By
Meilena Hauslendale

Step 4 – Organizing & Developing Online Content

If you have done your homework then you are ready to organize and develop what will be your online content. Your content is very important as it will be used for promoting you, your work, and your website. Content serves a variety of purposes; it displays public relations, target marketing, and general information to build a platform for your product (your purpose).

One of the main items that need attention would be your biography. If you are an artist or writer, you will get asked for this pertinent information every time you make a submission or apply for competitions. Your biography is an essential piece of information that often can get viewed prior to your work. Even if your target audiences are publishers, agents, or clients, you have only one chance to intrigue them and make a good first impression.

There are several ways that you can address your audience. If you would like to be up front and personal, you can write in first person, using “I” in your sentence structure. For example, “I was born in Silver Springs, Maryland.” If you want to have a general sound or professional structure, you can write in the third person, referring to yourself as stated in this example, “Meilena Hauslendale was born in Silver Springs, Maryland.”

It’s really up to you on how you would like to address your audience. I personally prefer writing in third person when referring to my work mainly because I feel it conveys a sense of professional etiquette. It creates a press release persona that can maintain your audience’s attention. However, if you prefer to write in first person you can do that and still have strength to your sentences. Either way you want to spark your audience’s interest in you and your work.

The difference between a how a hobbyist or a professional artist or writer can be determined simply on how they are conveyed through content. You want your sentences to have strength and power to them. Each word and phrase counts because they are performing a difficult task, representing you, when you are not there to do so. For example you could say, “I’m an artist from Erie, PA. I am trying to make a living doing art. Hope you will look at my work.” This sentence hardly provides any credibility to my name or my art. It conveys that I am not really serious about what I’m doing, but I still would like you to look at my work. That’s a lofty expectation to have of my audience when I lack taking myself serious.

A professional sentence structure as an example, “Meilena Hauslendale was raised in Erie, PA and began her career as a professional artist in 1997.” You want to state who you are, where you come from, and what it is you do. You want your opening sentence to really state a few basic facts about you and your work. This is not an easy task and perhaps one of the reasons why many artists and writers procrastinate completing a biography. Perhaps one of the reasons why, just as Alan Wilson Watts states, “Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth.”

It’s quite the challenge to write about yourself and really expand on your talents. You have to convey your work and yourself from almost another person’s perspective. Imagine yourself as a Public Relations Specialist and you were just hired to write about an artist or writer. What are some things you would need to know about that person? What strong points do you want to enunciate about this person’s life and accomplishments? What active role does this person assume now?

You don’t have to be overly personal but you really want to give your audience a sense of who you are. Let them know how you began your career. Write about your technique or your style. It is possible to be personal but also professional. You may have to work on several drafts until you get a nice flow of words and a functional biography. The time you put into writing this valuable piece of information will pay off by getting people to take notice in something very dear to you, your purpose. So share your passion with your audience. You just may notice that your enthusiasm might be contagious.

You want to have a short version (100-150 words) of your biography and then a long version (500-1,000 words). It’s advisable to work on your long version first so then you can easily copy a short version by taking excerpts. As an example you can view my biography online: http://www.meilena.com/portrait/?q=biography. I had a shorter version posted several months back, but because of numerous requests to know more about me, I had to rewrite it. You may experience similar feedback from your viewers. The long version will be for your website and the shorter version will be used for promotional websites that commonly limit your biography to 100-150 words.

You can also write a statement about your work. A statement simply is a personal claim about your work or perhaps on what inspires your work. Get creative here and really just type what you feel you need to express about your creativity. I was asked for an artist statement back in 1999. I had no clue what that was but I wrote one down. I’ve used the same statement ever since. You can view it online to get an example: http://www.meilena.com/portrait/?q=biography

Take time to really write down your talents and accomplishments and don’t be afraid to express them in your content. The more people learn about you, the more they will be able to relate to you.

Your challenge for this month is to create a full length and short version of your biography. As a bonus create an artistic statement if you would like. Read other artists’ or writers’ biographies and ask yourself which ones interested you and then explain why. Which biographies had strong statements, which ones were weak? Then take that information and apply it to yourself. Evaluate what traits you want to express, organize an outline, and then write your biography.

Inspirational Artist & Author Meilena Hauslendale’s work and articles are displayed internationally. She is the founder of Silence Speaks International Artist Association and the Editor of Intrigue Magazine. Published books include, Making Your Purpose Your Business and Recognizing Unhealthy Relationships. Email:
articles@meilena.com
http://www.meilena.com

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Making-Your-Purpose-Your-Business-Step-4—Organizing-and-Developing-Online-Content&id=26802

Author:
Linda Dessau

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

What do you enjoy most about going on an Artist Retreat Day? For most of us it’s getting away from our “normal routine”, having our creativity sparked by new surroundings and having the luxury of “open time” to work on our creative projects.

A retreat gives us the opportunity to step outside the day-to-day and look at the big picture of our creative dreams. It gives us freedom from obligation and responsibilities and guidance from a facilitator and/or our artist peers.

Here are five ways to bring some of these elements into your life EVERY
SINGLE DAY:

1. Call yourself an artist. Find a way to work it into conversations with new people or join and get active in an association, discussion group or other community of artists. Get used to fully claiming your identity as the creative artist that you are.

2. Enjoy – and celebrate something you’ve already completed. Savour it, relish in it and accept it as a perfect expression of the “you” that you were when you created it.

3. Let go of one of the obligations and responsibilities on your list today. Delegate it, cancel it (respectfully and in a considerate way), reschedule it or let it go.

4. Make use of the free space you’ve just created. Take a small step towards making your creative dream come true.

5. Change something in your routine. Take a new route, brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand, get outside, eat your meals in a different chair or change the location of something in your creative workspace.

(c) Linda Dessau, 2006.

About the Author:

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To find out more about her “Artist Retreat Day Guidebook”, visit
http://www.artistretreatday.com

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–
Make Every Day an Artist Retreat Day

Author:
Valery Satterwhite

Copyright (c) 2009 Valery Satterwhite

“This above all; to thine own self be true.” – William Shakespeare

What is integrity?

What does it mean to be in integrity?

If you look up the word “integrity” in the dictionary you will learn that it comes from the Latin word, “integer” which means “whole”. Integrity is an unreduced or unbroken completeness, wholeness, totality, incorruptibility. It is an unimpaired condition and the quality or state of being complete and undivided. Integrity is found in a state of being who you are and, allowing others the same right.

When you are “in integrity” you are in alignment with who you are at your deepest core; your truth. In any area of your life where you struggle your thoughts and actions are out of integrity, you are not behaving in alignment with who you are.

“The voice within is what I’m married to. All marriage is a metaphor for that marriage. My lover is the place inside me where an honest yes and no come from. That’s my true partner. It’s always there. And to tell you yes when my integrity says no is to divorce that partner.” – Byron Katie

To live in alignment, in integrity with who you are you:

Speak what you know to be true even if it may cause conflict. Ask for what you need and want from others. Behave according to your personal values. Make decisions based on what is true for you, not the beliefs of others. When you are in integrity with who you are, life flows seemingly effortlessly. When you are acting in ways that are not in alignment with your truth you don’t feel good. You may be frustrated or upset. You may think less of yourself and beat yourself up over the choices you have made.

“But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?” – Albert Camus

You continue to create your experiences through the thoughts, emotions, choices and actions that you take. Be mindful of your daily thoughts. Are they in alignment with who you are? Be mindful of what words come after your sentences beginning with “I am”. As an artist, for example, if you notice that you often say to yourself, “I’m not creative enough”, then you are out of alignment. You are not in integrity with who you are. And it is in this state of being out of alignment that you feel that you are not enough.

