The Art Marketing Action Newsletter

Alyson Stanfield has written an interesting article on personal power and taking 100% responsibility for our actions. She features an image of my art work with this month's power article. Here's the article with one of my cityscape series paintings, "Citylife." You can see the main article Here.

Anne Marchand, Citylife, Oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches. © The Artist, all rights reserved
http://www.annemarchand.com


Copyright 2007 Alyson B. Stanfield. Alyson takes the mystery out of marketing your art and making more money as an artist. Visit http://www.ArtBizCoach.com to get articles just like this one delivered to your inbox.
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MAIN ARTICLE: ASSUME POWER
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Last week, I posted the five principles for no-excuses art marketing, which are woven throughout the book I’m working on. I don’t know what took me so long to come up with these because I’ve been rattling them off at each and every workshop I give. They are also prominent in my coaching and classes.

The first principle, I believe, is the most important. It goes like this:

“You are in charge. You have control over words, prices, artwork, and your image. People will take as much power from you as you give them. Guard your power carefully. Accept 100% responsibility for your actions and make no excuses.”

There are very few times in anyone’s career when they feel like they have all the power. For an artist, the power appears to be in the hands of galleries, curators, granting agencies, collectors . . . anyone but you! It’s easy for this to overwhelm you. It’s easy to allow it to plunge you into victim mode--particularly when you’re hanging out with a cadre of other artists who have chosen complaining over taking action. But all of these people have only as much power over you as you give them.

When you agree to stop playing the victim and accept 100% responsibility, you’ve taken the leap to being a more professional artist. You will ultimately be a more fulfilled and productive human being.

In his book “The Success Principles,” which I never tire quoting,
Jack Canfield writes:

“You only have control over three things in your life--the thoughts you think, the images you visualize, and the actions you take (your behavior). How you use these three things determines everything you experience. If you don’t like what you are producing and experiencing, you have to change your responses. Change your negative thoughts to positive ones. Change what you daydream about. Change your habits. Change what you read. Change your friends. Change how you talk.”

I couldn’t have said it better.

What are the other four principles guiding no-excuses art marketing?
Take a look and share your thoughts on the Art Biz Blog:http://www.artbizblog.com/2007/05/principles_of_n.html

KNOW THIS----------~> People will take as much of your power as you allow them to.

THINK ABOUT THIS---~> What have you lost control over?

DO THIS------------~> Assume control. Make a list of the things in your art career that aren’t going as well as you would like. Where did they go wrong? What can you do to ensure that won’t happen again? To whom have you given too much power? What can you do to change that or to ensure it will be different with a new relationship?

Alyson B. Stanfield
Stanfield Art Associates
alyson@artbizcoach.com

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