Do You Have a BFA?

I have a friend, actually, she's my shrink, who has told me that I need to get a bachelor's degree if I expect to make anything happen for myself in the art world.

I have always thought of college as a place to gain the skills to practise the career you have chosen as your life work. And, of course, it is! I have an associates degree in art from my local community college and feel that I gained skills that I have used to help improve my artistic technique.

But she also asserts that going to college is about making connections and using a learning institution as a platform to further my attempts to "break out" in the art world. This is a new idea to me. I have always understood that having a diploma from certain schools add to a person's cache, to make them more appealing to those who may be interested in hiring them.

I would like to know what others think about this. Will you look the questions below and give answers in the comments.

1. Do you feel that having a BA or a BFA makes a difference in your professional life?

2. Do you feel that having your BFA gave you an advantage?

3. Did you use your attendance at your chosen school to make an artistic statement while attending? Were you able to make business connections on campus or through professors and/or staff?

4. Did you consider that to be a reason for attending the college that you chose?

5.What about exposure? Did you exhibit work at your school with the intention of parlaying that into a career? Did it work?

6. Do you feel that your school provided a "platform" for you as a student?

I truly appreciate any insight anyone can give me.

Thanx!

Inside the mysterious Oom

Last week I told you all about my office building.  This week I'm taking you into the realm of Oom.

As you can see, there's a lot of artistic thought that goes on in this particular Oom.  ( You know the old cliche, "Creative Minds Live Cluttered Lives.)  I prove that rule!

The TV is my radio.  

With Direct TV I get XM satalite radio. 

I get to listen to my folk music all day long!

                                                                      

This is my Victoria Recording Machine.

With it I'll record about 400 LPs and

cassettes on to disk.

This was the first cabinet installed.

It was first hung to hold the baking 

supplies for the baking business 

that never took off.

This is my fiber cabinet. Felt, Yarn, Rayon, Buckrum, Cotton Jersey,  and Clock Parts. (?)

And tell me, what would a Spair Oom be without a War Drobe?

This is where I store my Custom Canvas Growth Chart supplies and finished pieces.

Is this the door to Narnia?  "Further up and further in!"

This my studio!  This where I can escape the bills, the kids, the troubles of this world.

Here I can immerse myself in my own world of color and clarity. (At least for a couple of hours.)

www.JudyAGoddard.Etsy.com

www.finishthis.etsy.com

www.Measureformeasuregrowthcharts.com

www.JudyGoddard.Homestead.com

Up to my elbows in "How to Market" books

"I'm up to my elbows in "How to Market" books!  I've taken out several from the library and have been poring over them each night before I turn out the light.  I keep my notebook handy and jot down phrases and quotes that I think will help me to focus on the task of successfully promoting my artistic work.  I also take down lists of what I should do and what I should be doing.  I keep hoping that somehow, in some magical way,  it will all begin to line up in my brain and make some kind of sense.

What I read last night, in Craft Inc. is that I need to find my own personal style that stands out and sets me apart from the millions of other people selling their wares.  

I need to discover whether I'm serious or whimsical.  Am I country or urbane?  Would my works appeal more to younger people or more mature folks?

But then, in the very next sentence there seems to be a discrepancy.  I need to remember that the most important thing is to do what I love and not cater to the whims of fashion.  If I do what I love then I'll be happy and will draw folks to me with my positive energy.  

So, how's that been working for me so far?  Guess! 80)

Do I sound just a tad jaded?

Well, I still have Marketing for Dummies and Guerrilla Marketing to slog through.

I will figure out how to make wonderful things that make me happy and fulfilled and I will figure out the best way to present them to the public in a way that will draw people to my web sites so that they can ooh and aah over my wonderful wares and just have to buy them!

I wish there was a check list somewhere that I could use  that allow me to just follow the rules and get success.

Oh well.

 

After Much Consideration...

I'm still clueless.

I am an artist. I want and need affirmation. Does that mean I need to sell my artwork in order to feel valued? No.

