HOW TO OPEN STUDIO #24: The Value of Volunteering

Volunteer work for open studio tours is always a thing.

Back in New Hampshire, another artist and I founded Keene’s first open studio tour. (It didn’t last long, unfortunately, and ended only a year or two after we left for California.)

We kept it simple, we kept it affordable, and only a handful of us did all the heavy lifting.

It was a huge success, and I learned a lot in the process.

We called it KAT (Keene Art Tour) and set up a website. My colleague created a map, another artist designed the signs, someone created a flyer with that map and the artist listings, I handled publicity, and a couple other artists contributed work, too. (I accidentally deleted ALL my emails from the last two decades soon after I moved here, and I can’t remember or look up all the deets. OY vey!)

At our wrap-up meeting, a few people had complaints about what could be better. We asked them if they’d like to take over those areas, and they said yes. And unsurprisingly, they reneged on the following year. (No worries, our small crew still managed! The fewer people involved, the less drama.)

Here in Sonoma County, our tour is much, much larger (in number of artists and area), and more expensive. The cost is mostly due to the beautiful catalogs published, tens of thousands, which are not only delivered to galleries and other businesses that promote us, but also mailed to individuals who sign up for them. Although this makes the tours pricier, these catalogs/collector’s guides also hang around for a year, or even more. So for the price of a quarter-page ad in a newspaper (for a day) or magazine (for a month), we get a year-round ad that people hang on to. (I’m gonna brag a little here and show the cover I appeared on in 2021!)

That’s me in the corner! My big Bear Clan Shaman Necklace…

 

 

Both tours I’m in (Art at the Source and Art Trails Sonoma County) require either 10 hours of volunteer time or $200 payment to opt out.

Both tours have similar committees we can choose to volunteer for: Publicity, mentoring, catalog proofing, catalog distribution, art intake/pick-up (for exhibits), hospitality (for in-person meetings with food and refreshments), signs, envoys for local farmers’ markets, etc.

I’ve served on several different committees in both organizations, and chaired/co-chaired the mentoring committee for one.

I’ve become a steering committee-at-large member lately, because I love to jump in and help when it’s something I have expertise in. But instead of encouraging you to volunteer just because it’s the right thing to do, let me give you a peek behind the curtain.

Behind each committee volunteering are some pretty cool gifts!

Hospitality: This committee is where a lot of new members end up, because you don’t need much expertise here. I chose this committee for years, because it was easy, didn’t involve much travel (just to the center and back), and needed none of my expertise.  The hidden gift in this one? You get to take home the leftover food! A lot of people leave behind their appetizers, desserts, COOKIES, etc. And after the kick-off meetings and the event wrap-up meetings, we would divvie up the leftovers and take them home to very happy family members (and us!)

Catalog distribution: Yes, you get some destinations that are loooong and far away. But that chair recently shared that those drives often go through beautiful country here in California, hours of redwood forests, rivers, and ocean views. Think of it as work with benefits! (Thank you for the insight, Katie Kruzic!)

Publicity: I was interviewed for our Keene NH tour, and because I love talking about such things, it was exciting–and an honor!–to be featured on a live radio show!

Farmers’ Markets: Members attend farmers’ markets to hand out catalogs and talk about the tours.) A new member not only enjoyed talking with people about our tour, they also got to promote themselves. They brought samples of their work and bookmarked their listing in the catalogs they handed out. (Thank you, Madeline Behrans-Brigham!)

Mentoring: I love to write. And I love visiting people’s studios and working with new artists on how to set up their work, how to welcome visitors, how to look for problem areas in our space that people unconsciously avoid, etc. It’s one-on-one work, most people are very grateful for the insights and suggestions, and now my blog series, How to Open Studio, is a resource available to all artists on both tours. (And my subscriber numbers took a leap, too. YAY!!)

Catalog distribution: Most of our catalogs get distributed to art galleries even as far away as the East Bay/San Francisco area. A new member on that team was unsure about driving so far in such urban areas, and I offered to travel with them. That’s when I learned that we get to not just visit those galleries, the gallery owners/managers are kinda interested in OUR work. New opportunities for gallery representation we otherwise might never know about!

Exhibition: (This chair, who hangs the artwork for the Center’s preview exhibits, is also the person above. They sit on both steering committees and chairs the Board of Directors for Sebastopol Center for the Arts, the non-profit that hosts both tours.  (Thank you thank you thank you, Sally Baker!) First, we get to see ALL the artwork ahead of time. Second, Sally takes input/suggestions from the entire team. Third, she not only creates the perfect display of over well over a hundred artists, she makes the entire committee feel heard, and respected. I love watching such a wonderful, engaging, wise human at work. Am I surprised she taught art for over 30 years? I would have loved being her student!

Ad sales: One artist has handled the ad sales so vital to our program. They are also somewhat introverted. This task well for them, because businesses hate being contacted by phone.  She researches the business owners, communicates with them by email, and mails them media kits. This volunteer work suits her, and she’s been amazingly successful at getting the ads that fund our projects. Because they avoid the in-person stuff, I’ll wait til I have their permission to add their name. Update: She’s says it’s okay! So…Thank you, Jane Garibaldi!

Member-at-large: I’ve become one on one tour, and I love it! I simply volunteer whenever a committee leader needs something extra. One year, I accompanied one of the founders of one tour to deliver work to a satellite gallery. (These are galleries who partner with us to host preview exhibits in other cities.) I not only got the back story of how and why one event was created, I also got beautiful words of wisdom that I share with others. The most important: “I’ve been doing these shows for over 30 years. Some years I’m swamped with visitors and sales, and some years it’s totally dead. No rhyme or reason. It is what it is, there’s no ‘fixing it”.  And it doesn’t matter, I just keep doing the work and showing up.” (More thanks, Sally Baker!)(Very mature, and very helpful for newbies, who often quit if their first year isn’t successful.) Another year I had the perfect solution for restoring/repairing road signs for our event, and jumped in to help the sign committee.

I hope to hear from to hear from other people about the advantages of their committee service, but here’s the biggest one I can think of that affects them all:

We get to meet other artists!

The downside to open studio tours is, we artists don’t often get a chance to visit other artists, especially their studios. The committees I’ve served on, from hospitality to at-large, all result in me getting to know other artists first-hand. Friendships have formed. Insights and wisdom are shared. (Er…I also learn whom to avoid in the future….)

Now…if you’ve served on, or chaired, similar committees, please feel free to share what you learned, gained, enjoyed about your experience! I’d love to hear about it. And heck, maybe I’ll join that committee next year!

HOW TO OPEN STUDIO #23: Who Took My Signs?? And WHY???

I found this lost sign and delivered it to its rightful owner!

 

The series continues! Today I offer a few insights about the road signs provided by our local open studio tours.

If you have questions, you can contact the “signs” steering committee chair(s) for info about where/how/why to put signs. I’m no expert on this, and I rely on the map for sign placement for my studio from another longtime tour member. (Thank you, Serena Hazard!)

Short story/basic instructions:  Put signs near your studio with arrows pointing to the right place. Put signs at major intersections to guide people through. Use signs on major roads/highways for guidance and to announce our tours. (DO NOT put signs on city/county/state equipment such as telephone poles, highway signs, traffic lights, etc.) Coordinate with other artists in your area to keep directions simpler. And cluster signs (when you combine your studio numbers with other artists in your building or neighborhood) are powerful, too. You can use wire H-frames, wood stakes, rebar, etc. to hold signs.

With all the new ways we can navigate with our cell phones today, it may seem unnecessary to plant road signs out there. But they can really help if your studio is in a complex or area where roads, turns, and lots of buildings in one location (like mine!) can confuse people.

And when we place a few of our signs on major roads/highways/thoroughfares near our location, people “just passing by” find it appealing–and easy!–to take a turn and come visit us. (Again, see road rules above.

