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I have moderated the Artist As Brand panel at the San Diego Comic Con for five years now. This time the table was graced with the talented Daniel M. Davis and Dawna Davis of Steamcrow, Shiflett Brothers, Jeff Soto, Melissa Pagluica and Diana Levin.We had a large crowd and reviewed the art of the start, social media, conventions and facing our fears. Much inspiration was to be had by all. A big thank you to my amazing guests and the attendees.
I have been following Chris Guillebeau and his Art of Non-Comformity newsletter for a few years now. He has felt his way through the entrepreneurial maze with wonderful result. It is always fascinating when you go it alone because you must confront yourself day after day. Your success depends upon your effort.This journey can take some interesting twists and turns and may not turn out as you expected. This article by Chris reflects this sentiment and why going your own way can bring delightful results, even if it takes a while to see them."A long time ago, I sent a thick packet of information to Yale, explaining in considerable detail how awesome I was and why they should accept the honor of my giving them tens of thousands of dollars a year.They sent me back a short, polite letter, saying that while they were happy to accept my initial contribution of $75, they had plenty of other applicants, even more qualified and more awesome than me, all willing to pony up the tens of thousands of dollars for the next few years.Regretfully, I was informed, the $75 was all I'd be able to pay them. "We wish you well in your future endeavors" was how they ended their brief reply, and they didn't even follow me on any online social networks.Every year, a large number of young people go through the same ritual -- hours upon hours spent explaining why they deserve the privilege of becoming indebted to a system that probably won't train them for a job. For many (not all, but many), the main benefit of graduate school, or even college or university in general, is a form of life avoidance: I'm not sure this is what I want, but at least I won't have to think about it for a while."More...
Love this woman!
- Neale Donald Walsch
There are so many movies that reflect the art spirit– usually stories about individuals who believe in something so completely they have no choice but to follow that muse.In "The Worlds Fastest Indian" we see the story of New Zealander Burt Munro (Anthony Hopkins), who spent years re-vamping a 1920 Indian motorcycle -- with the goal of setting a land-speed record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967.I reference this film because the art of the start is really about diving in there, giving it a go, then not stopping. Like Munro in this sweet spirited film, you keep moving forward no matter what with increasingly greater speed and success.
There’s something to notice about successful people: they act quickly, even if they may fail. [This piece is excerpted from Fail Fast, Fail Often: How Losing Can Help You Win by Ryan Babineaux, PhD., and John Krumboltz, PhD., with the permission of Tarcher/Penguin. Copyright 2013 Ryan Babineaux, PhD., and John Krumboltz, PhD]In the book, Art and Fear, the artists Ted Orland and David Waylon share a story about a ceramics teacher who tried an experiment with his class.The teacher divided the students into two groups. Those sitting on the left side of the studio were to be graded solely on the quantity of their work, while those on the right, solely on the quality. The instructor informed the students in the quantity group that a simple rule would be applied to evaluate their grades: those who produced fifty pounds of pots would get an A, those who produced forty pounds a B, and so on.For the quality group, the instructor told the students that he would assign a course grade based on the single best piece produced over the duration of the course. So if a student created a first-rate pot on day one of the course and did nothing else for the term, he would still get an A.When the end of the quarter arrived and it came to grading time, the instructor made an interesting discovery: the students who created the best work, as judged by technical and artistic sophistication, were the quantity group. While they were busy producing pot after pot, they were experimenting, becoming more adept at working with the clay, and learning from the mistakes on each progressive piece.In contrast, the students in the quality group carefully planned out each pot and tried to produce refined, flawless work, and so they only worked on a few pieces over the length of the course. Because of their limited practice, they showed little improvement.More...
This post is about the courage it takes to create a career your way. Artist and writer Debbie Millman presented a commencement speech on the virtues of following your path (also in her new book, Looking Both Ways). This is her art...
Continue to read more and also listen to Debbie HERE ...
