it becomes real. Most things are not near as awful as you’ve made them out to be and some can be quite lovely if you let them. Sure, there are days I am pressed for time and have to rush through cross promoting and doing any Social Media work, but overall, I am feeling enriched by the INTERACTIONS. I am making friends and learning more about my collectors. I no longer dread it, but look forward to it!

If you want to learn from an amazing group of artists who actively support each other, you are welcome to visit at the following link.

Learn How To Sell Your Art!

How I Failed Miserably, But Became A Successful Artist Anyway…

Tags

abstract art, art, art for the soul, art success, Artist, artists, failure, growth, happy art, happy artist, healing, how to become a successful artist, sharon cummings, sharon cummings art, successful art business, successful art career, successful artist, successful artists

I didn’t always want to be an Artist. I wanted to be a Journalist. I worked hard and wrote a lot, I joined the paper and yearbook in high school and became the Editor by my Senior year. I got recognized by our local Tribune and I won 2 small scholarships! I was on my way….Until I wasn’t. I had no financial help other than enough to cover my books through the scholarships. I had to work 2 jobs to make ends meet. I got married too young trying to escape an abusive childhood. Life got in the way and I dropped out. I failed.

I got into the banking world by taking a temp job and became an administrative assistant. I was a super fast and accurate typist and that saved my biscuit more times than I can count. Every day was largely the same. I typed, I made coffee, I filed, I wore pantyhose, lipstick and answered the phones with a smile and cheerful greeting. But inside I was miserable. I felt like I was slowly dying inside. I would cry driving to and from work. It was not the life I envisioned at all. I divorced. I failed.

I wanted to go back to college, but I wanted to study Art. Everyone told me that I could never earn a living with it. I should study business management or hospitality instead. But those didn’t feed my soul. So I enrolled. I worked a full-time job 5 days a week and went to school in the evenings. Weekends were for labs and studying. I had no social life, but I was determined! Once I graduated, I learned that “Career Services” didn’t actually help you find a job. I hit the pavement. I applied everywhere. Competition was fierce! I got offered one job after 6 months of looking and interviewing. One job working full-time, but making half what I was making as a secretary. I couldn’t live off of what they offered. I had a diploma. 30K in student loan debt and no Art job. I failed.

Eventually, I remarried a man who made a nice salary. I continued to work hard until I got pregnant and he said, I could quit my job. He didn’t have to tell me twice! No more waiting on a boss hand and foot. No more dressing to the nines and planting on a fake smile every day. I got into crafting and decorating my home. I had my baby. Afterward, I suffered severe and mysterious health issues and spent my time in doctor’s offices and therapy centers. Multiple Sclerosis was the front runner. I found out my husband was a functioning alcoholic who had some serious addictions. He refused to get help. Slowly my marriage unraveled. I got a job and then a divorce. I failed.

Unable to face administrative work again, I stumbled into health and fitness. I had joined a gym to take classes to help me with my balance issues. I took up kickboxing as it was challenging, fun and helped me stop falling down so much. Though I fell a lot when I started! I got so good at it that the instructor offered to train me and give me a job. Within 6 months I had a full-time job teaching all kinds of classes and eventually running the fitness center. I was dating a handsome college professor who adored me. I thought I was really making it….Until I wasn’t. While preparing for a move into a place with my new love, I fell from a chair and broke my foot. 2 days later, I got into a car accident when I stopped for an EMS that was turning right in front of me. The car behind me didn’t want to stop and went around and clipped me. The car behind him wasn’t paying attention (on his cell phone) and pushed me into the emergency vehicle. I was injured in my shoulders, neck and ended up with crippling migraines. I couldn’t continue to work my fitness job. There was no way they could pay me while I healed. After 6 weeks, they had to let me go. I failed.

I moved in with and married the love of my life and am pleased to say we are still happy together 20 years later. I continued to suffer physically from the accident. The vertigo returned. Other health issues arose. College professors are smart, but they are not wealthy. I had to find work. The only thing I could think of was going back to being an administrative assistant. I could do temp work, so if my health was bad enough, I could take some time off without getting fired. I had no business attire anymore. The yoga pants weren’t going to cut it. So I got on Ebay to find some cheap dresses. While there, I noticed they had an “Art” category, so I clicked on it. That ONE click changed my life forever! People were selling paintings. I knew I could do that. The only problem was that I was broke. We had hardly any money for anything, much less art supplies. I had a choice. A could buy a few used dresses and hit the pavement or make a trip to the art supply store. I chose the latter. With 20 dollars, I was able to purchase one 11×14 canvas pad that had 10 canvas sheets in it. Also, 3 shades of blue paint, one white and one silver. I couldn’t even afford paint brushes!! I had to FINGER paint! And finger paint I did. I painted the hell out of those sheets. Took pictures with Hubby’s Canon Sure Shot and loaded them onto Ebay on the one old PC we shared. The first one sold at auction for 75.00!!!!! I was hooked!!! I never bought those dresses and never set foot in a business environment for work again.

