I feel that artists, unlike other professions, do not really need to spend a lot of time writing up detailed business plans. Yes, it helps to goal set, but I prefer to keep things more flexible.  I have gone the “detailed” route in the past, but a lot that I had planned on never happened, or changed. Sometimes this resulted in a loss of money. Its not that I planned poorly, or did not plan enough. On the contrary, maybe I planned too much. In any event, I have changed my stance to not having things set in stone. To map out ideas, not definitive details.  However, I have learned to just put some simple principles into play that are good for any artist to follow.

Projecting Costs

When I decided to turn my art hobby into a business, I looked into a lot of options. I weighed my options between dedicating a work space out of my home vs. renting a space in a more commercial part of town. I looked into having a dedicated business line vs. making my cell my work number. I looked into paying a marketer to get my name out there, being as that I was new and all. I actually really wanted to have a space outside the home, a studio with all the bells and whistles. In the end, I opted to keep my overhead low, and I have one room in my house as my artist space. Ultimately, I have learned it is not necessary to have a brick and mortar commercial studio. With the advent of the web, online galleries, email, facebook, blogs, etc, one can also take care of a lot of their own marketing as well. AND save a lot of money in the long run. I would have incurred a lot more debt at a faster rate the other way. It works for some, but in the end, I am grateful I remained flexible and did not push hard for the other plans, that might have made me close my business doors when the recession hit.

Keeping Overhead Expenses Low

Artists are pretty lucky! These days, it’s not too difficult to keep our overhead expenses low. With a website portfolio, online store, email newsletters, blog and home studio, my expenses are fairly manageable. When I have taught classes, I have done so at a location where everything was set up and all I needed to do was appear! I don’t need that expensive store front, an expensive 800 number. For me, I too have the luxury of not needing artist’s supplies, being as that my fractal art is created with the computer. I do have upkeep of my machine, however, so that in the end does balance out. But all in all, it is fairly easy to keep expenses managed.

I do have to make sure I do have a bit of an inventory on hand, as I like to do art shows. However, I have learned along the way. Tents and grids can be rented, vs. purchased outright. It is a thought to bear in mind that might be more feasible for some. I was lucky enough to find a store that sold used grids. They looked like new, but were half the price! It is not important to have an overkill of prints. Unless you do a lot of shows a year, you do not need to print hundreds of prints. I learned this the hard way. I printed a LOT of prints, but only do a handful of shows a year. I still have inventory from four years ago that has not moved yet. It’s hard to justify printing more, newer items, until the older ones sell. At the very least, I do alternate where I do shows, geographically, so the older images are new in towns I have not had an art show at before. One artist I saw at a show had a wonderful idea. He had a banner printed, filled with his art images. These were available then for special order. On hand, he had lesser expensive items that sold like hot cakes. Everything $20.00 or less. I have done something similar; I have a CD slideshow with my entire portfolio on it that I run on a small DVD player at shows that offer electricity. I can then focus on having some of my most popular pieces available for purchase within the booth, but I can keep my printing expenses lower, by having a visual of all else I have to offer in an eye catching video.

Yearly Projections

Any good business plan begins with an accurate projection of the annual costs to run said business. As an artist, this means how much you will spend on supplies, printing, framing, education, promotion, advertising, showing or exhibiting your work, and keeping in contact with collectors. Try to spend realistically as you are starting out. It is ok to dream big, but do not spend emotionally because of it. If you do not plan out the things you need ahead of time, and keep an eye on your annual projections, you could end up wasting money and overspending. Eventually you will want to make a profit! Sooner than later, preferably!

Being Professional

As stated earlier, artists are blessed to not have to spend a lot on overhead. In comparison to other businesses, our start up costs are minimal. However, if you decide to become a professional artist, you do need to make sure to take care of a few things. Like register your business in the state you live in. Get your tax ID number. Hire a good accountant that specializes in small businesses. This is an investment I would recommend not skimping on. I understand a lot of bookkeeping basics, but when it comes to things you can and can not write off, and keeping it all in order, it is sooo helpful to have a professional make sure that all my ducks are in a row.