I’ll state it again because it is that important: You continue to create your experiences through the thoughts, emotions, choices and actions that you take. If your thought is “I’m not creative enough.” then you will create more experiences of not being creative enough. When you notice a thought that is out of alignment turn it around. Change “I’m not creative enough.” to “I’m a creative person in the process of creating.”. Truth is, you are a creative person – albeit a creative person holding herself back at the moment with a misguided, out of integrity, thought. Be mindful of what you say to yourself and others. Be mindful whether or not those statements are in or out of alignment with who you are. Think and act in integrity with who you are and observe how your life transforms from one of struggle to creative flow.

Every day you make a bajillion choices. Stay in bed for another few minutes or get up and greet the day? Start or continue to work on your project or act upon a distraction? Fries or Salad? Go to the audition or stay home? Promote your work or give up because of ‘the economy’? Plastic or Paper? Yes or No?

Choices require decisions. A state of indecision is a decision. Is there a decision you are about to make that might be in conflict with your integrity? How can you tell if a decision is out of integrity with who you are?

It’s simple, really. Just ask yourself a few questions and you’ll know whether or not the decision you made is in integrity with who you are.

How do I feel about the decision I just made? Do I think more or less of myself having made this decision? Is this decision based upon ‘should’ or ‘supposed to’ beliefs of others? Is this decision in alignment with my greater good? Who will I be having made this decision? “Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface of the average conscience a still, small voice says to us, ‘Something is out of tune.” – Carl Jung

If you genuinely care about what you create for your future and want to live in authenticity with who you are you must take responsibility for your thoughts, emotions, decisions, actions and outcomes, which result in your experiences. Honor your soul with choices that are in integrity, in alignment with who you are.

Make sure your words and your actions are congruent. Know what you know. Know that you know what you know. Know that you know what you know what you know. And be true to that knowingness. Your internal wisdom. Your intuition. The Wizard Within.

“Integrity is what we do, what we say, and what we say we do.” – Don Galer

Pay attention to what you say to yourself and others. Be mindful whether or not those statements are in or out of alignment with who you are. Think and act in integrity with who you are and observe how your life transforms from one of struggle to creative flow.

Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people in the visual and performing arts how to to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably. Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique “Inner Wizard” methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. To learn more go to

http://www.InnerWizard.com

. Get Free “Artist Resource/Marketing Directory” too!

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–
Integrity: Essential to Effortless Creative Flow

Author:
Dinah John

Website Motivation – Whatever your skills, whatever your interests, everyone has the ability to be creative in their work. However, we can often lose our motivation and drive to create, making it difficult to stay focused on a particular work plan or project, especially in web design. So what is the best method for staying motivated?

The key to maintaining your own motivation to be creative is actually a long term effort. Starting out can be tough, and in most cases the most difficult part. But with the right methods and consistency you will be able to reach a point where staying motivated is easy. It is a simple case of knowing when to make the right choices at the right times.

Obviously everyone is unique and each of you will have your own methods and actions into being creative. But here is the chance to read something that offers some possible methods and solutions when getting motivated and staying motivated.

The main things to take into consideration are:

Set goals

You will find it is a lot easier to stay motivated when you feel like you’ve reached a target. Give yourself something to achieve and break the work load down. If it is a large website project you are working on, set yourself mini goals so you are reaching targets every few hours or days rather than spending weeks trying to get the lot done.

Small bite-sized objectives

As mentioned briefly above, set yourself up for more success than failure by being realistic in goal setting and come up with small, bite-sized tasks to start with. As you complete more tasks, start making your goals more ambitious.

Build a creative workstation

Whether you design websites at your desk, in a dark room or a home office, you need to assign a place to yourself where you can be creative. Once you’ve decided on that place, use it! Each creative task and success you achieve in your ‘creative workstation’, will slowly train your mind to be creative within it. When I first set up my creative workstation it took me about 3 months for it to click in my mind that it was actually my workstation but as soon as I enter now, I can focus my mind that I’m ready to work.

Walk away, but don’t quit!

Whatever you do, you must always remember to never give up on a website or problem. Put them to one side for a while but always come back it later on, even if it means coming up with a theory for solving the problem. These problems build confidence and develop a nice portfolio.

Find your creative time zone

Just like your body’s sleeping and eating times, there is also a best time when your body can be most creative. For me, the best time to be creative used to be late at night, now-a-days it’s usually between midday and late evening. Although I do have a creative burst where I get most work done after 9pm. Your main objective is find out when you are at your most creative side and start using that time to your advantage.

Using the right tools

When being creative designing websites you need to ensure that you are using the right tools for the job. The ‘right tools’ doesn’t necessarily mean the best tools but being creative can be difficult enough, therefore, the idea is to make the job / project as easy as possible. For example, my best choice design software has got to be ‘Photoshop’, you may make this more difficult by trying to use ‘mspaint’ to come up with some amazing graphics. It’s something you just don’t do!

Following progress

One of the key points in being creative is to follow your own progress. As mentioned in step 1; the main objective is to break the task down into smaller parts. Therefore, after a few weeks working on a project look back and see how far you’ve come. If you don’t stop every so often to see where you were a couple of months ago, and where you are now – do it! You might just surprise yourself on how much progress you’ve made and how your creativity has grown.

Get out of the house

This may seem a bit like the step where you walk away from your work and come back to it later, but there is a fine line between setting aside some work and actually taking a break from your workstation. Whilst a creative workstation can often be the best practice, it sometimes helps to go somewhere different to work. It can provide a different level of ideas and influence your creativity and work.

Work through it

You may think that it’s pointless trying to force yourself to be creative when you’re ‘not in the mood’ but often it can work in your favour. It may feel difficult to start with but as you gain momentum you’ll find your motivation returns almost every time! After all, you have nothing to lose; you get the job done and you’re still producing quality work / websites. It may not seem like they are of good quality but you may still be working the same as you usually do, you’re just in the wrong state of mind to realise.

About the Author:

Read more about
web design
and
Ecommerce web design
glassbottomdesign.co.uk.

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–
How to be creative and find motivation for designing websites

Author:
I.ivabov

How to become a famous artist.

1. It does not matter what kind of painting or graphic techniques you use.

2. By painting oil is the easiest to use.

3. Talent is undoubtedly the biggest, but not the main factor.

4. Hard work is one of the main factors.

5. Ambition is almost the main factor.

6. A good and up to date concept is decisive factor in creating your artwork.

7. Bad critic is in most cases a positive critic.

8. Try to be as much eccentric as you can.

9. Don’t mind critic and unpleasant statements from eccentric “art” activists.

10. Attend an Art College, Art School, or take some private lessons. Even if you don’t like realistic stiles, it is very important to study the human anatomy. Picasso creates “childish human forms”, but he possesses perfect knowledge of the human anatomy and that makes

him Picasso.

11. Who you know, is a very important factor of success. Of course most of the really good painters and artists are not the most social people in the world, but please try to make contacts, be social, in most cases the help and the best solutions came from friends of friends.

12. Something which should motivate you is the phrase: “The best artists are made, not born.”

13. Invest as much time as you can in your art initiative. Take your time, concentrate on your work. Very few famous artists were hobby painters. If you practise it as a hobby, you can forget it! If you feel it strong enough, you will probably sacrifice everything in the name of art. Once again ambition is almost the main factor but hard work is one of the main factors.

14. Travel as much as you can and can afford.

15. Visit as many museums as you can.

16. Take notes when you visit a museum. If you like an artwork, just write down the name of the author and study his biography and works. Try to get as much as you can from brochures and books.

17. Read as much books as you can, most of the famous artists are well educated and well-read people. Nevertheless classic literature will influence your ideology.

18. Take your time to explore the internet, find suitable galleries for your artworks and apply to the best art galleries online, or by the traditional way.

19. Visit public events and try to make contacts.

20. Create accounts in online sources. Very important! Nowadays internet plays a very important role.

21. Please don’t cut your ear!

22. If you don’t live in a big City, try to move to one. Most of the galleries and considerable

art dealers and galleries are situated in big cities.

When you create, never forget, that less is more. Try to be as minimalist (especially nowadays) as possible.

23. Be unique.

24. Be your self. When you create, try to be yourself, try to be unique, create something special.

25. Expose your art, don’t be ashamed, if you feel it, show it, if you are sure, you are going to make it. Believe in your self.

