Every business today should have a website if you want to look professional. The website should back up what you do “out in the real world”.


What do I mean by this?


It's expected in today's market. It should be a place for someone to go to learn more about you, your business and your products. As an artist, or photographer: Yes, you should have a domain name, with at least a small portfolio on it: Minimum where a person can learn more about you & your work. It doesn't have to be elaborate, but it should back you up in what you do. The better websites, share content. A way to purchase. A way to capture a sale they might not have in person. I will get into websites more later.


I'm going to skip over actually having a website.
An get down to the fundamentals of what makes one popular.
A principle that runs the web, an has since at least 1996.


What you need to know the most before you ever put on up, or post artwork to sites or social media.


The last decade or so: I haven't ran a website. I didn't have time for it, the way I know one needs to be ran. I had a “feeling” social media was going to get “big” an print art sites would too. Since I worked for companies that already had websites: I didn't really NEED a website, other then for my own personal art I had already started promoting on social media. For a year, I put a lot of work into just my fractal art, using only social media & art sites to promote it. Then went into managing the studio an only monitored how it was doing once in awhile.


I didn't go at it full blast like I know how to.


I was busy going non stop in studio. I didn't pay attention to it much. Everything just kind of sat on the internet, an I'd get some residual income from it here or there. Not as much as it could be producing, but more then a lot of artist even see. So, while I did my other art: I watched what it would do.


It was a curiosity thing.


The sales I have made where from keywords.


I didn't need a website to actually apply principles websites use: because I posted all across social platforms & art sites. I just tried to make sure I used keywords when posting.


What are Keywords?


Keywords are words to describe what you are posting. When you post artwork, many of the sites allowed you to pick words to describe your work. I would pick words a person would use when searching for my type of artwork. An the ones I did this well on sold. The ones I was to in a hurry to do well, didn't.


Keywords are found when a search engine scans one of these sites, scans the digital picture. It registers the word as a descriptor. When a person searches for something using that word, it will bring up your stuff in the results. How well you describe something using keywords, will get you closer to the top of the search result.
Keywords are also in the title of the artwork you post. So having words someone would search for is helpful in getting you found on search engine results. It's also helpful in the search on the site it's self. It works the same way.


So if your on a art site, an it has a million artist on it: Paying attention to the keywords you use. An your description helps you stand out from other artist an get found in a sea of them. Their search engine, an main ones like Google scan your descriptions: An return you in the results if you do a good job of what folks would search for when buying.


Keyword results are also embedded in the page for engines like Google. In the html. Places Google, who has a whopping 60% of the market find keywords within the page. They are called meta tags. A good art site to post on is one that is search engine friendly. I can search on Google for artist dana haynes how well I'm actually keywording.


An truth is, I was normally in a hurry an didn't do that great of a job.


An know if I want to increase my art sales online: I have to go back to each of these sites an do a better job of titling them, describing the artwork an key wording them. I will get more results in search engines, an on the art sites if I invest time doing this. Which increases my odds of making a art sale online.


The low return on artist dana haynes isn't a problem: Because most folks are not going to know your artist name at first anyway. Unless you really get to the point of your KNOWN known: It's just good way to tell if your keywords all your work. Eventually, as you become more known by name: Yes, it can be a big deal. When searching for writer dana haynes, I'd expect to find that person: Not myself. But when searching for artist dana haynes: All my work should be in the results. It's not. An that is how I can tell, there is room for improvement. More sales.


I make more sales on Redbubble, then I do any other art site.
So this gives me a hint, where I am doing something right.


Redbubble has a chart you can look at to help you understand where your key-wording efforts are paying off. What I learn about looking at the chart is, about half my traffic comes from within the site an the other half is organic: With social media sprinkled on top.


What does this mean: It means when people are searching for the type of art I do: It can be found on Redbubble. It also tells me, I am bring in lil over half my traffic to sell someone my kind of art. This is good. My titles, keywords an descriptions are working to be found. It increases my chances at a sale.


I personally know most of my “organic” sales come from Pintrest.
From their search within the site. An it gets picked up on Google.


So since I know my traffic is coming from this way: I can go look at what I posted on Pintrest that is coming back in results. Look at how I key-worded it. Described it. An titled it. It's where half my sales are coming from, so I'm need to go back an look at what I did right. Then do it again that way on each piece I have. So more of my artwork gets picked up more in results, an actually in front of another persons eyes.


It's the same process a website uses to get found.
See, to sell artwork you don't technically have to have a website: Although you should to increase your chances of sales. It's the same reason you should be on social media. The same reason you should be on art sites.


The more a search engine sees “you”or you work, the higher up in the search results you go. Being in all these places, gives you a higher ranking. The higher ranking you have, the more people see your work. Increasing the chances of a sale or gaining a customer. The more you keyword right, website or not is what drives the internet.


Before social media this was important an still is.


To get a website popular, you had to network. You had to make sure you came back on as many sites as you could to be listed near the top of a search engine result. This meant spending a lot of time keywording your work an linking it on other sites. Websites would exchange links, join webrings, list with each other. The more people that shared your link, the more popular your site would get moving you up search engine results. That would increase your traffic, increasing your chances of making a sale.


The only thing that's changed is that you have a more socially acceptable way of networking. You now have ten places on social media you can share links of your work. Whether it's on your site or theirs. It's still YOUR work. You have at least ten art websites you can put your artwork on. All linking to YOU, your work. An with social media, you have people commenting an talking about it. All that can be scanned an picked up by engines. That's about 20 stable networking links. Driving them back to your work in search engine results: Allowing your work to actually be picked up by others to see.


That's more traffic then average artist would with a website back in the day.


Many would just float around in “out space”with no one viewing them. Or if it someone did, it would because they where already a face to face client. That's why I said, you should have one to back up what you already do in “real life”. But if your wanting to sell artwork online, you have to understand what drives traffic to you online.


Keywords. Networking.


When I say networking. I'm not talking about social media. I'm talking about what puts you higher up in search engine results so you can reach more customers. New customers. Customers that might be more interested in your work, then those locally. My fractal art is a acquired taste. Not everyone is into it. It has a market for it, but I have to show it to more people to find those that are into it. So when I talk about networking, I'm talking about internet networking. The “old fashion way”. Linking my work, no matter what site it's on as much as possible to drive it up search engine results to get found.


The same you'd do for a website.


I didn't have one, which I should have if nothing else to drive more content links up search engine results to get the artwork seen. See, it really doesn't matter if I have 400 people on my Facebook page, or 2999 for traditional or fractal artwork. What matters is how many links of my work I can get a search engine to pick up.


It's nice if you can drive them back to your website for more sales, or follow up sales or have some place you can create another network link for a search engine to pick up: But the number of people you have on social media doesn't isn't what's important. It's how many links can you put on it the search engine will pick up. To drive up you rank in search engines. Drive up your popularity in search engines. Pushing that up is what actually gets you art sales. Or leads in photography. Or new customers locally.


Google alone is 60 percent of results.


Whatever feeds a search engine with links that have keywords people are searching for is going to be what gets you the sales. The new customers. The niche art buyers you are looking for. So I can feed my social media with links of my art key worded on it an on the link to drive up traffic, which drives up my sales. It's not how many people I have on it selling artwork nationally, it's how many links I can put on it. An you can post as many as you like on social media. The more links back to your work, drives it's popularity. It's rank. Higher up you go. The more people find, you an add you to social media accounts.


That is how influencers become influencers. They posted a lot.
They had a lot of links. The higher up in ranks they go in search engine results.
It feeds their popularity. More add them because of it.


If your an artist, selling traditional art or niche art.
Focus on keywords & linking as much as you can.
Try not to think local, but world wide.


If your work is more local, like for example: I do portrait photography. I don't need customers for it nationally. So, I don't link link link like I do for other artwork. Your approach to a local business vs reaching a national one is going to be different. My photography business just needs to be found in specific searches for it. I don't have to reach as big of an audience to sell it. But if I was doing a different kind of photography, I'd probably have to use this approach.


So, say on social media for the artwork I sell locally. I might post couple times a day at prime time for it to be seen. Not to the point of annoying. But for a national customer base, I'd post as much as I could. As often as I could. Not because I want to annoy people, but because I want it picked up on those search engines. So, later that customer far off in another state could find me. The more links the merrier. Higher my chances.


Make sense?


It all starts with keywords. Then links. So if you keep this in mind, before you even build your website. Join an art site an post on it. Or jump on social media, your a step ahead of the game if you do it right in the first place. If you have a clear understanding of it. I do, an have to tell ya: I did over 265 pieces of art, just in fractal art that I have to go back to on each site an tweek for better results. That's 1000s of pages I have to tweek. I am not looking forward to it: but it gets the results. It wins the game. Residual sales.


Which is the goal of artist on the internet.


It's simple to do. It's pretty straight forward advice. An if you keep this advice in mind right from the start, will increase your art sales. An it last. I made an posted most of my fractal art in 2010. I am still at the top of results by taking the time to try to do this correctly in the first place. I still see traffic from it without putting in any more effort. It's pretty much stayed right where it's at. Whether I had time for social media or not. Paid any more attention to the art sites or not. It's stayed in tack, generating traffic, results an producing more customers for me. Without a lot of effort on my part since. So if you put in the work right from the start, doing it the right way will keep producing results. An that simply boils down to really understanding the technology you are working with. To sell with.


In 2013, I deleted my studio's facebook page. I deleted over a 1000 folks of my facebook page. I didn't need to reach folks locally to sell my portrait photography. I was traveling at the time. An it was a distraction. I kept all my work online that was just needed to reach a national audience in tact. It grew even when I wasn't paying attention to it based on just a years worth of real effort & hard work. I'm back to having time to focus on it an making more traditional art. I have the time to do it. An the first thing on the list to do:


Is not make any new art. But tweek what I already have produced.
That's how important keywords are. Descriptions are to art sales online. Titles.


Once I feel I have those profected, then I can really get going on linking. Internet Networking.
Then I should see a degree of advancement in art sales. Then I can get back to doing more art.


But it's kinda like taking time to clean up your studio.
Or the pause before a diver takes the dive.


In selling anything, you have to put it together in a way that a customer would want. Use. Customers use the internet to research what they are going to buy before they even buy it. There is a right way to reach them, an it's not luck.


It's keywords.


An the key to that is simply ask yourself...



“What words would someone use to search for what I'm selling”

From 1996 to 2001, I ran a website called Mommysbiz. It was for mothers, daycare & care providers. I did it all myself from programming, designing to producing all it's content. I competed with a company that had material resources an probably a full programming team an won. This site had everything on it from regular articles to preschool work sheets. It had a collection of fairy tales, children's song lyrics an lesson plans. Anything to do with babies, children or toddlers you could think of I used as content. An it stayed in the top ten rankings & had decent traffic because---


Content is King on the internet.
It is what drives internet traffic.


I had built a brand doing it an was just starting to monetize it when a few things ended it. One, my computer crashed. I needed an upgrade. I went through a divorce, costing me a great deal of money. An I got to the point I just could no longer afford to give away the house for free. I was broke and expecting my third child. So broke, I could no longer keep up with the cost of my host provider.


I lost my work.


Five years of work. Poof! Gone.