There are so many tangents to branch off on; I could write a lot more on this topic. But for now, I will leave you with the above thoughts, and will add more blog entries expanding upon things, should there be a need or a request for it. J

Go out and make it a Fractalicious Day!

~Kimberly

Technorati Tags: art, art business, Business, Business Plans, Cost projection, Digital Art, Fractal Art, Fractalicious, Kim Hansen, Kimberly Hansen, Kimberly R. Hansen, Kimberly Rae Hansen, managing, overhead, professionalism, projections

YOU ARE INVITED!!!

WHAT: The Sensational Small Works Showcase and Sale (Silent Auction)

WHEN: Friday, May 6^th. Starts at 6pm

WHERE: The Nicolaysen Art Museum – 400 E. Collins Drive, Casper, WY

MORE INFO: Exhibition is currently up and available to view at the museum, prior to the auction event night.

Over 150 original artworks to bid on, including THREE FRACTALICIOUS LIMITED EDTION GLASS NECKLACES by Kimberly Rae Hansen Digital Artistry!!!

A great night of art, food, drink and music! $15 for museum members, $20 for non members.

All proceeds go to fund the Nic’s educational outreach programs. Keep art alive in the hearts of children and the community. Come share in the excitement of the release of my Fractalicious jewelry line! I hope to see you there!

Go out and make it a Fractalicious Day!

~Kimberly

Technorati Tags: auction, child art education, community, community art outreach, Digital Artistry, donations, educational outreach, Exhibition, Fractalicious, glass, jewlery, Kim Hansen, Kimberly Hansen, Kimberly R. Hansen, Kimberly Rae Hansen, necklaces, Nicolaysen Art Museum, pendants, silent auction

We have all heard the term “Starving Artist.”  But what if artists are not meant to be poor? Is it possible to actually make money from your art? Is it possible to make your art hobby a career? One that supports you, independently? YES!

The thing to think on is how did that term ‘starving artist’ come about? If one looks back over the history of art, it is clear that this mentality has been around a long time. See, the old way of achieving success, fortune and fame for artists was centered on receiving favor, endorsements if you will, from outsiders. Outsiders, who took a huge percentage of the artist’s income in exchange for the ‘privilege’ of representation. This began back in Europe, and it continues on today, this same mind set. It is a very effective system…just not for the artists!

Look at Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel, for instance. He did not get paid so much for all that work. Yes, he was paid for painting the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. At first he was only supposed to paint Christ and the twelve apostles, and an original payment was agreed upon. In the end he painted all those scenes from the Old Testament, plus a lot of extra figures, over 300 in all. Michalangelo negotiated to do more, paint more.  But in the end, the Pope only paid what was originally agreed upon. Many years later Michelangelo painted the large Last Judgment on the wall above the altar in the Sistine Chapel. This time he was paid better, however, the Pope and the Catholic Church, made out better financially than Michalangelo did.

Today, artists carry this same mindset, looking towards galleries, museums and art shows as their primary focus for representation. Don’t get me wrong, this old way still works for some artists. But the problem is that it’s a low income earner game. It is hard to break in; hard to maintain. Fortunately, there is another way!

Most artists do not fail because they have a lack of talent. They fail because they have not been trained to represent themselves properly. Because they have not been taught a more’ big business’ mindset for marketing themselves and their art. Luckily, this is a learnable skill! One that I hope to train artists on in the near future in the book I am writing. But for now, here are some things to keep in mind, to just help you along your journey.

*Map your goals. Dream big! See it, feel it, WRITE IT DOWN, take action and make it happen.

*Value your work. If you do not, your clients will not either. You can set prices that reflect your value, and still cater to a wide range of buyers.

*Connect with your clients. Share your passion, your story. Keep in contact with your clients. This creates new and repeat customers.

*Explore alternative avenues to create extra income by generating art that can be sold, repeatedly, generating passive income.

*Expand your online presence! Do not be afraid of social media and modern technology. Artists today have so many more opportunities available to us now, than artists of old ever dreamed of.