My setback this year was….someone took some of my signs. Ugh! ARGH!!

Long story short: I haven’t found two of them. But I found someone else’s lost signs and delivered them back to the artist.

And when I asked others about their experience with missing signs, I got lots of stories.

One person said one of their signs near a busy commercial property disappeared. They suspect a very popular taco truck owner may have taken it down. The truck has been there a long time, they take up a sizeable section of the parking lot, and they may have felt the sign competed with their own business. (Food vs. open studio?? Who knows. Why not…both?)

Sometimes neighbors take them down. Again, who knows why? Maybe they felt they were a detraction to their neighborhood, or too close to their house. I have thoughts, but they are negative ones and I’ll keep ’em to myself!) (Hint: Envy?)

Sometimes another artist takes them down, and reuses them for their location. (Not all artists, of course, and very rare. But there’s always someone who’d rather take yours than pay for their own.)

And another artist said there’s a person who ocasionally steals signs for no discernible reason.

Mine were on a highway, and sometimes those are taken down, though I was careful NOT to attach them to any stoplights, telephone poles, and other off-limits stuff.

My favorite suggestion I was told about mine? A homeless person might have taken them!

I had to think about that.  My studio is very close to a walking trail that has historically held huge homeless encampments. And I’m also close to the largest homeless shelter in Northern California, where clients have to leave during the day, and even people who aren’t sheltering there still camp/hang around near there.

Here’s why this suggestion actually opened my heart:

If someone needs protection from rain, and my sign keeps them dry, I’m okay with that. Still frustrating, of course, but I have sympathy.

The people at the shelter? They have CHOSEN to take assistance, counseling, resources, chosen to take those first steps to start being rehomed. They often resist because they want freedom, even with the scary, uncomfortable consequences of living on the street. For those who home at that shelter, I applaud their courage. And if my $8 sign keeps them dry, I’m okay with that.

And at our first kick-off meeting for another tour last night, I found something that helped even more:

My partner and I had put up a sign at a busy intersection to guide people to my studio. It was windy and the sign wobbled a lot. We did our best, but had to move on.

But when my husband went back to check on it, some kind person had added heavier wire stakes to it to stabilize it. WOW!!! And YAY!!!!

I was talking to another artist after the meeting, and after expressing frustration at losing two signs, I mentioned that the fact someone had taken the time to fix that sign lifted my heart.

And it turned out the person I was sharing this with was the person who fixed/restaked it! (Thank you, Katy Kruzic!)

So disappeared signs, and an act of kindness…

Guess which one I choose to hold in my heart?

 

Art at the Source Open Studio Tour starts this weekend!

OPEN STUDIO THIS WEEKEND! This new collection sold within a week at the Bodega Art Gallery! YES, again I’m a little late….oops. This weekend and next, Saturday and Sunday, June 3 & 4 and June 10 & 11, my studio will be open from 10 to 5. I have several new works in my latest “Migration” series: Fish, bears, and horses! I make all my little animal artifacts, and these are mounted of pieces of driftwood from the California coast, sanded, waxed, and buffed. Each one is one-of-a-kind! It’s a series I’ve dreamed of for years. And once again, I’ve learned that “thinking it out” doesn’t work, but trial-and-error does. Yay! This year I am the only artist in our complex at 33Arts, Bldg. 33, at 3840 Finley AVE (NOT the Finley Community Center), formerly known as “the Barracks”. Directions: Turn SOUTH at the intersection of Fulton RD/Wright RD on Hwy. 12 west of Santa Rosa. Turn EAST onto Finley AVE, go past Sam Jones Hall, and turn SOUTH into the gate(s) at 3840 Finley AVE. (The west gate may/may not be open, but the east gate is ALWAYS open. ) There will be signs. Not omens, GOOD signs! More pics below! And more to come….. And now for the ifs…. If you know someone who might enjoy this, pass it on! If you’d like to share it, please be sure to share my name and appropriate links. Thank you!!!! If someone sent you this newsletter and you found it helpful, sign up for more at my website (at the top of the home page): LuannUdell.com P.S. If you want to unsubscribe, click the link at the bottom of this email. PLEASE don’t report me as spam!! Thank you!! Luann Udell, artist/writer “Ancient stories retold in modern artifacts: Jewelry, sculpture, shrines, & fiber works inspired by ancient art.” Visit my studio! (ALWAYS open by appointment!) Studio: 33Arts 3840 Finley AVE (Bdg 33) Santa Rosa (NOT my snail mail address) (text only, or leave a message) 603-352-2270 (mail address: 621 Brown ST Santa Rosa CA 95404) LuannUdell@gmail.com LuannUdell.com Luann’s blog Luann on Facebook Luann on Instagram Professional advice: My past columns at Fine Art Views FISH! Running horses

WHOA! Art Garage Sale THIS SATURDAY!

All our leftovers, unused items, and other weird stuff!

 

I cannot believe I forgot to send this earlier.  OTOH, my daughter just informed me I have ADHD and boy is she right! (laughing emoji here…)

BEST GARAGE SALE EVER!

Because…

It’s an ART Garage Sale!

One of the largest groups of artists in Sonoma County is having their annual Art Garage Sale on Saturday, May 20, from 9am to 2pm.

Two art studio buildings, Studio Santa Rosa and 33Arts, at 3840 Finley AVE (formerly known as “the Barracks”), along with guest artists, will host this special event.

In addition to older works of art and “seconds” (not our best work, but maybe it’s ‘good enough’ for YOU), we sell off supplies, surplus, leftovers, etc.: Paints, canvases, picture frames, beads, fabric, rubberstamps, wood boxes, and even a vintage metal cabinet for…autopsy slides.

For details and information (especially if you’d like to join us!) contact 33Arts building manager Julian Billotte at julian33arts@gmail.com or call (415) 601-5323.

Heads-up: A few of us need to pack up and leave around 1 pm ‘ish’ because we have to be at the Art at the Source Preview Reception at Sebastopol Center for the Arts.  See ya there!

PRICING YOUR CREATIVE WORK: No Simple Answer Here!

 

PRICING YOUR CREATIVE WORK: No Simple Answer Here!

My artwork for this year’s Art at the Source open studio tour preview exhibit.

I often volunteer as a mentor in our two annual open studio tours here in Sonoma County. And when I mentor people who are new to selling their work, the most common question I get is, “How do I price my work?”

The answer? It’s complicated

And unfortunately, there is no single, simple answer.

If you Google this, you’ll get lots of advice (although most of it is for 2D work, e.g., price by the square inch, then add framing costs.)

Next, let’s get the basics to consider: Materials cost, labor time, and doubling/tripling to compensate for consignment or wholesale percentages subtracted from the price.

And of course, the also good advice that some artwork just can’t be consigned/wholesaled. The cost can get too high to attract many buyers.

Oddly, sometimes it will also work against us if the the price is too low. People may suspect there’s something off, wrong, amateurish, etc. unless they have the expertise to assume otherwise.

It’s also common wisdom to price lower as we start out. As more people buy our work, and our audience and reputation grow, we can raise the prices gradually over time.

Sometimes we’re told to look for artwork that aligns/resembles ours, and use the price points of those artists.

My advice?

All of the above.

And none of the above.

Wha…..??!!

When I first started selling my work, I charged $18 for a horse pin. People complained that it was too expensive. But I always sold some at stores and small local shows

Eventually I doubled the price. Same complaint.

But also same number of sales.

Now my most affordable horse necklace costs $125. And people still believe my prices are too high. But oddly, I haven’t raised the price for over 10 years. 

So I started low and went higher, and it was okay.  Same complaints, same results.

I started high and stayed high until it was technically lower after 10 years. Same complaints, same results.

As for me checking in with other artists doing similar work…well, there weren’t any at the time. And even now, in my media (I use several), the prices of other artists’ work still range from incredibly high and incredibly low.