Connecting your vision to a cause that is larger than yourself can energize your fan base with people who are interested in the same.WhenWhale Tails Tortilla Chip company decided to use art for their environmentally conscious product and packaging they wanted to align with someone who was as passionate about the ocean as they were. Connecting the iconic marine artist,Wyland to their organic product was a match made in heaven.
Wyland ©
When your art is aligned with a strong purpose a vibration is set in motion that will connect with others who are in tune with it. I have seen this principle happen over and over again in my thirty year art career. It is a profound testament to the potential power of your vision.
I feel that Sir Ken Robinson is a kindred spirit in the context of empowering human potential and creating new educational models. He is an internationally recognized leader in education, innovation, creativity and human resources. There are many informative and inspiring videos of his talks on education reform and the creative life. This is one of my favorites.His latest book is entitled The Element. As Robinson states: “The element is the point at which natural talent meets personal passion. When people arrive at the element, they feel most themselves and most inspired and achieve at their highest levels.”He could teach my Artist As Brand Workshops! If you have been a part of the educational system this is a must see.
I have talked about the benefits of licensing your art for a while now. If you have a style that can translate into products beyond what you produce for yourself then other companies can essentially rent your images.Here is one take on licensing by Ashley Goldberg.She is an eclectic artist whose pattern designs have found a market .Check out her story on Etsy here.
Brave is the academy award winning cg animated movie about a young lass who dares to look societies conventions in the eye and changes a tradition that no longer serves her generation. It is a powerful and moving masterpiece of a film and I highly recommend everyone see it.The film confirms that following your own road can be full of adventure, and hazards, but at the end of the day it is the visionary courageous art spirits that show the way.We are all brought up believing you must get a JOB working for someone else to make a living. It is simply not true in this day and age no matter what your school or college may teach you. All artists can take heart that creating a business around your art and making a living YOUR way can be profitable in more ways than one.What other films have you seen that focus on the creative individual making their own way in spite of opposition from their family, friends, and society in general?
Spectrum Fantastic Art Live was a beautiful and inspiring venue. Arnie and Cathy Fenner along with their talented and devoted crew pulled together another stellar event that celebrates fantasy artists. My Artist As Brand Workshop was held at TAD (The Art Department). Here you see part of my booth setup with Roxana. More pics to come.
See an Artist As Brand master in action at the ARTISAN FRAGRANCE SALON and Chocolate show this Sunday, May 5th in Seattle!Roxana Villa of Roxana Illuminated Perfume will be showcasing her botanical essences and speaking at the event too. She sells her products to all fifty states and over seventy countries. See how beautiful a traveling booth can look. I will be there too. Stop on by!You must purchase tickets online before the event at the ARTISAN FRAGRANCE SALON website. There are no onsite sales of tickets.
FOR DEVIANT ART MEMBERS, ETSY SELLERS, AND STUDENTS
NORMAL REGISTRATION $495
Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 2 and I are bringing the workshop that has been called "phenomenal, and life transforming" back to Kansas City. Learn the secrets of connecting the power of your art to your collectors, and see how these principles can be applied at an event like Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 2. It is an amazing opportunity.
All participants will receive a free pass to all three days of Spectrum Fantastic Art Live. The workshop is held at the Historic Aladdin Holiday Inn Hotel, just blocks from the convention center.Learn more about the workshop on the ABOUT page. Read the FAQs page before signing up. See what art professors, professionals, and college students are saying on the RESULTS page.Want to take the workshop but need more time to pay for it? Take up to six months to pay (no payments, no fees, no interest for up to six months) with PayPal’s, Bill Me Later financing option. Details on the PayPal site when you purchase.