*Most importantly, believe it is possible. Believe you can do it. Giving up on yourself and your dreams is the only way to truly fail, to truly not make that difference.

Go out and make it a Fractalicious Day!

~Kimberly

Technorati Tags: dreams, finances, Fractalicious, goals, Kimberly Rae Hansen, marketing, mindset, persepctive, starving artist, thriving artist, value

“How do I protect my artwork from being stolen from my website?”

If you have an online portfolio or website displaying your art, or post images of your artwork in your blog, or anywhere else online, I bet you have asked yourself this question. And for good reason. As artists, we have to protect our art, whether it is on display online, or hanging on an art gallery wall, or being licensed to a manufacturer.

The sad, unfortunate truth however, is that images are just digital pixels. Bits and bytes, if you will.  Once you put an image online, there is nothing you can do to prevent it from being downloaded, copied, and even stolen. Once a website is loaded into a browser, computers download everything on that page. Including the images. Once artwork images have been loaded into a browser, they can be copied and saved to the viewer’s computer.

Here is a list of things that many artists try to do to protect their art. Many think that they are failsafe, when in fact they just are not.

1. Disable right-clicking on images

Website providers will tell you that disabling the right-click option will stop thieves from pirating your images, because with this function disabled, an art image thief can not right-click and select “Save Image.”

This is a myth. Every keyboard has a key marked “prt scr” or “print screen.” It is a little extra key up near the F keys or above the number pad. This special, little key does what it says. Its function is to copy everything visible on the computer screen, including images. Once the key is pressed, the images on the screen are copied to the computers internal clipboard.  An image thief can then “paste” the screen images right into their favorite image editing program.

The same holds true for images that are uploaded into flash movies or you tube videos. They are not safe from download either. The nifty little print screen key can copy them as well.

1. Place a watermark over images

While a watermark might it more difficult for an art image thief to re-sell your artwork, it won’t stop them entirely.  Anyone with Photoshop and a little patience can remove a watermark from a photograph or art image. The larger the watermark, the more difficult it might be, but the larger the watermark, the more it hides or distorts your art image, making it difficult for prospective clients to see. It can partially ruin your artwork in an attempt to protect it.

I still use a watermark on my images. A small segment in a section of the art piece that is more obscure; a part of the fractal that is less detailed. I like to use my website address as the watermark. I figure a little advertising as to where the image came from never hurts. But I know it is not a deterrent to art image thieves. Not really.

1. Add aggressive copyright warnings below images

I do recommend adding a copyright notice at the bottom of every page of your website. It is helpful should legal action become necessary. However, copyright warnings will only deter an honest thief; a half hearted one who understands intellectual property rights, and actually cares about it. Copyright warnings will not physically protect your work at all. It will just help in court, should things ever get that far. I still see artists pasting these warnings all over their web site, under all their images, in hopes that the law will protect them. It will, to a degree, but tracking down internet theft is a tricky business, if not nearly impossible.

IS there a workable solution for online image theft?

While artists can not prevent image theft, they can at least be in control of the quality of the images released into cyberspace. How? It is imperative to keep image sizes small, and resolution quality, low.

For instance, in my online fractal art gallery, I size my images to be no larger than 600×600 pixels, and a resolution of only 72 dpi, or pixels per inch. This is a large enough size and image quality for clients to comfortably view the art, but small enough to prevent an online art thief to do much. If someone downloads one of my images, the best quality picture they will be able to print is a 72dpi image of about 8×8 inches. It certainly limits their use options; the image will be small, and not very crisp. Conversely though, 72dpi is perfect for web browsing. A 72dpi art image will look just as crisp and clear in an online portfolio as a 300dpi image. The difference is in the printing. No one would be able to profit from an image that small and undefined. This is by far, the best deterrent for would be online art thieves.

Sometimes collectors want to see larger images of an artist’s works. If you feel you must have something uploaded that is larger, I would suggest watermarking, but just know that it all comes with an increased risk. At the very least, make sure that the image is saved at a lower resolution, and if you can, just stick with the lower-res, smaller images. Keep the high-res images for yourself. Do not be afraid to put your art out there online. It is a wonderful way to market yourself. Just remember to be smart about it!