Pricing by the square inch? Comparing our very recent entry to the art market to the work of artists who have worked for years to get where they are today? A little shaky. Those people have done the work, put in the time, the marketing, the shows, and cultivated the patrons over the years.

My only hard no? Do not offer discounts, and if you do, only to longtime patrons. (Your art gallery might do the same, but it should come from their slice of the money, not yours.) You can offer incentives instead. More on this in another post.

We also have the slightly embarrassing discovery that our work has been found at thrift shops and yard sales. I’ve had two people reach out to me who bought my work for $5 this way. And some of my items are even now on Etsy. (I didn’t put them there, someone else did.)

So our collectors age out, downsize, or die. And some or most of all their beloved collections (even our work!) end up in storage lockers, thrift shops, and flea markets.

Or maybe we’ll be famous after we die. (One can hope, right?)

The drawback here? We’ll never know! If you have not yet watched the Netflix comedy special “Nanette” by Hannah Gadsby, please give it a whirl. She breaks the standard opinion that Vincent Van Gogh’s multi-million dollar art sales means anything to Van Gogh. “He’s so famous!” Gadsby: “Yeah, but he didn’t die famous.” “But look how much his work sells for!” Gadsby: “He’s dead.”

Theo Van Gogh, VanGogh’s brother, had an art gallery, and always took  Van Gogh’s work. Only one painting was sold in Vincent’s lifetime.*

And my favorite Hannah Gadsby quote: “The reason Van Gogh is famous today is because he had a brother who loved him.”

And there’s the important word: Love

We do this work because it’s important to us.

We put in the time as we can. Some people wait decades, til they retire, before taking on their creative work. Some make room for it immediately, and for some (like me!) it takes awhile realize we simply have to make it, or we’ll end up an envious, resentful, unfulfilled human.

Believe it or not, some creatives get to a point where they realize all of these factors in art marketing, and embrace it. They want more of their work in the hands and homes of others, and making money is no longer a necessity. Their prices are more moderate, but the work is just as good.

So that’s my story about pricing.

You get to choose, you get to change, you get to cherish, and for sure you will eventually perish.

In the end, make your creative work for yourself.

Share it with others, in any form that works for you. You can change/adapt/reject any of these pricing strategies.

But always, always, keep up the good work. Your work. The work of your heart.

*Yes, Van Gogh was just starting to achieve recognition when he died/was murdered. But not in time for him to enjoy the rewards.

I’m finally on track with a project I’ve held in my heart for over a decade. These are the first steps, and I love them!

OLD ADVICE STILL GOLD: How to Navigate the Dark Part of Your Creative Cycle

OLD ADVICE STILL GOLD: How to Navigate the Dark Part of Your Creative Cycle

Recently, someone told me an old post of mine had brought them solace, joy, and encouragement. I can’t even figure out which one it is, from their description! I’ll check in with them soon. But I’m glad it helped.

And even more recently, my partner said he had the same experience, from my words. (Woot!)

He’s in a slump. He’s questioning his value in his beloved industry.

He’s been courageous his whole life about moving forward, starting over, believing he still has something to offer the world. (He does!) He loves to help people do better, and he’s an amazing teacher, too. He’s struggling with doing great work in dead-end jobs, where his unique skills are not appreciated. And now his latest dream project may be biting the dust soon, too.

It doesn’t help that the cold, rainy, dismal weather is back, too. (He’s half-Italian, and LOVES hot sunny days.)

Usually I try to keep my mouth shut. I do my best not to lecture or say “You’re wrong about that”. This time I just acknowledged that this is not his favorite weather, he is a constant force for good in the world, and most importantly, the creative cycle has a definite downside. Hello….CYCLE! (It goes around and around.)

And I shared a quote from an oldie-but-still-goodie source: Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way.

I can’t find my copy to get the exact words. (And so I just bought another copy from a thrift shop. Which means it will show up later today. Which is why I have so much stuff……)

The gist is, after we finish a huge project/dreamwork/goal, there’s exhilaration and joy.

There is also a natural let-down.

We may feel depleted. We may miss the process of experimentation, trying new techniques, collaboration, etc. We may be disappointed that our dream project didn’t actually “take off”. (Yet.) We may simply be exhausted from working late at night, every single day, for weeks, or months, or years. Or maybe we’ve hit a rough spot in life, one that forces us to step back from the very work that excites us.

What we must understand is, this is a normal part of the creative process…and life.

Cameron uses a river as a metaphor. Yes, we’ve been enthusiastically paddling our canoe down the river, but now we’re too drained to paddle. What should we do???

It’s okay, she says, to simply put down the paddle down. To lie back, and rest. To simply drift with the current…

Until we find our mojo again.

I love this because it helps me understand that even in our low points, our “lack of inspiration”, we are still making our way down the river.

We can be kind to ourselves. Let ourselves heal and recover. Let go of our expectations of fame/fortune/success, and simply enjoy the beautiful views along our life journey. Keep hope in our hearts that someday, someone somewhere, may be inspired by our creativity and creations…and let them know they can have hope for their creative work, too.

My partner is not into the woo-woo. TBH, I’m not, either. But I do find it helps when things get hard. (So, an agnostic approach to life.)

And this time, my partner saw that, too. He thanked me for listening, and helping him frame this seemingly hopeless, helpless stage as normal, and human.

Keep up the incredible, innovative, powerful work you do in the world, Jon!

I’ll stop right here, but I’m also gonna share some pics of my dream project for the last 15 years that is finally, finally coming to fruition. Enjoy!

Bear Migration

 

 

WHY WE ALL MATTER

Every year I make at least one Shaman Necklace, a large piece that rarely sells. But it reminds me to go big, and not to think small.

I’ve been struggling with blogging lately, and feeling like I didn’t have anything (good) to say.

But then I reminded myself (for the jillionth time) that writing helps me get clarity about what’s bringing me down, even if I can’t fix it yet.

And soon after, I got a beautiful message through my website, from a reader who shared how my words helped them get to a better place, too.

It might have been from an older post, but that’s the beauty of writing. Our thoughts and words can cross the path of someone who needs to read it, at any time.

Here’s an extended version of what I wrote back:

THANK YOU for letting me know that my words helped YOU get to a better place with your art!

I always write my way through the confused muddle in my brain when I hit a rough spot in the road. I always get to a better place, and I’m honored and delighted it helped you, too.

Re: You feeling you aren’t 100% there yet with the self-doubt and what matters about your work…. That’s okay. That’s normal. You did the deep digging, you got to a happier place, and that’s enough, for today.

Your misgivings and doubts will pop up again and again and again. And I hope you will always come across something–an article, a memory, a comment–that will get you back to your true self.

There’s a emotions guy I subscribe to, Nick Wignall (NickWignall.com)

I find his articles helpful, especially the ones about anxiety and questioning our worth in the world. Sometimes it’s just enough to tell our squeaky brain, “Thank you! I know you’re trying to help, and to keep me safe. But I got this, and you can take a little nap for now.”

I don’t know why that always makes me giggle, but it’s true! We might all be anxious critters. We worry we don’t matter, our work doesn’t matter, we’ll never get rich selling our work, etc. etc. But we DO matter, and the work we do matters. It helps us be better/do better, and if it helps one other person to do the same, we’ve ‘won’ !

See how what YOU wrote yesterday helped ME feel heard? YOU MATTER. QED!

Re: Art sales slowing down….Yes, times change, people’s lives change, the world is different than it was even 20 years ago. I wrote a series for on online/email newsletter for years, Fine Art Views, and the series that got THE MOST BLOW-BACK from readers was the one called “Why Millennials Don’t Buy Our Art”. (I totally spaced this, but I republished all these articles on my blog: https://luannudell.wordpress.com/?s=why+millennials+don%27t+buy+our+art) (For part of my research, I checked in with my daughter and she had lots to say about that!)

