Letter to a Young Decorative Painter

Letter to a Young Decorative Painter

25 Years of Painting

Recently I received  an email, the gist of which was the following:

Hello Debra,
I had an opportunity to view your website and I love your work. I commend you on your business. I recently began my endeavor in running my own decorative painting business, only to realize I have no idea what I am doing.
I have the creative background as well as sales background, but have no idea how to find clients.  I was part of Home Adviser, but they have no real category for someone with my skills.
What advice would a creative mind and business owner as your self give a fellow creative mind? I was given the advice to contact someone who is in the same industry as myself from another city  and ask questions,  being that I am not your competitor. I look forward to your response.
Respectfully,
Rene

Now, I don’t know how old in human years Rene is, but I do know that he has just begun his professional journey as a decorative painter, and thus is a “young” one, in terms of business years!

Here is what I emailed back to Rene, with a few additions and modifications, to make it  more useful for You.  It was interesting to review what I have done over the years to create, sustain and build my business, and how much it does take!  I realized this list could be valuable to just about anyone pursuing creative entrepreneurship…and entrepreneurship is always creative!

Hello Rene,

Here are my recommendations:

• Get a good Website, absolutely, to share and showcase your work.

• Start a Blog, focusing on the kind of work you would like to do, etc.

• Network with Interior Designers and Architects, as well as Painters, Paint Stores, and others in the Building/Built Environment field.

• Join a networking group, such as “BNI INTERNATIONAL“, (Business Networking International). (Google it).

• Take an entrepreneurship or business class, or whole program, and put together a Business Plan.

• Have a selection of good-sized Samples, depicting your strengths, and the kind of work you most like to do, most want to do, and from which you think you will get the most business.

• Create brochure, and a postcard, as well as a business card to go with your Site…they should all work together, as your business Visual Identity.
  

• Start an email newsletter, and start building your Mailing List.

• Put your card and brochure in Local Paint Stores.

• Selectively, Do Some High Profile Work, at a Reduced,  or no Cost, for 1-3 Clients…to get your name out there, and showcase your skills and abilities. Have a party to celebrate it, at the job site if you can, when completed.

• Follow Online:  Alyson Stanfield/Art Biz Coach, The Art Business Institute, Artists Who Thrive at Ann Rea Inc., Rebecca E. Parsons at her Artistically Speaking Talk Show on Blog Talk Radio, and Cre8tive Compass Magazine,  and “HOUZZ“.  You can Google and Facebook all of these to find them, and also “LIKE” them on Facebook. Read all posts, and save those that most apply to you and your work in an email folder.

• Get a Facebook Business Page, a  Twitter feed, and a Linked In and Pinterest account, and keep up with them…interact and support others in related fields, and post many images. Share, support, educate, inspire and inform.

• Follow “Seth Godin“ for rich, daily doses information and inspiration. You can research his work  through Google/Facebook. Sign up to receive his daily blog posts in your email inbox.

• Don’t get discouraged. Do something to grow your business every day, and keep plugging!

 

Here is how Rene responded:

Hello Debra ,
What it does in my opinion is simply show support that creative individuals as ourselves are willing to provide one another.  I truly appreciate the advice, and I have already set up a meeting with a client to provide my services at little or no cost, simply to attract his high end neighbors.  If I can ever be of assistance to you in any way, I would be happy to help. I thank you again and I wish you well always.   I would love to share my work with you as well.
Respectfully,                                                                                                                                                                                                                Rene

Have YOU ever looked back at all the things you have done, to establish, nurture, build, sustain, and grow your business?  I am certain that if you make a list you will be amazed at all you have done, and at all it takes. I look forward to elaborating on mine, and going into greater depth with it, for myself and others. It’s a fascinating and rewarding process!

Here’s to all of You creative entrepreneurs!

 

 

Media Medley

Media Medley

Being in the process of updating, retooling, adding and subtracting (mostly adding…subtracting is a whole other challenge!) my presence online, including  Website , Linked In profile, Pinterest, Etsy Store and more…I thought I would share some of my media offerings in an Artissima post.  Maybe You will get some ideas of media You can generate, to support, express, and promote Your work and business!

