I’m inside the smARTist Telesummit Community Forum tonight reading more of the exciting, informative posts from this year’s conference participants. Each year, this Forum brings me thought provoking resources, and 2012 has been no different.

Artists were counseling each other with idea brainstorming, reflecting on artist statements, talking about the value of art, discussing marketing ideas, print sale options for artists, vanity galleries, and so much more it would take hours to catalog.

But there was one thing in particular that caught my fancy…

Maryann Pranulis in Crystal City

Here are 3 short stories of wildly successful artists—three of my smARTist Alumni—who talk with me about how the smARTist Telesummit, and private coaching, changed the course of their careers with concrete information, unprecedented support, and intelligent connection.

Something’s been bubbling up around here, an underground hot spring that finally shot up an unanticipated geyser last week on Lori Wolfson’s and my Blue Stocking Art Salon gathering. The most surprising thing was that the artists on the call weren’t particularly surprised. Turns out I’ve been walking my silent talk all along – and only I have been oblivious to how obvious it has been. Until last Wednesday, I thought I was perfectly happy to let the hot spring in my soul remain…

by smARTist Speaker,  Alyson B. Stanfield

Don’t overwhelm your art buyers with a lot of stuff and promotional material at the time of sale. Why?

Because you want to save items for future mailings – “touches” for your collectors. You’ll need to follow up regularly in order to keep your name in front of people.

by smARTist Speaker, Jack White

Check out my next two, short stories and start reinventing how you sell art today.

Story 1 – Stone Cold Creamery Sells Excitement. Ice Cream is the cherry on top!

I recently read a small book by Seth Godin, All Marketers Are Liar. Seth tells a great story of Stone Cold Creamery. The company started in Phoenix and now is in forty-six states. Stone Cold charges seven to ten times more than you would pay for Blue Bell ice cream at your local 7-11.

by smARTist Speaker, Jack White

Thirty-five years ago, I gave a client an exciting experience he never forgot. In return, years later, he lobbied for me to become an Honoree Admiral in the Texas Navy. (I commissioned on the USS Lexington.)  I gave my collector a “Highlighter Day” in the ‘70s, and he repaid me for that exciting buying experience with Governor Perry making my commission official with his signature.

In the past four decades I’ve seen a lot of changes in the art market; however none as radical as the years following 9-11. People are now ambling through outdoor shows and galleries in a zombie daze. 40% of the Carmel Galleries closed within six months after 9-11. Scores of artists gave up their careers.

by smARTist speaker, Eden Maxwell

You are making art, and you feel that your creations should support you. Is this a reasonable demand, or not? Didanyone guarantee this financial arrangement?

Let’s look and dig deep. Having your art exhibited and acquired by collectors adds up to prestige and money. But, what if this is not happening? Having or knowing your philosophy will make the difference between a sense of fulfillment and a sense of failure.

by smARTist Speaker, Maria Brophy

There are many pieces to the puzzle when it comes to being successful in the business of art.  One of the most important pieces is connecting with your collectors. After all, without collectors, your artwork would be sitting in a back room, lonely, with no place to call home!

Before I share my number one technique on how to connect with your collectors, let’s talk about what it means to “connect.”

I’m putting telesummit material together and want to be sure I hit the mark for you!

“If you could ask a major collector your top 3 questions, what would they be?”

You can place your questions in the comments section below here on the post.

Blogger extraordinaire, Chris Brogan, talked about how he concentrates on creating THREE WORDS that sum up all that he will focus on for the coming year. His ideas, as expected, are thoughtful and practical. You can read them on the link above.

Brogan uses this Three Words in lieu of New Year’s Resolutions. I loved the idea, never having found resolutions to be more than wishful thinking and broken promises. So, I took up the challenge of creating three words that will help…

Branding your artwork is like washing dishes: it never ends!

And exposure is the only way your branding can make an impact.

There are two levels of branding exposure you need to leverage for your art:
Free and Paid.

Both are important and both…