Newer generations are dealing with loss of job benefits, less income, smaller homes, etc. And older people have been denigrating younger people since ancient times. Here’s the first article when I Googled that just now:

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20171003-proof-that-people-have-always-complained-about-young-adults

I believe that part of this resentment comes from fear. In fact, the very fear we have about ourselves, and our art: That we don’t matter.

Every person on this planet matters. Every person has the potential, the option, to make their life meaningful in a jillion different ways. Even if they are damaged beyond repair, that can teach us something, or enlighten us when we see their true selves, if only to encourage us not to follow the same path they did.

I could write a looooooong post about all this. (Trust me, a lot of people let me know I write too much…!) Suffice to say, life is never a bed of roses, but we can choose to see the beauty even in dandelions.

And I also remind myself of two things that might explain the lack of sales:

1) There’s a heckuva lot more artists/creatives alive right now, more than at any other time in history/prehistory. But that also means we have the FREEDOM to be the creative we want to be in the world, no matter how large or small our audience is.

2) Somewhere, someone in the world loves our work. Maybe they can’t afford it, maybe their walls are full, etc. But when they let us know, that’s a gift, too.

Just like the person who wrote yesterday to let me know my words mattered.

That is the gift in doing what we love, no matter how “successful” (or “unsuccessful”) we are. Someone, somewhere, will feel better. And when we feel better, we can choose to do better.

P.S. Aaaaand right after I got that beautiful message, I got a typical scam email from that guy who wants to surprise his wife with the gift of one of my paintings.

I don’t paint.

P.P.S. If you ever have suspicions about an email, just Google the body of the letter to see if a thousand other people have received the same one.

Sorry not sorry, Winston Churchill, not fallin’ for this….

 

STORIES FROM THE FLEA MARKET: Angry Sellers Don’t Sell!

STORIES FROM THE FLEA MARKET: Angry Sellers Don’t Sell!!

Yep, I love thrift shops, antique stores, and flea market! Guess where all this came from?

 

For years, I’ve belonged to an online Facebook group for artists/craftspeople who do fairs. I won’t give the name, but it’s all about the mean/stupid/careless things vendors hear their (potential) customers say at those shows. And the sellers often share the scathing retorts they give back to those visitors.

The good part is, when our own customers say things about our work that can be triggering, it can help to know that EVERY creative gets sh** like this from time to time. Not just me. Not just you.

But ultimately, it’s not a group I check in with very often. It’s so toxic to hear the responses the vendors give, often derogatory, always full of anger, at best a joke at their (potential customer’s) expense. It always…always…brings me down.

A few days ago, I had the opposite experience. Or rather, I was (indirectly) on the receiving end of that.

I went to a large local flea market, one that may shut down permanently in a few weeks. I almost always find something that begs to go home with me. But this time, nothing really spoke to me. (This is so rare!)

Like most flea markets, most of the vendors were selling cheap imports, or kids’ toys, used clothing, the dregs of abandoned storage units they’d bought the contents of, etc. I did see some very cool rocks, and some beautiful crusty old bottles. But our studio buildings are having a garage sale in a few weeks, and I already have more of those than I’ll ever use. (BECAUSE I’VE BEEN PAWING THROUGH MY OWN STORAGE ROOM and I’m well-aware of how much stuff I already have…!!) (Plus I’d just gone to a bead-and-jewelry show the day before, and I had all the pretty beads I can handle this year.  Um….week.)

Then I saw a display that caught my eye. Hey! Maybe….?? I moved closer to get a better look.

But as I neared this vendor’s spot, they went on a loud and angry rant with their vendor neighbor about the “terrible” market visitors.

“They aren’t even SHOPPING, they’re just LOOKING!” (Aka “Looky-Lou’s”) “They don’t appreciate anything we have!” “They’re just looking for a real DIAMOND for $5!!” And more derisive, insulting rants and raves.

So what did I do?

I gave them a wide berarth, turned around and left. Moved on to another aisle.

First, I don’t want to engage with someone like that.

Second, even if I did, I would not buy anything. Even if it were something I liked, every time I looked at it, at home or in my studio, I would be reminded of their seething rage. And I do NOT want that energy in my home or my creative space.

Yeah, I get it. It’s hard when it feels like the world doesn’t appreciate the work of our heart. (Or the storage facility auction we bought that sh** at.)

I also have no interest in increasing the unnecessary anger in the world.

Even if our customers ARE actually rude/clueless/not your customer, there are better ways to manage that: HATERS GONNA HATE: You’re Not My Customer!

Here’s an older article I just found while looking for the right “tags” for this post that might help us all see how to actually work with visitors. And how to encourage them to become customers. MAKE ME BUY IT

And after I got home from the flea market, I did actually buy more beads online. (Please don’t tell my husband!)

Life lessons for today? Make what you love.

Do your best to put it in the path of others who will love it, too.

Don’t let difficult customers bring you down–just move them (gently) on.

And don’t become that angry vendor for your potential new audience.

Be a force for good, and kindness, in the world.

 

 

 

GUESS WHAT I FOUND TODAY? An Article I wrote for Handmade Business!

CLEANING THE (ARTISTIC) ATTIC

I’ve been purging my studio and attic the last few weeks. Partly because I have open studios coming up, and mostly because I couldn’t even move around in my workspace anymore. The reason we had to clear out the attic is because it was too full to stow anything else from my studio.

I found interesting parallels between sorting through house stuff and my art stuff. Come closer and I’ll tell you. But here, take this box up to the attic while you’re at it.

Taking stock of where we’ve been and where we’re going
We looked at all the stuff we’ve acquired over the years, deciding what to keep, what to throw away and what to move on to someone else.

Deciding what to do with each item involved deciphering what it meant to us. But the most important question was…

Who are we now?
Some things are reminders of who we were, what we did and where we went. Others are reminders of who we wanted to be, what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go.

Some reminders need to be kept. Photos of the big (and small) events in our lives. Letters to Santa Claus, letters from the tooth fairy. The stuff Grandpa made for our kids that they might want someday for their kids.

Some reminders can be let go. Those doors have closed. Let’s move on those bags of cute baby clothes.

I’m not going to learn to weave. I am not going to refinish any more furniture or re-cane another chair.  Give away the table loom and the broken rocker.

Then there was the decision whether to give stuff away or toss it. This is a good process to use with your art biz, too.

What to keep?
Anything you’re still using, of course. Or stuff you conceivably might use again, or would have to spend a lot of money to replace.

Maybe you’re not doing shows right now. Maybe you’re starting a family, or ending a marriage, or moving. In a few years, you might do shows again. Hold on to your booth until you’re sure.

What about the passion you had when you first started out? The excitement of starting your new art biz? The innocent optimism that things would work out, before you found out how hard it can get to make a go of this? Keep that, too. Yes, things get hard. Change and growth are hard. But they are still good things, all the same.

What to throw away?
Outdated catalogs, broken tools you thought you could fix, hand-me-down art supplies that don’t even fit the work you do now. Get rid of them. The cans of paint that you haven’t opened in…how long? Toss ’em!

Trash the regret of missed opportunities, the second-guessing and the self-doubt. All of these are part of the human condition. But don’t let them stop you from making more art any longer.

What to move on?
The supplies for a new product line that just never really worked out. The art material that just never gave you the effect you were looking for. The office chair you never sit in because it’s not really comfortable. The organizer that ended up holding stuff you never use anyway. Old design books that don’t have fresh ideas for you.

These are harder to let go of, because these things represented who you thought you might be. But that isn’t you now. Give them to someone who might find better use for them.

What to recycle?
Give back to your community. Teach someone else how to follow their dreams. Share what’s worked for you, and help someone else be successful. Inspire someone.

