Travel Bug

In my personal experience, nothing creates inspiration like traveling does. It opens your soul and in some respects extends your life. I have traveled to over 20 countries and it has truly added to my overall appreciation for life. Here are some pics from a few countries I have had the privilege to experience.

(Africa – Sahara Desert, Morocco) That was my camel – his name, “Jean Claude Van-Dame.” We got on quite well. Though I swear his snorts were an indication that he was getting tired in his old age.

The silence when you walk out far enough into the Sahara Desert is amazing. Though I did hear our travelling buddy Chris (from Canada) yelling something about not being happy with one of the locals charging him too much for the camel journey we were under taking. I heard him yelling something about leaving the camp and threatening to walk home – back to Canada.

Chris walking back to Canada

Myself and Chris in the main street of Marrakesh Morocco. What a wonderland that town is. Oh, that’s us trying to cross the street. It’s around about 4:15pm there. Not bad considering we starting trying to cross the street at quarter to three.

This is me in the Atlas mountains after just having recovered from being very ill. Something I ate. We did not manage to get up as high as we would have liked simply because our bodies were still in a bad way. But we had a go.

Yes that is a snake around my neck – a real one – a live one (Main square – Marrakesh).  Steve Irwin would have been proud of me – god rest his soul. Though I don’t look that confident do I? This apparently, is a custom to warn of bad spirits. Ironic – I actually told the spirits a long time ago that I hope I never get caught with a snake around my neck.

Sitting with a few Aussie travelers on the roof in Marrakesh.

(Cairo – Giza – Egypt) Gosh, that shirt got some wearing. What a place. really amazing. I was surprised that the pyramids of Giza are right on the city’s edge. I had always imagined it to be way out in the desert. In fact there is a McDonald’s just down the road from the pyramids.

Police wanting to know where I bought the shirt?  Not really. In fact they asking us leave the pyramid compound. You see, they actually close the gates at 5pm. We were still in there trying to get photos of the sun going down over the pyramids. After a bit of bartering, they let us stay. All they requested from me was some ‘pens.’ Yeah, like as in ‘biro.’ Seemed like a fair deal to me, though I am not sure to this day why there was such big interest in Biro’s in Cairo.

(Dahab, Egypt) I spent a lot of my time in Dahab Egypt under water. How could you not? It has some of the best coral reef diving in the world.

Waiting for my diving partner.

Everything is wonderful under the sea

(California, USA) Hey go easy on my enthusiasm. After all, this is Hollywood! The hair you can comment on, sure. But not the enthusiasm.

Halloween sure is one hell of a celebration in this town. I loved L.A.’s enthusiam for it. This is my bunch of pals throwing a party especially fo the occasion. We had just just rocked into town and had nothing to wear for halloween. Quickly found something though. That’s me on the far left.

(Petra, Jordon) What an awesome place! Mind blowing. To think that they carved that out of the face of the mountain back when there was inadequate scaffolding and no overtime wage incentives.

I always get his one mixed up, but I think this one is called the ‘embassy’ and the other one, for which we had to walk quite some way up the up through the valley mountain, is called the ‘Treasury.’

(Palmyra, Syria) - Sleepy Sandy Plains Of History Definitely one of the most amazing places I have had the pleasure to experience. I think it was the calmness and the quiet of Palmyra that made it such a tranquil but eye opening experience. We stayed one night. The evening meal played havoc on my stomach for 2 days after. It’s amazing how your stomach holds such a grudge huh…for 2 days! Sheesh!

That’s me trying to get an ever better view

Luxor, Egypt – By Night (Luxor Temple)

A little foreboding but an amazing atmosphere to be apart of this historical land mark at night.

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Artist Toolbox

I have a two-day exhibit this week. Like always, I am so meticulous about making sure I am super organised  – I drive everyone crazy.

As I was getting organised this week I thought it might be a good idea to pop a few items that come in handy for when you are doing an outdoor exhibit on my blog:

Cable ties (come in handy to tie things down if the breeze picks up)

Camera (grab some snaps of the event and the people who buy your art)

Light chains (for extra strength – helps to stabilise your paintings better)

Packing materials (bubble wrap etc for the buyer who wants to take their painting right then and now)

Pens

Client contact book (keep a record of everyone who you talk to and bought your art)

Receipt book

Scissors

Masking tape

Table cloth’s

Drinks

Food

Painting description labels

Hand brush (nice to give your work a dust off)

Cloth for wiping dust

Business cards and business card tray holder

Fliers

Exhibit banner with your name

Hole puncher

Certificates of authenticity

Payment facility (if you don’t have a way to process credit cards grab a small deposit and use paypal to email an invoice to your customer)

Laptop

Blu tack

Easels (paintings look good on the equipment they were created on)

Stapler

Mints

Sunscreen

Promo CD’s (portfolio)

Personality (helps to express interest in people – after all they are buying your art)

Lighting (if you have power use lighting regardless of the natural sunlight – the sun is in and out throughout the day, but having reliable lighting on your work really helps your buyers see your work for what it really is).

