Be Social
Introduce yourself to a few new people each week. As an artist, the impression you leave with people is very important. Word-of-mouth gets around faster and is more effective than any form of marketing. Be nice to the people you interact with. Ask them what they do; tell them about what you do. Leave them a business card. Genuinely figure out if there is anything you can do to help them, or if you know of someone who can help them with their goals.
Start with a Positive Attitude
A friend of mine starts each day by making a list of ten things that they are thankful for. I start my day by focusing on the positive things I get to do that day and by thanking God for just being Him. Whatever you do in the morning, start with a fresh outlook (regardless of the day before) and think positively about your new day.
Be Proactive
If you are a writer, then write every day. If you are an actress, take an acting class, look for gigs or join a community group with similar interests. If you are a music artist, write music, sing and brainstorm every day. Time is a precious gift that we must not waste. Even if I have a crazy day, I try to write at least a paragraph of something and look for new opportunities in my field.
Be Ready
Try to have a decent backstock of articles, images, songs, or paintings (or whatever you do) so that if something comes up, you're ready. Also, they don't have to be in perfect condition, but maintain your website and blog, so that people can find you on the Internet. (Yes, I realize that I have offended the "maintain your blog" policy of late, and I'm sorry!)
These are things I try to do more and more as I’m coming to realize how important my thought life and energy level is to the things I create and to my purpose. What things do you do throughout the week to help you stay "ready"? What things do you do that are important to your creative process?
image: lululemon athletica
Thanks for the tips. You always have some good ones.
ReplyDeleteAh... being ready in season and out of season. This is where I struggle. If I'm not in season I'm not training enough, though I am trying to change that this year. I think sometimes, for me, I get caught up in "what to do first" - setting priorities and so forth. I have a goal to improve my photography art to operate as a business, to enhance my writing and make it more routine as well as make strides in singing and acting and learning the guitar. So, naturally I find myself at a cross-roads. For now, I'm choosing to focus efforts on the first 2 as I want them to start turning a profit and I'm doing so by daily writing, be it blogs, journaling, or personal scripts/stories. And photography I'm setting a goal to post 1 new photo blog a week so i can build an online portfolio for my work. I also finally got business cards!
ReplyDeleteSusan- Thanks. Your blog is an inspiration!
ReplyDeleteRoddyG- I also get caught up in the "what to do first" game. I'm glad you intend to operate your photography as a business! What is your website for your photo blog? I'd love to come check it out.
Glad to see you back! Relevant tips, I'm working harder on the word of mouth.
ReplyDeleteI like the positive ways of looking at things way of thinking one of my viewpoints is that...
ReplyDeletePositive expectations will help you to develop and grow and negative ones will hold you back.
That is not truth it is just the way I choose to view things.
Kindest regards,
Tom Bailey