26. And once again Ambition is almost the main factor.

27. And the last thing; I am an art collector and you can contact me and present me your artworks. Please write to me at
artimpresia@abv.bg
or check on
http://artimpresia.com

About the Author:

Artimpresia Gallery,

http://artimpresia.com

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–
How to Become a Famous Artist

Author:
Charles Griffith

Color is the emotional counterpoint to the intellectual qualities of drawing, and is one of the most important elements of design. While paintings and drawings can be quite effective without color, the use of color adds an entirely new dimension to the piece. Without color, the artist is not a painter, but a draughtsman.

Although color theory can be complex, practical application is what matters, and in this article I will present a simple philosophy for achieving an effective use of color and color harmony in a composition. But first an acquaintance with the fundamentals of color theory is necessary, as I believe that no worthwhile accomplishments can arise from ignorance of the basic principles:

1. Buy an artist’s color wheel, or make your own. This is an essential item for any artist. Be acquainted with the primary colors: red, blue and yellow; how they mix to make the secondary colors, and how the secondary colors mix to make the tertiary colors.

2. “Hue” is simply the name of a color; for example, red, blue, orange are “hues.” “Intensity” is the purity of a color. “Value” is the darkness or lightness of a color. “Temperature” is the relative warmness or coolness of a color; this can also be affected by surrounding colors. A “key” color is the dominant color in a color scheme. “Palette” has two meanings for the artist: first, it refers to the surface on which the paints are mixed before being applied to the canvas; second, it refers to the range of colors which the artist has chosen for his painting. In this article I will use the latter meaning.

3. Be sure to understand the relationship between complimentary colors (colors directly opposite each other on a color wheel) such as red and green, blue and orange, red and violet. Mixed together, they create valuable greys that can help unify a color scheme. But be careful about including complimentary colors in your work: they can compete with each other unless one is more abundant than the other, or one is greyed a bit to lower its intensity. And if you want to increase the intensity of a color, surround it with its complement, or with a grey. In my painting, “The Triumph Of Mars,” found on my website, you can see how grey is used to enhance the impact of red and yellow.

4. Black, white and grey are not colors–in fact, they represent the absence of color. Any color mixed with white is a “tint;” any color mixed with black is a “shade;” any color mixed with grey is a “tone.”

5. The standard color schemes are analogous, triadic, tetradic, complementary, split complementary and monochromatic:

a. Analogous–three or more colors side by side on the color wheel.

b. Triadic–three colors equidistant on the color wheel, forming a triangle.

c. Tetradic–four colors equidistant on the color wheel, forming a square.

d. Complementary–two colors directly across from each other on the color wheel, such as red and green, and any neutral greys made from mixing the two.

e. Split Complementary–three colors, two of which are the adjacent colors to the complementary color of the third.

f. Monochromatic–a color scheme composed of only one color, plus black and white.

Don’t worry about adhering to these formal color schemes too closely; the inclusion of neutrals and your own color preferences will ultimately play a more dominant role in shaping your use of color. Their main purpose is to introduce the artist to color relationships and how those relationships create harmony in a color scheme.

Finally, remember that warm colors advance and cool colors recede. For example, in a landscape you could use warm earth tones in the foreground to make it appear closer to the viewer, while in the background you would use cooler colors such as blues and greens to create the sense of recession and distance.

That completes a brief review of basic color theory. Now I will discuss the effective use of color in a composition, and how to harmonize the colors in that composition. To create harmony in a color scheme a painting should consist of warm, cool and neutral colors, with one group predominating. The use of neutral colors, such as greys made from complimentary colors or earth tones, are the key to the great painters’ successful use of color in their compositions. Greys help to unify a color scheme by tying together the warm and cool colors. The works of two of my favorite artists, Edward Hopper and El Greco, are superb examples of the use of neutral greys to balance and enrich a color scheme. Black and white can also serve as neutrals in this context.

In determining your color scheme for a painting, first examine the subject before you. If you look carefully you will see that there is a predominate color in the scene. This is known as the “key” color, and this will be a good choice for the “key” color in your composition as well. Once you have determined this color, it will easier to establish the other colors of your color scheme in relation to it.

One of the most important principles of color harmony is keeping your palette of colors to a minimum–it’s not how many colors you use; it’s how well you use a limited number of colors. The greater the number of colors used, the more difficult it is to maintain control over them.

Once you have chosen your palette for a painting, try to mix all your colors with this limited number–avoid the temptation to add more colors. This is another way to achieve harmony in your color scheme. For example, try mixing your blacks, browns and greys with the some of the colors with which you mixed your greens, blues and oranges.

When mixing colors, use a minimum of colors in your mixtures–three or four at the most, or the result may be muddy. To maintain the freshness of the colors, avoid over-mixing your paints, and apply them to the canvas with minimal brushwork. The use of white should also be approached with caution; it can easily turn a color mixture muddy. Remember that it isn’t always a good idea to lighten a color with white, or to darken a color with black. Other colors can be used for these purposes; a lighter color such as yellow ochre can lighten a green, and ultramarine blue can darken it.

If your subject is painted from life, remember that the colors of nature are only a guide; the painting is a separate entity from the subject–it has a life of its own. All that matters is that the use of color in your painting is effective. Of course, you should choose colors that help to express the mood and atmosphere of the subject; you would not choose bright Impressionist colors for a moody landscape.

The basics of color theory are applicable to any medium; however, some media such as pastel and colored pencil do not lend themselves well to the mixing of complimentary colors to create neutral greys. In these dry media, colors cannot be mixed directly as with paint; it will be necessary to blend colors visually, using hatching, stippling or scumbling techniques. You may also have to use a greater number of colors to compensate for this limitation.

In some media, such as oil or acrylic, different colors have different attributes: some colors may be transparent, semi-transparent or opaque. These qualities will affect how the colors can be used; for example, transparent colors are better used for glazes than opaque colors, but transparent colors will not provide adequate coverage to conceal an underlying color.

All paint, as it dries, changes color or intensity to some degree, or “sinks.” Acrylic seems to be one of the biggest offenders in this regard; oil seems the most resistant to this. This is not to say that one medium is superior to another; every medium has its strengths and weakness, and should be used accordingly. However, I have found it more difficult to maintain color harmony in acrylic than in oil; the colors often change quite noticeably as they dry.

A final word about color; as with any aspect of art, there is no better way to study the use of color than to learn from the great masters. Study the works of artists whose paintings you admire; see how they used color. The works of Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Edward Hopper, El Greco and Henri Matisse have always impressed me with their rich and sophisticated use of color.

If drawing is the skeleton of a painting, then color is its flesh. Color is the essence of the painter’s art, and its application brings life to the artist’s concept. As you gain experience you will instinctively gain a greater “color sense” and develop your own preferences. Equipped with a solid grounding in color theory and a study of the great artists’ works, in time you will blend understanding with knowledge to create your own personal philosophy of color.

About the Author:

Charles Griffith’s interest in art began in childhood, and was encouraged by his family. Later, while serving in the U.S. military in Europe, he was inspired by seeing firsthand some of the treasures of European art. Today his art focuses on traditional realism, often with elements of Expressionism and Surrealism.

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How The Artist Uses Color

Author:
rukhsana

When Clear Channel controls the radio and the monopoly newspaper does not love you as you win new audiences?

The good news: There are many, many ways. Here are ten of my favorites.

1. The approach at the local college or alternative radio station or community access cable TV station programming idea how to live songwriter showcase. Other musicians will want to participate in your show, and you’ll build an audience for his music – and for them.

2. Recording a CD or concert reviews for the local alternative (or primary) document.

3. Give copies of CD out of the public radio and television stations for their fund drive premiums.

4. Organize, promote and perform at charity events for your favorite causes.

5. Lead songwriting and performing workshops in schools (as a rule, these payments concerts,

http://www.ticketfront.com
tickets and all parents to hear your name). Invite some children to perform with you, they always bring a bunch of relatives, and who will pay for the ticket, and perhaps buy a CD.