$395 for Etsy Sellers, Deviant Art Members, and students
$495 for all others“The Artist As Brand workshop has revolutionized the way I look at everything about my work and its relationship to my overall level of fulfillment. I am certain that the Artist As Brand experience will mark a pivotal point in my career. Thank you Greg, for your hard work, innovation, and inspiration in the creation of something so significant."-Ben Soward, Illustrator, Professor at Southern Utah University, "Your workshop was amazing! Every hour was packed with useful information--I feel like I learned a year's worth of material in only three days. You'd think that having that much info crammed into my head in such a short period of time would be exhausting, but instead I feel re-energized. I've been so focused on trying to find an art job that I'd almost forgotten what it was like to paint something that I felt passionate about. Your workshop showed me that making a living and living my dream could co-exist after all. Thank you, a million times!"-Alyssa Parsons, Student at Kendall College of Art and Design“We received a map and tools—where to go and what to do when we got there. And confidence, that we CAN be entrepreneurs with our own art and not have to rely on other people giving us work. If you are an artist and feel a pull to be making a living doing what you love by your art, TAKE THIS CLASS. No, seriously sign up, and TAKE THIS CLASS. NOW."-Gina Terzino, Artist“Truly life changing and inspirational.”-Chad “Hero” Hardin, Illustrator, Comic Artist“I want to thank you for your dedication and hard work. You are amazing. I believe that small business ventures are essential to the health and wealth of our country. You have found a path through the forest of corporate trees and soon it will be a well traveled road.” -Shelley Masters, Artist, Muralist, Teacher"I really enjoyed my experience at Greg Spalenka’s Artist As Brand workshop last May (Spectrum Live). It gave me a lot of insight and really helped me to clarify where I come from as an artist and as a person. This is helping me more authentically shape my current choices and know that what I’m choosing is in alignment with my very essence! Nothing is more important to me. Big thanks to Greg for guiding and supporting me in this process."-Tara Larson Chang, Artist, Founder TLC Workshops
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A pic from my patron Kelly Alton
Fans, patrons and collectors who truly love your art want to you to know they appreciate it beyond just purchasing it from you. They will send pictures of how they framed it or where they placed it in their home. Above is an example of a simple print that one of my collectors has framed, then took a pic and sent it to me.
How sweet is that!?
Of course some of you may think what is the big deal, it is just a framed poster on a wall. The big deal is that next time it could be a much more expensive piece that is hanging within this fan's home. To take the time to frame, take a pic and send it shows these people are proud of their relationship with you and your vision and are most likely sharing you with all of their friends too.
This is the bond that artists can expect when they connect with the people who love their art. It is a different paradigm when someone buys a piece of yours in a gallery for investment purposes. Generally you will not see that art again, nor will you know who the buyer is.
Nurture these relationships and they will nurture you in return.
I was invited to bring an Artist As Brand Workshop to Seattle through the TLC Workshops. Tara Larsen Chang, the founder of TLC invites stellar artists to inspire and instruct at the Arts Umbrella studio. Greg Manchess, Brom, Iain McCaig, etc. have been guest faculty and so I was honored to bring AAB to this venue.The day before my class, Julie Baroh of Krab Jab Studios invited me to a round robin discussion with Jon Schindehette, Creative Art Director for Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast as well as author of The ArtOrder blog and the iconic fantasy artist, Todd Lockwood to speak about the world of commercial art and its alternatives.The students for my class were an amazing group of artists consisting of a wide range of ages. A wonderful synergy developed between all of us and new alignments were created.
The class was small and cozy.
Todd Lockwood stood strong voicing his heart virtue! Much transformation took place and tears were shed as individuals realized their potential. I always feel blessed to share in this awakening of creative development. See more of the workshop here.
The day after the workshop ended I arranged a photo shoot with the amazing model Jessica Lough for imagery to accompany the new fragrance, Noir, by Roxana Illuminated Perfume. Jessica's partner Andre and Tara helped assist in the shoot. What a team! The art spirit is alive and well in Seattle!All photos by Tara Larsen Chang.
The art of doing what you love can translate into products that for this artist are hidden from view, but make a fun and unique statement all the same.