Pass on the good energy you get from being an artist. Here’s the best question of all:

What is my legacy?
What do I want to accomplish in my time left? What do I want to leave behind? What do I want to be remembered for or by?

Guess what? I don’t want to be known for being the artist with the most unused ear wires, or largest design books library, or the biggest collection of antique buttons.

I want to be known for the beautiful work I make; to make as much of it as I can before I go; and to be remembered for sharing what I’ve learned about being an artist along the way.

Er…anyone interested in five years’ worth of magazine back issues? ^HB

Luann Udell is a fiber, polymer and mixed-media artist. For more information on Luann and her work, visit her website and her blog.

If you’d like to read more about cleaning/clearing your creative space, check out this series on my blog: Cleaning the Attic (If the link stops working, you can search for “cleaning the attic” in the “search” box.)

LEARNING TO SEE #16: Solutions Require Testing

This wood pattern made me gasp, and also shined that little light at my feet.I love this series! (Learning to See) And yes, I reread my older articles often, because a) I forget that I wrote them, and b) I often have to relearn my life lessons. (Thank you for the fabulous quote, Melinda LB!)*

Today’s theme is a familiar one: Me trying to figure out every project production step in advance.

Guess what? That has never, ever worked for me. (Surpriiiiiiiiise…)

I’ve had a project in my heart for years. The theme is “migration”, and I want to use it for my horses, bears, oh, and fish. (Okay, I don’t think bears migrate, but maybe they used to…?) (And “migration” is a more beautiful name than “rambling around the continent in a bunch.” Shorter, too!)

Originally, I saw these as herds mounted on long, narrow planks of wood, even imagining them as museum installations that traveled around corners.

Now, I’m collecting driftwood from the California coast, and grapevine wood from vineyards. (Grape wood is actually kinda hard to find, because it’s the heart of the grapevines that produce wine. And the pieces you can buy for reptile pets are pretty pricey.)

I’ll drill holes for metal or wood rods to hold the critters, arranged to create a pleasing composition. (Which I know will drive me crazy: How many? How close to each other? How tall?? OMG WHAT AM I DOING???) But that’s down the road.

Because I was caught up in how to position the driftwood.

Both sides look good, but which side will be up? At first I thought, well, the flatter side, of course. But it turns out a) very few of my pieces even have a flat side, and b) both sides will work, and be stable.

And that’s where I got stuck. Again. (Or as we say in my family, “Uh-gain”, when my now-adult-but-then-toddler son back in the day requested me to sing the same song over and over and over and over while riding in the car.)

After delaying for a few more years, I finally decided to simply start cleaning, sanding and Briwax-ing the wood chunks.

And that’s when today’s “aha!” moment happened:

One piece that really baffled me (beautiful on both sides) gave great clarity, because the colored Briwax I use to color and wax wood, revealed a beautiful wood pattern I couldn’t see before.

And that side was obviously going to be the “up” side!

Once again, once I can get moving forward, with trail-and-error and wait-and-see, I find more insights and easier decisions to make, by simple starting.

I hope that if your personality is anything like mine–tending to ‘perfectionism’, holding back til the entire path ahead is clear, trying to solve problems in your head instead of simply experimenting–then I hope you find a little clarity and support here today.

Sometimes the project of our heart does need to be set aside, until we can do better, get clarity, hone our skills, figure out what went wrong. Sometimes, it can take years to understand our life journey more fully, to view our “bad” decisions now seen as fortuitous ones, our hardships teaching us powerful insights that can take a looooong time to get clear on.

And sometimes, we just need to start. As Anne Lamott said in her book, Bird by Bird, all we need is a little light shown at our feet, so we can take one step forward in life…

This wood pattern made me gasp, and also shined that little light at my feet.

And in the work of our heart.

*Melinda shared this with me when I shared how embarassed I get when I have to rediscover something I’ve already gotten clarity on: “I love my life lessons! I love them so much, I learn them over, and over, and over…”

ETERNAL STUDENT OF LIFE: My Next Lesson

 

 

Just being honest with myself here….A visitor came to an open studio event last year. After browsing my studio and engaging in conversation, they mentioned they had been mentoring an artist with autism. Their time was up, due to life stuff, and they suggested I would be a good ‘replacement’. I said okay, and forgot all about it.

Recently, the case manager for this person reached out to me. They said my visitor had recommended me, and asked me to meet up with them and their client. I was hesitant, but then thought, “Okay, what the heck? I’ll check it out.”

Then I proceeded to do my usual thing: I overthunk this to within an inch of my life, and wondered how to back out ASAP.

But I kept my word and met up with them. I’m glad I did!

This artist has amazing talent and skill, and love love loves to make things. I was blown away by their work, and realized there were many ways I could be of use to their journey.

But I still was unsure if I had the skills and experience to work with them. It kept me awake some nights. Okay, along with my worries about the next California mega-quake, what I would do if my partner died, and who would have to take care of my extremely well-packed studio if I died. (Yes, this happens every. Single. Night.)

On our third meet-up, my client shared some behaviors that are perfectly normal with their wiring, but I wasn’t sure I was handling it well.

The case manager is with us the entire time, though when they left the room for a short while, I was a little nervous. The case manager “reads” our client really well. But I can’t.

Again, I wondered why I’d gotten involved. And wondered if I were “doing it wrong”. And if so, if that would be detrimental to the client.

And so that evening, I fell back on my go-to strategy when I find myself in a dark tunnel:

I wrote in my blort notebook.

My blort book is where I dump everything that’s bothering me. I write about where I’m stuck, my frustration with myself, my frustration with others, my fears, my triggers, etc. (Yes, I’ve told my family that when I die, it’s okay to burn all the blort books.)

But here’s why maybe they shouldn’t be burned:

I always get myself to a better place through my writing. 

In some recent in-person chats, I’ve shared what I learned from teaching preschool for years before I finally walked away from full-time teaching back in the day.

I share insights I gained by exploring hospice, and working with clients with dementia. And creating a healing workshop for people who were in deep grieving mode. (We never really ‘get over’ our grief, of course. But sometimes people get really, really stuck, especially in what is called “complicated death”: Someone was murdered, someone who was supposed to love us actually made our lives miserable, caretaking for a loved one to the point of physical, mental, and spiritual exhaustion, etc.)

In all these situations, I had at least one person who was an excellent teacher, someone who gave me insights, support, explanations, encouragement. From the online friend who explained the destructive side of perfectionism. The hospice manager who loved to answer every single one of my “stupid questions” with patience and respect. The people who helped me create that grief writing class that was so powerful, it made me cry at the end.

And that’s when I realized this experience is going to be my next learning experience.

The case manager is kind, thoughtful, and very clear on what is needed to work with our client. They even sent me a sheet of guidelines for working with THIS CLIENT: Their habits, their process, etc. Their own intuition has been hugely helpful, and my goal is to try to get better at following in their footsteps.

I still worry, of course. That’s what me-in-the-dark/the-dark-in-me does: I question myself, over and over, I worry what I did wrong to contribute to a problematic friendship, I wonder if anything I do matters in the world.

But then I remember these teachers, these spiritual guides that have proven to be exactly the people I need at just the right moment. The people who can walk me back when I goof up (or explain how I didn’t goof up.)The people who help me stay the course, who help me find clarity, respect, and astonishment in what is possible.

So here I am, in my 70’s, still excited and worried about “school”, yet grateful I’ve been given another opportunity to learn better, so I can do better. Not to strive for “perfection”,  but to aim for compassion.

Oh. And boundaries. Setting them and acting on them. Still learning about that, too.

Wish me luck!

 

 

HOW TO OPEN STUDIO #22: How to Make a Layaway Plan More Easy

Layaway plans can be an incentive for people to buy our work. They may not have a chunk of money available, but a payment plan can really help.