6. Declare your concerts in each community calendar. Newspapers, magazines, radio, public Web sites, cable TV stations – they all run the event lists. View of one paragraph, which includes the tag line that you do, for example, “Sandy, executing, River City’s’ homegrown Bono, ‘will perform labor songs and love ballads in the trombone stores, 444 4 Street in the city center river, Wednesday, January 15, 7 pm “When you receive a free or a charitable connection, say so. Include contact phone number and e-mail.

7. Find Internet discussion groups related to your case. Whether in the field of immigration, voting reform the world, safe energy, the right to choose … will not be discussion groups on the Internet. Post the answers and include a “signature” – short for the business card. Using different sigs for different purposes. Here’s one of mine (in real e-mail, it will be single-spaced):

8. Create a simple low-cost website. Include a few sound clips, pictures of you performing, a place for people to register your fan news, and links to your favorite musicians, and, of course, the route and schedule of concert availability.

9. Get exposure on other people’s sites. Write CD reviews, to support their music
http://www.ticketfront.com
tickets with an ad, submit articles about local music … and be sure to include your contact information and a statement that encourages people to visit your site.

10. Use the letters columns. Call talk shows. Post a message on a web forum … in a word, use any tool of feedback you have for the distribution of words.

About the Author:

TicketFront deals in all mega events around the globe. Our online ticket inventory offers best ticket deals for Concerts, Theaters, Sporting events and Las Vegas. We not only provide tickets for all sold-out events but we are your premium source of ticketing and venue information for all upcoming entertainment events. Whether it is a sporting event or a theatrical act, a live musical performance or shows at Las Vegas; we provide you best ticket
tickets
deals for each and every event around the globe.

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Chance for unknown artists

Author:
Eric Hines

I can’t imagine a worse scenario for an eager and enthusiastic art student than enrolling in a over crowded art class run by a mediocre art teacher

In short order the student is set up for loss after loss. The basics of drawing and painting either not taught in an easy to duplicate fashion, that the art student can grasp, or very often they are not taught at all!

Quite Frequently the student makes the decision that drawing and painting is just too hard and gives up. The student will incorrectly find the fault with themselves, often with the self generated concept that they do not posses enough natural artistic talent.

Whereas most of the blame usually falls on the shoulders of the student, the true cause falls at the feet of the art instructor and poor instruction.

This is exactly what happened to my wife.

My wife is from Toronto Canada. She originally came to America as a student to study fine art in a university. The instruction was terrible.

Both my wife’s drawing and painting classes were taught entirely on the irresponsible method of “if it feels good go with it.”

Unfortunately my wife could not “feel” her way into learning basics such as capturing light and shadow, how to draw in proportion, the use of color and tone, how to sketch in charcoal, differences in working with oil vs. watercolors.

Needless to say she the only thing that she could “feel” good about was changing her major.

With hundreds of colleges and thousands of private art instruction schools across the country how does one go about picking an art instructor that will teach one how to draw and paint properly?

I was lucky enough to be able to ask Larry Gluck what one should look for when choosing an art school and instructor so one achieves their goal in becoming a better artist.

Larry Gluck is the founder of the world’s largest fine art program.

After 33 years employing hundreds of art instructors and teaching over 3,000+ students every week how to draw and paint this is the advice Larry has in regards to choosing an art teacher…

“Here are a few pointers on what to look for in a fine art teacher. I hope they help in your search for a good drawing and painting instructor.

1. Do you like the teachers work?

It’s important to respect what your teacher does. Now matter how objective he is about his work, he’ll teach you what he knows – and what he knows will be reflected in what he does.

On the other side of the coin, do not judge the instructor only by their artwork. Teaching art is not the same as creating art, and some teachers are very good artists but horrible instructors.

Others don’t have enough intention to help students through the rough spots. Although a teacher much have knowledge and talent to merit teaching his subject, the determination to help you and see that you indeed learn should be his top priority.

2. Does your teacher start with the fundamentals?

A gradual approach is necessary to learning. You start with the most basic fundamentals and continue from there. All to frequently the teacher assumes that you already posses a thorough knowledge of the fundamentals, or worse, the instructor is not familiar with them enough in order to teach them.

Also, some teachers are involved in the arts for such a long period of time that the use of the arts fundamentals are automatic, so much so that they are no longer aware of them. This of course, would be a terrible failure on the part of the teacher – but it does happen.

3. Are you actually improving?

If your art teacher teaches you the fundamental skills, on by one, ensuring you master each one before going to the next, your skills should improve.

If not, something is wrong with the instruction, not with you. A good instructor should be able to break the needed skills down into steps simple enough for you to learn successfully.

4. Are you being treated as an individual?

We all have different strengths and weaknesses. The good art instructor will realize this and treat each art student as an individual. A poor teacher treats everyone the same or has a few favorite students.

5. Is the class overcrowded?

If there are more than ten students with only one instructor, you won’t benefit from what he has to give you.

Since everyone is different in regards to ability and what one is aware of, there has to be a way for you as a student to to receive one-on-one instruction with the instructor.

6. Are you training with people you like?

It helps to learn with people who encourage and support one another, admire each others efforts, and are genuinely pleased to see other’s progress.

It would also help to have friends with whom you can also discuss the art form.

Companionship within the arts causes growth in the artist.

7. Are you pitted against others?

Some teachers feel that competition is needed among students is necessary to spur them on. It isn’t.

Perhaps the teacher will be less bored but it does nothing for students, particularly in the arts.

You should only be competing against your present limitations.

8. Is it a safe environment in which you feel comfortable learning?

You must feel safe and secure in all learning environments.

This is especially true when learning an an art form where the stakes are so high and the intimidation factor can be so great.

If you feel intimidated anyway when you go to class, it’s probably the teachers fault, even if the intimidation comes from other students.

A competent art instructor is in control of the students and is responsible for how they interact with each other in the classroom.

Some instructors intimidate students with an overbearing manner.

Some instructors will set themselves up as a major authority on the subject of art or unattainable examples of artistic talent.

Some favor a few students over others.

If this is occurring, find a new art instructor.

9. Is there criticism without help?

An overly critical teacher can make you give up.

Criticism without instruction on how to improve is hinderance, not a help.

Rather than continually pointing out what is wrong with what you are doing, a good teacher should give you tasks to do.

A student progresses by winning, not loosing. Ask yourself if you feel better since you started the class – better about yourself, your ability, and what you are doing. If not, change teachers.

10. Are you getting individual help?

Maybe her is a piece of information you don’t quite comprehend, or a technique that you just can’t put into application.

Does the teacher take the time to help you? Is the art instructor prompt with the help but patient with handling your question or problem?

Can the instructor get to the root of what ou are having a problem with and help you figure it out?

If not you are wasting your time and money.

If you aren’t getting better and having fun while doing so, your instruction is falling down on one or more of these points.

Review these ten tips and locate exactly what the problem is. If this turns out that you cannot fix this by speaking with your instructor, you will have to find a new teacher.

All art forms appear difficult to a beginner. A good teacher will show you not only that excellence is attainable, but also how.

You may think you cannot do it or feel you do not have enough talent, a good instructor knows that you can and will make sure that you learn to.”

About the Author:

Eric Hines has worked in the field of art for over a decade as a musician, art dealer and is currently employed by
Mission Renaissance
, the world’s largest drawing and painting instruction program in the world. He is currently taking art classes to
how to draw and paint
, very soon he will be selling his own art work and not just the works of others.

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
Choosing an Art Teacher May be the Most Important Decision an Artist Makes. How to Choose Properly

Author:
Charles Griffith

The artist’s inspiration has been the object of wonder and misconception ever since early Man created the first painted images on the walls of his caves thousands of years ago. In truth, there is nothing mystical about creative thought; the average person uses it in his daily life to solve everyday problems, just as the engineer, scientist and architect employ it in their professions. And to expand the mind’s ability to conjure new ideas can be accomplished by simply learning to break free of restrictive ways of thinking, and by exposure to new and stimulating experiences.