Creating art is about the overwhelming need to say something. As a fiber artist I need to have my hands around a pair of knitting needles. (Or a crochet hook.) I need to have challenges in design and color play that keep me moving forward. I guess that's why I feel that I've moved beyond crewel, cross stitch, needlepoint. Nothing challenges me like figuring out how to do something with yarn or string and needles or hooks. It has been posited that I am border line ADD. I don't wonder. I know. And the soothing swish of needles and the steady rhythm of moving the stitches from one side to the other keeps me centered and allows me to think more clearly and pay closer attention to what is being said by those around me.

But back to that pesky question about selling.

I am a consumer of goods. I have HUGE stashes of yarn. ( It really is a kind of obsession.) I spend hours most days clicking away. I have been a home maker and stay home mom for most of my life. It would feel so good to contribute in a way that makes me happy. (As opposed to working outside the home at a minimum wage job that eats up hours and gives me no sense of achievement.) I guess, for me, it boils down to me wanting to have a reason to stay home and yet make money. I want to feel useful. I want to help out.

Stay tuned for my next installment: "How I became a painter."

Ever Hopeful!

I received an email from a lady this morning. Her name is Dana G. She is shifting her online selling from Ebay to Etsy. She gives very reasons for making the switch and I agree with her that it was a right move to find a new venue. And Etsy is a "happenin' place." I just don't think I'm doing Etsy very well. I've decided to spend less time on Etsy and more time creating and preparing for the upcoming craft show season.

I used to be a veteran craft show person. I did lots of shows every year, focusing on summer shows becasue I made batiked T shirts. I actually did well enough to put myself through full time community college. I earned an associate degree in art.

Then I got sick, with Lyme disease. I was chronically ill for 4 years and was unable to do much of anything. Do to the wonderous hand of God, I am well now and have been working on Etsy since April, 2008.

I've done reasonably well selling knitting supplies, but so good with the art work. That's why the Handknit Felted Baskets are all marked down by 50%

So, I'm gunna take the plunge and invest some buscks in craft show fees. I live in an area of the country that is home to some truly wealthy people. ( The Jersey Shore.) So it will just be a matter of keeping on top of the newspaper advertising and taking a big breath before I send out the checks.

Ya know, I'm darn good at what I do! I make neat stuff! I'm a professional. I know the ropes! I jsut can't seem to find that "Ah ha moment" that would make me able to be successful on Etsy.

I'm not giving up on Etsy. Just refocusing. Not so many hours on the lap top and more hours in the "Spare Oom."

I remain ever hopeful!

http://www.judyagoddard.etsy.com/

http://www.measureformeasuregrowthcharts.com/

http://www.judygoddard.homestead.com/

The Forest for the Trees

If each new task is a tree in the forest, and each time a tree proves fruitless a new one is planted, how can I tell the forest for the trees?

I've set up my shop.

I've taken good, clear and sharp photos.

I've engaged in the chat rooms

I've posted in the forums

1. to ask for critiques

2. to ask business topic questions

3. to promote my shop

I've 3 joined teams

I've set up a blog and post almost every day.

I've set up a flickr.com account.

I'm working on a face book site.

I've let my family and friends know I'm open for business.

How do I keep from despairing?

Making art for arts sake is very good and sounds like a noble endeavor. But what you end up with is piles of art and no place to store it.

And I admit, that as an artist, I seek validation! I want to know that my ideas are valid and that others think they're worth purchasing and giving as gifts. So not making sales is not only hard on the pocket book, it hurts my soul.

Every time I kvetch people tell me to hang in. My products are good, great, cute, wonderful. The prices are fair. The pictures are clear and good.

But as the Christmas season comes on, and I spend more time looking at other Etsy shops and see how many sales they've had since the time that I signed up, it just makes me ache.

This is the gift God gave me. And for my entire life I've tried to find the niche that will enable me to justify the time and money I spend on my art.