Your High Touch promotion is important for increasing your numbers of fans and collectors. These are all the events you go to, to meet your people face to face. It creates a bond between you both. How you dress and carry yourself during these events reflects on you as a person, and an artist. At Comic Con for instance some artists dress up as characters and really play the part.Robert Suchan created a character he calls 'Aunt Barbara' to help sell Tupperware. He has been so successful selling his products with this persona that it draws a cult following, and last year made him $275,000 in sales – a Tupperware 'milestone.' You could say his art is his comedic flair that just happens to sell Tupperware. Bottom line is he is doing what he loves and reaping the benefits.More...
FOR DEVIANT ART MEMBERS, ETSY SELLERS, AND STUDENTS
GENERAL REGISTRATION $495
Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 2 and I are bringing the workshop that has been called "phenomenal, and life transforming" back to Kansas City. Learn the secrets of connecting the power of your art to your collectors, and see how these principles can be applied at an event like Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 2. It is an amazing opportunity.All participants will receive a free pass to all three days of Spectrum Fantastic Art Live. The workshop is held at the Historic Aladdin Holiday Inn Hotel, just blocks from the convention center.Learn more about the workshop on the ABOUT page. Read the FAQs page before signing up. See what art professors, professionals, and college students are saying on the RESULTS page.
Register Below. Want to take the workshop but need more time to pay for it? Take up to six months to pay (no payments, no fees, no interest for up to six months) with PayPal’s, Bill Me Later financing option. Details on the PayPal site when you purchase.
$395 for Etsy Sellers, Deviant Art Members, and students
$495 for all othersThe Artist As Brand workshop has revolutionized the way I look at everything about my work and its relationship to my overall level of fulfillment. I am certain that the Artist As Brand experience will mark a pivotal point in my career. Thank you Greg, for your hard work, innovation, and inspiration in the creation of something so significant."-Ben Soward, Illustrator, Professor at Southern Utah University, "Your workshop was amazing! Every hour was packed with useful information--I feel like I learned a year's worth of material in only three days. You'd think that having that much info crammed into my head in such a short period of time would be exhausting, but instead I feel re-energized. I've been so focused on trying to find an art job that I'd almost forgotten what it was like to paint something that I felt passionate about. Your workshop showed me that making a living and living my dream could co-exist after all. Thank you, a million times!"-Alyssa Parsons, Student at Kendall College of Art and Design“We received a map and tools—where to go and what to do when we got there. And confidence, that we CAN be entrepreneurs with our own art and not have to rely on other people giving us work. If you are an artist and feel a pull to be making a living doing what you love by your art, TAKE THIS CLASS. No, seriously sign up, and TAKE THIS CLASS. NOW."-Gina Terzino, Artist“Truly life changing and inspirational.”-Chad “Hero” Hardin, Illustrator, Comic Artist“I want to thank you for your dedication and hard work. You are amazing. I believe that small business ventures are essential to the health and wealth of our country. You have found a path through the forest of corporate trees and soon it will be a well traveled road.” -Shelley Masters, Artist, Muralist, Teacher"I really enjoyed my experience at Greg Spalenka’s Artist As Brand workshop last May (Spectrum Live). It gave me a lot of insight and really helped me to clarify where I come from as an artist and as a person. This is helping me more authentically shape my current choices and know that what I’m choosing is in alignment with my very essence! Nothing is more important to me. Big thanks to Greg for guiding and supporting me in this process."-Tara Larson Chang, Artist, Founder TLC Workshops"I've been a designer and illustrator for 30 years, picking up a lot of varied kinds of work that I've loved doing, from book illustration to art direction, creative direction, to video, plus the constant of music performance and writing. A fun list, but pulling in many directions. Greg Spalenka's "Artist As Brand" workshop (Spectrum Live) was very helpful in bringing me back to focusing my output on painting with new energy and heart. When I look back at the output and learning of the last several months, I see many pieces I've made that I value, many pieces I'm sure wouldn't be there without having taken the "Artist As Brand" workshop. I'm very grateful to Greg for the experience."- Paul Micich, Illustrator, Song Writer/Musician
All art copyright Tara McPherson
Tara McPherson is a living, breathing, walking brand. She projects an authentic creativity and style that turns heads whether it is viewed in a gallery or via the fashions and tattoos that adorn her body. Driven, determined and greeting the world every day on her own terms, this is a woman who knows the power of living in the art spirit.I have been following her career for a decade now and when Fleske Publications asked me to write the introduction to Tara's chapter in the 2013 Spectrum Fantastic Art Live book (Tara is a guest at this years event) I felt it was about time she was featured on the blog. I know Tara mostly via the San Diego Comic Con where she has been a speaker on my Artist As Brand panel discussions. She may join us this year in Kansas City.