Everyone falls into a mental rut sometimes, where habit takes over. But habit is the enemy of creative thinking! You have to open your mind to new ways of experiencing and perceiving in order to gain fresh ideas. There are many established ways to improve your ability to think creativity. To begin with, you should always strive to avoid time-worn cliches; for the visual artist, this could mean taking a common subject, such as a still-life, and injecting some new element into it that normally wouldn’t be associated with that subject. Consider my painting “Voodoo”, found on my website. Instead of the usual flowers and vase, I have used an African ceremonial mask and a human skull, adding a darker twist to the traditional still-life genre.

Many innovative ideas originate in the subconscious mind. Therefore dreams have often been the source of new ideas for the artist, and for Surrealists such as Salvador Dali they were usually the main source of inspiration. Sometimes the mind can be stimulated simply by drawing or painting in a different location than usual. I often find walking or pacing helps me to think and sort out any confusion in my mind. Trying your hand at other fields of artistic expression, such as writing or music, can give you new perspectives. Literature and film can also be rich sources of ideas. I found that studying poetry helped me to draw more upon the subconscious, and to gain a greater appreciation of the principles that are common to all art forms.

One of the greatest obstacles to creativity is conformity. Don’t allow yourself to be restricted by what is socially or culturally acceptable; society encourages uniformity of thought and attitude–this is the death of creative thought! Follow your own instincts, believe in your own view and perceptions; don’t be afraid to be provocative if that is what your concept demands. Look at my works “The Lady Of Ill Repute” and “The Years”–certainly not everyone’s idea of beauty. But beauty can be found in the truth expressed in these women’s faces and in their lives, like the beauty found in the ruins of a forgotten temple. In these women one sees the scars of past experience and the price that time exacts from the human soul. In short, they tell a good story, something art should always strive to do.

It is a great mistake to think that every idea that you arrive at should be a good one. The creative process is by nature somewhat chaotic–this naturally means that some of your ideas, perhaps most of them, are simply bad. This is fine! Even a bad idea can be of value, as it may lead you to make an unconscious connection that eventually matures into something useful. In fact, sometimes deliberately coming up with a bad concept can open the mind to something better. It’s all a matter of making unconscious associations.

I have come to believe that there is no truly original idea. Everyone builds upon the work of others. Consider Van Gogh’s style: his use of color comes from the Impressionists; the hard outlines and flat forms from Japanese woodcuts; his everyday subject matter from earlier artists like Millet. Perhaps his fluid brushwork is his only personal contribution to his distinctive style. But by blending these different elements he came up with something totally unique and personal. This is an example of combining influences. And there are other approaches, such as modifying, maximizing, minimizing, substituting, rearranging, reversing, exaggerating and separating.

Inspiration is always an uncertain commodity; some people will always have the advantage over the rest of us when it comes to innovative thinking. But everyone can expand their capacity for creative thought by ridding themselves of old ways of thinking, and by exposure to new experiences. However, it isn’t always necessary to be clever; the most important consideration for the artist is to have something to say, and to say it well. I hope that the methods discussed here will help you to do just that.

About the Author:

The artwork of the author, Charles Griffith, can be found at
http://charlesgriffith.tripod.com
and he can be contacted at
charles_griffith@lycos.com
.

Charles Griffith’s interest in art began in childhood, and was encouraged by his family. Later, while serving in the U.S. military in Europe, he was inspired by seeing firsthand some of the treasures of European art. Today his art focuses on traditional realism, often with elements of Expressionism and Surrealism.

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
Creativity and the Artist

Author:
Mary McNeil

Intuitively the link between decluttering and creativity makes sense doesn’t it? Creativity thrives in the land of new ideas and open thinking, while clutter tends to be characterised by clinging on to old ideas, attitudes, habits and possessions. In order to free yourself up to be fabulously creative, you often need to be prepared to let go of the clutter first. Inspiration is unlikely to emerge unless you’ve created a space for it.

Clutter generally builds up quietly and imperceptibly over time. The reason for this is that not all clutter starts out its existence as clutter. If you think about the clutter in your life at the moment, you can probably recognise that much of it was originally useful and meaningful. It’s the passing of time and the moving on to different phases of your life that convert many of your once-wonderful ideas, items and relationships into life clutter.

You’ll probably find that, strangely enough, some of your old clutter consists of items and ideas that were once your creative playground. Many of yesterday’s creative sparks evolve into today’s clutter. It doesn’t mean that they weren’t creative at the time or that they had no worth, simply that time has passed and they are no longer current. I like to imagine them as the creative stepping stones that have brought me to where I am now – I couldn’t have got here without them, but their value is now in the past and by clinging on to them, I prevent myself from moving forwards.

That’s why decluttering has to be a way of life, a state of mind and an ongoing activity. Particularly during the times when you want to produce creative output.

There’s an important distinction to be made between clutter and creative messiness, though. A reader of my newsletter wrote to me about her decluttering routine: “I am an artist and always clean my entire studio before beginning a new series of paintings. Sometimes this might take two days! I put everything in the correct place, vacuum, wash windows, rearrange the feng shui, etc. When I am finished, I bless the space and then proceed to totally mess it up with all my creative materials and energy!!!”

The space you declutter may be a physical or a mental one – the important thing is that it’s clear, and that’s what allows it to be a creative start point. It liberates you to get out all your coloured pencils, all your bright ideas, all your interesting words… to throw them in, mix them around and to make a gloriously creative mess. Then comes that amazing flow experience of being totally absorbed as, from the mess of creative potential, a sense of focus gradually emerges.

Most times, for me, I don’t think the focus would come unless I allowed myself the creative messiness first.

In this context, then, clutter is the stuff that blocks you from having the clear space in which to get creatively messy.

It may be environmental clutter – physical things gathering dust and taking up your creative space. That’s generally the most obvious kind of clutter to spot and to do something about.

But it may be mental or emotional clutter. For example: the internal voice that says you should be getting on with something more important, or the fear of producing creative output that isn’t perfect first time. These thought patterns and emotions are clutter too.

To embrace decluttering as a way of life and turn it to your creative advantage, there are three key skills to develop:

– Recognising clutter before it even enters your life and stopping it at source

– Acknowledging which of your previously useful thoughts, attitudes and items have now turned into clutter

– Being prepared to thank the clutter for its earlier usefulness, then let it go

What life clutter would you like to thank for its usefulness, before letting it go and freeing yourself up for new creative ideas and output?

About the Author:

Mary McNeil of
Create a Space
is an experienced, ICF-certified life coach who works with her clients on a variety of decluttering, success and creativity projects. Her 30-day home learning e-course: ‘Declutter Your Way To Creativity’ is available from

www.Create-a-Space.co.uk

.

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
Decluttering & Creativity

Author:
Les Anderson

From time to time, most artists have experienced a creative block. Is there a key to overcoming this block to restore our creativity? Let’s look creatively at what artists experience, what it feels like when a block occurs, and how to overcome the artists block.

When it strikes, we never see it coming. The feeling is something like this: You’re strolling through a serene forest, the cool breeze caressing your hair and whispering from the treetops above you. The filtered sunlight is fluttering like a nature-made strobe, lulling you to sleep.

You see the ocean in the distance and can almost feel the salt spray on your cheeks as you make your way down the needle-laden path toward the shore. Spying a beautiful cluster of magenta colored flora, you stop. As you bend down to caress one of many blossoms, you close your eyes to allow the scent to permeate your mind, unmolested by sight and sound. The sensation is near heavenly.

As you stand and open your eyes, you find that a heavy fog has suddenly and cruelly replaced the forest, and you’re surrounded by darkness. You turn back to the path but the path is gone. You turn toward what you thought was the ocean and you see only fog. Behind you, fog. Beside you, only fog. You reach out your hands in a vain attempt to feel something, anything familiar.