Go out and make it a Fractalicious day!

~Kimberly

Technorati Tags: art, copywrite, Fractalicious, fractals, image protecting, Kim Hansen, Kimberly Hansen, Kimberly R. Hansen, Kimberly Rae Hansen, online art theft, online marketing, portfolio, watermark

Most art marketing coaches will tell you to focus on ONE style or type of art.  Business coaches will tell you to focus on ONE business idea. To master and do ONE thing well, before moving on to the next project. To wear just one “hat” so to speak.

Over the years, I can not say that I have really done that. I have stuck to predominately creating just my fractal art. I have removed my photography, digital painting and photo manipulations from my art web site, and am focused on my most successful line in my fractals. I still play with the other styles now and then, but I have at least narrowed my focus, art style wise. For now.

However, I am branching out. I have taken on the Fractalcious accessory line. It has become more than just art. It is now art, fabric, clothing, accessories, bedding, etc. That’s a lot of marketing, creating, and selling. . . different markets, different audiences.

It also means that my budget and expenses (not to mention time) is stretched all across the board as well.

So why do I do it? Because everything is just falling into place. I am going with the flow. It feels right. It makes me happy.  This feeds my passion to keep going and I find I want to just keep marching forward, creating new items to carry in the Fractalicious line.

I am enjoying the journey, but I can see why business mentors tell me to hunker down and focus on just one thing. My days can be a little scattered, a little crazy, and I am not always spending as much time doing what I simply love to do – creating art. Expenses are high. With new Fractalicious accessory lines comes new samples or product to purchase to have on hand for customers or retail buyers. I have the expense of the trademark lawyer. If I want to showcase the new Fractalicious line at art shows, I have to jury in more than one area, and that adds up costs as well.

That said, would I advise others to create art in more than one area, like this too? Yes, I would, because I’ve done it, am doing it, and it is working. I am finding success in all the different niches. Everything is being met with enthusiasm. I am able to keep up with the demands, so far too! I sometimes have to pinch myself to believe it is all real. It is happening at a fast pace, it often seems dream like. But I am happy, I am having fun, and in the end, that is all that matters. It might wear on me some days. Some days I look around me and wonder what the heck have I gotten myself into. Some days, I can feel a little overwhelmed. However, I think it’s paramount to just TRY. If you don’t, you’ll always be left wondering what if, and I think that is far worse than trying and failing. The only real failure, I believe, comes in giving up. In not doing anything. We will all stumble upon our path. How we adjust to that is what makes or breaks us. Do we lie there, and call it quits, or do we stand, brush ourselves off, and continue onward? Success will find us all eventually, if we just keep moving, just keep trying. It does not have to be perfect action. Just action. As one of my favorite motivational speakers, T. Harv Ecker says, “Ready, Fire, Aim.” Just DO something. Take action. If it doesn’t work, bow out. Or change it up. Fix it as you go, adjust as you go. Remember, you’re in charge.

So, if you are branching out in multiple directions and if one of your specialties takes off more than the others, go with it for a few months! If another falters, you can ease up on it a bit. You can always go back and revise later. The important thing is to follow your heart and just try. Besides, it keeps life interesting!

The benefit of wearing several “hats” is that even if one area doesn’t succeed, you have other options to explore; alternate avenues that might work for you later.

And when all is said and done, perhaps like me, you just might like creating different types of art, or different marketable products. In the end, the mentors mean well, but it is YOUR time. YOUR expense, YOUR vision, YOUR art.

So go on. Use the creativity you’ve been blessed with, and try on a few different hats. Get out there and dabble in the different forms of art that catch your eye or make your heart sing. If you bite off more than you can chew, you can always dial it back. Life is too short to sit and do nothing, and then wonder, what if. Follow your bliss.

Just go out and make it happen. Make it a Fractalicious day!

~Kimberly

Technorati Tags: accessories, Digital Art, Fashion, Fractalicious, fractals, Kim Hansen, Kimberly R. Hansen, Kimberly Rae Hansen, marketing