I had a backup of it but I let it go. I just had to much going on to personally to continue even though I was in the process of creating a portal---a network—similar to Facebook today. One only for care providers. It did get me job offers though. Even though I was doing it, an doing it right: I opted for returning to college to learn even more. So when I say: I explore something fully. I'm not really kidding. I learned about 10 different programming languages. An when I tell you, you can get lost just learning about computers, the internet & all the software involved I'm not joking either. What I did gain though was experience few have: Running a successful site the way businesses into today's market should.


If your doing Content is King: transitioning to social media isn't hard.


When I ran my site it was before Social media really took off. But when it did, I took a different approach. An one I no better then but did it for a few specific reasons. One, I really hate programming. I had burnt out on it. I grew tired of having to learn a new language ever so often. I got tired of having to purchase new software. Of re-learning something. I saw it as a waste of time because art is what I really loved. An business management is what I did for a living. Computers was just a means to a end to me. To do those things.


So when social media exploded: I went at it differently.


I was either going to get on here an it be about art, business or management. Or I wasn't doing it. The reason why: I was not going to see another five years of my life go up in smoke over something that didn't produce enough money to support me. Maybe as a hobby: I'd still learn new stuff but I wasn't going to waste anymore of my time on “pipe dreams”. Even though I still believe in the internet. It's power to change the world. A firm belief. I've watched it change mine. An so many others.


But the the loss of that five years worth of work changed my approach.


I just wasn't willing to loose anymore work an I did something: I know better then to do. I operated without a website. I posted on social media. I posted my artwork on other art sites because content is still king but I wasn't going to loose my content again. Especially artwork. I took the long haul approach. Leaving a legacy approach.


What do I mean by that?


Humm... well if I ever got into a personal financial crisis again. My work would still survive it. My data wouldn't be lost. I made bets on which sites would survive over time: in case a site, computer or backup ever failed. I would have records & copies of my work else where. An I'm glad I did. I've had three computers die on me since. Had to take a couple of websites down due to money crunches. An lost three backup drives of my work. I even lost my original art portfolio & some murals hiring a mover to move my stuff from one house to another. But because I was worried about loosing everything again. All my artwork has survived except a few things written when I first got on social media.


This is my biggest reason for telling other artist to join art sites.


To put the work in posting your work to sites like: Redbubble, ImageKind, Fine Art America, Devaint art. Don't just pick one but several. Most of them are free, an low cost an give you residual income in the event something should happen to you. Your website. Or your backup drives. It's extra work but it ensures a backup of your work while promotes you to others across the web. They get picked up an scanned by search engines & your work can still be found. You could just pay for a backup on a cloud site: but again. If something where to happen to you: like death, a long hospitalization or financial situation where you couldn't pay it: Or simply forgot to. Your work could be lost.


It's not full proof.


I've joined some sites, like Artist Rising or Art250 to see them fold an close up shop. But chances of them all doing it at the same time are slim. But the first thing you want to do with your work is ensure it's survival long past you. I didn't join these sites for residual income. Although it can be a nice stream I didn't expect to get rich doing it. I did it so my work wasn't lost. I will always have access to a copy of my work. A record of it.


The advantage of doing t his is it leaves a footprint across the web of you & your work.


I recommend water proofing it so it can not be easily stolen but see it as a must do. My site original site was giant. I lost a lot of work. So, my first recommendation before you even start creating artwork is always going to be: Creating several backups of it. One on your computer, two backup drives of it, a website & cloud back up of it if you can afford it and across sites that will last. It's not that I set out to make more work for myself, because posting to numerous art/photo an social sites is a lot of work. I just didn't see the value in doing something that could be easily lost.


An digital can be.


So this is the first priority in doing any kind of art, even traditional because even a actual original you can hold it in your hand piece of art work can be lost. Or sold. You will always own the copyright of it so you should sell prints of it anyway. I'm thankful, I took the time to take quality photos of mine for that. Because when I moved an they didn't make it to the new house. I about flipped my lid. Some of them took a day to do, others six or more months. An I didn't calm down over it until I realized I still had backups of them on these sites. Losing your work, is like a death of a loved one or child.


It's not something you want to go through.
This is the true benefit of being on these sites. While, there is a down side of driving customers to these sites instead of your own: The peace of mind of knowing your lifes work won't be lost far out weighs the few customers you might loose. That is the only down side of them.


Backup is the biggest reason I suggest using them.


Most have a free portion that will be maintained even if you can no longer pay fees to them. They will maintain them. The plus sides are: You will be part of a community of other artist. Have emotional support by other like minded individuals. The sites do promote art, an you as well. Not as much as I'd like to see them do for individual artist but it's better to be apart of something: then nothing. An like I mentioned, the search engines scan these sites: helping you promote yourself and get your name an art out there. It helps in branding your art. Gives recognition to you as an artist. I've been honored to be spotlighted on Red bubble. Included in articles on Imagekind an featured on other sites. It boosted my work. An on each one, you can drive folks back to your own website an on social media to learn more about you as an artist. Your work and your story.


It's extra work but worth it in the long run.


Helping you establish yourself as an artist. No matter what type. They made it easier for artist to be found. Twenty years ago, having someone find your artwork & site was harder. Websites only had one means of being found: Directories & search engines. Being apart of one of these sites drives extra traffic, viewers and customers to you work.


So it has added bonuses to make it worth doing.


It takes a little more time & effort but helps you brand yourself on the internet. An while you may not always be able to keep a portfolio website up: You will always have some place to direct people to your work. It's helped landed me commissioned work, apprenticeships, customers & jobs. Being involved with these opened up opportunities for me I might have never seen without them. An some artist actually do make enough revenue off them to make a living. Not all, but a lot do. So, I won't promise anyone a future taking this approach materially. But if you are in art career for the long haul. Leaving a lasting legacy of your art work.


I recommend involvement with the majors listed on my website.
Depending on the type of art you do, is where you will want to go.


I don't however suggest that you think you will become an over night sensation. There is a lot of competition on these sites. Sometimes I feel like my work is just mediocre looking at some of the other work others do. It's not, but sometimes we can get into the habit of beating ourselves up an comparing ourselves to others. Try not to. An if you catch yourself doing that, stop. Look at others work for inspiration. Or how to improve your own work without being internally critical.


I also don't suggest thinking involvement will create a lot of income. It hasn't generated tons for me but some. They say only 1% of one percent of artist actually sell work on the Internet. That it's a rarity. I have sold work, not enough to live off comfortably each year though but enough to know it's a valuable tool in branding my work that's brought me other opportunities in my “real” that did benefit me financially. I feel someone has to be honest about this. It's not a get rich scheme.


Art is work. It takes dedication. Discipline.


The one's that make the majority of the money on these sites is themselves. Yet, They are promoting art. The art community an offer a valuable service to artist. If your doing it to just make money, it's going to seem to you like a lot of extra work for little return: Unless you understand the a long term game plan in using them: Like backup of your work & establishing your art & branding it. Yourself.


Then the investment of time in them is worth it.


But content is King, still today on the internet. As an serious artist, you should have this in abundance. Content others want or can use. Don't loose it or waste it. Use it strategically to further your art career. In a way that relates to your achievements of long-term or overall aims and interests. They will establish your progress as an artist. Show your growth. Create a foundation of solid work.
Joining these art sites, gives you an advantage.
A portfolio of your work, that isn't easily lost.

Content is King, This hasn't changed since Bill Gates stated it in 1996. Some these days now are saying: “Content is King, but is anyone listening?” No. They are reading less. They are viewing more.
What are they viewing? Art. Design. Photography. Video. Etc
Artwork Is Content. It Is The Mother Of All Kings.

If nothing else Art is most certainly Queen on the Internet today.

It's more valuable then you think. Save yours.
Artwork is work worth the trouble of preserving.

I went out with my mother for lunch a few months ago. I told her I was thinking about writing a book about what happened. She said, “You should.” I was a little surprised to hear her encourage me to do it. Since it could bring up every ugly thing that's every happened to me or her for that matter. See, she might have done several things she shouldn't have. But she did other things right. An that's the catch twenty two you get into writing about yourself.


Which really isn't a topic I like.


Its so much easier to write about other things: Then put yourself out there: but in this day an age that's what we leave behind. Our stories, or stories we tell ourselves. It's the stories of someone's life that inspires others. Like how Disney went from talking to a mouse alone, broke an trying to get started. Or how Steve Jobs, sat in on college classes to building a company. Even today, people a fascinated by DaVinci's life story.


An as an artist, it's one of the single most important things you can do.


Share your story.


I personally rather have mine reduced to a bio page on wiki, then sit around an think about all the trials an tribulations I've gone through. But it's important I guess for others to know, it didn't come easy. There was a lot of hard work involved. Not just luck.


I have a programming background, ran a successful website for years: Yet became increasingly more uncomfortable putting myself out there on social media. Not because I couldn't do it like a pro. It's because my “real life” an my “internet life” where suddenly being combined. It was actually rather traumatic for me. I tended to think of it as local vs world wide. An still do. Personal vs Pubic. An there have been plenty of folks that have wrote tell alls about their lives.


It really shouldn't be that big of a deal for me.


Except, about the time I was coming out as an artist is when I lost two important people in my life. An it kinda did feel like coming out of the closet. Suddenly long distant relatives I haven't seen since I was five where on social media bring up facts about myself, that had long been over came. I had another criticizing the fact I had tons of people on my social pages that where not local. These where people, who supported my art an meet a lot to me.


It was a nightmare.


I felt suddenly exposed in a way I never had before. I had a real life business I wanted to see do well locally an art I wanted to do well on the internet: An suddenly had to worry about what my relatives thought about every single thing I was doing. Not that any of it was bad, but I had to worry about their approval in a world they didn't understand that well. A world that was changing pretty quickly with social media.


To me, it was a huge clash.


I mean really who wants their third cousin teasing you in front of world wide audience that you use to stutter as a child. It was true, an frankly something I had actually forgotten about when she mentioned it. It didn't embarrass me. It actually angered me because it was something private about myself, that only I should be sharing. An only if I wanted to. An frankly, it made her look pathetic an attention seeking in front of thousands of people. So, I'm leery of telling parts of my story. Not because it makes me look bad, but could or can make people I do actually love come off badly.


An she wasn't thinking about that when she did it.


I doubt she even cares, the struggle that was for me as a child. Cause people don't think when they put stuff out there. I do, an this is hard for me on some subjects. Not because I don't care, but because I do.
An that's when you have to let other peoples opinions an approval of you go. She had a snap shot of who I was when I was three, not a full picture of who I had become or was striving to be. An you can not sit an think of OMG what's my mother going to think.


That's why I asked my mom what she thought before I even started writing again.


Because I've blogged before, written articles before. Creating content is nothing new for me. But having your private an public life all on display at once is. It was but was not a big deal for me. The only issue I was having is suddenly I had to worry about some peoples approval or disapproval I never had before. I never worried about being on a world wide stage. But others in my family did. I got dragged into court over it, with a one of them trying “Shut me up” The judge through it out of court.


It was a clash of local vs world wide to me.


If someone's picking on you, you do have the right to tell them in real life or on the internet to leave you the hell alone. The judge agreed with me.