The problem is, it can also mean a LOT of extra work on our end.

I purchased an expensive piece of artwork years ago, way more than I could afford. But the artist offered a layaway plan, and it worked.

Unfortunately, I learned first-hand about the downside. It was easy at first, but as the payments continued, I had doubts about my actions. The artist was extremely diligent, sending regular emails when my payments were due, with encouraging words about how I was “almost there!”, “on the home stretch”, etc. It was still annoying, as I felt embarrassed about having doubts, but it did help, a little. Without those slightly guilt-inducing emails, I probably would have bailed.

And I’ve had people bail halfway through a layaway plan, and had to refund their money. Even more embarrassing!

Then another artist shared their layaway plan with me, and it was a game-changer!

This was back in the day when we used credit card slips, and ran our sales through the processing machine at home. (No telephone service at the annual fair we exhibited at, and years before wifi!)

He asked them 1) How much did they want to put into each payment? 2) How often did they want to pay? Which led to 3) How many payments would that amount to? (Including tax on the first payment, and any shipping costs on the last payment.) ALL payments were non-refundable.

Then he asked them to write out the appropriate number of checks or credit card slips, with their perferred amount–and HE would keep the checks or slips in an envelope.

Over that time period, he deposited each check (or ran each credit card slip) on the buyer’s preferred date (e.g., the first of each month, every two weeks, etc.)

And when the final payment was processed, he would either ship the item, or they would pick it up.

Now, if things got hard, all they had to do was reach out and ask him to skip a month. Or if they were better off, they could tell him to deposit/process ALL the payments sooner.

No late payments. No refunds.

People loved it! And the hidden beauty of this arrangement?

Almost always, partway into the process of writing 6, or 10, or 15 checks/charge slips, the person would say, “Oh, gosh, I’ll just put it all on my credit card now and make my own payments!” (WOOT!!!)

I haven’t had anyone ask for layaway in years now, so I’m not sure how this would work with credit cards. It’s possible we could have a printed agreement template, with the blanks filled in as we agree on the timing, amount, etc. And it’s really important to add there are no refunds after the agreement is…um…agreed to. (Signed!)

It might be possible to do multiple payments through PayPal or Venmo, or even Square, once we have their credit card number and their signed approval for us to do repeat payments. I haven’t explored this yet, but it’s worth checking out.

So even just offering a layaway plan can help people get over the wall of how much they’re able to pay, without ever having to actually use this process. I don’t know of any stores that offer layaway anymore. It used to be a ‘thing’ and now it isn’t. (Except for cars and houses!)

But it can still be an incentive, and encourage people to consider completing that purchase. I have a sign letting people know I accept layaways, and I believe it’s helped to “lower the bar” for purchasing.

If you’ve had similar experience using today’s modern payment methods, let me know in the comments! I’ll add them into this article, and of course I will thank you and credit you with the insights.

 

 

THE ANGRY PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE

Horses were my symbol for courage, to pursue the work of my heart. Now maybe I need a fighter pilot to protect it….!

 

For some reason, I have had a lot of encounters with angry people in my life.

I used to think it was something I was doing wrong. I would try everything I could to “correct” the situation, apologize, explain, etc. And nothing ever worked, until I would finally go along until I could get away.

I realize now that’s a habit/strategy from my childhood that never worked. I had no idea how to set boundaries, stay safe, etc. (I’m getting better!)

My latest was an exchange with a former gallery manager who used to carry my work, until they had to shut down at the beginning at the pandemic. They sent me my final consignment check.

Which I set aside and forgot about, until two years later. (As in, last month.) It was a sizeable check, too, for me. Drat!!

The check was “stale”, of course, but I tried to reach out to see if they would still honor the payment with a new check. After many, many unanswered attempts, they finally wrote back.

And the resulting conversation(s) were so toxic, I couldn’t believe it.

Their first response was, “Sorry, you messed up, not me. So too bad.” I responded with, ‘okay’. I thought that was the end of it.

I then checked with a few other galleries I’ve been in/am in, and asked them what they would do if a consignee hadn’t cashed their check. I did NOT tell them I was the person who had to be notified.)

Every single one said they would reach out to the person, to make sure they’d gotten the check, to make sure they were okay, and to make sure they deposited the check.

I thought the story ended here. I didn’t hear back from this person….

Until weeks later, when they asked if I’d gotten their replacement check. Wha……??

Yes, they’d finally sent a check. Did I get it? No. Because rather than contact me, they found the address to my STUDIO on my website, and had mailed the check there. Where we can’t receive mail.

There was a terse bit of back-and-forth, and of course, more blame assigned to me. But they finally sent a second check to my home address, which I provided them. With the $30 stop-payment fee deducted. Okay….

But the card had quite the toxic message.

I had “messed up” by losing the check. (Yes, I know.)

I had “failed to provide a proper mailing address.” (Um….no. They never even told me they were sending a check, or I would have given them my home address. And they HAD my home address at some point, or I wouldn’t have gotten ANY of their consignment checks.)

They found an address on my website, but it was the wrong one. (Um…yeah. For the record, a LOT of artists who are women/women living alone/jewelers working with precious metals and gemstones, avoid giving out their home address, and yes, I have the backstories for that. My website has my STUDIO address.) (I have added my mailing address, though I still worry about visitors mistakingly coming to my HOME.)

So it was “my fault” the second check got lost, and so it was on me to pay the $30 stop-payment (for a new check I never was informed about.) Both the card and the check had a “FINAL SETTLEMENT” note on them. (Okay……)

In my research about this person, I contacted a few friends, and got confirmation this person’s ethics, processes, etc. were slightly off. It was a relief to know my suspicions were confirmed. No, this person was not playing fair….

Fortunately, I had a meet-up scheduled with a dear online friend of mine who mentors artists.  And I got clarity about what was really going on.

This artist friend and I both had a similar toxic encounter with someone similar years ago, and they came up in the conversation, too. My online friend’s insights helped me heal from that incredibly toxic encounter, they shared some of their more recent experiences, and they gave me more clarity about why/how we get caught up in these entanglements.

They said these people are someone with “The Dark Gift”:

The ability to see our tender places, and to use them to demean and destroy us.

“WE are the real thing!” they said. “And they attack us because they want what WE have. And when we don’t see our own value, we can’t see their envy. And so we tend to blame OURSELVES for their anger and agression.”

Wow. WOW. This explains soooooo much.

Another dear friend shared a similar insight years ago when I was struggling with another, very famous toxic entity. The person was so successful, and internationally-reknowned for their work. Why were they constantly trying to take me down??

This other friend shared a similar encounter they’d had, and then said, “When someone at that level tries to take you down, they have raised YOU to THEIR level.”

It was restorative, and combined with these new premises and insights, it was a (BIG) breath of fresh air. And comfort. And a huge “Aha!” moment.

Keep these words in your heart the next time someone blames you for issues they have created.

Constructive criticism can be helpful. Destructive criticism serves no purpose, except to that person with “the dark gift”.

It’s hard to recognize our value, especially at our most vulnerable, when certain people let us know they DON’T value us.

But then, those are exactly the people whose words and actions we shouldn’t take to heart. 

And now for the “if’s”….

If you know someone who might need this, pass it on!

If you’d like to share it, please be sure to share my name and appropriate links–THANK you!!

If someone sent you this newsletter and you found it helpful, sign up for more at my webiste LuannUdell.com

 

 

 

WHEN WHAT GOES WRONG ENDS UP RIGHT

I still love this bracelet. But I never ever want to make 200+ of them again. (Also, I still have tons of the beads I stocked up on, in case it got to 2,000.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even when we’re sure we’re doing it right, and it goes wrong, it can end up RIGHT.

Last month (oh! And last YEAR!) was a month of strangeness.

