Create a Web Presence

A lot of small businesses, among them self-publishers, craftspeople and artists, ask me how they can have a web presence without investing a lot of time or money. The easiest way is to post pictures of your work on the web using a photo-sharing site. I like Flickr. Why not add images of your art or creation to Flickr? Art directors use this photo-sharing site to search for images they might want to purchase.
See mine at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dinidesign/

A self-publisher recently told me she found a photo that was perfect for the cover of her self-help book. She asked for permission to use it, and in exchange is giving the photographer credit for the picture as well as copies of her book, when published.

The next best thing is to create an entry for yourself, a personal one, at Facebook. If you also have a business you should create a second entry under the business name, and make sure you add links to and from those personal and professional Facebook profiles. Add any external links (to your photo-sharing page, etc.) to both sites. Keep your profile photos professional and silly personal pictures off your Facebook pages. You don't really want your potential customers and old High School buddies to see you in a less-than-favorable light, do you?

I have a listing at the Maine Arts Commission site, and have links to my web site and my email there. So if you can add your profile and links to any professional organization, do so. ~ Geraldine

Take Any Road You Want To

Not everyone reaches the same conclusion by following the same road.

Recently a client asked me to create a mock-up web site, but he wanted to see a static page. That meant designing in Photoshop. But I design web pages in Dreamweaver. It seemed to be a step backward to design in a flat program, especially when I wanted to show off a rotating set of images, a flash slide show. I went ahead and made a sample web page and posted it within my own site in a cliaent section.

The picture you see here has a flash image with type moving across it. How can you see that effect in a jpeg?

I went to a jewelry-making class once in which the teacher told us to draw out a design on paper. Nothing came to my mind - until I started to work with the materials. What kind of sense does it make to create a 3-D object in 2-D? I need to touch the stones, feel the flexibility of the metal, play around with the parts.

There is more than one way to skin a cat, as they say, so don't let anyone dictate how you reach your conclusion. Just head on down that creative road in whichever direction that suits you.

~~ Geraldine

How to Write a Blog

I just looked around the web to see what makes a blog successful. The answer?

You need the three Cs: content that is unique and communicates to interested parties; consistency, which means frequency; and closeness, meaning you should stick to your niche. My niche is creative subjects such as art, helping people, and working with words and images. This is the perfect medium!

I've seen some artists put a painting a day up on their blog, but choosing to post something worth reading every day and keeping it up is not an easy task. For now I'll try to add a post once or twice a week and maybe it will become more frequent.

Tip of the day - when you send an article to a newspaper, copy the content into the body of the email AND attach the word document. Tell them right up top that you're attaching the doc. This way the editor can review the content and have a good idea where he/she can file it.

~Geraldine

Polyvore - Explore the Creative You

My old art school friend, Harriet, has a blossoming gardening glove business called Foxgloves (foxglovesinc.com). She asked me to take a look at a new (to me) and novel place for creative people with an interest in fashion to make online collages. It is called Polyvore.

Polyvore is for fashionistas who can choose any online image, such as a catalog picture, by using a tool provided that rests in your toolbar. A link is made to your own page at Polyvore, and you can use that image, plus any in their enormous image bank, to choose, edit, resize, layer, and 'publish' a set.

All of the linked items appear next to the published set so all viewers can, potentially, go directly to that vendor's site and purchse those fab shoes or overpriced skirt. I created a series of background patterns, put them on a new page on my aikmandesign web site and added the URL to my profile. I also added some of my photos and some clip I had. Within a couple of days, my 'clip art' backgrounds had been linked and used by Polyvoristas about 100 times.

The sets made are both fashion plates, reminding me of paper dolls' clothes, and also some more avante garde arty sets - clothes and cosmetics collaged to resemble a dog, e.g. And the link to my site appears on every one of those published sets.

Polyvore has encountered bumps in the road with regards to copyright, especially when people linked artwork from Etsy and used that art in their collages. You can search for discussions on the web about this subject. I did make it clear that all of my designs on the page I provided were to be used freely.

Go and give it a try- it can be addictive! These are some sets I made - using Foxgloves in most of them. Link Here.

Geraldine

Creative versus Business

Blogging is only successful if you keep on top of it and I've been a slacker in recent months. Like many artists I am torn between the need to create and the time-consuming need to work the business side of art. How do you juggle the two? I find that I need to separate the two things or else I'm constantly bouncing back and forth and don't get a lot done. Or, worse still, I leave a trail of not-quite-finished projects in my wake.

My friend Steve puts aside one day a week to do nothing but self-promotion, and he regularly attends a networking group. The rest of his 'free' time is dedicated to creative activities. Although he has changed his direction from fine art to writing, the good habits and structured work plan remain intact.

I find that I prefer to dedicate a block of time to each project. I get involved in painting, or a photo-editing task, and so when I take a break for yet another cup of coffee, I'm thinking about it. So whether it's for a day or a week, I immerse myself in one project until it's done. Or, I should say, that is my goal! (I had to add that because I could hear everyone who knows me laughing.)

Break up large projects into smaller tasks. Write a to-do list and even if you don't look at it again, writing out a plan can help get your thoughts organized. Email me with your thoughts on this, or to tell me what you're doing creatively, or to promote your business!

This illustration was done for stock art by painting in gouache on paper. I then overlaid acetate, inked it, and scraped the ink away.

~Geraldine

PR Needs Proper Titles

I recently read that a huge proportion of blogs are started . . .and then abandoned. It could be because if there isn't a lot of action one does feel as though one is talking to oneself. Luckily, I don't mind talking to myself.

I'm preparing to offer a short course in PR for artists - writing articles, preparing images, naming files. I recently spoke to some artists who never considered that newspaper editors have hundreds (or thousands) of emails coming in with ads, articles, PR and images.

Having been on the newspaper's side of the story, I can tell you it can be a nightmare if those incoming files aren't titled properly. For instance, calling your ad "Ad for the Courier.pdf" isn't going to win you any brownie points with The Courier.

Let's say you are submitting PR for your Clay Guild. You need to name all of your files appropriately: clayguild_julyshow_2col.pdf; janesmith_potofmanycolors.jpg. The same goes with your email subject line (Clay Guild Summer Show July 3-6 PR) and the word document (clayguild_showinfo_70309).

You don't need to keep files all lower case with underscores, but that's my preference. Just be short and descriptive. Add captions in a word doc (I save as .rtf). Copy the content of all PR into the body of the email as well as attaching it. That way the recipient can review the content quickly and file it in the right place.

And if you don't comply? Then the chance of your PR/article/image getting in the newspaper reduces significantly.
Hope these tips help you!
Geraldine

Use Photos for 4x6 Promotional Handouts

Looking for a new promo idea? Considering the many online photo-processing sites that offer cheap 4x6 photos, consider making a photo-promo. This can be created in Photoshop or any photo program.
Start with a 4x6 layout, copy a picture into it, type your name and contact info on top, flatten layers, save as photopromo4x6.jpg (e.g.).
I upload to Winkflash, Shutterfly, Snapfish, Sam's Club photo, Target, York Photo, Clark Photo (clarkcolor.com) or any of the many online photos shops. Once you've signed up for any of their services, make sure you click on a box to indicate you'd like promo information via email. The week I'm writing this Winkflash has a sale on any amount of 4x6 photos for 6 cents each. Mailing costs are low as a rule (most photos come with the name of the file and the company in a line of text on the back).
TIP: You can also have your pictures printed on 5x7s or fit two per 5x7 and cut it in half yourself.
TIP: Make sure that your lettering isn't too close to the edge!
Great for handing out at shows or other venues.