As the anxiety mounts, you feel the familiar pricks of pine needles on your face and hands. Now however, they seem foreign and angry, no longer the beautiful sunlight filter they once were. You can see nothing, so you stumble around in the fog until you are so frustrated that you stop and collapse onto the forest path, your cheek pressed against forest floor, the scent of the magenta flower replaced by the smell of dirt.

Unfortunately, artists block can occur without notice. One moment we’re in the groove. The next thing we know we’re on the forest floor. It’s from the floor of the forest, blinded by the fog that we make our choice to either continue to lay there in defeat, or get up and find the way out.

Ok, first step is to take a break. Make it a short break, not a long one. Get up, stretch, go for a walk. Get a cup of coffee or tea. Get a beer if you’re so inclined. Go outside if you’re inside. Go for a swim or take a nap. Go for a drive or a bike ride.

The idea is to get away from the canvas and get away from the block. This is equivalent to sitting on the forest floor, or standing on the path, stretching and waiting for the fog to clear. If the fog takes a while to clear, at least you’re not wallowing in self-doubt and pity. You’re facing the fog and not allowing it to get the better of you.

What should you do after your break? Get up and move. I’ve found that when my mind seems blocked from the creativeness and talent that I know I possess, there truly is a next step. However the question is, what is the next step?

The answer is, move. Now that you have had your rest break on the forest floor, move.

Naturally, the next question is, which direction do you go when you’re in a fog? There are choices.

Move back. Go back down the familiar path that was so beautiful just moments before. Get back to the basics of primary colors, pencil drawing and stick figures. Soon you’ll rediscover yourself and your roots. Make it simple like it once was. Relax and move back.

Move to the side. Venture off into the foggy forest to discover new and exciting things that you would never have seen had you stayed on the path. Try something you’ve never tried before. If you’re into oils, break out the watercolors. If you do pastels, try sculpting. If airbrush is your thing, do some finger-painting. Move to the side.

Move forward. Continue through the fog toward that beautiful seascape that you know is there. Forget what just happened. Don’t dwell on what turned out bad. Don’t speculate on what caused the block. Know that you’re creative. Know that you’re talented. Put the block behind you and try something that was more difficult than the project before. Many times for me this has brought me to places I didn’t know I could reach. Move forward.

When you encounter artists block, the point is to move. Don’t let the block get you down.

Move. Move. Move. Remember the only real reason you got artists block in the first place: You’re talented. You’re creative.

You’re an artist!

About the Author:

Telecommunications Engineer, freelance artist and writer, Les Anderson has been published in business-related, telecommunications technical trade journals.

Formal education aside, his best artistic education comes from personal studies under Hollywood portraitist, Alexander Rosenfeld, and Southern California watercolorist, Margaret Hunter.

Canvas and Pen
,

motivation and inspiration for writers and artists.

Canvas and Pen Blog
,

a little edgier, with your feedback.

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
Artists Creative Block – Overcoming the Difficulty

Author:
Heather Ash Amara

The catalyst for internal alchemy is what I call “creative intent.” This is your ability to find new ways of moving past obstacles while staying focused on your final goal.

Support Your Internal Creativity

Creativity is the feminine polarity of life, a sense of playful experimentation. Creative energy is the flow of art, and moves as a spontaneous response to stimuli. Creativity stems from dreaming and intuition, and a wide horizon of perception.

Creativity is the juiciness and flow of life. It is often unexpected, unexplainable, and unpredictable. Creativity is our unique expression of life, which we manifest for the pure joy of it. When we are in the river of creative flow, we seek neither reward nor recognition; rather, we tap into the unknown, and mystery moves through us into form.

Creativity cannot be forced or scheduled, but it can be enticed and allowed. As we make ourselves vessels and clear out our doubts, “shoulds,” and rules, creativity often comes to fill and overflow us. We see new possibilities, new actions, and new ways of being. We are inspired to take the images, sensations, and taste of our inner world and make them tangible. This creative expression is not only what artists strive for; it is a vital force helping us move through our own internal obstacles and fears.

Our places of limitation often stem from the creative ways we tried to stay “safe” when we were children. For example, most of us grew up with a sense of scarcity in our lives: not enough love, resources, self-confidence, etc. In order to compensate, we create fantastic agreements or strategies, e.g., “I have to be in a relationship or I am not whole.” “If I have a lot of money in the bank, I am safe.” “If I make sure everyone likes me, I know I am a good person.” (These are examples of wacky internal creativity.)

As we become more aware and strive to change these agreements, obstacles arise. Our old structure, which we created to order an unpredictable world, fights to stay alive. Our habitual response is to follow the old pattern, e.g., “That relationship just ended, so I must quickly find another one, or feel lonely and fragmented until I do.” “I am feeling insecure, so I am going to go buy something expensive” (and later go into fear that I don’t have enough money.) “My friend is disappointed in me, so I must have done something wrong.”

When we are willing to risk being creative, there are a million different ways we can respond to stimuli. It is exciting, for we pull our heads out of our tiny box of responses and look towards infinity for our answers. We approach obstacles and fears with a sense of adventure: “What will I do today?” “Who will I be today?” “What will I learn about myself today?”

For example:

Your relationship ends, and you consciously choose to be creative, so you

o (and your former partner) have a divorce celebration with close friends to support you, where you cut the cords on this and all of your previous relationships;

o spend a week in retreat, nourishing yourself with good food and long hikes;

o take your new alone time to do something you have always dreamed of;

o get on the internet and create a personal ad, and then go on dates with fifteen people in four weeks with the agreement that you will not get into a relationship, but simply explore what you like or who how you act around others;

o shave your head and dedicate yourself to meditation for a year;

o volunteer to help a child in need;

o find a good therapist or spiritual guide.

In other words, you are creative, and you do anything that breaks the habit of your usual pattern. To cultivate your own creativity, try these activities for a week:

o Select a problem in your life and list at least ten different ways to work with it. Let some of your ideas be outrageous. Stretch your mind. If you cannot think of a problem, take the examples above (money in the bank or disappointing a friend) and list ten creative things someone could do. Then do at least one of these creative ideas this week.

o Pay attention to the ways your mind goes into habit. Constantly ask yourself: “How can I be creative in this situation?”

o Do at least one physical activity that opens up your creativity: paint a dream, visit a museum and wander through the hallways feeling the art, dance wildly under the moonlight, build a fire and speak to the flames, sing out loud in public.

Tapping into your creativity may feel awkward at first. Remember you are breaking your own box, which can feel frightening, liberating, or both. Enjoy and keep breathing through whatever arises. Pay attention to where you want to limit yourself, or where you are uncomfortable stepping out of your own comfort zone. Keep dancing towards the infinite.

Hone Your Intent

To stop undermining yourself and truly unfurl your wings means attending not only to the beginning, but also the perhaps uncomfortable middle all the way through the alchemical process of internal transformation. Intent is the masculine polarity of life, the movement of focused purpose. It is the determined questing of science, and it moves as a piercing force of transformation. Intent stems from disciplined stalking of the goal and strong action to stay on course.

Intent is the clarity in life that keeps us focused on a specific purpose. Intent acts as the guiding force for our actions in the world. It gives us direction and the will to carry on, despite the obstacles that arise. Intent is a combination of determination and dedication. Intent is a science, a practice of getting from point A to point B systematically without getting distracted or straying from the course. Intent allows us to see beyond chaos, fear, and temptation. All of our senses align with our goal. All of our energy aligns with our senses. We are a pure point of perception, undaunted by the impossible. We know what we want and are not afraid to go for it.

One problem, however, is that our intent often flows from an unconscious place. When we act from unconscious intent, our integrity and truth are compromised. Our actions are colored by our experiences of the past. Old agreements and fears dictate how we react to life happening around us. Our intent then stays at its default setting, which is usually the setting we agreed to when we were very young.

We would never consciously say: “My intent is to sabotage myself and prove that I am not deserving,” or “My intent is to never put my full heart and energy into any project, so I do not have to worry about failing,” or “My intent is to blame everyone else around me for my inability to take responsibility for my life decisions.” But we hold these types of unsupportive intents and live our lives from them.