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

I had the good fortune of knowing a talented videographer (he is no longer working in the field, and does not accept inquiries…so, I won’t mention his name here), who filmed one of my projects, and put together a beautiful little video on it.  Although made several years ago, this video still feels fresh and relevant, because of his skill, and creativity.  Thank you Allen!

The Video Showcases an Image Central to My Site

The amazing and dedicated Carolyn Edlund, who “inspires artists to build better businesses”  through her ventures  Artsy Shark, and the Arts Business Institute was kind enough to interview me about how I built my decorative painting business.  The interview was done in two parts, and forms a “document” that can be shared with others, offering tips and guidance to support them on their journey!  Thank you Carolyn!

Use your Mind to Share your Heart, and Your Hand to Share your Voice

I was honored to participate in a project filmed for HGTV‘s Curb Appeal, entitled, “It’s All in the Details“, helmed by the inimitable John Gidding, architect, designer, and showman extraordinaire, and for the record, a great guy! John was kind, supportive, and a real team player on his show, where he stars, manages, designs, interacts, and even picks up a paintbrush!  Thank you John, and the HGTV‘s Curb Appeal team, as well as Johlt Productions…what a great experience.

Artistically Speaking Talk Show   is the brain child of  Rebecca E. Parsons,  Having met the wonderful artist/artisan   Lyna Farkus  through none other then Twitter (!…the power of social media, folks…),  who was at the time co-hosting with Rebecca, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by the two of them.  What a fun, and gratifying experience was this interview , as are all the interviews conducted on the show.  A must-listen to for any artist, artisan, entrepreneur, “ladypreneur”, “solo-preneur”, crafter, and more. Thank you dear Rebecca and Lyna.

Create Success..Believe…Gratitude…

One thing can lead to another…after the  Artistically Speaking  interview, Rebecca and Lyna asked me if I would do a monthly segment on the show, offering “tidbits of color wisdom”.  I was delighted to become part of the team, and “The Color Muze” segment began airing each (well, most) third Sundays of the month, at 7:15pmEST/4:15pmPST.  It is a joy to share color information, experience and exploration garnered through 5 years as a color consultant/designer, and training through the International Association of Colour Consultants/Designers.  After each show, I write up the Color Muze segment into an article, which is then published in Rebecca’s  online magazine, Cre8tive Compass  in the Color Muze section.

Muzing on Color

As You can see, there are many ways to share, support, inspire and connect through media. The internet offers opportunities for video, audio, and text, through its myriad channels.  Presenting yourself through these channels is not only promotion, marketing and PR, it is also reaching out, offering information, lending a hand through your own experience, teaching, and interacting with others.  Who knows who You might meet, touch, awaken, or work with next?  Media is also its own art form, whether it be composed of sound, images, words, or a fusion of of these, it is always an adventure, an exploration, a new frontier, and, a little bit of a risk.

But then, putting Yourself “out there” always is, n’est-ce-que pas?

So cheerio, and bon voyage, and see You later…Have a Great Trip!

Muz-ing on our Color Choices

Muz-ing on our Color Choices

Each month, usually the third Sunday of the month, at 4:15 PST, I have the honor, and the responsibility, of visiting the inspiring and informative Artistically Speaking Talk Show, brainchild of the extraordinary Rebecca E. Parsons, as the Color Muze…and then translating our colorFULL “muzes” into a monthly articles for Rebecca’s online magazine, “Cre8tive Compass“.

The bottom line is…how do we make our color choices?  Why do we choose the colors that we do…and what can help us make the most gratifying color choices for any particular purpose?

From what we take in,

to what we  live in,

to what we put on.

How does color affect us, and how can we cre8te color effects?  Are we talking paint effects, or the effect of light?  How does color make us FEEL emotionally, (what are our color associations?) or   physically (through our senses), or  spiritually, and on an energetic level?

What is actually happening in our brains when we “see” color?  And…what is up with that Color Wheel, anyway?

Analogous colors, complementary colors, warm and cool colors, tertiary colors…what do all of these terms mean, and how can YOU use color theory in Your own precious Life?

So…check us out!  Rebecca broadcasts live every Sunday night, beginning at 3:30 PST…and the Color Muze visits most third Sundays of the month, at approximately 4:15pm, PST.  You will hear marvelous and inspiring interviews with artists, entrepreneurs, crafters, bloggers and bakers, and enough bite-sized pieces of color info to make a meal!

