07 – Alyson Stanfield

This Creative Life

Art Biz Coach started in early 2002, and Alyson worked with artists for 11 years prior to that.

The Art Biz Blog launched in the fall of 2004. Her book, I’d Rather Be in the Studio: The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion, was first published in 2008. The third edition was published in 2015. Alyson has taught workshops and been a speaker at artist events in 27 states. She’s taught online classes since 2003. Alyson works with with hundreds of visual artists every year in her online classes, membership programs, 1-on-1 consultations, and live events.

Show Notes:

• Alyson B. Stanfield is the author of ” I’d Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion”
• She has a wonderful array of experience and is currently in Colorado, USA
• She helps artists to promote their art effectively, sell more of it and make more money
• Alyson has done lots of coaching and that’s how Felicity and Alyson met back in 2002. She had a coaching session with her and it was a game changer!
• Her emphasis is on the business side of things
• First edition of the book came out in 2008 and 3rd edition came out in 2015
• The book is based on the top excuses she hears from artists about why they are not getting their art out of the studio and in front of people
• She used the book to help artists with those excuses
• When you’re building a business you don’t have time to whine, time to make excuses. You either do it or don’t!
• It’s a dream-breaker
• Procrastination – a lot of people procrastinate because they are perfectionists. They use perfectionism as an excuse for procrastination
• The best artists in the world just makes art under any circumstances. They just make it work
• It can also be based on fear – fear of failure or fear of success
• A lot of artists are confused that they are also business people. They are people running a small business
• How to get buyers? The word is not “get” but instead “attract”
• Adopt a different mind-set which has a different energy and a more positive move
• Share, Attract and Engage
• Be super excited about your work
• Show people that you care about them before you expect them to turn around and care about your work
• Listening to them instead of talking to them can make a huge difference
• Show up at their galleries, commenting on their posts on Facebook, be part of the art community, you need to be seen
• Nurture the relationship
• Every artist has a unique set of people that they need to get their art in front of
• When you market to everyone, you market to no one
• The art world is changing
• In your next exhibition, pull out your camera and video – get lots of photos and footage to share with your followers
• Alyson started out as a painting major and then she went to work in Washington D.C. to work for a Senator
• Successes are built around the world that you cultivate
• Alyson’s own personal taste in art is different from the art she seeks out in galleries. She likes to buy art from people that she knows (which is a relationship thing)
• She likes art that makes her think
• Alyson’s website is artbizcoach.com and her book can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks or her site (2015 edition is ebook only)

http://artbizcoach.com/

https://www.facebook.com/artbizcoach/

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