Our porch and backyard had accrued too much stuff (long boring story), and it was made clear we had to do something about it. I volunteered to find homes for the more-usable items.

I thought the easiest item to move on would be our big ol’ recliner.

We found it a few years ago, on a neighbor’s tree lawn, free. In great condition, and from their description, I thought it was real leather, from an upscale furniture store here in Santa Rosa. We were so excited!

But it turned out to be one of those swivel rocker-recliners. I’d just had knee surgery (my 6th!) and being swiveled when I tried to stand up juuuuust didn’t work for me. And it was big, too big for our small living room.

So we put it on our porch (protected) and it sat there for several years, until recent circumstances forced us to move some stuff on.

I put it on a “Buy Nothing” group on NextDoor, where people can post free items. No takers. Not one.

I put it directly on NextDoor. Many, many interested people, dozens. But when I picked someone, every single person bailed. One because it wasn’t real leather. (Okay…..) Several, who seemed really excited for it, said they’d pick it up at a specified time/date. They never showed.

So after two weeks, I took down the offer.

Next, I tried a group called Welcoming Home, who ask for donations of furniture and household goods for formerly-homeless people who are newly-homed. After many attempts, that finally fell through, too. “Too big”, “No need for one right now”, etc. “Oh, wait, yes, we want it oh no we don’t nevermind.”

Then I turned to Restore Marketplace, which sells all kinds of home goods in support of Habitat for Humanity. Same story. They could pick it up. They said they won’t pick items that are “up stairs”. (I told them our porch has THREE STEPS, and we would help if they really needed assistance.) Then they said they came by, but they couldn’t find it. (I had told them it was on our porch, in plain site.) You can see it from both streets. (We live on a corner.)

So now what???? Will no one rid me of this troublesome recliner????  (Apolgies to Henry II.)

And a few days later, my husband told me he actually now loves sitting on the porch in that recliner!

It’s sunnier. (Not in direct sunlight, just facing south).

It’s more private. ((We have neighbors who are not…evil…just hugely annoying. I removed the rant, let’s just leave it at “they are incredibly self-absorbed to the extent that even my extremely-tolerant-to-awful-people husband can no longer bear to talk with them.”)

So in the end, my partner is very very happy with a recliner that meets his needs and wants, that I spent ages trying to rehome.

I’m now glad I didn’t succeed!

I have several more similar stories this last month, but I won’t bore you with all the details.

Just sharing that sometimes….

Our biggest roadblocks, dead-ends, set-backs, turn out to be exactly what we needed.

Such as my struggle to find a teaching job in the 1980’s, during the recession, even going on a three-week road trip to visit Native American reservations who were the ONLY schools hiring. (Turns out they had so many applicants, they couldn’t even consider more.) I resorted to temping, working in kiddo daycare and being a substitute teacher for several years. And finally walking away, devastated, about giving up my dream job.

Only to realize 20 years later that I’ve always hate hate hated having to be someplace at the exact time and place, every day.

I would have made an awful elementary school teacher. Not even ‘summers off’ would have changed that.

(Similar story: This is also why I never want to be in Sundance catalog, either. I took on one mail-order client back in the recession of 2007-2009, and made several thousand dollars. But I had to make hundreds of the exact same jewelry item. I thought I would lose my mind. Never again!)

Now, to clarify…

When we are in the middle of this shit, it’s really really hard. There is no “gift”, no “blessing”, “so-and-so never gives us more than we can handle”, nada. Just the feeling that we aren’t good enough, we’re never gonna have what we want, and that life isn’t fair.

It can take a looooong time to realize that maybe our new journey is the one we were really meant for.

I now see so many people who set aside their creative desires to pursue a career that was kinda-sorta-ok and paid well, and only return to their creative work when they retire.

To be clear (again!), it’s great to find work that is “pretty good” and even better if we make room for our creative work. Even in small doses.

But totally postponing the yearnings of our creative hearts until we’re in our 60’s  or 70’s? Sad.

Though I never returned to “real work” after having kids, I did find my place in the world. It’s become my creation story. And I still tear up every single time I revisit it.

So yeah, sometimes we need grit, and endurance, and determination to achieve our creative dreams. And even then, we may never get there.

And sometimes, we just have to accept that we can’t change the past.

But we can hope there’s a chance to retell it, see it from a different perspective, in a way that lifts our heart and allays our sadness.

How to tell the difference?

I have no idea. Except, maybe, give it time.

And, if an angry bear is involved, it’s probably not gonna get better…..

My favorite snarky story about coping with difficult times.

HOW TO OPEN STUDIO #21: How to Build Your Mailing List

Email is still the best way to grow a loyal customer base. And…it’s free! (Usually….)

Back in the day before social media became a thing, the best way to let my peeps know about an event was….postcards!

It was a lot of work. First, designing (or paying someone to design) a postcard. Then having postcards printed. And then, buying postage stamps, and applying a postage stamp to each and every postcard. Also printing out the mailing labels, and applying them.

My mailing list grew to well over 1,200 people. (Many artists with a huge following have 5-10x that many.) Yes, postage wasn’t as high back then, but it was still quite an investment. (Today it costs 55 cents, so I would be spending $500 just to mail the darn things.)

Email is soooooo much easier, and a heckuva lot cheaper. (I use Fine Art Studios Online (www.FASO.com) for my website, which offers free emails, up to a limit, depending on what level of site you use.)

And we still need mailing lists for our open studio tours here in Sonoma County, so we can ensure our customers get a free catalog mailed to them.

If you’ve been doing shows, open studios, or other art events, then you probably already have a big list of contacts for email and snail mail.

But if you don’t…   If this is your first event, show, open studio….

How do you get started??

Here are some suggestions, and feel free to add your own in the comments!

Friends and family   Consider the people you already know, and ask them if they’d like to get emails from you. (NEVER sign someone up without their persmission. First, it’s kinda rude, and second, your emails can be reported as spam if they didn’t give you permission.)

For snail mail/catalogs, I don’t sign up many people, especially if they don’t live within driving distance of my studio/event. Yes, getting a catalog with ME in it might be appreciated. But catalogs are expensive to produce, and the cost of mailing tens of thousands can really run up the budget.

So I focus on who’s told me they’d like one, and who’s in our neck of the woods.

Casual acquaintences, social groups, etc.  Are there groups of people you are involved with? Clubs, sports, rallies, etc.? Organizations you volunteer for, events you attend regularly? Hey, ask them if they’d be interested in visiting for your open studio event! Keep it light, don’t twist arms, don’t take offense of people who are lukewarm. But it never hurts to ask, either.

Stores & services you use/patronize   Are you a loyal patron of a local business? Are you in galleries? Do you buy local for your supplies? Ask them if they’d like to here about your events, and if they’d like to get a catalog.

Use your social media connections   Post to your social media sites, letting people know they can go to your website and sign up for emails. And if some of these people are locals, ask if they’d like to get a catalog. (Have them either email you, and/or send you a PM with their address.)

Sign-up sheets in your studio   This is hands-down the best way to build your mail lists, both online and snail mail. Why?

Because if they came to your studio, it means they saw your work in that catalog, and they were interested enough to come and check out you and your work! And if they stay, and engage, and chat, BINGO! Pretty sure they’re gonna want to come back.

Most of my open studio events are under an organization that creates a sign-up sheet for us to print out and display in our space. It asks for their name, their address, and their email.

On mine, I let them know they will receive notices of classes (if and when things get back to “normal”, whatever that is anymore), my next event, etc. and if they also provide their snail mail addy, they’ll get a catalog next year!

Some people say, “Oh, I already get them!” But I told them I was new, and had to turn in x number of snail mail addresses. If they sign up, they’ll still only get ONE catalog, but I’ll get credit for having the minimum number of addresses.