Over the years, I have sold countless originals, commissions and prints of my work. I earn a full-time living doing what I love every single day. I have a strong marriage. I raised my daughter to independence. I healed my body and soul from all of the traumas I’ve endured. So even though I failed miserably many times. I never gave up! I did become a successful artist anyway, but along the journey I also learned how to be a happy human. And that may be the biggest success of all. 🙂

Below is the painting that sold for 75.00 on Ebay. I don’t know what the titled was, but Hubby named the file “worms”. It’s kind of fitting considering what worms do. They take crap and turn it into rich life giving soil.

FIND MY PORTFOLIO HERE!!!

I Am A Success Because…

Tags

art, art success, Artist, career success, how to be successful, success, success defined, success definition, successful art business, successful art career, successful artist, what is success

What defines success? It’s a good question. So many see it as money/sales and fame. While I am really happy that my artwork sells, it isn’t the biggest part of how I define my accomplishments. It’s actually quite small…

I thought today would be a good day to remind ourselves of all of the “good” in our lives and what truly makes us a success. It’s a simple little exercise that might take some thought, but surely success can be found in even the smallest of things…

Pick one or more ways you are successful and leave a comment.  I would love to hear from you!

I will go first…

I am a success because: in my life, the people around me have always underestimated me. When they said “you can’t do it”, I always did. Whether it was mucking horse stalls in Florida’s Summer heat, defeating cancer naturally 15 years ago or selling my art and earning a living with it. When they said “no way”. I’ve done it!

2013 An Intermission…

Tags

2013, 2014, anniversary, art, art prints, Artist, auld lang syne lyrics, Family, friendship, fun, good fortune, good news, happy new year, january, joy, life, love, marketing, new year, paintings, photography, positive affirmations, positive energy, positivity, prints, romance, selling art, sharon cummings, success, successful artist

 

I am interrupting my regularly scheduled blog to make a reflective post today.  Yes, my blogs have been scheduled for the past two weeks because I felt it was more important to spend time with my husband, family and friends.  I took an intermission.  I scheduled rather than leave each day empty because I’ve had a lot to say in 2013 and I felt some bore repeating.  From all of the great comments, retweets, shares and likes I have received, I know it was the right choice.   

For me 2013 was an amazing year both personally and business wise.  There were a lot of changes and in retrospect each of them were positive.  Sure I made some mistakes, but there is no success without some failure.  

One of the changes I made was to focus on marketing my prints.  For years I resisted selling prints with the mistaken belief that it would somehow cheapen my original work.  I have discovered the opposite to be true.  While my prints sales continue to increase, the sale of originals remains steady at much more appropriate pricing.  I no longer feel like I am under appreciated.  I can live off my prints and create for the sheer joy of it without a single worry about selling originals or commission work.  I can now explore photography and digital work with great passion that is undiluted by constant struggling for sales.  This is a great place to be as an artist!

Personally, I have had to let go of some negative people who were keeping me from being my best.  A few friends and even some family members no longer have a place in my inner circle.  I am what they call “middle aged”…..And I find in this second half of my upcoming life that I plan on being a lot more selective than I have been in the past.  Mistakes will be forgiven, but abuse will not be tolerated in any form.  With this said, I have finally found a wonderfully small yet supportive group of artist friends who consistently promote my work, share experiences and send me love/support when needed.  And I do the same for them.  In 2013 I learned that with a better attitude, I can attract better friends.  I have also renewed my relationships with my sister and brother and have found great friendship, love and support there as well.  I celebrated 10 years with my wonderful husband in a romantic getaway that restored and invigorated us.

I have so much great work and camaraderie planned for 2014.  Everything is in place for me to have the BEST year of my life!

My hope is that each of you reading this blog can reflect back on the passing year and see the good in all of your experiences.  That even in the negative you can find the good lesson.  I wish that each of you look to 2014 with optimism and grace.   Happy New Year!

