A recognizable style that appeals to collectors is an obvious asset. We all know it when we see it. That work couldn’t possibly have been done by anyone else other than the artist who created it.

Where does artistic style come from? Is it a calculated decision, like a chosen trademark, or something more organic?

Distinctive style emerges from two things: life experience and mastery of material.

Without life experience, mastery is mere technique. Without mastery, your vocabulary for expressing life experience is limited.

Artists create; then they reshuffle ideas or parts, recycling them into new projects. They continually form and reform art, dancing over and over again with the core elements of color, media, and subject matter.

All the while, they’re living–experiencing the joys and sorrows of being human. The fear, the faith, and the unpredictability of their unique life.

Jazz great, Charlie Parker, once said, “If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.”

The same is true of any form of creative expression. Authentic style is a combination of communicating an emotional truth and mastery of your chosen materials. The more you acknowledge and feel the emotional truths in your life, the more they infuse your art.

Distinctive style emerges when you tell the truth about life, using materials that are so familiar that they’re like a language you learned as a child.

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If you could describe your artist’s voice in one sentence, what would you say?

I’d love to hear….

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If you liked this blog post, find out what Barbara Bowen (creativity coach) had to say about how resistance enlivens your creative process at the smARTist Telesummit 2010. Check it out.

Question: When is too much creativity a bad thing?

Answer: When it keeps you from selling art.

One of the truly great things about being an artist is living in the daily flow of creativity. We listen carefully to the wellspring of impulses and ideas that arise. We intentionally expose ourselves to things — people, places, experiences — that will change the way we look at the world and the way we make art.

But too much creativity can get in the way of a successful art career and sales.

At the 2010 smARTist® telesummit, experts agreed on the importance of having a consistent body of work. One said, “You have to create something that stays within a range. Otherwise, you’re just going to confuse your collectors and/or your galleries.”

Ideally, every piece of art you make would be instantly recognizable as yours and yours alone. That’s called having a “visual identity.” It’s what makes a van Gogh, a Sargent, a Cindy Sherman identifiable… and soooo desirable.

If you’re an established artist, chances are your visual identity is also well established. Something about your choice of colors, subject matter, media, style — or combination of all of these elements — has a consistent sense about it from piece to piece.

If you’re an emerging artist, it can be tempting to try to experiment your way to success. Instead, trust what you do well and what you enjoy, and form a consistent body of work that collectors will recognize and come to both appreciate and expect.

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Has your artistic voice always come easily to you? Or was the pathway more rocky?

I’d love to hear….

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If you liked this blog post, find out what Jason Horejs (gallery owner & author) had to say about how to create successful relationships with galleries at this year’s smARTist conference. Check it out.

I can’t begin to count how many times I’ve heard an artist complain about paying a gallery their 50% commission. It happens so often that the gallery rip-off mantra has risen to the status of a myth, pitting the world of artists against galleries who reap the lion’s share of profits.

This myth is particularly damaging because artists who believe it lead with resentment in their relationships with galleries. They often view galleries, owners, and managers as necessary evils, instead of business partners.

It also reveals a deep misunderstanding about how the business of art works.

Imagine you’re a gallery owner and you pay $5000 a month rent on a space in which you can display 100 pieces of art. It costs you $50 a month just to hang one piece of art on the wall. And that doesn’t include any other operating expenses, like salaries for your employees, taxes, utilities, or marketing.

Now imagine that it takes four or six months for a piece of art to sell. After four months, you’ve invested $200. After six months, your stake is up to $300.

While artists bear the financial risk of the time it took to make a piece of art, galleries invest cold, hard cash in the expectation that the art they represent will sell. Often, it does. But, sometimes, it doesn’t. If, after several months, a piece just doesn’t sell, you never recover the money you invested.

Owning a gallery is a risky proposition that requires a significant investment. It’s only fair that galleries partner with you so they are compensated for shouldering that risk.

In return, it’s fair for you to receive a contract that spells out exactly what responsibilities you have as a business partner with the gallery.

Together you win.

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Had a positive gallery experience? A negative one?

I’d love to hear about it….

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If you liked this blog post, find out what Jason Horejs (gallery owner & author) had to say about successfully getting into galleries at this year’s smARTist conference. Check it out.

