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your connections, don't be afraid to delete some names, either. even a new style or medium, don't be afraid to kill some darlings
along the way and remove old work that no longer refl ects your ambitions.
2
PLAN AHEAD WITH SMALL RECURRING TASKS.
Much of marketing your art is about
the small steps it takes to build an audi- ence and put systems into place that will help you sell your work more easily. Don't wait for the big bang. Spend
some time on small recurring tasks that you can perform on a daily, weekly or monthly basis that will help you work toward your goals. T ink of things to do that will improve your work, like experimenting with new techniques, visiting shows of up-and-coming art- ists or taking regular trips to your local museum in order to stimulate your inspiration. One of the small marketing tasks
that you can put on your calendar is making social connections on the In- ternet by sorting out your social media accounts every Friday, for example. T is can mean friending new people and commenting on their work on sites like Behance, Etsy and Flickr, or just catching up with interesting people you have communicated with in the past. Twitter even has a #FollowFriday, where "tweeps" recommend a small list of users to their followers. By keeping the conversation going
on a regular basis, you will expand your network and open up doors to better opportunities. When going through
Are there people in your address book whom you don't even remember? De- clutter your phone every month; doing so de-clutters your mind and gives you easy access to your most important contacts. Make sure to mark a day on your
calendar for experimenting. On this day, play around with new techniques or materials without the pressure of creating something fl awless. You might even want to try a diff erent approach, angle or theme within your work and see where it takes you.
3
EXHIBIT YOUR WORK IN UNUSUAL PLACES.
Depending on your exhibiting expe-
rience, it might be a good idea to take your mind off of art galleries for a while and focus on some more unusual ven- ues. T ink about popular restaurants, libraries, schools or other public places that attract a lot of people. Lend out your work and ask if you could leave some small marketing materials, like business cards, fl yers or stickers, for anyone in- terested in contacting you. If a business or organization is unsure about what's in it for them, create a collection that represents what that particular busi- ness stands for—be it a literary, food or school theme—and explain how art can both add to their visitors' experience and send out a message that the organization supports local talent. Exhibiting in unusual spaces that
see a lot of foot traffi c gives you more exposure, not to mention a great story to tell art galleries in the future. Show them pictures of your public exhibitions and
talk about the great response you and your work received as a result.
4
BUILD YOUR CREATIVE HIVE OF FIVE.
Jim Rohn, a well-known motiva-
tional speaker, once said: "You are the average of the fi ve people you spend most time with." Unconsciously, the decisions we make and the things we do are infl uenced by how we were brought up and the people with whom we spend the bulk of our time. T ink about the fi ve people you spend the most time with in order to gain insight into your own personality and possibly even your level of success. Would your hive of fi ve rather see you working an offi ce job for security and stability? Or do they cheer you on in your life as an independent artist? If there are two to four people on
your list who would probably rather have you work a 9-to-5 job and think your dreams are fantastic but unachiev- able, it may be time to create a small group of another fi ve people who will always cheer you on. Are you an aspir- ing artist or a professional who wants to become more famous with your work? Surround yourself with people who are trying to achieve the same goals, or those who have already found success and can give you advice on the best ways to reach your artistic destination.
5
CONTACT SOMEONE YOU ADMIRE FOR ADVICE.
When it comes to inspiration, we
all have people we admire. It might be someone famous, a respected artist or anyone whose brain you would love to pick for some advice. Most people know
27
HAPPEN