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Diversify

If you discover in the beginning that you are not getting the financial results you want from your art…

Or if nobody is buying from your niche…

Then diversify.

Listen… if you are happy to get along with NOT selling what you love to create, then that’s great.

After all you got into this game for the self-fulfilment huh.

Yeah

But…

If you are looking to receive a few cookies for your efforts (of course you are), then put what you do to the side NOW AND THEN and do this…

Create What People Want

“Egad! What is you saying man? Isn’t that like…SELLING OUT? OH MY… I think I hear the “purist” stampede approaching!”

But seriously…

I have received many emails from artists who have struggled to sell art in their niche.

If it is your desire to make some sales in the beginning, then one factor you may want to consider is being prepared to be a little flexible.

During some of my very first exhibits I had people approach me and tell me they loved my subject matter and texture, but didn’t really desire my use of colour.

How could I take their dislike for my use of colour personally when one particular lady was wearing a lime midriff jumper, purple corduroy pants and blue thongs (flip-flops). “What the…?”

But I digress…

So I then asked them questions about what colours they do like… or what kind of themes they like etc.

Through this type of conversation we often managed to meet somewhere in the middle.

And a result I often produced some work for them that didn’t go too much out of my creative category and yet suited what the buyer was looking for.

This is kind of like doing commission work.

Remember the key is not to go TOO far outside of your creative ward and into an area that doesn’t stimulate you.

But try to be flexible.

At the end of the day you are looking for your bread and butter…

The “cash flow” to get you moving.

So be a little diverse with your work to accommodate more people. The same goes with your pricing. Have some low cost entry pieces available. Make your art accessible to everyone without making it free (wink).

Later as you develop your craft, develop a following and build a reputation you can concentrate solely on your chosen niche.

But until then “diversify” a little.

For example…

If you only use charcoal to draw birds…try using some oil colours instead.

If you only do abstract textural paintings…try incorporating a subject theme.

If you paint water colour on board seascapes…try using oil colours on canvas and incorporating people (activity) on the beach.

If you paint portraits of celebrities…try painting everyday people who can actually sit for you.

Whatever you do, try to be diverse.

It’s worth exploring anyway.

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Where’s The Artist?

I am amazed at how many artist websites and blogs I have seen and there is not even one picture of the artist. Not one photograph.

For me personally… it feels as though the artist is hiding behind his or her website. I can appreciate that many people are not always comfortable in front of the camera.

But if you are in the business of promoting and selling your art, you have to come out from behind the curtain at some stage.

“But people are buying my art, not a picture of me!”

That is true. But the Internet is a funny beast. The more transparent you can be, the more confident and trusting your potential buyers will be of you.

Being transparent doesn’t mean you have to go to extremes… it doesn’t mean you have to post your school reports on your blog or tell your readers how many times you have been arrested. But just one photo of you will help to provide the human aspect to your site.

One thing to remember is that your website visitor is asking questions about you from the moment they land on your site. So along with your artist bio information, provide a picture of yourself to make their evaluation of you a little more comforting.

Having a picture of yourself is the quickest way for people to read who you are.

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You Are Such An Amateur Artist

It doesn’t matter how far you go as an artist in your career…

You will always have that element of being an amateur.

“Gosh, how dare he condemn me like that” I just heard the guy at the back holler.

Sit down Restless Geoffrey… and allow me to explain.

There is nothing derogatory about being labelled an amateur artist.

Our modern culture is partly to blame for our misinterpretation of what amateur actually means or represents.

The word Amateur essentially comes from the Latin verb, “amare”

Which means, “to love”.

So… to be an amateur artist simply means…

“To do what you love doing”

It is actually a word to describe “experience”

Not “achievement”.

Slightly profound huh

I think so too.

Being amateur is not about how well you do it, but about how much you enjoy doing it (wink).

That’s called being an amateur.

Being amateur is based more on the quality of your experience…

Not the quality of your performance.

So what the difference between being an amateur And a pro?

A pro loves what she does MORE than an Amateur does…

Because a pro sits down and does all the Mundane stuff in order to uphold the inspiration and to maintain a routine.

A professional loves what she does, but also knows what she does.

An amateur only loves what she does.

Being an amateur is groovy to begin with

But think pro

Professionals don’t have to deal with criticism because They look at their work objectively.

