How to market art successfully

Lessons from Ann Rea video
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So I recently watched this great video from Ann Rea, who is on youtube as well her own website.  She started out as a lost artist, who decided to go full time as an artist.  She ended up making her goal of selling $100,000 in one year.  Here is a summary of the notes that I thought were useful.

Ann Rea's link is makingartmakingmoney.com/free-business-training-program-for-artists


Agenda
1. Her story
2. New Creative Class
3. SMARTER goals
4. Action Items
5. Artists who thrive in community mission


Ann Rea's story
1. grew up in an ordinary artless suburb
2. channelling negative feelings: frustation, depression, etc.
3. impractical long detour in art career
4. going around the art establishment
5. kick starter before Kickstarter
6. snotty Scotty
7. remembering Angela
8. changing a dream to a plan
9. create a $100K one year goal
10. slay the "starving artist" slur
11. reveal cracking the code to success


New Creative Class
- our product is EMOTION!
- Question Authority
- Art Establishment is under severe disruption; up to 50% of US galleries fail each year

 Join the new creative class!
- create customer satisfaction and sell, deliver more value than just the art
- sales limited only to your own marketing efforts
- earn confidence by taking focused action
- get 100% paid up front, no commission and no discounts
- make art inspired by a mission that serves a market
- clients are now going around galleries and buying straight from artists
- deliver clear value above and beyond your art
- earn a MFA if you want to
- there are no barriers to market
- own your own platform; connect to fans
- build your own enterprise

The Art Establishment, old way of business
- compete for permission to show your art and hope to sell
- limited sales based on representation, if you can get in and if you can keep representation; galleries struggling to stay open
- you lose confidence by seeking permission to sell there
- 50% of sales lost to commission, even more to price discounting
- make art for art's sake for fickle art critics to reject
- deliver vague value and confusing your market
- earn a MFA from a top art school, if you can afford $50k a year in tuition and can get in
- there are many barriers to market
- you don't own the platform. Fans are kept at a distance.
- building someone else's enterprise

Facts
- only 3660 fine artists were employed as artists in 2014
- there are no jobs for artists
- no jobs = no career
- you're not going to have an "art" career
- but you can have an art business
- if you display your resume on your website, you are acting like you have an art career, not an art business.
- use your valuable website real estate for why clients should buy your art!


SMARTER Goals
Focus is about saying no - Steve Jobs
- minimize your TV viewing
- minimize outside distractions
- don't waste your valuable time
- say no to BS
- cut off any toxic relationships
- rid yourself of anything not giving you energy

Facts:
- people who write down their goals can earn 2 times as much over their lifetime as people who do not write down their goals.
- make goals reachable with stretch a bit more each time
- 80% of Americans don't write down goals; goals lead to success
- 16% have a goal, but don't write them down
- 4% write down their goals, but don't review them
- 1% review their goals regularly and become the 1%

Write down 10 things in your gratitude diary each day and write how you are reaching those goals daily. 
State your goals in the present tense.

Goals must be...
S = specific (example: $100k in art sold)
M = measurable (what i sell each month, quarter, year)
A = actionable
R = results (how you live, cars you want, money in account)
T = time-bound (in a year, quarter, month)
E = evaluate (how are you getting there, improve goals)
R = revise (if necessary adjust to data realities)

1. Identify your milestones to goals
2. Put the milestones in sequetial order (week, month, quarter, year, 3 year)
3. Identify your resources to goals (people)
4. Put a due date on milestones


Action Items
- write down your specific action items you need NOW
- start daily review

Sell your art without selling out

If you have creative talent and something to say, you must make art.  Want to be heard? You must sell art.

Do you know the real reasons artists aren't selling?
- $59 billion sold last year in 2015
- artists are hoping vs. planning
- not focusing on how and when
- working alone vs. in a team
- getting the wrong help

Our product is EMOTION

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Community of Helpful Artists
- save time
- save money
- avoid opportunity costs (doing it the wrong way, etc.)
- less frustration
- focus on the right things at the right time
- gain confidence

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