There is a great little book that expresses perfectly the sort of intents we carry within us. “Today I Will Nourish My Inner Martyr” is a book of “Affirmations for Cynics,” or really, for the unconscious. Some favorite samples are:

o “Today, instead of dealing with situations that upset me, I will create melodramatic diversions.”

o “I have a right to be a victim after all that I have been through.”

o “Because I demand that everything in my life is the best and beautiful, I will disown my body today.”

o “Today I will remind myself that my friends and family are just waiting for me to fail.”

o “Today I will cultivate a relationship with an especially needy person so I can fulfill my need to be needed.”

The first step in honing your intent is to clear out the garbage intents that clog your system. They are heavy energies that weigh down the lightness of pure, conscious intent. Play with making up intents for yourself based on your unconscious beliefs. Keep this practice as play, for it will expose more of your unconscious heaviness. Notice where you are sabotaging yourself or acting in ways that go against your heart. Then make a joke of it:

o “Today, I will wake up depressed and then punish myself all day for it.”

o “Today, I will make a mistake and repeat it in my head over and over again.”

o “Today, I will say I want to write, but I will spend the day cleaning up someone else’s mess.”

Get these thoughts out in front of you so you can see them. Once you are aware, you have the power to make a choice and ask, “Is that really the intent I want to hold for my day/week/life?”

Once you have played with and felt you unconscious intents, rewrite what intent you actually want to be living from. What different action can you take? How can you bring the creative aspect in to this new intent? Write these intents when you are not in the pattern, i.e. before you get depressed, confused, anxious, etc. Action is best planned from a neutral or joyous space. Make three action steps you will take that oppose the old intent, or nourish your new one (preferably one of each).

For example:

o “Today if I wake up depressed, I will not believe the lies my mind tells me. Instead I will (a) call two people and ask them to tell me what they appreciate about me, (b) will email two people and share what I appreciate about them, and/or (c) go out and take a dance class.”

o “Today I will write despite distraction or drama. If I get distracted or caught in drama, I will (a) take a deep breath and acknowledge my distraction; (b) get my butt back to the writing chair with minimal judgment, (c) drink a cup of tea while I read what I wrote before I was distracted, and continue onward, and/or (d) spend a few moments looking at what I felt like before I was distracted, and what uncomfortable feeling or thought arose that I can teach myself to sit through.

Write out your new intent, and new actions someplace you will have them handy when the situation next arises. Do your actions when you get off track; don’t rethink them. Notice the results, and enjoy.

About the Author:

Heather Ash Amara weaves powerful practices of shamanic traditions to help people reach their potential. She apprenticed and taught extensively with Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements. She wrote Four Elements of Change and founded the Toltec Center for Creative Intent. She runs
Spiritual Integrity Coaching
with Raven Smith. Read more
creative actions
from Heather Ash.

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
Awaken Your Creative Intent

Author:
Greg Katz

We’re caught in a world where time is money and extremely precious. It’s difficult enough to figure out how to create art, run a business, and have a life but there’s one more step we need to consider that will make running a business much easier. When we stand in service to others we create an exchange with the community and those we serve. This is not a call to go out and volunteer for every nonprofit that knocks on your door. I believe that when we are of service to our own community first we are given a huge advantage in the business arena. Remember charity begins at home.

One of the communities most artists belong to is an artist guild. If you go, how many times do elections come around and the board is scrambling to get someone, anyone who will give a year to serve. I can tell you from personal experience that serving on your professional organization’s board is the best investment you can make in your business. It sets you aside from others in many ways and allows you to provide your vision for the organization and the art world.

When we make a commitment to serve we are making a statement to the world that we are firmly planted in our art business. We set an intention to succeed and lead with that example. As part of the leadership team you can keep your finger on the pulse of the community and realize skills you may never have recognized in yourself previous to that moment in time. You’ll be included in marketing decisions, exhibition plans, education opportunities; all of these are things you can take and apply toward your own business.

Upon entering the coaching world I never had any intention of serving in a leadership position. Things change quickly and within six months I was part of the leadership team. That move led me to run for the board as Secretary and then I was asked to run for President of the organization. When you are given the opportunity to lead it’s not just about guiding the organization, but creating an atmosphere of camaraderie and inclusion. You become known for more than just your artistic talents; you become multi-dimensional. The key is the more people you know and know you, the easier it becomes to run your business. Remember, word-of-mouth is still one of the strongest selling points we can hope for in the art community.

Take the opportunity to learn more about yourself and if you want create a work of art based on your leadership experience. Serving will provide you with insights into human nature you can’t gather in any other manner. You get to make the leadership experience what you want it to be. It can either be an asset or a liability, that’s your choice. Since we’re in the business of building an artrepreneurial empire I’m guessing that you’ll find the way that suits your personality and your style to help move your business and the art community you belong to forward in its mission.

About the Author:

Want to be a successful artist? Get the
FREE
7-part series “Beating the Odds for Artist Success”. Along with the series you’ll get the “Beating the Odds” audio-visual program as our special gift. Both the series and audio-visual program are available at

http://www.artistsuccessstudio.com

.

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
Be of Service and You’ll Achieve Artist Success!

Author:
Megan Webber

Health concerns are a major issue for all of us, whether it’s fitness, weight control or specific health issues. I am an artist. Since my mid teens I have also suffered from Depression. I however didn’t come to terms with this until my mid 30’s. Initially on consultation with my GP I began a six-month course of antidepressant medication.

What I found with this kind of medication was that as an artist it was not the direction I needed. Yes, it blocked my emotional responses to certain situations, but this was more a dilemma then help. To me as an artist if you can’t feel you can’t express yourself.

So at the end of the day I decided to stop the medication and live with my condition accepting that I would have my up and down days. This can be difficult when dealing with family or your partner. At times is can be difficult to gain understanding about these issues with people you love. Yes you are fatigued much of the time and others unable to get outside and experience life. Many aspects of life become difficult.

When I met my current partner I was introduced to the products of Herbalife. As a trained Kinesiologist she also was able to fast track some core issues that had impacted on my condition.

I’ve been that sort of person who likes to almost stick my head in the sand when it comes to some health issues. Also hold a certain scepticism, which means that I need to consider all aspects of anything before I commit.

First of all I became aware that even in my mid 30’s I was peri menopausal. In fact probably for many years. Something that can also has an impact on emotional levels as well as physical.

I have now started a course of herbal treatments, which unlike traditional medicines deal with a holistic approach. I strongly believe gentler on mind and body, but truly effective on assisting me with my conditions.

I now take Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix, which balances my nutrition on a daily basis, Formula 2 that is a vitamin B complex, Formula 3 Vitamin C and Tang Kuei the key ingredient, which stabilise hormonal changes.

The key ingredient of Tang Kuei, which has been taken by men and women for centuries in China, is Angelica polymorph and Chamomile. These ingredients are used after strenuous physical exertion, relief of muscle tension and for relaxation.

This has been a fantastic break through for me with depression and pre menopausal conditions. Tang Kuei is extremely important for a range of health problems not just depression. From Chronic fatigue syndrome, menopause, arthritis, Asthma, Skin conditions, Weight Loss and more there are many products to help you. These products are much less invasive then many prescribed treatments and will balance your system physically and mentally.

As like some of you I don’t necessarily like to talk about my conditions, but these nutrition products make a huge difference to my quality of life.

Please email me with comments or questions on DM or email me on the form below to see whether we can help you out or, other loved ones with any of their health concerns.

If you can think of anyone who you think can benefit from any of the listed information please feel free to forward this article to them.

http://www.thehealthsuccesssite.com/webber.html

About the Author:

Artist and Health Consultant representative.

Working as an artist for over 20 years. Have a love of the environment and politics, which don’t always go hand to hand.

Lateral thinker who likes a challenge.

