Art

There is power (and money) in your system

While going through the questions submitted for my Ask Call last week, this one intrigued me. I decided it would be a better blog post than question for the call since it isn’t completely about licensing – but something I imagine many have struggled with.

Here is the situation that Susan Donley of PetsPictured.com finds herself in…

Through my website, I receive a lot of one-off requests to use my pet portraits for a wide range of purposes: from company logos to book covers to hockey shirts to charity events. In other words, they want to use my art like a stock image (except half of them are asking to use without compensation — at least they are asking, instead of stealing).

Clearly, there’s a demand for the images, so I think this could be a nice income stream if I could find a way to streamline the process of estimating licensing fees for each use, responding to the potential customer with an offer, drafting a contract, invoicing, etc. But so far, these requests take a lot of time to respond to (researching though the GAG Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines) without much pay-back.

Do you have any advice for turning these inquiries into royalties?

From my perspective, these aren’t really royalties but usage fees. Royalties are tied to sales – you get a % based on how well a product does or doesn’t sell. In the examples above – they would be one-time uses. The hockey team is probably printing a set number of t-shirts and not producing them over a long time frame – same with a charity event. I haven’t done book cover art but I think artists are compensated with a flat fee more often than a percentage of sales.

My advice to Susan would be to set aside a few hours and create some systems.

Look at the requests you have received and decide on parameters. Perhaps you tier your costs – $xxx for using the image on up to 50 t-shirts, a higher amount for 51-100 t-shirts, etc. Just like stores and online service providers create price lists, do it for your artwork.

Also create a contract template that you can adapt to each situation. Leave blanks to fill in their information, what they are allowed to use the art for, the time period and what they are expected to pay and do. (DO being include your website, a copyright notification, signature, etc)

Have a standard invoice that is ready to be filled in. Basically – try not to re-create the wheel with each request or you will spend too much time on these and get burnt out.

I have many systems and checklists that I use in my business. I have a list of the many things that need to happen to pull of the monthly Ask Calls for example – when to change the websites, send emails to everyone who has signed up, post to the blog, tweet, etc. How to organize the questions. It’s a long list! It took some time to create but now it saves me time each and every month so it was worth it. And what is time? Money.

Take a look at what you do and decide where a system or checklist might make you more efficient as well! (Thanks for the question Susan!)

Here’s to your creative success!

– Tara Reed

What is more important: the idea or the execution?

In spite of my fear that you may decide I do nothing but watch TV (because trust me, I don’t watch that much…) I have to tell you about this concept that has been floating around my head for 2 days now after watching Sunday night’s episode of “Shark Tank”.

I started watching the show because I knew someone who knew someone who was almost on the show. (Does that make me “2 degrees from Shark Tank”?) And although I’m not completely into it… I keep watching because I am fascinated by the business points they make. (Sometimes not so nicely but that is what makes tv these days…)

They discuss business valuation a lot(a bit generalized but still interesting).

I often enjoy hearing why each one says “NO” to giving money – a good lesson on keeping your priorities straight and not going after every opportunity but just the ones that make sense to you and your business.

And sometimes one of the sharks will come up with a different thought that gets stuck in my head until I release it onto the blog.

image © ABC

Robert Herjavec asked one of the entrepreneurs what was more important, THE IDEA or THE EXECUTION?

The man answered “execution” and all the sharks agreed. How many times have you heard of a person with a great idea but they just didn’t know how to turn it into reality. Or didn’t want to expend the effort, etc.

So now lets morph the question for artists – What is more important, the art or the execution?

Of course to succeed with any type of art business, you need good art. Licensing is no different.

But is the very best art always the art that gets the deal? Absolutely not.

If your blood pressure is going up, please take a deep breath and bear with me a minute. My point it that ‘the very best art’ is relative.

The art that gets the license, in my opinion, is the very best art the manufacturer knows about when making the choice.

Sometimes the artist who creates the art can influence the decision a little as well. There is something to be said for the ease of working with someone, past experience, etc. when there are a few things to choose between.

So the EXECUTION in question, for artists who want to earn income by licensing their designs, is to make contacts, know when companies are looking for art and make sure they know about yours. Don’t create the best art no one has ever seen!

The “sharks” on Shark Tank have one thing and one thing only in mind when looking at the businesses all these entrepreneurs are presenting: “Can I make money with this?” And why shouldn’t they? That is the point of being an “investor” – you invest with the intention of getting your money back and more.