Can you relate?

http://www.judyagoddard.etsy.com/

http://www.measureformeasuregrowthcharts.com/

www.Flickr.com/judyagoddard/

Twitter, Flickr, Blogger, huh?

I decided to try and sell some Handknit Felted Baskets that I had designed and made. So I set up a shop on Etsy.com and started uploading pictures. I was told that to promote myself I would need to spend time in the chat rooms and visit the forums often.

I learned to how sort through the miasma of a crowded chat rooms. I learned how to couch my forum posts in terms that would draw attention to my shop. And I sold a few supplies.

To be fair, I did sell one basket. And I sold one Canvas Growth Chart. All that since April 20, 2008.

So I asked what else I could do. I was told, "Blog!" I set up this blog and now have a new place to direct folks to show off my designs. And I do get some very nice comments. Thank you very much! But no sales of Art, only supplies. (So why and I complaining? At least I'm making sales!"

Next came the suggestion of Flickr. com. And then came the posts telling me to set up a Mysapce account and a Facebook account. Done.

And now I spend many hours everyday punching keyboard pads and squinting at my laptop screen. And still have quite a tidy sum of lovely baskets that people tell me are, "So cute!" "Really Great!" "Super".

I'm getting pretty frustrated. If you pray, please send one up for me.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31019349@N06/

http://www.judyagoddard.etsy.com/

http://www.measureformeasuregrowthcharts.com/

Wall Calendar Bonanza!

Three months ago I visited my favorite shop, before heading to the super market. It was, of course, the dollar store.

I stop by almost every week and look for cool little do dads that maybe I can incorperate into my art work.

I went up one isle and down the next, checked out the cheap little photo albums and,there, right next to them, I found a huge pile of old wall calendars. There so many different ones, some with horses, some with flowers, others with beautiful country scenes. And they were priced at .35 each! So bought $20.00 worth and brought them home thinking that I surely would be able to figure out a cool use for them.

I was concerned about making items for sale that would violate the copy right of the companythat produced the calendars. I looked all over every inch of each type and found no trade mark,copy right mark or address. All I could find was "made in China". That was it. I tried to look them up on line but could not find a site for the company. So, I feel OK about using the images, cutting them up, mixing them together.

I made a bunch of credit card envelopes, did a little decopauge, and glued them on to card stock to make little gift cards. I'll list them on my Etsy shop, in a new section and see who bites.

I figure that the worst thing that can happen is that I'll have enough gift wrapping paper to last me a really, reallylong time! 80)

The Unbelievable Blessing;Painting for Cancer Patients

Three years ago I was recovering from a serious illness. I suffered from chronic fatigue and intractable pain. But I had been making progress in my recovery and I had reached a point when I wondered if I could push myself to do more and not make myself sicker.

I decided to volunteer at my local hospital. During an orientation program I heard the Oncology Clinical Social Worker talk about an art program that she needed artists for. I am so grateful I decided to check it out.

Now when I go to the hospital I carry a tote bag with my paints, brushes, and volunteer name tag. I ride the elevator up to the fourth floor and head to Tracie’s office. She is the oncology ward social worker. She has a small list for me of patients who may enjoy having a painting done. I get the “art cart” which holds the rest of the supplies I need and head to a patient’s room.

That patient decides what kind of painting they would like. Usually it will be a painting of a favorite place, either a childhood memory or a well remembered vacation spot. I set up my equipment and start to ask questions. What kind of flowers are in the garden you remember? What color was the sand on the beach! Were the mountains snow capped? I try to get my patient to be as specific as possible. And while they are answering my questions, they remember all kinds of things they may have forgotten.

And we talk. And I ask more questions, and before we know it, they are smiling and talking in an animated way. They are happy recalling the events that took place and the people they love and, for a little while, the chemo therapy drip fades away. Their mind’s eye no longer sees the bed with the sterile white covers and maybe they forget that they’re old and bald and sick.