It doesn't stop you from worrying about people close to you approval. That was what was new to me. An it's something you can't think about as an artist. It's hard enough to put your work out there an meet the public approval or rejection. It really did stop me from the momentum I had going on at the time. It wasn't fear of what my art fans thought. I had their approval to be myself.


Something you have to be willing to do as an artist.


What I didn't have was support from a few in my personal life, although I supported them in their goals. I totally disagreed with how I was being done. I still do. I ignored it as much as I could an tried like hell to stay professional about the whole situation. An at some point had to stop caring about what they thought. Or about their approval.


I went ghost online.


It hurt the art career I was building online. They really did make themselves nothing but an obstacle to over come in my life. Four people. That's it. They didn't know what I was going though, nor did they care. They tried to make my life, about themselves. An it wasn't. My art isn't about them, any more then it was about a third or fourth cousin. Nor where they following my art, or going to buy any of it.


So, their opinions of it an me really never should have mattered.


It hurt me deeply though an I just retreated into my shell. I went somewhere else completely that would appreciate what I had to offer. I grew artistically but never displayed it much publicly. All because four people I cared about didn't approve.
An you can't be this way on the artistically.
Especially if your an artist on the internet.


I just spent a year in therapy over it because frankly: I knew better. You can't let someone, that has one little snap shot who doesn't see the big picture take over your life. Their approval doesn't matter. An you can't be worried about what your mommy thinks of it either. All you should have to worry about is what you think of your work. An your clients.


So, I went an focused on that instead.


Do not let a person who barely knows you be your stumbling block. They may hold opinions of you, that just insult you to your core based on other peoples opinions that have nothing to do with the real you. But I tell you, it was suddenly like having someone go to work with you, looking over your shoulder judging your work: That doesn't really know anything about your job judging you.


Because being online is very dynamic.


The one thing the distant cousin brought up for me, that had really been over came a long time ago was I was a very shy kid. It's why I stuttered. I haven't been that kid in a long time. Nor do I have any problems with it now. Most people will tell you, I'm pretty good at communicating an have always been outgoing. I worked hard to over come those things.


So don't let anyone put you in a box of your former self.


I was two or three years old when I struggled with speech issues. Mostly because I was scared to speak. Not because I couldn't. It had a lot to do with the environment I was in at the time, that was pretty uptight. There was a lot of pressure around me as a toddler. It was a tense atmosphere. My grandfather had passed an I was pretty traumatized by it an the changes going on around me. None of which really could be helped. It was just life.


My grandmother, finally just pulled me aside one day when I was really struggling to spit it out an just told me to slow down. Don't cry. Yell it if you have to. But get it out. It was okay, whatever I had to say was important an she would wait. I remember the day crystal clear.


It was a shyness holding me back, more then the words.


An thanks to her, and her patience I learned to speak pretty clearly from that point on. That's all I needed. An I learned from her, that not everyone had it. An that was okay. She pin pointed the trouble pretty early on, I was shy. An if I'd just get over that I wouldn't have a problem with it anymore. An I didn't. I went to a speech therapist when I was in Kindergarden or first grade or something like that an moved on past it.


But some people won't let you do that.


They want to hold you back, keep you stuck in a place you haven't been stuck in for years. Or drag you back to a place you left a long time ago. I got over the rest of my shyness when my family moved to another state an I had to make new friends. I had to over come them not being able to understand me because I had a southern accent. Reteach myself to speak, in a manner or accent they could understand. I had to get passed being laughed at about it, an learn to laugh at it myself. I had to overcome the playground bully that wanted to pick on me about it. An most that know me would have never known I ever even struggled with speaking or being shy. Most would say, I'm pretty outspoken. An never had a issue with communicating. I've learned to say what I need to say in one way or another.


Express myself.


An I have, that's why I am an artist to being with.


Because there where years in my life where expressing yourself wasn't okay. If I couldn't say it. I'd play it on the piano. Or draw it in a picture. Paint it. Listen to a song, or write it. An every now an then, one of these assholes figures it out I'm expressing myself an gets their panties in a knot over it. An I don't know how more you can be direct about it other then, leave me alone.


Me expressing myself isn't up for debate.


An this is how you have to be about it. Especially when someone is trying to stifle you from a personal angle. I really shouldn't have to sit around, an think up new ways to say something without saying it at age fifty. An I won't.


Art is about expression.


A few peoples personal opinions of it or approval shouldn't matter. If you pay attention, it's always the same ones trying to get you to down play yourself. So they can shine brighter. Or the same old ones judging it.


When I was a teen, we use to rap our text books in paper bags to protect them. I did this so I could draw on the outsides of them without getting in trouble. I drew a pot leaf on mine. I was a teenager, it's what I was into at the time. It's not a reflection of who I am or not today. It was two years before my mother finally figured out what the hell I was drawing an why. My mother about had a heart attack. Ripped it up, an forbid me to draw another one. As an adult, I pretty much believe pot should be legalized. Her an I totally disagree one the subject.


I could probably paint a pretty good pot leaf an really piss her off.


It would sell. But I'm not much of a pot head so don't. It is only a snap shoot of who I was at fifteen. Her approval at that time period in my life mattered. Yet, I didn't even back then let it get in the way of me making some art or expressing myself. Nor, am I going to today.


Don't let someone put you in a box artistically.


Whatever you need to express, do it. Don't let anyone hold you back or slow down. If people are trying to sabotage what you are doing online an artistically cut ties with them if you have to. My mother hate's the kind of music I listen to. Heavy Metal. My dad couldn't stand it. My kids listen to rap, an it's my least favorite type of music there is: But everyone has their own needs of expression. An just because I don't like it, doesn't mean they are going to stop listening to it. I just razz them an tell them some day their musical taste will improve. They don't need my approval or disapproval. It gets in the way of them being themselves. I remember getting on a I hate country kick when I was a teen, my dad loved it. So I hated it on it. I came around. It was just a stage in my life.


An you can't artistically get stuck in just one phase of your life.


No matter how hard some will try to keep you stuck in some part of it. I'm not two or three with a speech problem anymore. Nor am I a teenager, that handles money badly. Or just a store manager. Or just a bartender. Or just a programmer. Or just a photographer. Or just a painter. Or just or that.


You have to keep growing as an artist.


An some people are just never going to understand that. They can't see, you've been working on something your whole life. That they just might only know one part of you. When I worked as a convenience store manger, my employees nor boss had no idea I could draw. Or did art. It wasn't any of their business. They where not my clients or customers. I did that job, an went home an did another. They didn't try to keep me in a role, I out grew. I can still run a gas station top notch. Doesn't mean I should. I did it when I needed a stable income, to support me and my family an learn more about business. I skipped the college expenses of business college an learn straight from a competitive source. Doesn't mean I wanted to work for Mobil the rest of my life building fancy beer displays. Even though I enjoyed practical marketing.


It was just one step in my evaluation as an artist to me: To understand business.


One aspect of it. Not the full picture. Management landed me in a job later on that expanded me as an artist. So who is anyone to tell you there is a right way or a wrong way on your artistic journey. Let alone a right way or wrong way to express yourself. If you have naysayers in your life, telling you not to express yourself, don't question yourself. Question why they are.


I really had to.


An the conclusion I reached was, I kept letting personal approve trump what I knew I needed to do for my career. An the same old people came out judging it. Ask me if I really give a shit what my ex husband thinks of my art or career. Neither of which he was very supportive of. As far as I'm concerned he's just another obstacle I had to overcome. One one hand, supportive on the other running me down behind my back to our children. An a great place for inspiration for expressing anger.


He's not a client. He's not my customer.


An his damn opinion of my photography doesn't matter. An as much as I love my family theirs really doesn't either. All though it makes me happy my son likes hanging one of my art pieces on his wall. He's not paying for it. I'm thrilled when my daughter lets me do portraits of her. She isn't either. An my oldest does art herself, but won't make a career out of it. I don't judge her, one way or another. It's her art, her expression an what she wants to do with it. I only give her advice on it when she asks. I think she's amazingly creative but I don't pay her bills. So it isn't for me to decide if she should or should not invest more of her time there or not.


Yet, I have a few others that would try to tell me how to do my art. Or which art. Or even had the gall of thinking they had the right to be my editor. Writing is just one form of expression for me. An if I'm going to get a editor, it's going to be one who edits not tries to rewrite what I'm trying to express to fit their needs. An they keep butting in my life, trying to control my expression to suite their bottom lines when they don't give a shit about mine.


It's a problem. It's been a problem with social media.


It didn't have to be. I wasn't hurting anyone's PNL at Mobil doing art at night. Yet a few want to jump in an tell me I will ruin theirs cause my arts personal. Well all art is personal. It always comes from a very personal place. I can't sit here pretend three people I care for keep asking me not to be myself. So much so I left the internet, what I was doing just to get away from them.


It's wrong to do to an artist.


Art is about expressing oneself fully. I made mistakes letting my internet following go just to appease some that didn't understand that's exactly the following I need. Those are my supporters. It was my audience, followers and customers. Of course I don't KNOW KNOW my customer in Germany. But boy I was grateful for them an got sick an tired of being embarrassed world wide by a few local to me that don't get it. They weren't interested in me, my art or purchasing any art. Their approval of it one way or another wasn't needed. Just because they know a few family members of mine didn't make it so either.


I don't expect my gas station customers to want to buy art.


Nor did I the local town drunk just because I use to be CEO of a tavern company. One I'm still behind an proud of to this day. They are different businesses. Yes, it be great if they where interested in my art but I'm not going to keep getting chased offline by drunk people just because I know how to throw down a party. It's a part of my career history, but not the only piece of it. An I didn't take kindly to a drunk in my bar or my studio harassing me: So why the hell would I online?


I'm not going to.


You like the art great! You want me to do some photography for you? Wonderful. Your not interested in art, but want a clean gas station still ran the same way I use to: I can point you to a great location but don't follow me home. Want a good place to go party an drink: I know a place. Let me introduce you to the owner but don't bother me with a critic of my art if your not a serious art buyer. You're approval isn't needed. We use to date? Yup, might have. We don't anymore. Move one with your life, or be supporter of my art.


It's really that simple.


See, I didn't have people coming into my photography studio who wanted gas. They just went to the old gas station an got some. If I run into one of my old customers, they don't criticize me moving onto a new field. Or managing a different type of business in the art field. Their approval isn't needed. Appreciated, but not needed. There are some customers, I have always had not matter what I do. An there are some customers who aren't interested in what I sale today. An that's perfectly okay. I've never been a high pressure sale person any way.


As an artist it's much harder then other businesses not to take it personal because it comes from a personal place. That's what makes art meaningful. But approval an sales are something totally different. I'm not an artist to win popularity contest. Approval wasn't what I was seeking when I ran my portrait studio. I sought my customers satisfaction in my art products. Same as I did in any other business I ran. It didn't run on “Likes” or if my mother, sister brother cousin approved. Nor did any of them stand over me all through out the day telling me if I was doing it right or wrong. It didn't matter if my dad's tavern customers liked the price of gas I had to sell something at where I worked. My boss was going to sell it as the price he had to whether people approved or disapproved to stay in business. I don' t think he'd care to much if my mom liked or disliked his business. Her approval wasn't required. My skills that got me the job where.