When manufacturers review art, what do you think they are asking themselves? You guessed it! “Will our customers like and buy our product if we put this art on it.” Translation: “Can I make money by choosing this art.” That is the name of the art licensing game.

So effective EXECUTION in the art licensing arena means successfully doing two things:

1. Create art that will sell a manufacturer’s product.

2. Let the manufacturers know that you have the art available to license.

If you need help with your execution skills, you are already in the right place. The point of this blog and the whole “family” of sites is to help artists navigate the wild and crazy world of licensing. Tune in to the free calls. Get audios to listen to again. Check out the eBooks, tutorials and teleseminars. Hire a coach. To see all your options, go to www.ArtLicensingInfo.com and as always…

Here’s to your creative success!

– Tara

P.S. CLICK HERE to see the entrepreneur in question on Shark Tank (he was sharp!) although they don’t show you the question… you might have to watch the full episode from 9/13.

P.P.S. Shark Tank is moving to Tuesday nights – catch it tonight (9/15) at 8 pm / 7 pm central. (If I create a whole blog based on a tv show it seems only fair to give them a little plug, don’t you think?) Learn more about the show…

What's TOAST got to do with it?

I was thinking about toast the other day… you know, when you put bread in the slot, push down the button and a few minutes later, up pops your toast. WHY? was I thinking about toast, you ask? Let me explain…

A few weeks ago I was talking with a couple: one was an artist the other was a creative business person, but not a ‘paint a picture’ kind of artist. She made a comment that to the guy and I, creating art was equivalent to her making toast. Easy. Like breathing. It just ‘popped’ out of us.

I laughed and told her that my toaster and I often didn’t get along too well – my toast was hard to get ‘just right’ – sort of like art sometimes. I’m like “Goldilocks and the toaster”.

That conversation keeps circling back in my head. It is a great analogy so I got to thinking – what type of art or creative process is like making toast?

What part of my business is like making toast? What just flows?

Maybe even more importantly, what art or business function isn’t like making toast. What is hard? What brings you down? Makes you procrastinate? Makes cleaning toilets look like a fun thing to do?

THOSE are the things I want you to consider outsourcing. If you stick to your “making toast” activities and find people who consider “worse than cleaning toilet” activities to be “making toast” activities… your life will be a happier place! You will get more done, have more fun and enjoy the ride.

I’ll go make my “Making Toast Activity” / “Worse Than Cleaning Toilets Activity” list and you make yours. Let’s compare notes later, OK?

Just a little food for thought…

– Tara

How your art business is like a pie…

I have used this “pie” analogy on several occasions and people seem to like it. Either we are a pie-eating nation or it helps people get to their ‘a-ha’ moment. So one day I decided to actually make pie out of my art (which was conveniently on fabric) and create a video to really make it hit home.

This is the first in a triology of “Art as Pie” videos by yours truly, Tara Reed. I have a sewing machine, glue gun and FlipVideo and I’m not afraid to use them! (I will warn you though – glue guns do create HOT glue so try not to get big globs on your fingers… ouch!)

The trilogy consists of:

How your art business is like a pie… (below)
How your art is like a pie… (coming soon)
How art licensing is like a pie… (coming just the other side of soon)

Sit back, watch and consider. My goal is to keep you thinking about what you are doing with your art and business so you don’t turn into artistic hamsters on the wheel of life!

Here’s to your creative success!

– Tara

Stuck in a Creative Rut? Valery Satterwhite can let you know if you are following 'fools rules'

Valery Satterwhite and I met on Twitter. I had the pleasure of being interviewed for her “Inner Wizard” website that helps artists “empower the artist within” back in March. (CLICK HERE to listen to the interview) She tweeted about this article the other day and I thought I’d share it with you… hopefully these are rules you are willing to break!

Stuck in a Creative Rut? You May Be Following Fools Rules
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Valery_Satterwhite]Valery Satterwhite

Life is a game. Whether you enjoy life or not depends upon the rules – your own personal rules of life.

Whether you realize it or not you guide your life, make your choices, based upon a set of rules you selected for yourself in early childhood. These rules were based on misinterpretation or complete unchallenged acceptance of whatever was seen or heard. A well-meaning relative who tells a child “Don’t be stupid” as she is about to put mustard on the cookie dough becomes Rule #1: I AM STUPID. A teacher’s remark that a child is not performing to her potential becomes Rule #2: I AM NOT GOOD ENOUGH. A well-meaning parent’s warning “Don’t talk to strangers” becomes Rule #3: STRANGERS WILL HURT ME.

“Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it.” – Henry David Thoreau

The rules you have taken on for yourself that do not support you hold you back. If you believe you are stupid you will not attempt creative challenges that require intelligence. If you think you are not good enough you won’t allow yourself to reach for what you desire to achieve in your craft. If you think strangers can inflict harm you may resist public speaking.

Your Inner Critic, often the fool, is the manager of these rules. Since you adopted these rules, you can change them. You can take away the power your Inner Critic has to shape your choices and possibilities around these rules. You have the power to create NEW RULES!

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.” – Dr. Seuss

Be mindful of the thought patterns and internal belief systems (your rules) that form the decisions you make, the direction you take in life. If you discover that they are negative and unsupportive take note. If, for example, you recognize the “I am stupid” rule being served up by that Inner Critic of yours, look for evidence of a new rule – “I AM SMART”. Examine your life and look for experiences where you made a choice that benefited you and others. Look for examples of the opposite. Create a newer, better, rule to believe in.

“The rule which forbids ending a sentence with a preposition is the kind of nonsense up with which I will not put.” – Winston Churchill

Project this exercise out into other areas in your life. For example, if you believe that women over 40 years of age cannot get a good role in a movie look to the many women over 40 who are, indeed, getting great juicy parts in major motion pictures. Meryl Streep, Heather Locklear, Diane Lane, Michelle Pfeiffer, Cindy Crawford, Glenn Close, Ellen Barkin, Marcia Cross, Helen Mirren, Sarah Jessica Parker, Diane Keaton, Lauren Graham, Mary-Louise Parker, Frances McDormand, Laura Linney, Dame Judi Dench, Sally Field, and Emma Thompson are just a few of the many women over 40 who are actively working and enjoying successful acting careers.

“Life is like music, it must be composed by ear, feeling and instinct, not by rule. Nevertheless one had better know the rules, for they sometimes guide in doubtful cases, though not often.” – Samuel Butler

Your Inner Critic whispers your old misguided set of rules to you when you are about to stretch beyond your current comfort zone. This frightened little child within works hard to keep you safe although it is very misguided on what will keep you safe. It fears change of any kind. Change is unknown and therefore frightful. Rely on the power that you have within you that is your birthright. I playfully call this internal resource of self-esteem and wisdom the Wizard Within. When in doubt, ask what your Wizard Within would choose to believe and do. Change your rules to change your life!

“We all know, from what we experience with and within ourselves, that our conscious acts spring from our desires and our fears. – Albert Einstein

Valery is an Artist Mindset Mentor and Coach who helps creative people get out of their own way so that they can overcome the struggles in the life of a visual & performing artist. Clients learn how to express their full potential to create more passionately, profoundly, productively and profitably. Empower the Wizard Within to actualize and express your full creative potential. [http://www.innerwizard.com/]http://www.InnerWizard.com . Free “Empower the Wizard Within tips”!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Valery_Satterwhite

http://EzineArticles.com/?Stuck-in-a-Creative-Rut?-You-May-Be-Following-Fools-Rules&id=2727585

Any artists interested in learning to earn multiple streams of income?

Who isn’t looking to recover from the past year’s volatile economy. Save for the future. Heck, save for the present. Earn an income doing what you love. That is what this blog has been about for the the year and what I try and teach people through www.ArtLicensingInfo.com – explaining the reality of art licensing and helping you navigate the business if you decide if it is a good fit for you.

Through the teaching and coaching adventure, I have helped others earn income by becoming affiliates and referring others to my sites. I am happy to ‘share the wealth’ each month with those who are helping my business grow. This is something you can do too – either as an affiliate or in many other ways.

One of my affiliates has just announced an online course called “MULTIPLE STREAMS OF INCOME” and it begins on September 7th. I am honored to be involved as the “art licensing” expert, although that is just one piece of her puzzle.

Laura Bray, an artist with an M.B.A., will teach you how to create income by doing what you love. Specifically designed for the creative personality, this online course will teach you how to develop a successful business and how to have fun while you do it!