We have all seen the many versions of her trademark heart cut into the chest image (Hey, We All Die Sometimes, All Goodness Is In Jeopardy, The Weight Of Water, etc.). The image is about heartache but these women are nude content, passive, even happy. Her art conjures up some serious dialogue.
Born in San Francisco and raised in Los Angeles, Tara did not start taking art seriously until enrolled as a student at Santa Monica Community College, where she experimented with various forms of printmaking. An interest in astronomy and astrophysics also sparked her interest initially, but the gravitational pull of art was stronger, and she ended up at the Art Center College of Design, earning a degree in illustration in 2001.
Checking out the historic Jabber Jaw Cafe in L.A., she was turned on to a lot of metal bands and caught a glimpse of her first rock poster art. While playing bass with The New Detectives Tara was recruited to make fliers and promotional posters for their shows. Her beautiful silk-screened posters caught on, and soon she was being commissioned by bands such as the Melvins, Duran Duran, Green Day, Strokes, Kings of Leon, Mastodon, Torche, Beck and others. Elle magazine called Tara the “crown princess of poster art.”
Tara’s work has been showcased at the La Luz de Jesus Gallery in L.A. and published in art magazines such as Juxtapoz, but her popularity continues to grow into other areas. Showing at comic conventions, rock-poster art expos and pop-art culture venues, as well as fine-art galleries and institutions around the world, has increased her number of fans. Embracing an entrepreneurial approach introduces her art to new markets. I asked her when the entrepreneurial spirit sparked her imagination and she said it was when she worked at Banzai Anime in West LA. Bonzai Anime (not around any more) showcased art and toys from creators in Japan. She loved what she saw and decided that is what she wanted to do too!
Tara manufactures a wry sentiment with her editions of soft and hard sculptures as well as vinyl toys. “The Day’s Eye” collection of one one-eyed flowers, “Skull Flower” and “Mr. Wiggles” are whimsical and nostalgic. The materials are varied—including polyester, suede microfiber, bamboo fiber, polyfill, wire, real glass eyeballs, etc.—but the spirit is pure Tara.“Sweet” and “Creepy” are terms many use to describe her work, but this limits the breadth of her message. Tara speaks of the healing and understanding she hopes much of her imagery can bring to people. Art will resonate with those who are on the same wavelength of its intention and meaning.
Advocating affordable art for all, Tara with Sean Leonard opened the Cotton Candy Machine art boutique in Brooklyn, N.Y., creating a venue that specializes in art prints, posters, apparel, books, toys and more by a variety of artists. It hosts monthly art shows, events and signings, and is the exclusive shipper of Tara’s merchandise. Talk about building an art empire!I asked her what percentages she felt she was making from her own personal art as opposed to the commercial work? "It fluctuates, but generally it is 75-85% personal work, 15-25% commercial work. I am happiest creating my own art, but it is hard to turn down a $10,000 advertising job."Tara represents the empowered artist entrepreneur. May success continue to shine on her journey.