My dad hated I worked for Mobil. I still needed to work. His approval wasn't required, but been nice if he'd been little more supportive of me having to work. You have to do what's best for you and your career. An that isn't going to always be meet with family approval. In art, it might be meet with some peoples an not others: depending on their taste an your style. My photography clients are different then my fractal art customers. My fractal art fans are different then my traditional art fans. The people I write for are usually other artist. Some like couple things I do, some all of it.


Some none of it and if they'd walked into my studio, I'd be wondering why they did.


An in any business you will have those types that just wonder in, snoop around with no intentions of buying. In the gas station business Id be wondering what case of beer he was thinking about running out the door with. At the bar, which bathroom he might puke in an at the studio, how many freebies this dude trying to get out of me. None of which, I'd be tickled pink to deal with. It's just the nature of customer service, but if one loitering with no intention of buying they'd be ask to leave. Online, an artwork is no different.


If you have someone who is not supportive of your business. Just trolling around.
If they are just trying to start trouble, ask them to leave or block them.
You'd ask them to in real life at a brick an mortar business.


Because their personal opinion of you as a person isn't what keeps you in business. I got fifty million ex boyfriends: If they came an hung out at my counter at work, yes I'd ask them to leave if they where not buying anything. I wouldn't let my mommy hang over my shoulder an tell me how to run something she knows nothing about either. Nor any other family member.


It's you your selling. Your art work. Not them.
And you don't need everyone's approval to do art.


Just your own. Are you okay with your art? Are you improving? Do your real clients like it?


Not everyone's personal approval is needed for you to be good at what you do.
You want clients that actually appreciate your skills. Who reward you.


An your not going to be everyone's cup of tea.
Know who you are. What you are about.
Don't fear a few who won't ever approve.


Keep growing as an artist.


That's what art is all about.
























.




 

The other day, I wrote the general outline of everything I do online. The list of actual sites is longer then that an I went about checking out where I left off with things. With the health problems I've had the last few years, I just shut down my computer. I needed a break from it because I would go to work, then come home an work. An the kiddo's had a bone to pick with me about it. Frankly, I just needed a vacation an deal with the root of the medical problems I was having.

This is not the first time I've dealt with a cancer scare. Right after I found out I was pregnant with my youngest, the doctor told my my pap came back abnormal. I would have to wait until after I had her to know, but the pregnancy would slow it down. So after her birth, they did the tests. On a scale of 1-10 I was a nine. My cervix was on the verge of cancer. I had it removed. I call my youngest, my guardian angel because of it. If I had not gotten preggers, I would have never known.

I considered myself extremely lucky.

Even though I had gallstone attacks for over a decade. Lucked out an a doctor finally figured it out an I had the surgery to remove them. The thing is, I just worked myself into a teesy. An this last scare, I was just exhausted. Mentally, emotionally an physical just done. I worked my regular photography job until I just couldn't go no more.

I quit “the internet” an digital artwork.

I was frankly just too damn tired to mess with it. So, I've let it just float the last two or so years. Because of that, and is it even worth the time an effort I'm putting into it. I didn't expect to see a massive return on my time an effort anytime soon. I defiantly have a long term game plan an approach to the whole thing. Internet entrepreneur ships, successful ones just don't make money over nite. But the other reason I quit, is I needed to step back an really take a look at what's really going on. I meet with my former boss of Picture Me! And basically said to her:

“I'm just trying to understand why “the real world” an the internet are not working together”

Why people aren't making they money they should be in these industries, on or off the net. An what needs to be done to correct it. In my mind, by now brick & morters, real world businesses should have a real grasp of what is needed to survive in techno culture. Why are so many long standing studios, companies going belly up? Why art artist making less.

I mean this was really effecting me because I work online and off.

I've watched, 5 majors in the photography business fold up, sell the company or file bankruptcy. Two of them had very strong internet strategies. All they are seeing is trickles in profits compared to what they should be seeing. An I've watched artist jump on this site or that, upload their work just like I have an putting a lot of effort in, to see little return. While those companies they have uploaded to make 5 million a year.

It's flustering.

It's a lot of work, so why do it is where I was getting to. Like I told her, something is not working between the two: internet & real world. I was tired. I just had invested the last ten years of my life in both. An frankly, I get annoyed on a lot of these art sites as well because I have a programming background an go, why the hell doesn't it have this, why don't it have that? An I get equally annoyed with the “real world” businesses because they aren't using it to it's full capacities. Almost to the point, I want to go just create one myself. Then I think about it an go: NOPE. I'm tired. I know how much work goes into running one already an say forget it. An that's pretty much what I have done the last two years because the two sides of the industry are not playing well together.

Yes, there is an niche in there.
Yes, I know there is an opportunity in there.

No I do not think we need another one. There are to many art sites out there now in my opinion. So unless someones going to do it RIGHT. I don't think another one should be built. An I never will unless I'm positive it can be done right. Trust me, I could pick apart each artistic site there is. What's not working, what is working. What they need to add, what they need to stop fricking doing. But I'm just now getting to where I feel better or good enough to even sit at my computer.

The problem “real world” businesses have on the internet is they don't respond to their customers. I created just a little Facebook page for my store. I responded every night to my customers. I watched in horror as the main corporate site ignored customers. They didn't respond to them on social media. An watched as complaints piled up on their internet accounts. The internet is no different then a customer walking into your studio or store: You have to give them the same level of service you would face to face.

An yes, I get it. I've been in retail over 32 years: Some people are just assholes.

Yet, in the real world you have to respond to them. You have to listen to them. You have to correct the problem. Even if they are totally wrong half the time. It's rare to ban a customer, asshole or not. CPI failed at customer service on the internet. An Lifetouch, wasn't much better. That's why they have been swallowed up by Shutterfly. I use to get customers, that where so grateful to have me just because Lifetouch was so bad at dealing with customers. Hopefully, with Shutterfly they handle themselves better. My guess is yes but then I see the Shutterfly site doesn't handle professional photographers very well on the internet themselves. It's just about selling prints.

An that's what a lot of these artistic sites are only interested in.

Few of them really promote promote the artist as much as they should. Some of them aren't even search-able by internet engines. The slap a few things up related to artist, like giving them a support network of other artist: Which we need but they all are about promoting their own companies. Nothing wrong with that but artist still are not getting picked up as much as they should be on the internet by them.

Some of it is the artist themselves own fault.

I'll give you few examples of my own blunders: Cuz I know better an would still get in a hurry uploading an wanting to move on to the next task is this: Artist don't write good descriptions of their work, an bad at key-wording it. As, I looked around yesterday at all the updates I need to do if I'm going to jump back into this is I made the blunder.

Well what the hell am I talking about?

Okay, the biggest thing artist/business who are not computer savvy need to know is: You won't be found on the internet if you don't do this. An I'll use myself as an example: Go to Google an search for Dana Haynes

My artwork comes up half way down the page in the images section.

But none of my stuff comes up on the first page. I have one listing of me on the second. Most people won't click beyond the first ten results on a search engine. This is BAD. I know better. Every piece of artwork I posted, which is over 500 something by now should have had a well written description for each piece an at least had my name as a keyword. Sites like Redbubble & ImageKind let you do this. An I was very good about it when I started posting my pieces. But as time wore on, I would upload an run. An I probably didn't use the best keywords I could have for each pieces. An here's why:

Most people are not going to be searching for my name.

Not as an unknown artist. Yes, you should keyword it with your name but it's not the most important keywords your going to use. What you want is keywords people actually search for when buying artwork. Example: Search artist dana haynes an I am the first one that comes up. But this still requires someone knows my work to begin with. Yes, you should still use those: because someday maybe lots of people will know your name.

I used Fractal art & artist on everything I keyworded.

None of it shows up in the search results, an I'll tell you why: The art sites I posted on are not searched by search engines. This is why, I stopped what I was doing. This is why I looked at my ol' boss an said somethings off. Because the only way I get results back is if I search: fractal artist dana haynes. Then I show up in the top ten. Then all my artwork shows up.

But it's still requiring someone knows my name.

Unless you are very active on social sites posting your work, introducing people to your name and brand you can't be found. An you won't make many sales either. There are two ways to look at this: Hey, at least I'm getting my name out there. An that's wonderful. It's a part of leaving a long term legacy. An people get to know you because your using these sites. An yes, it feels good to be featured on ImageKind as an upcoming artist. Or spotlighted on Redbubble. The attention to your art by other artist feels good. But attention & likes don't pay the bills.

It's a way for customers to find artist & artist work. But it doesn't mean you will be found on one of these sites. Let alone sale anything that amounts to a real income & I'll tell you why: The flip side of it is this:

I spent a shit ton of effort, posting to every where to get my name out there. Now, some people know my name an can find me to purchase. The problem is it all leads back to these art sites an I could just as easily loose this one little old customer that found in me: the needle in a haystack. They can get easily distracted an buy someone else art or product instead. So, being on these sites is a catch twenty two. The goal is for them to purchase yours.

Well, how do you do that? You have a website that's key worded an the meta tags are in place so that they visit your site first instead of one of these sites first. The job of those sites, is to get you found. Not for you to loose potential customers to. Everything you do should point back to your site. Your name, your brand. An I will admit it.

I have a programming background, but haven't kept my site up an running. Mostly because I've been sick the last few years but anywho, you catch what I'm saying here. These sites, they come across like well t his is all you need. But I'm here to tell you, don't believe it. It doesn't look professional. So if you are serious you will put up a website with your own url. They just cost so little these days, there just isn't much of a excuse not to. An now that I'm feeling somewhat better, mines going to go up.

I have a little freebie one right now.

Just playing around with my design I want. An you can use weebly, or wix an any other “cheater”. They don't take a lot of programming background to use. At bare minimum, just post a small portfolio of your work an how to contact you. If your serious about selling your artwork you will. Might be worth it to invest in a web designer. They can set up a site for you that's just as easy to use as Shopify. An they don't have to cost an arm & a leg either. You can generate leads this way or commissions. Sell stuff you already made, but everything you do on the internet should point back to you. Your art. Your name. Your brand.

But be sure to understand meta tags & keywords.

Without them its hard to generate new customers: That's the goal. Increasing Sales an retaining old customers.

The thing about meta tags and keywords, whether its on your own site or one of these art sites is getting the right ones. Don't think about what you would search for. Think about what your customers would search for. Not just the ones that know your name. That's an easy one. Any idiot can do it. Think about what the customer that doesn't know you is going to search for.

I'll give you example.

The family business is a tavern in town. Regulars know the name. They will search for that. Great, but don't you want the people that don't know your business to find it? Or are you okay with landing on the fourth or fifth page of a search engine result where you will never be found. Because most folks won't look that far into a search result. So, if you where a customer looking for somewhere to new to go hang out, what would you look for?

Name of the town, an probably just the word bar or tavern.

Am I making sense? Are you following me? Use the word bar, tavern an any other word you can think of a new person would use to search. What most web designers if they are good will do this for you. If they don't they aren't that great. But a decent design includes doing a search of what meta tags an keywords to use. If your designing your own or having someone else do it for you: Go to Google. Run searches on your competitors. Open up their site programming: Look at the words they use to comee up first in the results. Chances are the designer used more keywords then your site an it's why they are getting the results an you are not. You could be the most popular place in town an be coming up low in search results for this reason an this reason only.

If your artist, think about what a stranger would search for.

Art, painting, abstract fractal blue gray dog donkey ect

This is your biggest expense an usually cost you nothing to do it right. This is how you leave a footprint on the internet. This is how you get found. Also, be sure to embed keywords in your photos an use them in your descriptions. Don't forget to do this. You'll come up more often then someone who forgets. LOL like I did sometimes. Only about half the artwork I've done comes up in search results.

That's still mighty good but it could be better.

An all that is with me being gone for two years, with no website. Which, I'm fixing to get started on this next month. It's important an can't be ignored. I've just been putting it off because I'm trying to figure out a way for it to stay in place long after my death. Cuz I'm betting the kiddos will remember to pay the small monthly fees to keep it in place. An that is one reason to post on these art sites. Most of them are free to a certain degree. An if my website goes down, or my backup drive fails like my did all the work you've done still exist somewhere. An the sites are pretty good about protecting your images.

An so will your social media account.

As long as that site is live. I have witnessed popular art sites like artistrising.com a subsidiary of art.com go down. No longer in use. Vango.com, who sold only original paintings for $250 quit. Say they can no longer do it. An in 20 years, Facebook might not exist. So there are marketers out there that say social media is a waste of time. Or websites are. An countless regular old people who just socialize on their computers that won't get your actually not just on yours to be social but running a business.

Are they right?

Is social media marketing a waste of time? Is having a website too? Well, I just went two years not doing either. Kinda testing the theories while I was sick. An just told you about two companies that failed because they didn't take social media or the internet seriously. They had websites. Not very responsive ones. Who didn't give the level of service they would face to face. Both of them the two largest in the nation.

So I'd say, yes it matters.

When you see large companies crumble because of it an ask yourself why?

The answer is having a bad social media / internet reputation. Bad word of mouth. People went to better photographers who would respond on social media. I haven't really done much art except at work. It couldn't be displayed publicly or I didn't personally have to post it. So I haven't had much to share anyway. Did people notice? Yes an no.

When you disappear from the internet life goes on without you. But you can get right back in there an pick it up like nothing happened. It's kinda the same in gammers land. Where ya been, oh! Well, welcome back. We missed you. An you pick up where you left off. As long as you didn't leave people angry. You can take vacations from social media. I didn’t leave angry customers laying around so it didn't really effect me, my brand or art sales. I sold art without any more effort on my part. So soical media didn’t matter, but it did. Cause it’s what helped me get search results years ago too.

Which is nice to know that residual income will come in long after you've put that kinda effort in. Which is an argument for being on a shit ton of art sites. Just encase something happens to you. Or like me, loosing a hard drive. At least I know now what will happen to my work if I pass. An I'll left some kind of legacy when I'm gone. So, while its not the greatest sales in the world right now because I haven't continued to work it. It is something.

An I still do get tickled when someone from Germany or Florida buys my work.

But back to the question of do you really need to be on social media? Depends. I say artist an businesses do. An they need to be just as responsive as if someone walked into their store or studio. There are people who do not do social media & businesses that won't. They generate leads a different way an don't need to. But its Rare. One of these “gurus” spouting off you don't is being very generalized saying that. He only has two products. He doesn't run a service oriented business. If your unsocial online why would I expect you to be in your business.

Why would someone hand you there business if your not?

If someone is going to buy a Snickers Bar, a good product, who do you think they are going to buy from? The unsocial one or the one that’s social with them. That makes them feel welcome. An with artist & photographers especially it's important. You need to leave a impression of who you are with people to sell your work. You could be “hell kitchen dude” with a tude, an it work for you. I've watched a clothing company generate leads just posting sarcasim. It works with their brand. Might not work for yours. Depends on what you decided you & your brands about. An who you want your audience and customers to be.

I have very diverse customers. My customers for my photography is usually dead opposite the audience and customers I sell fractal an traditional artwork to. Being on social media helps you discover who likes your work, types that don't an gives you an idea of who you want your customers to be. It helps you narrow it down really quick.

Social Media gives the ability for people to respond to you, helps you improve your work, service an business.

So while I agree with that “guru” that your product needs to be great. An it's the most important thing. He doesn't seem to understand service in our day an age is a “product”. An you can't just order it. You actually have to interact with your customers, fans an “audience”. An it is like putting on a show. While it's a little more work, it is what will make you stand out competing with someone else that sells the exact same product or service.

Do I think you should spend all your time doing just that? Social Media? No.

I think it's just one part of customer service these days an putting on your “show”. That's just part of sales. Does social media increase your sales? Yes. If done right. Does it have to be time consuming? No.

Depends on how large you or your business is. Some of the companies I worked for should have hired at least one person to do nothing but respond to customers online. They didn't. An it hurt their brand enough to put them out of business. The other one, had poor phone responses. It took a nose dive. I've heard complaints about another larger one having the same issues.

Service matters.

Service is interacting with people. So yes, social media matters. And I've said that right from the beginning of it. AOL sold a lot. An so does word of mouth.

People understand I'm an artist... but what exactly is it I do? I do it all! Seriously, it's probably why I'm sick. I worked myself into a frazzle. Cause I kinda am a “want to do it all” kinda person.

Which makes me what they call “stack-able” these days.

Instead of going to art college: I decided I'd just go get the entry level job that taught me about “Art” in the practical world. For example: I wanted to learn more about print because they hired graphic artist. So, out of high school I got a part time job at the local newspaper, in the in lower in house print shop as an assistant. I quickly got bored with making note pads an envelopes. The pay was awful. An found out the pay for the graphic artist was not much better, an left.

But in my early years, this is how I took art “classes”.

I just go get the entry level jobs an learn about it that way instead of paying for classes I couldn't afford. I decided I'd learn more that way. At the time, retail management jobs paid better an that's the route I went. I took one accounting class, an just focused on business as a career. It was a secondary interest I had. An I enjoyed it. I felt being in management was more stable then being an artist. I loved interacting with people & learning a new business model. I worked in taverns, restaurants an gas stations. I helped open new ones. I cleaned up old ones. I loved accounting, inventory, P&Ls, auditing an learning all about marketing in a practical sense. I loved the first of the month, rolling out new ad campaigns all the nitty gritty details of operating a business.

Up until 21 years ago, I just focused on my retail management business career & did traditional art “on the side” because I found there was an art to business too. Then I had kids lol an had to balance business, art an them. Then the internet happened an I couldn't help myself: Suddenly you could learn things they didn't even teach in colleges yet. I spent my free time teaching myself html, programming an how to draw on computers. I invested my time in developing a website. I learned all about how the to make the internet works I didn't spend my time just socializing on it like most.

To me, the internet was going to be HUGE. It was going to change the way people did business AND I was going to be able to do ART & business for a living. So I finally knew what I wanted to return to college. Before that I had just took the basic classes to get them out of the way. I just did not see the point of investing tons of money into a college degree when I could go out in the real world an learn it from the ground up hands on. But, this time was different: I had a vision in my head of what the internet would become. An it's here.

An there is more yet to come.

So about ten years ago, I decided I needed an to finally put an traditional art portfolio together an focus on art instead of my practice site: Mommysbiz for Daycare Providers & Parents. So what exactly am I?

I'm a Artist with a business management background an internet technology geek that does photography for a living while working on traditional art in her spare time.

LOL Hey, when your idol is Leonardo Da Vinci...

Your going to get into a lot of things. But it's turning out that taking the long way around to actually getting some art done is paying off. I can teach business how to market themselves correctly on here. I can teach artist and photographers how to treat their art like a business so they can actually support themselves doing it. Who would have thunk it?

Business Art & the internet is my mix.

What seems like a weird combination for me to learn turns out to be exactly what is needed in today's world. Because I see, really good artist struggling to sell. I see brick an mortar business still not using the internet correctly. Loosing out. But I don't want to be one of those “fly by nite guru's” on here. Most of them get on my nerves. They've all got it figured out an going to teach you in 20 minutes how to get rich on the internet. It doesn't happen that way folks.

It's complicated.

Yet you've got to keep it as simple as you possibly can or you will never get any artwork done. Nor make any sales online or off. An today's businesses an artist need to be in both worlds. An artist has to be both, an if you don't understand this: Then your a hobbyist an most of what I have to say or teach isn't going to be of much value to you. If your serious about being a successful artist, I will walk you through what you need to do on the internet. Business can learn from it as well. An we can get into specific businesses later: like photography.

Don't get your hopes up.

I won't sit here an mislead anyone it's NOT easy to do. It's very a competitive market even when you do not add artist to what it is you do. An you have to do more then a regular business on here to make it. But if your interested in the long haul, an leaving a legacy. I can walk you through what I do. I will go into details in with follow up writings. An I'll probably stick it all in a book later or something. I just want other artist to understand this is a long haul game.

It's not going to give you income quickly.

An only while art sales on the internet have gone up 40%, only 1% of artist are actually selling anything. It's why I'm not fond of the most of the internet gurus. They are making a living telling you it's easy when it's not. It's hard for a regular business to do this correctly to increase their sales but if it's done right you will. It's not an over nite thing. It's long term approach to having residual income an you will sell long after you are gone. You won't see results over nite from it. Think of being on the internet like a faucet, that leaks. It trickles at first, then eventually it gets turn on an pours.

An I can't promise you will.

An here's why: Not all artist are good. An I don't say that to discourage anyone. It's just a fact. We all aren't but what might not look good as a painting: might just look great on a piece of clothing. Or a coffee mug. An you get better at something with time. You could be loosey today, an be the best at something ten years from now with practice. Discipline. An that is what my approach to art, business & internet is about.

I didn't get good at anyone of them without putting in the work. So you have to be willing to do it daily. Or at least five days a week. Several times a day, depending on what your doing. My approach works, although I haven't been doing it as much being ill. So here's the run down:

You have to have art / product / service. It has to be good.

You need a website. Content is King. Your Art: Product or Service Write / Blog Do Photos Make Videos Voice / Podcast / Livestreams You have to have a portfolio of your work on it. It has to be updated regularly: Daily, Weekly, Monthly It has to have meta tags researched & Keyworded. You want to be found by search engines. It has to be simple to navigate & user friendly. It has to be eye appealing on the internet, tv & phone Example my Traditional Art Portfolio contains:

Fractal Art
Acrylic
Charcoal
Colored Pencil
Pours
Murals
Oil Pastels
Pen & Ink
Poems
Tattoo Designs
Watercolor

I work on it regularly. It expands me as an artist & shows what I can do. An I use it for content. I have probably over 350 pieces of work. It shows my progression as an artist as well. I can offer the orginals for sell right off my website. But I design as well an I do photography for a living. I have a portfolio of each as well. One for my clients to look up their session an order from. Book a session with me or for new clients to see they kind of portrait photography I do. An since I am a photographer, I have Specialty Art as well that's not of everyday clients. I add to that regularly, again creating more content. More stuff to be found by internet search engines: to get “my name” out there. Some of it simply gets used by other artist designing themselves. So I have a portfolio of clients others can see of my work. Plus a photography portfolio of:

Auto & Gas
Animals
Bands
Churches
Citys
Conceptual
Country
Dramatic
Emotive
Flowers
Garden
Holidays
Macabra
Musical Instruments
Park & Perserves
Quotes
Statues & Ornates
Social
Skys
Surreal
Tavern
Things
Word Art

I keep up with all these things on top of doing regular sells in portrait photography. You have to have real world sales! At minimum as a photographer I set the lowest goal of the day at 3-4 sessions when I worked full time. In season its 15-40 sessions a day depending on your location. Now that I'm ill & semi retired: I still do 3-4 sessions a couple times a week to keep honing my skills. I can't stress enough that you have to have real world sales an the ability to sell face to face. Either by setting up a location or studio to work out of for people to visit & buy. Or by doing art fairs. But this piece isn't about “real world” brick an mortar, which I can get into another time: Having a internet site is just as important as having a real world location. Think of it as the same. It's where people will go to learn & buy from you. An just like in real life you want them to be able to find it.

It's not enough just to have a website. You have to be found in and on search engines.

Ten years ago, many gave up on websites. Everyone had one, but they didn't understand what made one a good one or a bad one. They didn't put in a lot of effort to them an they failed. Or they didn't understand the science to them. If your doing this alone, like I have been all my life with no budget you can build one. It doesn't have to cost you much as long as you understand you have to keep putting content on it. It's like a living breathing thing: Just like someone visiting your studio, store or business. It will help you bring in more business if you invest time or money in to it. Ten years ago, their was about ten directories & search engines you could be found on.

A lot of folks gave up, it wasn't enough of a return on their time or money. Now it's a standard. Just as much as having a brick an mortar location. If you don't have one, your business / art isn't going to be found.

People research stuff before they go shopping.

So it's all the more important. An I could spend days on just talking about websites, an how to do them so you stand out in a crowd but I'm trying to keep this simple. So the average person can understand. Ten years ago, if you could keep yourself in the top ten of search engines, you'd be found. You generated visitors by word of mouth. One website owner, sharing another website owners address. They would all link together in a network or “ring” of sites. There was only one major social platform: AOL . On it you could pay an arm and a leg to advertise your brand. But you couldn't really sell art work that way. An most businesses didn't have that kind of budget. Let alone artist.

Selling for artist got done the same old fashion way: Word of Mouth.

Your buddy would tell their buddy, to check you out. Word of Mouth would spread. Sales still work this way. In real life and on the internet. But now instead of ten search engines, we manly have one people go to. An instead of one expensive social platform we have at least ten I can think of. Not only do you have to do artwork daily, sell regularly in the real world, update your website consistently. You have to be on social media! Businesses need word of mouth! But artist need it even more! You have to communicate to the world, your lifes work. There are at least 11 social platforms you should be on:

Google
Pinterest
Facebook
Youtube
Instagram
LinkIn
Twitter
Tumblr
Lifestream.aol
Podcast

And I'm sure there is more actually, but those are the majors. Some people insist you don't have to do them. An that you don't really have to update them much. An you don't if you can generate enough word of mouth without them in the “real world”. But if your interested in more customers, an getting more world of mouth is a good thing for you: Then you will. I could spend weeks on just this top alone.

Because it's not just about marketing, or becoming famous, how many likes you have or followers. Although those things may or may not come with it: It's about word of mouth: The best and oldest way to get what you do out there. I meet a few new people a couple of months ago. Never spoke to them in my life: but they knew: One I was an artist. Two: I was good. Three: I could do what they needed done. You can't buy word of mouth.

It's free and it's priceless.

Yes there is a right way to market on them an not offend anyone, without paying for ads. Which, I recommend for some an not others. It depends on what your art is. What your service is. Your product. I worked for one of the best studios to work for, CPI. In some of the best locations. An they have decent products, good service, great locations: but they could not beat the word of mouth on the internet. They could not compete with photographers on the internet. Not because they where bad, but because they didn't respond to customers on the internet. They didn't show their work as often as they could. So, great solo photographers grabbed the market because they where on social media. They showed better work & where doing the internet right. An they where getting all the word of mouth.

My studio went up 20K in sales all on word of mouth.

I had people traveling 60-100 miles just to come see me, do a session with me and buy my artwork. When the company was failing as a whole. Why? Because they heard about me.

All because I was good and asked them join me on social media & like my Facebook page. I'd get home from work, post my work of sessions customers gave me permission to an respond to them. The company as a whole didn't do that. They had great service, products an usually better photography but they didn't do that on the internet. An it hurt them enough to bankrupt them. So I can't even begin to tell you how important it is to have word of mouth: not just off line but online.

Now, that's about what it takes to run just a normal business real brick an molter business. The basics of it an I haven't even gone into details. An artist has to do one other thing, as if that isn't enough right?

Artist need to be on as many art sites as they can find. Why?

Your branding your name: Sometimes it's gonna be your name an your name only that sells your artwork. Remember, your wanting to leave a legacy that lives on after you do. That requires you be found as many ways as you possibly can. So search engines pick you up. You'll need to upload a decent copy of your art work on:

Redbubble
Fine Art America / Pixel
ImageKind
Deviant Art
Behance
Aritist.com
Etsy
Sedition
Society6

There are more then that and I recommend you get on as many as you can handle. I started out on ImageKind. To avoid the fees, I just posted my fractal art, a portfolio of the latest. You have to decided what your budget can afford. If you can be on all of them great. If you can't do what you can afford to. Most of the sites I listed are free, or low based. Your work will come up more in Google, generating more hits. An more sales. Don't expect the sales to make you a living. It's more about getting noticed, making a name for yourself and it living on after you do. A legacy. It does create residual income. Even if it's low, it's worth the effort. I personally just keep adding a site to put my artwork on.

I'm all over the place, so I can be found.

It's NOT easy. It's time consuming an only you can decide how much of your time it's worth to do this. My main portfolio of portrait photography is rarely seen. It's made me the most. I'd post it all if I had time to. Or owned all of it still. I myself, am getting away from that. My advice, is start with one of these websites, so you can sell prints & products of your work. Get a idea of how long it takes you. I'm pretty fast at it, so I can usually do a piece of work, post it to ten different sites an update all those social media accounts. Plus pay attention to people on them.

I have make the time to. I make the time.

I do mainly: Traditional Art, Design, Photography an thinking about going into the digital specialty art of photoshop manipulation. Each thing I do goes through this process.

Make the art
Update the website
Post to art sites
Post to social media
Sell the art

Sometimes it's reversed depending on the what kind of art your doing. In photography, it's smarter to sell it to them first, then post to social media. It just depends. But as you can see, I'm working four main things artistically an on about 30 sites to make that 1% of sales artist make on the internet. So when I tell you, it's NOT for the faint of heart.

I'm not lying.

I just mentioned art sites but graphic designers & photographers should be on:

Dreamstock
Shutterstock
Foap
Bigstock
Istock
Fololia

Some use Flickr, Pica an shopify. It depends on what your doing artistically. There's 3DOcean & Envato for designers or more tech savy. Plus freelancer for jobs if you think doing all those aren't keeping you busy enough. My point is, artist who are pretty disciplined about doing artwork to begin with make it. You entertain others with it as you post, creating more word of mouth. That thing, that most artist need to sell. I've been brought up on ImageKind, spotlighted on Redbubble an others told about me helping me out with my photography sales. Even if I didn't sell a lot online, it helped me sell a lot face to face in real life. It helped me get jobs in the arts. So while most artist don't have a marketing team behind them. Let alone a lot of money to throw around:

This is the way you go: Stackable.

It's a computer networking term, the takes one thing and connects it to many. It leaves a big foot print on the internet & in real life: A Legacy. I just have to remember I'm not a computer some days: an human.

I watched a program on Salvador Dali, the Surrealist the other day. Dali was one of the most successful artist of the 20th Century. He was worth millions, an died broke. He shouldn't have. He was a very generous man, an had always offered those close to him, loyal to him, that helped him sell his paintings 10% of his sales. To me, that's just a smart way to be. Reward people for being there for you. Supporting you. So, I intend to offer the same: I will give anyone: 10% of the traditional artwork sales you bring me personally. I will give $20 to anyone that sends me a photography client who purchases the digital CD. If you send me five purchasing clients, I will do a photo session for you for free: Give you a CD of the session so you can print them up on your own. To me, this is no different then Dali's way of saying thank you.

The problem Dali ran into, was trusting someone in his late years that didn't have his best interest at heart. They had him sign over rights to his copyrighted works. It was suppose to have been a trust, an the works go to Spain when he passed. But it didn't exactly work out that way. Now, I can only hope to be as good as someone like Dali by the time I pass: But I do worry about what will happen to my works after I'm gone.

I want the works to be in a trust, an my children to benefit from them. No one else. An I want that to be pretty clear. I'm on a lot of online websites. There are arrangements between those sites & myself as an artist to print & sell those works: but they do not own the rights to them. The rights, after I'm gone go to my children. If nothing comes of them, so be it but if something does. It's theirs to be divided up equally.

I'd like the unsold artwork kept together. Not divided or fought over. So it can be displayed. They can sell pieces, as long as all three agree to sell. It has to be for a decent price or the original is not worth selling. If they do sell, they have to make it clear to the buyer they, an they alone will always own the copyright of the piece. Only they are legally allowed to profit of it's prints or products. They need to be sure to keep a good digital copy of the prints. So they will always have residual income.

If my artwork never makes a cent for them: They've lost nothing.
But if it does, it's theirs an theirs alone.

With the exception of making sure they give the ten percent to anyone who physically sells one of the pieces. That's my “will” on it. Simple enough. So, why am I thinking about this anyway?

A few reasons: I'm getting older for one, an trying to recover from an physical illness: a breast cancer scare. Which I'm not really sure I've beat. I have to go back an get rechecked. I've had asthma attacks. Experienced a lot of sluggishness. Removed myself from any medication that could be causing it an all the doctors can only say for sure is that I do have a thyroid problem going on. The medication for it doesn't seem to be working. I have a great deal of tiredness an it's hard to get motivated. I'm pretty swollen up. My face looks like I've gone ten rounds in a boxing ring.

An for most part feels like it some days.

I'm not whining: I'm alive. Thankful for that. Slowly, I'm recovering from whatever is really physically going on with me. I feel better then I did a year ago. While I'm tired, it's no where near the level it was a year ago. It's not pure exhaustion.

An some people are just going to have to accept that.
An the fact, that their behavior wasn't so hot. Not that I'm perfect.

Because I'm not but when your seriously ill probably isn't the time to pick on someone. The only plus side of it is that people really do show you their true colors during a time period when you can't really fend for yourself. My oldest child wasn't there for me at all. She was to stuck on what I did wrong as parent to be. My son tried to be but verbally abused me up one side an down the other. The youngest was just getting kept away from me.

An the others, well is the reason I'm writing this.

When your sick, you really don't want people around you who will try to take advantage. It's really easy to “kick” someone when they are down. Your pretty vulnerable to whatever whim some get on. Defenseless. An you can forgive some of it, but not all of it. During it, your kinda well: They don't know. They don't understand. An well, they are the ones that have to live with it. It'll be their regret if ya actually kill over dead.

My kids, I can easily forgive.

Others, I'm struggling to because it's the same shitty manipulative behavior. The kind that picks you over before you're even dead. So I write this to protect my kids from it in the future. I'm human. I'm gonna die someday an people attacking me, my life, my character when Im ill it isn't going to change the life I lived. I won't have them rewriting my whole life to fit their needs. They weren't apart of my life for the most part a majority of it. So they don't get to say, she was this or that. They don't know me, an they still didn't get to know me. An it's their loss.

But I won't let it be my kids.

Dali, wasn't perfect. The man painted abstract pictures of masturbation in a time period that you didn't even talk about sex. His father wouldn't even speak to him after a certain point in his life. It was probably the best thing that ever happened to his art career. He no longer sat around trying to please someone he couldn't please. He focused on what he should have been: His art. If he sat around dwelling on OMG what's my family going to say: We might never have got to see all the wonderful things he produced. An I can't either just because four people I'm related to don't like me or afraid of what I might put out there.

Dali's dad refused to speak to him an life got nothing but better for Dali.

He left the small local scene, an grew into a international artist. Bigger then he would have ever been if he let his dad's approval or disapproval of his artwork have the last say. He might have censored it. Demanded Dali do something else. Behave differently. Ect. I myself can say, my son probably needs to rain himself in a little on social media. But I won't. It's his choice how he expresses himself an has to live with it. I don't always agree with what he is posting but I won't interfere with someones right to free speak. All I can do as his mother is say: That's probably not the best way to show the world who you are. It might come back an bite you in the ass. But for all I know it could be the right way for him. It might get him where he wants to be, doubtful but maybe. You never know.

Dali didn't have kids.

I doubt if he had he would have ever had to listen to he was a bad parent for going to work in his studio. I have. My “studio” just happened to be in my home office. Just because they couldn't see the artwork didn't make it any less real. Just because I can't display the 5000+ photo shoots I've done doesn't mean they weren't real work either. It's like saying my father never worked because he operated soly out of his house to do his work. Framing an rentals are home businesses. They are family businesses.

My daycare was out of my house.

Dealing with people that run on you for that is annoying. They will treat you like your just sitting around eating bon bons doing nothing with your time. Even if you built a empire doing it. So I really don't have a lot of use for the few that didn't understand it an went on in the backgrounds of my childrens lives telling them I was neglecting them. This would be like someone saying my grandmother did because she was watching her children and hoeing a cotton field at the same time. She was working & mothering at the same time.

To some it might have been seemed better if she just went to a factory job an didn't take them with. That is only because some can't wrap their minds around the concept of: Yes some of us took our kids to work with them. I'd took them to the gas station I managed if I could as well. In fact I did one day, take my son to work with me a few hours: Just so he could learn about what it is I did all day. I'd bring my daughter an her friends up to the studio all day too once in a while. So they got: I'm not ignoring you. I'm actually working. The only place I wouldn't take them much to was the bar. Unless it was daylight, a family meal or gathering: I saw no reason for them to be in it.

Parents have to work to support their children.

My children saw me work. All of it might not been as successful as I'd like it to be but I was working. They also saw me studying a lot. Going to college. Am I a bad parent for that too? The only time my kids where not with me, they where with my grandmother or another adult supervising in my home. I didn't like the Latch & Key way I was raised. I went way out of my way not to mommy by telephone. I was also home with them. They might not have had my full attention constantly but I was there for them if they needed me. It was no different then if I had taken them to a job with me. Its no different then me working on a painting in my own home. Mine just happened to be on the computer a lot. An they could not always see what I was doing. Nor could the person(s) that constantly runs me down for it. Just because everyone else was only online to socialized didn't mean I was.

So right now, I will apologize to my kids for being a space cadet. I don't mind saying, I was distracted. Or that I usually had ten things going on at once. No different then if I had took them to my gas station management job. I would have had to watch them, an do my job: but I did pay attention to you more then I was growing up. A lot more. An someday, my kids will have kids of their own an understand just how hard it is to raise children an work. They may choose to put their kids in daycare while they work. I choose not to most of it. I'm not the only one that choose to parent this way.

It made me working harder.

But I didn't complain about having a kid stuck to my leg 24-7. I choose to have you. I wanted you an I raised each one of you best I could with you with me as much as possible. Being a single mother is a hard task. An I am forever grateful to my grandmother for co parenting with me. She didn't have to. An I didn't make her. A good chunk of the time, she'd insist the kids come up to her house wither they really needed to or I wanted her to. What I am not grateful for is the constant criticism of me parenting all during it. Or someone interfering an robbing my youngest of years with me based on me living in a house they sold me or me being ill.

It's not fair to her. It never will be.

An I don't care what someone who has always only worked for another has to say about it. By all means yes, it certainly is easier. I get that, but it never leads to any great accomplishments in life either. Some don't get what it means to own your own business, successful or not. An you never had three kids teetered to you all through you work day either. I literally use to breastfed my youngest while sitting at the computer working on something. My son sat next to me all day long playing, napping or learning to crawl as I learned HTML. I was there for every diaper change, burp or gas movement for each one of them. Even if it meant I had to stop what I was programming, drawing or studying in college to attend them. An tell ya truth, it was no different then when I was a teen working or doing artwork around my little sisters needs. I wasn't a phone call away. I was there.

If my kids are mad at me about it, it's because someone has been putting it in their head that it was wrong. An that's all they do, is go on about how “wrong” I am. Even though, I flat out told one of them I'm thinking about writing a book an they stated “You should.” then play victim when I start.

How do you think Dali's career would have went had he listened to his Dad?

I can tell you from personal experience not so damn hot. He would have stayed local. He never would have meet the people in the surrealist movement an probably never seen the wax museum that so influenced his art. An Dali sold so well, not only because he had great art but because people all over talked about him. He stirred up controversy. He was known for it. It helped him establish himself as a household name.

So let the “haters” hate. Let them talk.

No one remembers who talked about Dali, or even much of what they had to say about him.
They remember Dali thou, an his art.

An that's what I would like my children to understand. I'm not doing this or that to hurt someone. I just don't need that someones approval or they few using you to get at me. It won't work. I'll just take more pictures, paint more murals an put out more content. You don't have to like it, but maybe someday I'll have a real Legecy to really leave you. Then you might understand. An if not, I'm sorry but your grown adults: An I like to think I've taught you all to think for yourselves.

Dali did, an I don't think hes a bad example to follow.

Tons said he was crazy too an whether he was or not. He wasn't really, he just really got okay with putting himself out there. Which, back in the day was unheard of, specially topics he covered. Because back in the day, you didn't even talk about sex let alone admit to masturbation. He shocked many not accustomed to a culture where nudism on he beach was normal. That didn't make him crazy. It just gave him the ability to have others question the status quo of their own cultures. It didn't make him crazy. It really just boiled down to being raised differently then anothers culture.

I don't regret the way I raised my children.

When I was 8,9, 10 years old, my grandmother use to paint all day watching me & my sister. I have found memories of being with her while she did. She would even let me paint, or dabble in whatever as well. She'd hand me the book she was learning from, an have a go at it myself. I still have those books.I'd watch Bob Ross with her, totally enjoying learning something new. An she would take me along with her to her sisters house who was a farmer, an artist herself. Her sister got into it even more, with her husband building picture frames an selling at art shows.

I enjoyed that part of my upbringing.

I thought nothing of buying my daughter a barbie computer, with preschool software to learn her ABCS. She could work on hers, while I worked on mine. An that was pretty strange to some folks too. Letting a three year old get on the computer an play. But I did. I made sure my son had a hot wheels computer an could enjoy it just as much as I did. My oldest started to hate on the computer, bored with it: I reintroduced into it being like a library because she loved to read. I made sure each kid had one, so they could explore their passions: Even if it was just Everquest. An I let my youngest get on social media, as long as she was safe about it. I'd take the time to check on her account. Who was on it, why they where an how she knew them.

My kids run computers better then most adults.

A skill needed in this day an age an if they ever wanted a career in it they could have it. Easily. My nephews in college for it right now. Learning exact same stuff I went to college for. When he was little, he use to play on my sons. An I don't regret teaching any of them a little bit about computers. Or what it was, I was trying to do for work. The kids get it better then most adults around me. Because they grew up playing games with artwork on computer screens. And none of them might not ever go down the arts bunny hole I have but if they do: It's certainly okay with me. This is where the future is going.

An I won't apologize for teaching my kids about it. Or working. Or working from home. Wanting to own your own business. Or Art. An someday, they are going to look back at it an go: Yea, that really wasn't all that bad of her.


But Dali didn't have kids, or a computer...but he did have one other thing I have: A admiration for Disney. He didn't work for Walt even though he wanted to. He ended up in the Twilight Zone instead an I don't much mind going there myself. Crazy, not crazy: As my grandma would say to me: “Who gives a shit” “Just do at least one thing a day an it will add up to something”

OH! and...“Practice” AND “Stop giving a shit what other people think” Best advice ever!
Given from one artist to another.

If your an artist, an on social media because you have to be: take a primer out of Dali's life. Don't worry about your families/”friends” approval. They aren't your buyers anyway. If you are worried about their approval all your gonna end up doing is painting flowers. Because flowers are about the only thing you can do artistically that doesn't offend someone. An the weather is about the only thing you can write about that doesn't piss someone off. Even then, you'll have a few haters. Focus on who encourages you. Not the ones who don't. An you'll find a lot more love, then hate. An for all you know, your hater could end up jump starting your career.

Dali's dad certainly did his.

What's in a name? I had someone all upside down because I use my original real name on the internet.. It's my father's last name, an everyone knows it yadda yadda. Can't have anyone spoiling his name. First of all, in the scheme of things: Most of the world, doesn't even know who the hell my father was. So it's MY name I'm putting out there.

"Well I'll just have Facebook remove it"

Ya gonna go over the astrologer Dana Haynes too. Tell her she can't post her astrology stuff cause you didn't approve it? How about the author Dana Haynes? There is one out there. He writes fiction. Never read it, but he's taking up my name on Google search results when you search for the artist an it's annoying to me. Mainly because I'd like my art to be found, but he's got a budget for Adwords I don't have right now. Shows up more then any of us. There is also some tv personality out west that goes by Dana Haynes. Guess they should just go tell them they can't use the name Haynes, because someone died who once carried it.

What's in a name anyway?

I follow a guy named GaryVee on social media. He is branding his name. His parents ran a family business he helped blow over the top on the internet. I like him because I have a few things in common with him. One, the industry that he was in, my family was too. His was a liquor store, mine a tavern. Both he & I have been around since the early days on the internet following the trends. Busting butt on it. The difference between him & I is I had a divorce in there an lost my momentum.

You disappear on the internet pretty quickly if you don't keep hounding it.

Like him, I had spent time building a family business I didn't own an wasn't going to get credit for. It's your parents. I might have been Vice President of it on paper but just like him: It wasn't getting me anywhere. An if it did it would only be at the death of someone you love. Which doesn't feel so great. An I wanted to do art anyway if I had a choice where I was going to put my extra time and energy in. The thing I like about him so much is he got the internet was just as much a reality as “real life”. An when I talk about people I use to hang out with online or respect: He's the kind I was drawn to. The creatives that mixed business & the internet. That saw how important the internet was going to become. Who where interested in branding on it: Not just creating a website an leaving it sit out in open air an hopes someone visits it. Who weren't interested in get rich schemes, who saw the actual work you had to put in. Understood it. An interested in where it was heading.

I had my niche, to practice with: Daycare Providers & Moms.