In this course, you will:

Learn that creating multiple streams of income is the fastest way to reach your financial goals while making a living a doing what you love.
Learn how to leverage your artwork and projects to make money for you over and over.
Learn how to create passive income. You can be independently employed, go on vacation, and still make money!
Find out the many ways an artist or crafter can make money from their art. You probably haven’t even thought of some of them!
Learn from experts in creative income areas such as; online selling, art licensing, children’s book illustration and craft shows.
Create a personal business plan, outlining your income choices and the steps you need to take to make your plan a reality.

To read more about it, go to: www.Katydid-Designs.com/Workshops___Classes.html

I think it’s worth a few minutes to see if it makes sense for you…

Here’s to your creative success!

– Tara

A Tribute to My Father – The Source of My Artistic Talents

Since today is Father’s Day, I thought it would be an appropriate time to blog about my dad – the side of the family the “artsy” genes came from.

For as long as I can remember, my dad had a drawing board on his desk. He was an astronomy professor at West Chester University since I was born but always managed to get art into his life. I remember one year when he did a cartoon star chart and we sat around the dining room table rolling the posters to be shipped. He wrote a weekly column – “Naked Eye Astronomy” – for the local paper and told people what they could see in the night sky each well. Guess what was always a part of the articles? You guessed it – cartoons by dad.

I remember sitting and talking to him while he would draw and think I could NEVER be as good as him! He was the end-all be-all with a black pen in my eyes. He would tell me how he learned to draw by copying cartoons from the Sunday paper when he was younger and how he did cartoons and different projects in high school and then college. When he went to college, he considered art school but loves to tell us how he “had heard of starving artists but never starving scientists” so he got a degree in Physics and then went on to specialize in Astronomy. (Forgive me dad, if I’m getting any of this confused!)

My dad didn’t have the easiest of childhoods – losing a brother and both parents by the time he was 14, then raised by an aunt and uncle with 6 kids of their own. He was the first in his family to go to college. I was talking to him the other day and he told me he decided to go because of working in a grocery store – there were college students who worked there and opened his eyes to the possibilities…

I was brought up to believe that I could do and be anything I wanted to be. College was a given, not an option for my sister, brother and I and thank you dad and mom – it was paid for. They didn’t want us to have to work at a grocery store like he did and miss much of the “college experience”. Being his daughter I know him as the man and father he was – often forgetting what he had to overcome to get there. Another guiding force in my life for going for your dreams, staying positive and trying new things.

Thankfully he encouraged my creative side and I didn’t give up on art and drawing. His influence can be seen in some of my art but he loves to point out how I don’t quite cross the eyes the same way he does so he can’t sue me! (All in good fun of course!)

So on Father’s Day I wanted to say a very public “THANK YOU” to my dad and Happy Father’s Day to any dad’s that may be reading this post. If you do 1/2 as good a job as my dad did, your kids will grow up and blog about you too!

fathersday

– Tara

P.S. The cartoon next to our picture is Isaac Newton – by, you guessed it, my dad, George Reed.

How can artists set goals and still work from a place of inspiration?

We’ve all heard things like, “If you don’t know where you are going, how do you expect to get there?” or “Without a target you can’t hit the mark” or any other number of sayings that boil down to this: without a plan, how do you know if you are making progress or spinning in circles?

But I know that as artists, it is hard to make inspiration and creativity flow during set office hours. Sometimes it hits at 10 pm and you just want to watch tv mid-day. We need flexibility!

Which lead me to the conundrum, and maybe you have shared it: how do you do both? Set goals and still have the time and flexibility to work when inspiration strikes?

As I try to do, when I’m faced with an important dilemma, I look for a solution. That is how I came up with “The Goal Wheel for Artists”. It is a dream / goal / task setting system that works — I know, I use it. It keeps me focused and flexible. On June 9th at 5:30 pm PST / 8:30 pm EST I’ll be doing a teleseminar to teach any artists wanting a fun and effective way to set and achieve goals as well.

Watch the video and check out the website. I hope you decide to join me!

GET ALL THE DETAILS AT www.TheGoalWheelForArtists.com

Here’s to building your creative business!

– Tara

Logos, Aretha Franklin, Craigslist and getting the respect you deserve as an artist

Yesterday on Twitter I saw a post that read: Why logo design does not cost $5.00. Well I knew that some people were making logos for crazy-low prices and thought I’d take a look. What a GREAT post by Jacob Cass on his blog “Just Creative Design”. I want you to read it, the whole thing, and then come back here, okay?

Here’s the link. Why logo design does not cost $5.00 I’ll wait.

