Are you ready?

How prepared are you? IF someone gets in touch wanting to include you in an upcoming article or needing a brief bio and image to go with a class write up or upcoming show... do you have these things?

Of course we all want opportunities to share our work and what we do, but making sure you're ready when 'opportunity knocks' is something else. In every marketing and strategic planning workshop I've attended, this point has been stressed over and over. Although it is not my favorite thing to download digital images and rewrite my bio, I make sure to regularly work on these things so I am prepared when asked. (And, once you start marketing your work, you most likely will be asked!)

This image is a pastel painting from my Instructional DVD, Painting Water with Pastels. You can see me starting this painting on the YouTube link... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEWIkFHwPhI&feature=channel.

And, this is the painting I sent when recently asked for an image to include with a write up for a marketing workshop I'm teaching October 17 at the Fort Mill Art Guild. (Here's the workshop link... http://www.fortmillartguild.com/classes/jarvi.htm.) Waterworks Visual Arts Center also requested a couple of images to include with their upcoming publicity (I have a solo show there next summer)... and, since I was prepared, I could say yes.

So even though summer is my busy season, I stopped what I was doing for both of these... (and for an upcoming University City Magazine article I was included in too)... I stopped to take advantage of these opportunities to market my work and further get the word out about "Carmella Jarvi".

Are you ready? And, if not, what small steps could you take to get prepared? Good luck. I look forward to seeing your work soon!

Professional development is important!

Call it Continuing Ed or Professional Development, it's important to improve one's self in all businesses and the arts are no exception. Actually, it could be argued that we need that kind of training even more in the arts.

College preparation is changing, but I know many folks with art degrees and little business training to help them market and plan strategically for success. With that said, artists can be some of the best business people because of their creative problem solving skills and their passion and connection with the 'product' (their art).

Even though I really enjoy the business end of art, I still need reminders as well as learning new skills in this area. I am grateful for organizations like North Carolina Arts Council, Arts and Science Council and Creative Capital for understanding and doing something about the lack of business training in the arts fields. (See www.carmellajarvi.com LINKS page for more info.)

I am very excited to be attending the one day Creative Capital workshop at Penland on September 10. One cannot beat the $40 fee for a day's instruction with this group!! Additionally, I love to share marketing and strategic planning with other artists and this fall is no exception.

I will be teaching a marketing mini-workshop at the Fort Mill Art Guild on October 17. Here's the link... http://www.fortmillartguild.com/classes/jarvi.htm. (And, if you're just getting started with the business of art, I'd highly recommend an Art Calendar subscription. It's a business magazine for artists and an excellent investment!)