As always…feel free to call in to the Show, make a comment here,  on the Cre8tive Compass site, or either of our Facebook pages.

We love to hear from you.

Remember, we are all cre8ting our own rainbow of this thing called Life…together!

Facebook…and You

Facebook…and You

A Group is Made of Individuals

Recently, I have been approached by no less than three esteemed colleagues, asking me to share with them how I use Facebook, and how “FB” could serve their business, organization, and publication, respectively.  This Interior Designer, Non-profit Director, and Publisher had essentially one goal in mind: swim through the potentially bewildering mass of input that is Facebook, understand its processes, and harness its power to grow their business, raise awareness of their organization,  and increase the readership of their publication.  In a nutshell…to get more people to pay more attention to what they are doing.  In essence, not to be alone howling their message into the wind.

Don't Howl Alone into the Wind

How do we do this?

Reach Out and Touch Someone...

Well…reach out through the digital divide, connect with your keyboard, and touch someone, or, a lot of people.

Say:  “Hello” – (aka: “Hello World!)

Say, "Hello World"

While not a “how-to” guide”, I offer some thoughts,  ideas, and guidelines to the new and the seasoned user of Facebook, in the hopes that they will “friend” the twin activities of giving and receiving, and thus enrich not only themselves and their endeavors, but all of us “FB” users.

OK…So, how do we do this?

Through sharing and caring. (Sound sappy?  It’s powerful.)  We can communicate, consider, and connect, each in our individual style.  It does take some effort.  There are even mathematical formulas expounded, as to how to distribute your energy across the Facebook terrain.  I will share mine (mind you the math part is flexible…adjust to your own needs, intent, and instinct).

Facebook is used to share, communicate, inspire, educate, market, network, promote, inform, connect, and all manner of other good stuff.    It may be used for other things too, but the latter is what I, and most of the folks I am connected to and observe,  use it for.

I present this simple formula for your consideration:

Make roughly 30% of your posts about YOU/Your Work, Product, Service, Cause, or Organization.

Make roughly 60% of your posts about OTHERS/Their Work, Product, Service, Cause, or Organization, or even, their jokes, videos, photos or links that you feel comfortable having on your page, and sharing with your FB friends.  Ways to do this include “sharing”, or re-posting friends’  posts on your page, “LIKING” their posts, and  “COMMENTING” on their posts in an appreciative and supportive manner.  You can also simply post about someone, or something on your page, recommending, extolling, supporting, or complimenting them, or, it, as long as this feels true to you.  I engage in these activities primarily within the context of my field of work: decorative painting, color, the visual arts in general, the arts in general, to keep my Facebook presentation cohesive. I call this activity “CELEBRATIONS”, and it is great to post them regularly.  Celebrating a person, their work, their cause, or their achievement is a gratifying way to show appreciation, reach out, and support your fellow FB friends, or even those you are not (yet) connected to on FB.  You can  promote their work, service, business, or just THEM to the world…the Facebook world, and the world in general (if your Page happens to be public, as mine is.)

Make roughly 10% of your posts about WHATEVER fun, unique, unusual, special, eccentric or eclectic  topics you wish to share…keeping in mind that these posts are indeed, sharing.  These posts may have a more personal flavor, without necessarily looking, at first glance,  like they are directly connected to your Work, Product, Service, Cause, or Organization, although at second glance, they might be.

I realize as I write this how personal Facebook really is, as regards to how folks approach it, how they use it, and what they want to get out of it.  It can be tempting to get really personal on Facebook.  I would just remind everyone that  anything placed  upon the seemingly infinite table of the Internet, can potentially be seen, read, consumed, and responded to by anyone alive on the planet.  So…please!  Be careful…be considerate, be conscientious….but don’t stop having FUN!

Don’t howl alone,  howl with and to others!  They may find your howling helpful, or at least, amusing….

Don't Howl Alone...Howl with Others!

For further FB info:

Here is an informative post on Regina Garay’s  (of GARAY ARTISANS)  far-reaching blog, “FAUXOLOGY” on how to use Facebook for your Business, written by her sister Suzanne.  This post helps to demystify the difference between FB pages and groups, so please read, and enjoy!

If you have the time, and the inclination, let us know what you think, and feel, about this post.  We are all in this thing called Life, together.

Cheerio!