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind…..

So You Wanna Work From Home?

Tags

art, art for sale, Artist, artwork, be your own boss, buy art, career, create, creatives, creativity, hard work, hardworking, home, how to be successful, job, painter, painting, sharon cummings, success, successful artist, work, working from home

“I work from home.”  Most people really like the sound of that, but after living the “dream” for over 10 years, I can tell you that there is definitely a dark side.  Most people probably picture me drinking wine, smoking dope and cheerfully splattering paint around my studio.  I might be listening to some classic rock while I work and taking frequent naps as desired.  They might assume I only work a few hours here and there and that I can go on vacation anytime I want to and just leave it all behind.  I am an artist, so people are always nice to me too.

The fantasy above could not be farther from the truth.  The fact is that this “working from home” career has been the absolute most challenging and stressful job I have ever had.  There are things about it that I absolutely love and wouldn’t trade for any other position.  Creating is my passion and if I could afford a team of employees, that is all I would do most of the time!  Let me break down my experience:

Pro:  I get to set my own hours.  Con:  I work all of the time.

Pro:  I can work in my jammies if I like.  Con:  All my clothes look like Ernie the paint man’s rejects.

Pro:  I get to do what I love…paint and create.  Con:  I also have to do everything else including but not limited to cleaning, purchasing, marketing, customer service, technical support, etc.

Pro:  I have no pesky coworkers mucking up my productivity or causing drama. Cons:  It is very lonely and I have no one to talk to all day.

Pro:  Since I do it all, I can always make sure everything gets done to the highest of standards. Con:  When things go wrong, there is no one to blame but myself.

Pro:  I can run to the store, do a load of laundry, exercise the dogs, fix meals, etc. during the day.  Con:  The family often expects me to do all of those things on top of my demanding job because I am “home”.

Pro:  There is no bad hair day.  Con:  Without the critical eye of female coworkers 5 days a week, I often go way too long for haircuts and pedicures often scrambling at the last minute when invited to a dinner party.

Pro:  I have running water.  Con:  My job is a very MESSY job!

Pro:  When a lot of work comes in I can make a lot of money in a short period of time.  Con: I cannot delegate or share my load so at times I get overworked and exhausted.  Also, there can be long dry spells without any work (i.e. cash flow)

Pro:  I do not have to drive, fight traffic and worry about being late.  Con:  There is no con here!

Pro:  I have been able to always be home for my daughter after school, every single day of her school life.  Con:  Again, there is no con here and ALL of the cons above are worth having been able to do this for my girl. 🙂

 

Finding Balance

Tags

abstract art, abstract art for sale, art, art for sale, art marketing, Artist, balance, balanced career, buy abstract art, buy art, career, Chinese symbols, efficency, Family, focus, hard work, health, healthy, peace, selling art, sharon cummings, success, successful art career, successful artist, time management, working, working moms, yin and yang

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/perfect-balance-2-yin-and-yang-stone-rockd-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

It can be difficult to find balance in your life when you have so many demands pulling you in different directions.  Family, friends, work, health, etc. all need a place.  I create and list a lot of work and many have asked me things like “Do you sleep?”  I get 8 hours a night. I also market my work heavily and some have wondered how on earth I do it.  With experience, I have become extremely efficient at marketing.  I am also pretty handy with the camera and scanner.  I do most things quickly….I always have.  Patience is not one of my virtues!  I not only run a thriving successful art business, I also grow an organic garden, care for my daughter, care for animals and cook/prepare 95% of my own meals (Celiac).  I shop for my family, clean house and exercise every single day.  I go to dinner parties, family gatherings and art shows.  I play Scrabble.  I do not have extra hours in the day.  I am just big on balance and scheduling.   I do not allow myself to get distracted in web surfing or reading endless posts on Facebook.  I stay focused.  I have time slots for my work and I stick to them.  This ensures I have time for what is important in life.  I eat on a schedule too.  By keeping all that I do in priority when I am working on them or experiencing them, I never run out of time.   If I am at the park with my family, that is what I am doing and thinking about….not work. If I am working, that is my focus.  Some things you cannot help coming into your life to throw you off, but I have found that MOST of what keeps us from using our time wisely is useless.  How many cat memes have your read?  How many political posts? Farmville?  Tweets about what you had for lunch?  Do you sit on the toilet and get lost in a magazine?  Do you watch T.V.?  I don’t. That is how I do it…I do not waste time, so that I have plenty of it for everything I want in life!