Okay, did you read that? I love his “cheap logo design” vs. “professional logo design”. Now I don’t know if any of you do logo design or have an interest in it but this post made me think of licensing. We need to value what we bring to the table as artists who license. Times are little tough out there but it doesn’t mean we need to believe that no one values art or what we do… if the artists walk around saying it, who is going to say anything different?

Now go read this post on Craigslist: Capitalist Endeavor seeking Poor Artist to be Taken Advantage of I hope that’s a joke ’cause it sure made me laugh! But how many times have you seen people asking for lots of art choices and if they pick you you get a whole $50 and “great publicity”. Publicity doesn’t pay the bills!

I want to give you a few quick reminders and leave you with an empowering song:

you are unique, creative and bring something that NO ONE ELSE can bring to the table: your own artistic interpretation of the world. Don’t undervalue yourself!
No matter what the economy, people still need and want new art & design. Do you think stores are going to carry the same thing for 5 years and that people will buy it? No. Keep creating!
Not everyone is creative. Sometimes I forget that my brain works differently than many people’s and I take for granted the ideas that stream in. It’s like breathing to me and completely baffling to others. If I forget that, I am at risk of under-valuing what I do and then causing others to do the same. Check yourself – your “breathing” could be your key to a successful, creative life!

Now for the song… Aretha Franklin is singing about demanding respect from the man she loves but for our purposes, think about you as the artist, demanding respect from the world and businesses for what you bring to the table.

You are a creative rock star — now don’t you forget it!

~ Tara

You think being an artist is scary now?

You should have been around in 1830!

There is A LOT of fear in the world right now: economics, politics, technology… of course many artists are very unhappy about the Orphan Works legislation. (Go here if you need a refresher, this post isn’t about the details.) I’m not happy about it either, don’t get me wrong, but I’d like to give some historical perspective.

So what happened in 1830 that was so terrible? That caused artists to panic, lose their livlihood and have to figure out how to adapt to an every changing world. I have one word for you: Camera.

Before the camera was made available commercially, artists were paid to paint portraits. No artist, no portraits. It kept a lot of people employed. But now (in 1830) people could spend a fraction of the time and money to get photographs of themselves. Voila! Overnight there were a lot of “starving artists” around.

You can imagine the upset and outrage in the artistic community. Not only did they wonder how they would feed their families, but I imagine there was a lot of discussion about how art was dying, never to be revived.

Then there was a shift. Since artists didn’t need to be focused solely on painting portraits that were true to life, they could turn their attention to other subjects and they could experiment. Modern art was born from the death-toll of the camera.

Without the camera we wouldn’t have abstract art, modern art, impressionism, cubism, you name it. Well… anything but super-dooper-realistic art.

Let’s now fast forward… imagine how professional photographers felt at the beginning of the digital camera revolution. Where before people would pay to have pictures taken and they would have to pay the photographer for prints… now a person can easily scan and print copies at home — breaking copyright laws and taking money out of the pockets of professionals.

Photographers could either throw in the towel or get creative. Change the way they do business to survive in an ever changing world where technology is cheaper and easier every day.

That is what we, as artists, are being forced to do: change the way we do business.

There is a lot of panic, anger and fear — artists pulling their art off the internet completely, password protecting so much of it that the chances of anyone seeing it get slimmer by the day. The simple fact is that art has been swiped, stolen and copied forever. It is a fact of life. Granted, it could get a lot easier with fewer consequences, but I believe we need to keep balance. Don’t simply awfulize and hide in a hole — make your opinions heard but also make a plan of how you will continue given either outcome of this threatening legislation.

But here’s the good news: what are we, if not creative?

I believe that artists will always be valuable and will be able to prosper, keeping their creativity and integrity in tact. Will we have to be more careful or change some of the ways we do business? More than likely. But let’s remember, we are not the only group of artists, nor the only type of business that has ever come up against adversity.

Who can say how careers in art will change in this decade, only time will tell. But if you give in to fear I can tell you how your career will change: it will cease to exist.

I would like to offer this to you:

stay true to your art and nurture your creative side
make your voice heard – but make it an empowered and informed voice, not a fearful one
don’t let fear paralyze you
if you want to make a living as an artist, there are risks. But there are risks in any profession so don’t buy into the “artist victim” mentality

Life and art will go on, it just depends how you choose to relate to it. I choose to be positive, take action to make my dreams come true and create from a place of peace and happiness. I hope you join me!

~ Tara