After an hour or so, they seem more relaxed and so glad that we had our talk. And I present their painting to them and they are so happy! I tape it to the wall and they have something to bring home that is a happy memory.

I pack up my kit, and stow it on the art cart. I go back into the room and shake their hand, and smile, and tell them I will be praying for them. And sometimes I’ll give them a wee kiss.

I don’t think I could feel better than I do as walk out of that room, knowing that I have made a difference in that person’s life.

I am blessed because they are blessed.

www.JudyAGoddard.Etsy.com
www.Measureformeasuregrowthcharts.com
www.JudyGoddard.Homestead.com

My Brain Must be Full of Holes!

Sometimes I really do wonder about myself! I have things to do on the internet and I say, "Next time on go online will do this, or that. And then, usually just after I sign off, I remember what I forgot to do! And I have no time to go back and do it! So I try to remember to write notes, and I forget! That's why I'm so happy with the Etsy forums. In the Promotion and ETC. and even in the Business Topic threads folks often ask, " Have you blogged today?" So I come hear, and write a little something and then I can go and say, "Why, yes! I Have blogged today!" And sometimes other will come and check out what I'm doing. It just feels good to promote my knitting and other arts.

Another thing that I often forget to do is mention in my blog, the name of my Etsy shop, my Personalized Custom Growth Chart website, and my music website.

So, today I remember;
www.JudyAGoddard.Etsy.com
www.Measureformeasuregrowthcharts.com
www.JudyGoddard.Homestead.com

A Question of Limited Editions

Yesterday I read a request for a photo and description of one of my newest shop items, from a woman who wants to highlight like minded artists in her blog. It sounded like a good idea to me. It still does and I'm glad for a chance to get that extra little bit of promotion.

But it got me thinking, again, about offering my baskets as "Limited Editions". I've been making, and refining these baskets for about three years now, so I've got a little stock saved up. But I'm also still developing new designs almost every day and I want to make them and list them right away!

I have only sold one basket since opening up my shop in April. But I truly do believe that sooner, rather than later, I will start to see orders for these works of art pick up.

So the question is, do I hold back on listing new designs so that I will have new designs for future seasons?

Should I announce that some of the seasonal designs, ala my Autumn Baskets, are indeed limited editions and after this season they will no longer be available?

Should I announce that they may be available in the future but when they are gone they are gone?

Does selling a limited edition mean that I should figure out some way to number them?

I probably should include a little label in each basket, Stating my name and the year

Maybe I should should wait to see if the baskets begin to sell before I start numbering and/or labeling them.

So many questions! So many paths!

Sale? What sale?

I'm having a little trouble feeling ever so slightly lost in a sea of artists. I try to promote myself and I just don't seem to be able to make any sales. OK. I DID make three sales lately, for discouonted knitting needles. For a grand total of 12.00.

Woe is me!

As Christmas comes on I hope I'm not just getting myself more and more into a depression. It;s a bummer thinking that I have this really great product that everybody should love and yet not being able to sell any.

Folks in chat rooms tell me they think my art is good, great, wonderful, yada, yada, yada. And I think they're right. Of course, I have no money to spend on the art I find that I just love! I guess life just goes like that.

I'm trying to stay positive through the holidays.

I really, really like my felted baskets.

JudyAGoddard.Etsy.com

A New Beginning

I love yarn! I love natural fiber! I love cotton and wool and rayon and linen and all natural fabrics!

I've been knitting since I was 21 years old. I started knitting for 2 reasons:

My mom told me I could never learn becasue I was left handed. (She obviously never did two color knitting!)
And,
When I was a little girl my cousin in Scotland sent me a beautiful handknit sweater of wonderful golden yellow wool. It had cables and I loved it! And the first thing my mom did was throw it in the washer and dryer! I never got to wear it.

So now I knit my own beautiful cabled wool sweaters.

I have to knit every day. I just have to!
But!
I have learned to love felting! I make some pretty awesome stuff by shrinking things I have knit.

here's a couple of examples: