Benefits of Blogging (Artists)

I was recently asked by a fellow artist about my blog. More and more artists are learning that having a blog is important. Here is my blog story.
Thanks to Alyson B Stanfield, I have been blogging since the Fall of 2006. I started my blog using Google's [free] blogspot, soon after attending one of her art marketing seminars, where she taught me the reason and value of artists having a blog. One valuable lesson: Blogging enables one to talk about one's artwork, which makes it easier for [art-buying] folks to find you through Google searches. Just posting images is not sufficient, because Google searches WORDS, not IMAGES!

For instance:
I could post this image and Google would never find it.
But, suppose I post it on a blogpost and talk about how it is a picture of a black labrador, a beautiful dog with a sweet disposition, which belongs to my friend Cathe. I state that the medium is acrylic. I mention the size of the canvas. Maybe I talk about how I also accept commissions from other people who may want to order a painting with their pet's image. I might talk about how I changed the background of the painting to include green leaves.

Now, we have something that Google can work with. I have a chance to be counted when someone searches for words like the ones I have indicated with  bold italics. See where I'm going with this?

I highly recommend checking out Alyson's website. She has a blog too, as well as online classes, a book... I encourage you to visit her online. Even better, check out her weekly e-newsletter (like I have); you can sign up to receive it by clicking here Reading her weekly newsletter is a great way to learn a little at a time, in digestible bites.

Another day, I will share a related story about her seminar and how I was able to attend for free!)

*If you choose to purchase something from her, I may receive a cut. Please know that I wouldn't share this unless I had absolute faith in her knowledge and capabilities.

It's a FaceBookTwitterBlogger World!

Here's whats new with me today, folks:

As an artist who is serious about promoting and marketing my art, I have been advised by the gurus and experts in the field that I should not ignore the current social media outlets.

One such coach is Alyson B Stanfield. (You can read some of  her very informative blog by clicking this link:)
http://tinyurl.com/yfdmwrm
She says we artists should ignore tecchie advances at our peril.
So, being the always coachable student that I am, I have been spending much of my time these days, discovering the ins and outs of Face book, Twitter, and such...

The scope and speed at which these social media sites are advancing is absolutely amazing to me. It's like the crack in the dam, with water gushing out with great force and speed!

I discuss my recent affliction with "Twitteritis" (did I just create a new word?!) on a recent blogpost because I felt I was beginning to spend way too much time there. Click on the link below for that full story...

http://jeanneguerin-daley.blogspot.com/2009/10/twitteritis.html

Blogging is something I have been doing for almost three years now, so that is a road on which I have walked and with which I have become comfortable.

As I mentioned, I created a twitter account. (I can be found on http://Twitter.com as "JeannePaints")

I also started a Facebook account and have a Facebook "Page". (Link to my Facebook is:)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeanne-Guerin-Daley/97530312206

On Facebook I can post pictures of my art, tell folks about events, like art shows, art-related news stories..., and discuss my artwork. Folks can  go to my "PAGE" and sign up to be a "FAN." (Or one can simply click the "Become a Fan" box on the left side of the blog page.) Fans will see my updates on their Facebook wall.

It's all very exciting to me, but it's also very time consuming! If one is not careful, one can spend HOURS watching funny or touching videos, viewing photos, reading comments,.... Self-discipline is definitely required with this stuff. (like I mentioned in the blogpost about having "Twitteritis" )

I'm still learning about the details of making the different avenues work for my situation. Although I enjoy a funny video once in awhile, and am even guilty of spending the time to share them with others, my main purpose for spending time on Facebook and Twitter is simply to communicate with others who have an interest in learning more about my art. The ability that Facebook has that one can easily have a conversation with another person, even if that person lives a thousand miles away, is utterly amazing to me. That shows me the incredible reach that one can have with facebook. Since I started to post updates, I have reconnected with some folks I haven't seen in 30 years!

I don't mean to ignore mentioning MySpace. But there's only so much one person can do! I have slowly begun my education with that avenue, but I'm still in the kindergarten stage with that. Much more to learn, I'm sure. Then there's also LinkdIn, and many others. Little by little we will all learn all this stuff I suppose!
- - - - -
Art Exhibit News:

Currently:
I have three pieces hanging now at the Penn Medicine Building in Radnor. It's on King of Prussia Rd, just a bit north of Rte 30 (Lancaster Ave). They are part of a group exhibit of the Delaware Valley Art League Board Members. That show is up until Dec 5th, 2009.

Upcoming:

Coming in March of 2010 - ARTsisters will present a group exhibit called, "Diverse Horizons" at Widener University Gallery. A portion of the sales from this show will be donated to Arrhythmia Research. More details to come on that as the date approaches.
- - - - -
So here's what you can do for me:

1-
Please feel free to share this to any other art lover that you think might enjoy reading it.

2-
I encourage you to join in on the fun of social media:

Become a "FAN" of my "PAGE"

Either click the "Become a Fan" box at left, or click my name just above it to check out my page and if you like what you see, THEN you can do so. (Look for the purple iris picture on the left side of this blog page.)

As I learn how to do more cool things on FB I plan to hold some contests and give away some art-related prizes!

3-
Send me a "TWEET" by signing into Twitter (Like FB, it's also easy and free to sign up) As I mentioned, on Twitter one can find me as "JeannePaints". Click on "FOLLOW" and then my "tweets" will automatically show up on your twitter page! (If you already "tweet," let me know so I can follow you!)

4-
FYI: You can get my blog posts delivered right to your inbox when you sign up to RSS feed. Look for the "subscribe to" box on left navigation bar of the blog.

5-
And, as always, you can sign up to receive my newsletter if you don't already get it by visiting my website and click on the "Email Newsletter" link. Or just click here:

6-
Please post any comments and ideas that you have at the bottom of this blogpost! Feedback helps me to understand what folks want to see and read! Thank you.

Summer Blast Off; Alyson B Stanfield's online class

Last night I was reading Alyson B Stanfield's book, "I'd Rather Be In The Studio" before I went to sleep, and I read about some great ideas on how to improve my organization and file system. With a real life story, she illustrated the importance of being organized with record keeping in regards to your art, as well as gave some practical examples of how to do so. Organization is something which for me is always a struggle, not always due to ignorance or incompetence, but more often due to lack of time. She pointed out why it MUST become a priority with artists if we want to be successful.

By the way, here's an FYI to my fellow artists:
I have been alerted that Alyson's next online Summer Blast Off class begins tomorrow, June 3rd. If you are interested in learning a blend of motivation, coaching, and practical business tools that can take your art career to the next level, you can get more info and sign up for it by clicking the link below. (I love the little quote about shooting for the moon by Les Brown on the info page!)

Click below

Info on Summer Blast Off