(part 1) 10 Ways to Play Full Out at Being a Professional Artist

Are you playing full out or just dabbling in your art?

It’s okay to just be playing. Nothing wrong with that. Maybe you’ve got another job that pays the bills, or you are retired and you create for fun.

Being a full-time professional artist can, at times, not be fun. It does have it’s ups and downs. That is, until you find that formula for success. It can be full of trial, experimentation and lessons!

However, if this is your livelihood or you are trying to establish yourself as a professional artist… what’s preventing you from playing full out?

10 Ways to Play Full Out at Being a Professional Artist

1. Banish Drains
2. Get Organized and Be Efficient
3. Stay Focused and Be Productive
4. Have a Strong Voice & Brand
5. Know Your Ideal Client
6. Set a Price That is Brand Ideal
7. Know Your Bottom Line & Forecast Your Profits
8. Spiderweb Your Marketing
9. Strategize Your Campaigns
10. Implement Visual Marketing

1) Banish Drains

We often think that time management is our issue. Time management is an oxymoron. You can’t manage time. You can only manage yourself and what you do with the time that we are all given…… those same 24 hours, 7 days a week.

In order to better manage our time, we have to be better at prioritizing what’s really important in our lives. I bet if I asked you to make out a list of things that need to be fixed, done, or taken care of in your life, the list would be long. Like months long, right?

Those items are drains. Drains on your time, your physical and your mental energy. They are the things that poke you and make you depressed at the very thought of it all. They zap your creativity, your zeal and your ambition to succeed.

In order to bring in abundance or opportunities into your life or business, there needs to be room for that goodness. If your life is already overflowing with to-do’s and the list of things to fix, repair, and attend to, the universe cannot bring you anything more.

It’s says NO Vacancy!

It’s time to banish those drains, let go of the overflow, decide if things are a heck yes or a heck no, and then make room for the universe to send you more business.

It knows that you couldn’t handle 30 orders and be able to deliver so it puts up the “full up at the inn” sign for you! It’s time to banish those drains!

2) Get Organized and Be Efficient

Taking inventory of what you have, what you need and how you are going to arrive at your “success destination” is the cornerstone to your success.

Most artists buy what supplies and tools they like (whether they absolutely need them), take classes that they find fun (even if distracting to their voice/goals), and just wing their business strategy.

Getting organized means knowing what you have (your inventory, tools, equipment) and then making sure you are using these items fully in your business.

It’s the discipline to say no to buying supplies you won’t need, tools you won’t use, and investing in techniques you don’t need to add into your repertoire. More is not better!

I don’t know about you, but I occasionally buy supplies, stones and tools I already own. Why??? Because I’m not organized!

Taking stock of what is really a heck yes and what is a heck no, is a must-do! Simplifying what you own, how you use it and how you spend your money is a key to your success.

If you can’t bring yourself to sell those unused tools then make sure you know what you have, see if you can organize your studio so that you set up stations where they can be used if you actually need to use them, and then be present to your goals avoid buying more of these sorts of items.

Remember the design rule – that space should be ergonomic and efficient. Set up stations where you can batch tasks with minimal steps taken, and then try to do your work in assembly style. This might mean doing all your sawing one day, soldering another, drilling holes another, etc. Instead of working on one piece at a time.

Get organized and efficient so you have the time and freedom to enjoy life outside creating art!

Join me July 3rd for part 2 of this series!