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
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Artists and Depression

Author:
John Morris

For some people art is just something you put on your refrigerator doors. It is something you have to do for schoolwork, or to while your time away. In truth, there truly is something beneath the surface of art that will tantalize every student and teacher. And this is the truth behind art education.

Q. What Is An Education In The Arts?
A. Art Education is the means by which a student gains an understanding of form and design. An education in the arts is typically divided into three areas – the fine arts, such as music, drama, sculpture or painting, the general arts, programs such as education, criminology, etc, and design, such as graphic design, web design, or interior design.

Q. Why Arts?
A. Art has a great power to influence people. It also has a significant effect on the history of man. Art may seem like it is just something pretty, but under the hood it boasts of a pretty powerful engine. One that has shaped the world, and indeed your very life. You can’t go one day in the span of your life without being exposed to some form of artistic design, from the

A wise man once said that an education in the arts is the absolute best education one can have because it exposes you to the most general field of studies. Over time, you will know a little about everything. If you chose a more specialized field, you would gradually learn more and more about less and less. And I’d rather know a little about everything than everything about something, don’t you agree?

1. Express Yourself

Art is by far one of the most rewarding careers because, unlike a career in the sciences or a trade, it allows you to express your creativity. And no two days are the same. The power to captivate and inspire is also very rewarding. Hasn’t the Mona Lisa drawn its share of oohs and aahs? And hasn’t many a tear been shed at the beautiful works of art around the world? Man has always expressed his deepest thoughts and desires in a tangible form. This form is Art.

Industries need artists who have had a good education in Art. Creating labels, stickers, and advertisements for their products isn’t easy. These things require plenty of thought and design. Every detail has been considered to make its effect on the consumer optimal. Have you ever been interested in a product simply because of the packaging? This is art at work.

2. Art Is Everywhere

– Color
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– Television & Movies
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– Clothing

3. Who Should Study Art?

Almost everyone has gone to art class in grade school or high school. Even those who are not artists can benefit from an Art Education. They will come to appreciate the rich history and significance of Art.

4. I Want to Learn! How do I Sign Up?

Art education is not confined to undergrad studies. It also extends to tutors, art classes, vocational classes and other learning methods. Many schools exist that teach the history, principles and appreciation of Art. These schools carry the tradition of imparting to the next generation the significance of art.

5. The Rewards Of An Art Education

You may be tempted to think you will be able to wing it through a career without any formal training. That is possible, but not likely. Industries are on the lookout for those with professional education. Even with an education from a post-secondary institution, in this field, you never stop learning and keeping up with technology.

An Art Education is clearly important to artists and laymen alike. It may not be the path everyone takes, but it is the path that richly rewards those who take it. The riches here are not only of the material kind but that of a good education and a heightened appreciation of the world around you.

About the Author:

For more great arts education related articles and resources check out
http://www.greatartschools.com

Article Source:
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An Education In The Arts

Author:
John Burton

The English language is extremely rich, and provides the possibility of precise communication. Our language evolves rapidly, and while some new expressions emerge to describe modern life, many existing words have their common usage modified and corrupted. The term “Artist” provides a good example.

As a young boy, I dreamed of becoming an Artist, and that single word proficiently expressed my desire to paint and draw. Today I am a professional Artist, but have to qualify my title with an explanation.

My aging 1990 concise Oxford dictionary defines an ”
Artist
” firstly as a painter (of pictures).

The word immediately before Artist is ”
Artisan
“, meaning a skilled (manual) worker.

The word immediately after Artist is ”
Artiste
“, meaning a professional performer, especially a singer or dancer.

The terms Artisan and Artiste are rarely used today. Our language has evolved, and Artist”” has become a generic word applied to any person who expresses their self through any medium.

”

The connection between artists and painting has become so diluted that the word is increasingly used to denote “skilled” people in non-“arts” activities, such as “scam artist” (a person very adept at deceiving others), “con artist” (a person very adept at committing fraud), and “p*ss artist” (a person very adept at drinking alcohol).

There is nothing inherently wrong with using the word “Artist” as an all-purpose title, but it does not effectively describe whether you paint, sing, dance, have a manual skill, or are about to empty the drinks cabinet!

So why is it that our language has evolved along these lines? Why would an Artiste or Artisan prefer to use a title that less adequately describes their skill, and invokes ambiguity?

Maybe the change has come about through ignorance, and falling standards of education? Could it be that people think Artiste is the French pronunciation of Artist? Well it is, but Artiste is also an English word with a different meaning – or it was!

Perhaps the change of language is a form of spin doctoring? My dictionary offers a further definition of an Artist as “a person who works with the dedication and attributes of an artist”. It’s not a very good definition, since it effectively it says that an Artist is “someone who works with the dedication and attributes of some one who works with dedication and attributes” (which is a bit like defining sticky tape as – tape that is sticky)! However, if someone is a singing artiste but prefers to be described as an Artist, they are really saying they are more than a singer because they perform with “dedication and attributes”?

Re-defining the word is possibly just a reflection of changing perceptions, and a growing acceptance that art is the act of creation/expression? If we agree to the modern view, which applauds the act of creation rather than the end product, we all become Artists, because we all create something at sometime. This shift of focus from the Artist’s product, to the creative/expressive process severs the necessity for skill, and the title “Artist” is available for use without fear of derision.

I create Portraits for a living. My artwork is not about me expressing my inner self, or being imaginative, but producing a likeness, and working to a client’s specifications. Maybe that makes me an Artisan: a skilled manual worker, and not an Artist after all?

Portraits by John Burton

About the Author:

Portrait artist working mainly from clients’ own photographs.

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
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Am I an Artist or an Artisan?

Author:
Jo Mari Montesa

Of all the gifts God gave to man the finest is his free will. Second to life itself. It is the essence of man. It is what separates man from all the other creatures of God. By ones choice or action he is judged if he is worthy to be called the man created by God.

The child of free will is art. It is man’s self-expression. It is synonymous to freedom of expression. Every art is unique since every man is unique. How man perceives art is also unique as how man perceives beauty. As how man perceive life.

Art is like life. It all depends to the person’s perception. Truly beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. The gauge of how beautiful life is, depends uniquely to every man.

A professor of mine once walked in the streets of Manila during summer. It is very hot, humid and dusty. He noticed a very old beggar asking for coins to the passers while bathing to the heat of the sun all day. Beside the beggar was a newspaper stand. One tabloid headline reads ‘Young Matinee Idol Commits Suicide.” My professor stops for awhile and asks himself how could this young man kill himself when he has everything. Money, women, good looks, popularity, youthfulness, what more could he ask for. While this old beggar is still striving for a few coins. Why not just threw himself to the vehicles speeding in front of him. Like my professor, my conclusion too is that it’s all a matter of perception.

Like life the beauty of art depends solely to the individual. It is how man perceives art that makes it beautiful.

Those who believe that they found the beauty in life. Let as show that beauty to the world. Let as show our art.

About the Author:

Jose Mari Montesa or Jo Mari is a Visual Artist by talent. He has Masters Degree in Business Administration, Accountancy is his profession and currently working in a bank. But his heart really belongs to the Art world.

Since his boyhood he joined many art contests in different mediums. He has informal trainings in Painting, Technical Drawing and Photography. Also, a student and a believer of Humanities.

Jo Mari is also into Photography. He joined competitions both local and international. Some of his Photographic works are now in the hands of private collectors.

Right now the artist is concentrated in painting. Specifically Oil painting on canvas. He hopes that he will be known for this medium.

Most of his paintings are influenced by the rich culture and tradition in the Philippines. For example his series of Immaculate Concepcion oil paintings are inspired by the dark wood used in the icons of the Virgin Mary centuries ago when Spain brought Christianity to the Philippines. This type of wood are used to make the skin complexion of the Virgin similar to Asian or a Filipina.

Jo Mari have also done Landscapes, Still Life and Abstract paintings.

Jose Mari
–
http://www.artmajeur.com/jomari

This website has received the 2008 Artmajeur SILVER

Award

Article Source:
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An Artist’s Statement