For gallery owners (and other people who sell things), a steady supply is essential. Empty gallery walls are as inconceivable as empty shelves in a supermarket.

So it stands to reason that gallery owners love artists who consistently produce.

Figuring out how to jumpstart sluggish production schedules is an important career-boosting move for emerging and established artists alike. Start by noticing what you’re doing when you’re not making art.

Some activities are essential: sleeping, eating, playing, loving, and occasionally cleaning out the back seat of the car, come to mind.
But when you look at some of the non-essential activities-yikes.

At this moment, you’re looking right at one of the biggest time sinks—your computer. Do you know how long it actually takes to write a thoughtful email?

And the line between career-boosting computer time and a big black hole is a single click wide. Posting pictures of new art on Facebook is one thing; looking at 73 pictures of your niece’s sorority sisters is entirely different.

Three tips to tame this technological time sink (unless you are working digitally, of course):

1. Consider putting your desktop computer away from your studio space. If you have a laptop, don’t take it into your studio, unless you are actually using it for art or productive downtime away from making art. If you have a smartphone, ditto (or turn off the web functions). Use your studio time for art.

2. Create a weekly schedule for everything that needs your attention on the computer, and then pay attention to how well you are sticking to it. If you are not, then you need to align your schedule with your natural workflow—not the other way around.

3. Put a timer by your computer. Decide in advance what you’re going to accomplish and how long it will take. If the project is longer than 20 min, break it up. Forty minutes is the most that brains will stay on a left-brain task, so set the timer and when it dings, log off. Then go fulfill the dreams of your collectors.

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How do you handle goal setting?

I’d love to hear about it….

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If you liked this blog post, find out what Jonathan Talbot (he’s produced 35,000 pieces of artwork!) had to say about passion and your art business at the smARTist Telesummit 2010. Check it out.

Being true to your deepest goals is an important part of building a successful art career. But the very notion of tracking your progress toward meeting them can seem tedious and unimaginative.

Goals conjure up images of “To Do” lists that get checked off as you make progress. This might be efficient for some people, but it can also feel like a corset squeezing in your creativity.

What if you found a way to track progress toward your goals that was fun?

Why not offer your brain a process that it understands and likes.

For instance, many artists are visual people. Instead of creating a written list, make a colorful graphic map or drawing of your goals. Start with a large sheet of paper and include images or even cartoons representing your goals and steps along the path toward meeting them. Use this paper dynamically, adding and removing images as you go.

Or create a mobile. Or a fold-out, hand-made book. This doesn’t have to be time consuming – go for the rough ‘n ready version.

If a written list appeals to you, then try writing it out longhand. In silver ink on fuschia paper. In a notebook bound with golden ribbons.

Some people find that a partnership works best for tracking goals. Partner with another artist or with a friend who’s also working toward a set of personal goals.  Commit to regular meetings by phone or in person to talk about your progress.

And…maybe you have already discovered a way to track your progress that is off the beaten track.

If so, I’d love to hear about it…

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If you liked this blog post, you will love what Jennifer Hofmann had to say about gentle organizing for creative spirits at this year’s smARTist conference. Check it out.

One of the biggest myths about making art is that inspiration is a necessary ingredient. People who don’t make art often glorify it. Sometimes even artists do.

Most often, inspiration comes and goes. Unpredictably. Randomly. There are days when making art is the most marvelous thing on earth. There are few things as joyful as flowing in a river of creativity.

And then there are days when making art just can’t fit into your hectic schedule, much less feel inspired.

The key to a successful art career isn’t manipulating your circumstances or yourself to increase your communication with the Muses.

The best approach to inspiration is non-attachment. Appreciate the moments and days when you feel fueled by passion, even as you acknowledge that they’re fleeting.

Your job is to show up and just keep making the art and building your business.

People who build successful art careers aren’t more inspired than other artists; they’re more committed.

They keep showing up at the easel or wheel or behind the camera, even when they don’t really want to. Even when they feel about as inspired as a pair of old socks.

Keep showing up. Sometimes, inspiration will meet you there.

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What’s your experience of inspiration? Do you depend upon it to produce your work? Are there any tricks you’ve discovered to stay in the inspired zone? I’d love to hear about it….

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If you liked this blog post, you may really like what Robert Fritz had to say about the creative process at this year’s smARTist conference. Check it out.