They KNOW they are not their art

That’s a pro

A pro is patient

A pro contributes to her work EVERYDAY

An amateur waits till the weekend

A pro don’t make excuses

They make hay while the sun is shining

Think pro

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Lasting Impression Marketing

When I give out my business card to people, it’s merely as a follow up. It’s kind of like a small personal policy of mine to at least have had a conversation with the person in question before I hand over a business card.

I don’t see the point in handing out business cards indiscriminately.

A lot of people will simply take your card for the sake of taking it  – kind of similar to clicking the button that says “do you want to become my facebook friend?” – they do it so they wont offend you.

The whole purpose of a business card is to give the person you are dealing with a reference to contact you.

Chances are; they could have already taken a few business cards from other people within your industry.

So if you are going to use a business card then aim at making your mark. Make your business card stick out.

I like to create and use my own quotes on my cards. In my opinion, I don’t see the point in stipulating that I am an artist because people will pick up on that from having seen my art… and/or it would have been mentioned in our conversation. As I mentioned before, I don’t like giving out my cards for the sake of handing them out.

My motto is: if you are going to use a business card, then at least use one to get a giggle, a frown or a tear. Use it to get a response. Use it so your prospect will remember you.

As an artist, I don’t rely on using a business card to generate business. People either like your art or they don’t. A business card won’t really make a scrap of difference when it comes to making sales – In other words I don’t see it as a uselful promotional tool.  I see a business card in my industry as nothing more than a “stick-it-note”. It’s so the person who is genuinely interested in purchasing some of your work will have something on paper to remind them on how to go about contacting you.

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Breath

There always seems like we have a million and a half things we need to do. So rather than get all flustered and overwhelmed, simply stop, take 5 minutes out and just… Breath.

Sounds stupid right?

But try it. Give yourself permission to stop whatever it is you are doing and think of nothing for 5 minutes. And concentrate on breathing.

It is a great way to super-hydrate your brain… so to speak.

Try it, and see if you don’t fall back in love with the day again (wink)

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Can’t Find The Time?

I often hear people complain about how they “can’t find the time”. Don’t get me wrong; I used to be one of those people who always complained about how I didn’t have enough time.

But now, when I quiz folk on how they use their time each day, I normally discover that they don’t actually have a problem finding time at all. They simply have a problem prioritising their time. I made this very mistake also (I make lots of mistakes, I don’t mind admitting it).

I don’t say it to brag, but I often start my day at 4am. So I am often putting in an 18-hour day. It’s beyond my physical capabilities to do this every single day. I wish I could, because there is always something I need (want) to do… always. But I start at this time to get a head start. If I don’t get up at this time, which does happen through being exhausted, I get disappointed and feel pushed for time. I often end my day around 9pm, or later if I can manage it.

Is this all work? No. I have a family that requires my time during the day also. But it is mainly all working.

I was taught some years ago that it is an entrepreneur’s duty to find time… no matter what. This made sense to me instantly. In order to take on the responsibility of steering a career, you must work outside the boundaries of conventional time. In other words, you have to find time to get what you really want. It was Donald Trump who once said something along the lines of: “You can build a business or you can make excuses, but you can’t do both”.

I have discovered that email is one of the biggest time wasting activities you can get yourself trapped in. I, like many, use to check my email constantly. If I was having a quick break from painting or talking on the phone… I’d check my email. But the worst part was that I found myself responding to these emails during my “real” working time – which of course is producing artwork.

Lucky for me, I soon realised I wasn’t the only one with this problem. When I got to talk with other artists and people operating a business via the Internet, I quickly discovered that many people suffered from “email addiction”.

So in order to battle this addiction, I had to find out why I was unconsciously checking my email so much. I discovered I had this need for contact with people. There is this element of wanting to feel significant. I likened it to a little kid eagerly running to the letterbox each hour of the day every day – enthusiastically waiting for his or Christmas card from grandma. The little boy or girl wants to feel significant. He or she wants proof that someone is thinking of them – is providing the attention they desire.

I discovered that my actions were purely motivated by this need to feel significant. Sure, I was often responding to genuine inquiries, or trying to help a fellow artist find their way with their creative endeavour.  But deep down my need to check my email constantly was very much like the child running to letterbox to receive their prize of attention.

This is also half the problem with social media sites like twitter and facebook. There is a lot of time being wasted assessing our popularity instead of getting the real work done. In fact there is a great quote made in a video by Seth Godin – he mentions how the Internet is just one big cocktail party (click here to watch the video).

Another thing I started the implement is keeping track of what I actually achieved each day. I am not completely disciplined with this activity, but I am doing better than I thought I would. By doing this; it allows me find out where I am wasting time and where I can potentially utilize time to my advantage. I only spend 15 minutes doing this most days of the week. It does actually help to get some perspective of how well or not so well I use my time.

Yep, keeping a “time management” journal is as boring as bat crap. But for someone like me who has a tendency to “drift”, it does help.