It's what my life revolved around a lot at the time, so it was good practice on how to get up there to the top. An it took a lot of work to stay in the top ten. Discipline. I didn't have a full time marketing budget or anyone else but me to do the work. A few signed on to volunteer to write occasionally an that was about it. The ended up going into online teaching because it was starting to pay a little. Most couldn't afford those early days of really making a website work. Or the effort it takes keep one fresh: An keep on branding. Let alone have a budget to keep programming.

I just had to keep learning, an following the wave to stay on top.

It all came to a end, right about the time I was figuring out how to actually make it produce a income. My computer crashed for one. Which has messed me up several times, but I was getting a divorce. My husband at the time, an countless others around me just couldn't see why I thought this was so dang important. The most people used computers for at the time was bookkeeping. But there where other artist online, who just like me where learning to draw on theirs. Others learning how to build websites. Few where into all aspects of it like I was.

I was getting noticed so much a local Marketing Company contacted me.

They wanted to “interview” me. They said they where a publishing company an just getting into building websites: Would I be interested? Getting divorced of course I was. I went & got grilled basically about this or that topic. I was pretty much told afterwords, we like what your doing but you don't have a degree in it so please come back after you get one. An it was very much came across as “we are the real world”, the “authority” on this, you are not. What they had was something that was dying: Publishing & a hardware geek telling. They didn't undersand the internet. They just understood how to profit off people who knew they needed a website. They didn't have what I had. The ability to actually have people visit the websites. My self doubt, an listening to others tell me the “internet wasn't the real world” lead me back to college. I shouldn't have listened to them. I should have stayed on course an continued doing what I had been. It was working. Had I continued I'd have a site worth tons of money today.

I let people around me sabotage me.

They didn't, an a lot of them still don't understand the internet. They have a old school business model of how things work, an it's like pulling teeth to even get some to use their little computer phones correctly. When they finally did get it on it, I suddenly got attacked a lot in real life. Omg, she's saying this, she's doing that. No, I won't make a myspace page, or a Facebook page. She's a bad parent! I'm going to take her to court, an try to take away her son. I'm going to take her to court an have the judge stop her on Facebook. Even though everything I was doing was actually exactly what I should be doing. I had to deal with someone walking into court with a 100 pages of my facebook feed printed out. With them going on about how crazy I was, an how I was sabotaging them. The judge threw it out: basically stating all he sees me staying on it: Is leave me alone.

It's a fact, recorded down at the Winnebago Court house.

Literally trying to take away my free speech. It's the same people that always have sabotage me in real life, an my grandmother. So I pretty much ignore them as much as I can. But it's a little hard to ignore when they are calling police on you with false accusations, harassing you in court, through courts and the system. I've had police called, the health dept, dcfs an all kinds of stuff done to me all in the name of trying to shut me up. It's all on record. Documented.

An it's why I left the internet, an went an worked in a another town completely.

Then they called me “paranoid”. It's not paranoia if its really happening to you. They told everyone I had mental issues, tried to have me locked up in a mental ward an that I'm bipolar. When I was actually going through a breast cancer scare an pretty much starving cause I was too exhausted to work. They got away with taking my child away from me because I was too broke & sick to fight them off any longer. All sorts of dirty tricks pulled. An a lot of money lost combating it.

That's how real the internet is. An it's how real a bully is.

I suffer from PSTD from what happened before I was 13, an what happened after my grandmother & dad passed. I've had clinical depression from it. A normal reaction to BULLSHIT. In fact the first time I didn't go along with the program at 21, one of these people who was behind this tried to say I was crazy back then. So, I went to the a shrink. Told him all I had been through up to that point in my life. An that's exactly what he said: Your not crazy. Any normal person would be depressed having gone through what you have. Myself, I'm going back to what it is I do: Art. An I really don't give a rats ass if a few select few who bullied me back then or over the years don't like it. They where the major ones saying “the internet” isn't real. Scared of the technology to begin with. They don't understand it, aren't very good at it or the art of it. They are just running around with phones, thinking they are experts now since everyone uses one. Deep down bullies live in fear an try to push that on to others.

And the internet is competitive enough without having one of these bullies bothering you. Block them. Get a restraining order if you have to.

I am if one more thing happens to me.

Most people doing that won't have an major significance on the internet. They have little in real life. An if they do have some kind of influence, It won't last without them putting in the work I originally was talking about anyway. Few are willing to go the mile it takes to really be a “influencer” or successful on the internet. I had a 51% influencer rate back before I stepped out to deal with these bullies. Don't even waste your time with them. They are nothing but making themselves an obstacle to your success.

Much like that little marketing company did me. They knew a little bit, but not a lot. They knew a one side, but not all of it. Promoting even a small business on here is a lot of work to brand it. To really be successful on it, you have to be on about ten platforms at one time. But if you are an artist, not only do you have to do your art, sell it in real life, run a website, be on ten social sites at once but every art website on it there is.

It's a shit ton of work. It’s not just about Likes.

You don't have time to get side tracked by a bully who's jealous, insecure or doesn't understand what your doing. The art world is pretty competitive to begin with. You really have to stand out to sell art in the first place let alone on the internet. You really have to work the internet to stay alive in real world sales too. You can no longer just sell in the “real world”. You have to be in the “internet world” too. It's becoming “the world”. Just like Gary Vee says, I've said.

You can not rely on one or the other an make it.

Internet sales for artist are growing by 40%. But it's less then 1% of artist who actually make sales on the internet. I am one of those 1% who actually made sales. I've watched a whole art industry (photography) take a nose dive in “real life” because they just didn't have a strong internet presence. They can't compete with the internet photographers. An that was with them having some of the best locations in the “real world”. They are being forced to step up their game, include the internet or get out of the business.


I am a actual successful artist on the internet an in real life.

I'm telling you, I don't even know if I want to put in the effort required to “make it” with the health problems I have going on. I'm tired a lot, but I also don't want to give up because I know what's just around the corner an can be a guide. I'm going to listen to my gut on this, not someone else's who doesn't know what they are talking about. An isn't supportive.
I've been right to many times in the past for me to question it.

My dad made fun of me, few years before he passed because I said I wanted to go into tattoo. Asked me what the hell would I want to do that for? Well because it's an artform an I want my own businesses doing just art for a change. Not all this hassle. He was all, no no no: Whatcha need is to go into publishing. Print. Open us a newspaper.

See?

My dad, thought old school business. An not a lot about art. I was right: years later tattoo exploded. Publishing was/is loosing money. I should have listened to MY GUT. Instead of getting caught up in his approval or not. I'm going to listen to guru's that have been on this thing as long as I have that actually know what they are talking about. Those are the types I've missed. But I would advise you to be cautionary about even that: A lot are self professed guru's that haven't really put in the work. An not really going to teach you all aspects of something you need to know.

Just like there are a lot of self professed photographers running around these days. They've never worked in studio. Don't know sales. Don't understand branding. They haven't invested in software. They aren't good with enhancements. Don't know Photoshop or Lightroom or even much about a camera. Let alone much about the internet. Yet they got a social media account an think they are going to be the next Anne Grddes. It took her decades to build that kind of portfolio & income.

It doesn't happen over night.

You can claim to be whatever you want to, but it’s the real work involved that makes one an expert. Even on the internet, unlike what so many want to believe: You have to put in the work.


I've got so much work out there, I can't even keep track of it anymore. I've worked at companies, I can't even show a quarter of my work. But get this?

A bully will sit around an tell you: You never worked. Don't listen to them.

Art is WORK. Even if you aren’t earning a big paycheck.

It just doesn't feel like work to most of us because we enjoy the work. I've put my share of 18 hour days on it. An that's the other reason I like Gary Vee: suggest if your interested in making a name for yourself, your business or company you listen to him. He's done the work in real life. He gets the internet because he has done it successfully. Most of what he say's can be applied to any business. He's very matter of fact about it. An gets what's going on. But if your not willing to put in the work, or handing it off to someone else you probably won't get very far.

A digital footprint on the internet doesn't last very long. Followers stop following if you have poor marketing. An the likes get less an less if you don’t have a sense of humor. An it really doesn’t work if your marketing to the wrong audience for your business. Or not being authentic. Fake doesn’t fly so well. An things disappear.

Things I worked on 21 years ago, can't be found. Poof gone. Just like in real life, it's hard to get your name out there, let alone remembered. Everyone remembers Nike, but few know the founders full name. Few, remember my dad's: Let alone knew him. Even fewer my Papa's who gave him, then me the last name to begin with. I don't sit around an think up ways to shame it. An I'm pretty sure the people that have the exact same name as me could care less what I’m doing. I really don’t pay them that much attention, nor them me.

My goal, an I'm sure theirs is for it to be found & remembered. We all just kinda go at it differently. For different reasons. They are doing themselves, not me. An I dont sit around telling them they can’t use their own name. It’s just a concedence we have the same name anyway. It’s what each of us chooses to make of our own identies that matters anway.

It's human nature to want people to remember your name while you are alive, an gone. But it's even bigger deal to an artist. Sometimes our name is what sells a piece of art.

We brand it.

Cause we all want to be like Dali. Not only great at the art we do but successful.

So I don't really get in a huff over someone having the same name as mine. Or last name. My name's my name. I can do whatever I want with it. They can do whatever they want with theirs. So no amount of bullying is probably going to stop any one of us from using our names. An if you are, you probably need to rethinking what your doing. People have a right to be who they are. Those 3-4 people with the same name as mine: I don't have any right to go stepping on their toes, any more then they do mine. An wonder why anyone would.

Don't like astrology, don't read her site.
Don't like his book, don't buy another one.
Don't like my art don't buy it, use it or unsubscribe.

Get over the fact I intend to leave a BIG footprint when I leave this world. I wish some would stop asking me or trying to get me to stop being who I really am just because they have a expensive phones. I'm an artist, an it's usually a goal of most artist to leave a footprint before they leave this world. No matter what their gene. I’m not stepping on your little corner of the world. Nor have I. I'm not gonna disappear, just because the bully finally showed up to my world. It's not my fault you didn't get it. You could have had a big asset on your side.

I've had a lot of time to work on building my brand. MY NAME.
An it's what happens with artist. We need our names recognized.

An most don’t care who the other Haynes are if they are looking for a specific one.

Believe it or not I'm doing exactly what I should be. Managing, writing, drawing, painting, photography, programming, branding, media, promotion, sales & the internet. An others serious about it should give Gary Vee a listen. They aren't just “good idea's” They are the right ones to compete into today's market. I'll help brand him cause he knows what he's talking about. An he's gone through the old schoolers call him crazy too.

So what's in a name anyway? Plenty.

It seems okay for some to drag yours through the mud but god forbid you speak up when they do.

Me dad use to say your word –name-- should be is as good as gold.

Mine will be if God gives me enough time on this earth to do all the work I want to do. An that isn't taking away from my father, or my grandfather. An I don't go around asking those that have the same name as mine to shine less so I feel better about myself. If I want people to remember me, I have to work. My name isn’t going to be remembered because of my uncles, fathers, mothers or some stranger I don't know. Mine. This name is the one I was given by my father that most people know me by: I'm sticking with it lol

I've got too much work invested in being me.
I don't have time to be someone else.

Dana Renee Haynes