A Diary of Becoming - The Beginning - August 09 Roundup Tweet

I've flirted with this whole idea for a while now.

It seems as good a time as any to get going - (Good news: you're already in the right place, and the time looks good too. Thanks @chrisguillebeau).

This year has been interesting so far. My Dad died. I moved house twice (not bad, just disruptive). The 'global financial crisis' bit my 3D medical animation business hard. I have had no energy for anything other than sleep for months on end. So what. So this looked like an ideal time to reassess what I really want to do. Not sarcasm by the way. And yes, I could have kept the 3d biz going with a change in tactics, but deep down, I didn't want to. It's been fun, but the magic has faded now. Time for a change.


Time to try do something I've always wanted

And then I read this blog by illustrator Holli Conger about how she changed her direction http://www.livingthecreativedream.com/becoming.html

And all the months of following, researching and idea gathering 'just fell into place'. Love it when that happens, don't you?

And so I am becoming. This is step one.

And why blog about it? Holly wrote it perfectly, so I'll just repeat:

"1. To encourage others and let them know successful promotion can be done and how one person was able to do it.

2. To keep myself accountable and to follow through with my dream. Keeping a personal deadline had always been hard for me. I always put it off and let something else take precedent. With this commitment of documenting my process, I know I can keep myself accountable not only to myself, but to all the people who will follow this series."


My goal in all this? To make a living as a professional practising fine artist

So each month I'll be blogging on my progress. I'll go over what I've done, what's worked well, what's made not the slightest bit of difference, what I intend to do over the coming month and what I would like help with.

To give some background, I have been inspired by Natasha Wescoat (@natasha), Soniei (@soniei) and Val's Art Diary (@valsartdiary), artists who all use the internet to connect with their followers and collectors and sell the work they create. Each has their own personal artistic and communication style. Each has their own mix of promotional elements that works for them. None of them are sitting back on their backsides waiting to be discovered. Or relying on the 'efforts' of a gallery or agent to sell their work and make a name for them . They are getting in, going direct, making connections, being visible and personable and running a successful small online business. That happens to sell their original art. That's what I want to do, and that's the way I want to do it.

Non-arty inspirations in this journey so far have been Havi Brooks (@havi) who gives hope to all the true individuals out there and is enthusiastic about 'finding your right people'; Chris Guillebeau (@chrisguillebeau) who lives and expounds on 'the unconventional life'; Barbara Winter (@joblessmuse) of 'Making a Living Without a Job' - nuff said, and Ed Dale (@Ed_Dale) internet marketing genius who teaches all in the wonderful and free 30 Day Challenge.


Now to find my own mix, my own voice and my own right people.

So for September, here are my aims:

• The website and this blog are not currently finished. I mean, there are missing pages. This must be rectified as a priority.
• I feel like I would like to contact each of the people mentioned above who have been such an inspiring and positive influence and say thanks.
• To get my daily creating habit kickstarted, and to do some learning too, it's time to finish working my way through the exercises in 'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain'.
• Finish the 'Modern Cavepaintings' series that is oh-so-close to completion and put it up for sale on Etsy.
• Apply to the Iphoneography blog to be a featured artist for the SoFoBoMo 'Found Creatures'.
• Sit down (or maybe stand on my head) and DO some paint colour charts. These will be useful.
• A nice sunlight filled and coffee fueled strategic planning session that involves offline promotion as well as online. And an Action! plan.
• Oh, and DO that CD cover commission...

Your bit

What I would like but need help with:
If you're not familiar with Havi's Itty Bitty personal ads, do yourself a favour and familiarise thyself over here: http://www.fluentself.com/blog/stuff/an-itty-bitty-personal-ad/

Now that we are back on the same page (you DID read that post didn't you?), I am putting it out there for some help, or in this case, FEEDBACK.

Here’s what I want:
I am really really happy with my 'Found Creatures' series. I have some ideas of how to take these further, but what I really really want is YOUR ideas and feedback.
Do you like them? Do you have a favourite? If it was for sale, what format would appeal to you (greeting card, photo print, canvas print, eco shopping bag, your own idea)? What in your opinion would enhance the Found Creatures (animal quotes, environmental/recycling quotes, something else entirely)?

Ways this could come to me:
Comments here
Emails to me (look left)
Twitter to @wherefishsing
Blog posts about this
Links sent to me
Whatever else you can cook up!

What I would rather not have:
Destructive criticism. 'It's my blog and I'll delete if I want to'.

My commitment:
To thank people who make the effort to put forward their ideas.
To act on one idea and put the 'Found Creatures' out there for more people to enjoy, if people like them.


Now let's see how much luck I can create for myself :)

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