I have also discovered that we don’t actually suffer from time management.  It’s actually a personal management problem we suffer from. We can’t actually manage time. Time will continue to tick away. So knowing this made me realise that it was up to me to get a bit more (um… much more) focused on personal management.

This could mean things like outsourcing some of the busy work that really eats at your time (email, general administration type of work). Getting a lot more healthier in order to last throughout a working day without getting too tired. Starting your day earlier is another.

When I first decided to start at 4am, my wife laughed out loud. In fact I kind of laughed too. I was somewhat of a hibernating bear when it came to sleeping. So the idea of starting very early in the morning naturally generated a few giggles.

But here’s thing… when you truly begin to eliminate all the lies you tell yourself, and truly begin to focus on what it is that you want, you won’t struggle so much with finding time. You will simply find more time to do things that need to be done or you will find ways or people to help you to get those things done.

If you are operating with passion, time won’t be so hard to find… I can assure you of that.

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My Nemesis

There is a problem I suffer from after completing each piece of work. The problem is my ego. I have to wrestle with it. And wrestling with my ego is tough. As tough as it would be to convince a 10 foot gorilla to lie down and surrender his last banana.

Do I always win?

Nope

But I win most of the time… at least enough to continue working on new pieces.

The battle I have is trying to live up to my personal expectations with every new piece I produce.

There is this little voice that somehow finds itself in my head all too often, and this voice is somewhat a pain in the ass.

The voice, the super-ego, tells me, “Hmmm, you know something… that painting looks kinda okay. Not bad actually.”

Then the voice breaks into a little chuckle – I freaking hate the chuckle!

And then he continues his rant…

“But here’s the thing…(he always starts the second sentence with “here’s the thing” – I hate that too)…

“I’m sensing that you are out of juice buddy boy. I think it will be very tough to exceed that kind of quality in another painting. Err… I just don’t think you got it in you”.

And this is the very point where I think to myself…

If my ego were a real person, I’d scrub the toilet with his toothbrush. If my ego were a real person…I’d wear one pair of socks everyday for 10 weeks and then stuff them in his pillowcase.

If my ego were a real person…I’d wash his boxer shorts in poison ivy…I’d take to his umbrella with a hole puncher.

If my ego were a real person, I’d stuff his shower curtain rod full of prawns. It’ would take him weeks to find out where the smell was coming from.

But of course, carrying out these types of revenges would simply use up too much of my creative energy – energy that could be better spent on starting a new painting.

My latest personal piece, the portrait of my father, was quite an intensive project. In all it took around 3 weeks before I eventually managed to capture the whole concept that had been living inside my minds eye.

So while I sometimes think that if my ego were a real person I would fill it’s life full of paybacks and nasty pranks, I have gotten better at accepting it’s existence.

Our egos are always going to challenge us. Our egos are always going to lead us to believe that we need to have something that we don’t actually need to have at all.

Our egos have a funny way of creating that kind of frustration in us all at times.

While we all want to get better at being who we are and what we do, we don’t want to be dragged there by the earlobe – which is what an ego that is off the leash and running wild can often do.

I’m better at dealing with the ego these days.  I don’t have to wrestle with it as much as I used to.

To be one step ahead of your ego, get excited and inspired by your minds’ silence, fall in love with the act of creating new work and try to avoid establishing strict starting points and finishing points in your work. The ego will often drag you past the point of the piece feeling wholesome; which is the point where you should have stopped.

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Patience

I make sure that my studio is stocked, reasonably organised and feeling slightly fresh when I start each new piece of work. If it’s an intense project like the one I just completed 48 hours ago (4 week project), then I tend to rinse my brushes and shut the door for at least 24 hours.

I very rarely even pop my head in the studio for at least 24 hours unless I have left my ipod behind.

So I fairly much just drop everything and walk out for a day or so. I just need that space, that feeling of not being committed to anything that requires any level of creativity.

That is why having a blog is such a great leveler. It allows you to document during recess, so to speak.

I don’t like the idea of trying to force my art. While I will spend some time during my short 24 to 48 hour break prioritising my workload and flicking through my reference material files for the next independent project, I don’t make any big plans. It’s not often that I don’t feel like starting again after a couple of days.

But if for any reason I “don’t feel like it” then I won’t force it. I don’t see the point in trying to create for sake of it. In other words, I don’t speak for the sake of speaking.

With each project I learn something new about myself in regards to my own ability and inability.

Those close to me would agree that my lack of patience at times could be referred to as my Achilles heal. But I have become quite good at understanding that patience in essence is an active strength an artist must be equipped with in order to produce good work. I do believe I have become quite good at concentrating into agony when it comes to producing my art.

As for all other areas of my life, well… I guess I can honestly say that my patience is getting much better than it used to be (wink).

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