My marketing journey has not been as well planned as I would have hoped or advocate. However, I did write down some SMART goals of what I wished to achieve, and wrote a loose business plan, which I need to update. Having done some business courses, the skills and tools I learnt from those have stood me in good stead, particularly when it comes to planning, marketing and measuring performance.
One of the essential traits of professionals in any field and one of the critical factors that determine the life time and growth of any field of endeavor is the willingness of the masters to be stewards of the fields continuity. Art is no less important than other left brained skill sets, in fact I would argue that its’ role in cultural survival and growth is critical.
Learning from past actions is important for us all…it is how we grow and in the case of creatives, sharpen our creativity. As I mentioned yesterday the more we keep judgment out and let learning in the more creative we become and more willing we are to let go of fear.
Recent research has found that many have problems with goals both setting and achieving. A key part in this issue is the relative inflexibility with which we view goals, they are seen as something set in solid footings for a future we have no control over. Another key issue with goals is the implied judgment associated with achieving or not achieving goals…we tend to define our success in relation to our goals.
I began working heavily in photography twelve years ago when my father taught me how to use his 1968 Asahi Pentax. I was in college, and I was hooked. His instructions to me were very basic — “keep the light meter needle in the center, and don’t shake the camera.” I think that was the best piece of artistic advice I’ve ever been given!
For me it started with Google Analytics tracking on my Etsy store. I found out about using Google Analytics by typing something like “how to increase Etsy traffic” into the Google search bar and finding something about it on someone’s blog. Once I had it set up, I could see hits coming from Twitter, other artist’s blogs, etc.
Imagine this…you walk into a coffee shop and you are immediately offered a free cup of coffee if you agree to fill out an evaluation form about the coffee. During the course of the days of collecting info from customers the barista makes some changes to the condiments available to enhance the coffee things such as, cloves, nutmeg, orange peel, and sweet paprika.
This site is the labor of love of a seasoned self taught 63 year old geekzer who cut his teeth on punch cards, fortran and main frame computers all the while designing, drawing and photographing . [read more…}
The Art List — Monthly e-Newsletter and searchable database listing upcoming Art Contests, Art Competitions, and Opportunities for visual artists and photographers.