The downside here is, it can be really hard to read people’s handwriting. Some people recommend asking them to TELL you their contact info, and YOU write it down. If this is too much/studio is too crowded/etc., then try to see if you can read their info before they leave.

Want to fine-tune this even more? Clint Watson, founder and creator of FASO.com, has written a slew of articles about email newsletters. Here’s his latest, at FineArtViews.com (a free FASO feature) about how to protect your (email) reputation and make sure your emails aren’t going to be tagged as ‘spam’:  Hit Inboxes Not Spam Folders With Your Newsletters.  (Click this link to sign up for FREE FineArtViews emails.)

Postcards and business cards  I still buy postcards, but I don’t mail them anymore. I need them for galleries and exhibitions, so people can follow up with me if they like my work. And I always carry business cards with me, so if I meet someone who expresses an interest in my work, I can give them one to follow up with me.

There are some great, affordable, design-your-own cards nowadays, including GotPrint.com, VistaPrint.com, PSPrint, and OvernightPrint.com if you’re running late. And again, back in the day, I would order enough postcards with one image, to get me through the year of events.

But my go-to favorite now is Moo.com. (Yes. I don’t know why they decided on “Moo”. Maybe I should ask….??) They aren’t the cheapest, though the more you buy, the better the price gets, and they have sales that make a big difference!

The reason is, I can order as many as 100 postcards, business cards, etc….

With 100 different images! (Or 25 images, 4 of each, or whatever….)

They even have a postcard template that allows you to put TWELVE images on one postcard!

I LOVE my MOO postcards!

And if you are sharing a site or building with other artists, you can easily create a postcard with an image of everyone’s work. (Sites that have multiple artists tend to draw a lot more people, because…artist saturation!)

If designing your own cards is too much, check in with other artists (or the organization managing your event) and ask for recommendations for a graphic designer. This can be very affordable, with wonderful results, too.

Remember, we all started from zero to get to where we are today. If this event is your first open studio, don’t fret too much about how many people even come to your studio, let alone sign up, or even buy anything. Trust me, I know how it feels! My work has always been an outlier, and it took time for people to “get it” (and me!)

Words of wisdom: It’s not who ‘comes by’, it’s who ‘comes back.’ And the more people come back, the more likely they will (eventually) make a purchase.

And even if they don’t, if they love our work, they will still come, and maybe even bring a friend (or three) who will also love our work, and maybe have a bigger budget, too.

Okay, I’m behind on like ten other things that are due tomorrow, so I’ll sign off for now. But I’ll double back as more thoughts and suggestions pop up.

And if you’re a pro at this already, please share your own insights and experience/suggestions/sources. I’d love to hear ’em!

FINDING MY WAY BACK HOME

 

 

Almost didn’t make this little fox necklace yesterday (“What’s the use?”) but then I thought, “Why not??”

I’ve been in a funk for awhile. Okay, haven’t we all? A lousy holiday market show, slow sales, a disturbing conversation with a gallery owner who used to carry my work, my studio is freezing,

I have two journals I use, one every single day and the other when I’m in a funk. The first is my daily schedule of appointments, deadlines, tasks, shopping lists, etc. Sometimes I add a few notes of a movie to watch, a book to read, or an adage/quote/insight that help me move forward.

The blort journal is where I dump my toxic, angry, sad, frustrating notes on my shitty day.

I even posted about these journals on Facebook a few days ago, where I admitted that I never write in beautiful/handmade/expensive journals, because I don’t want to mess them up. My mess of a life goes in those cheap college notebooks, or my favorite style of spiral-bound notebooks I get at TJ Maxx every time they go on sale. Hah!

So yesterday I blorted, then made a list of the things that happened that made me happy/grateful/curious/grounded.

Then, today, I read a book review in our local newspaper, called In Praise of Failure: Four Lessons in Humility by Costica Bradatan.

From a review:

Squarely challenging a culture obsessed with success, an acclaimed philosopher argues that failure is vital to a life well lived, curing us of arrogance and self-deception and engendering humility instead.

And this quote from the book knocked me over (in a good way!)

“Striving for success prevents us from dealing with our mortality and hence, from living a more meaningful life. Fear of failure can sap the meaning from our lives….”

Well, poo. That’s exactly why I’ve been sitting on my hands for a month (or two.) Why bother working on that age-old project in my heart? My work sells slowly, always has, and that’s never going to change. Oh yeah, I should do it because I want to do it, right? But my studio is already stuffed full of finished work, and whenever a gallery sends back my unsold work, it all just sits there, staring at me.

So that quote gave me a little lift, a bit of validation.

But then, I had to kill a little time today (watched pots never boil, etc.) and picked up a book I’d started to read years ago, The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Leonard Mlodinow. And three pages in, everything changed, again.

In three pages.

This book is about how random almost everything emotional, experiential, artistic is in life. In fact, almost everything that happens to us is random.

And how we tend to not see that, to believe that, if we do it right, if we get really good at what we do, if we even already have fame and fortune, our changes of more success, recognition, and money, are just waiting for us.

Nope.

It was an echo of one of my favorite life lessons, the Four Stages of Competency. (This link will take you to my articles about that.) My favorite was the time I took a pottery class, centered and threw a pot in my first try. (“Hey! I’m a natural at this!”) And failed miserably the next five weeks to even get a blog of clay centered on the wheel.

It was when I hit the lowest point of my creative life, and found my way through.

I turned the page, and there was my second ‘hit’. You know who really scores in life?

People who don’t give up.

The author reminds us that success in movies and books is much, much more random than we think. The Diary of Anne Frank was almost never published, because it was considered pretty boring, “…a dreary record of a typical family bickering, petty annoyances and adolescent emotions….” John Grisham’s first novel was rejected by 26 publishers. Dr. Suess’s first children’s book was rejected 27 times. J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter manuscript was rejected by 9 publishers. (There are even sadder stories, but you get the drift.)

Perseverence may not pay off, too. Not in our lifetime, anyway. But if Vincent Van Gogh had quit painting immediately, we wouldn’t have his work in the world today.

Which circles back to randomness vs. predictability, and that first quote about a meaningful life.

Short story: Life is soooooo random. We literally can’t guarantee we’ll make it through the day, let alone a long life, let alone a long life filled with joy, fame, wealth, and health.

But when we embrace today, this moment in time, we let that ‘real world’ into our heart.

When we make our work because it feels good to step back from the easel, the computer screen, the kiln, the sewing maching, and think, “Yeah, that’s COOL! I LOVE IT!” With nothing more really needed than to look forward to do more the next day.

Look, if I were giving YOU advice (that you didn’t ask for), I’d tell you to make room for the work of your heart in your life, no matter how little money you make from it. It restores us to our higher, best self, and helps us do the work that DOES earn us a living.

Me? I forget that all the time. And that’s what my blort book is for. When I’m struggling, if I make the time to write, and I make myself write, I will always…always…get to a better place, a place that helps me get back to my own heart-work.

And I’d tell you that we have to reset that concept, that approach, every day.

That success is not the absence of failure, but the product of fate + chance + hope, minus the expectation that everything will work out in our lifetime.

Not living in the past (because we can’t change it) nor living for the future (because we are really bad at predicting it), but embracing our life, deriving our own meaning from it.  And living our best life with what we have right here, right now.

Two (or three, or four) tiny little miracles that helped me tremendously.

I’ll shut up now. My thoughts are still bouncing around in my head, BUT… I’m already back to my happy place.

And I hope you find YOURS today, too!

 

ANOTHER HOLIDAY MARKET but with a difference!

 

 

I love love love these! Colorful, lightweight, unique, and upcycled.

 

 

I know, I know…Yet another holidary shopping event. This one is the Holiday Markett at Sebastopol Center for the Arts this Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 3 & 4, from 10-4. What’s different about this one? I’m having a sale! I’ll be there my upcycled jewelry: Vintage buttons and resistors, transformed into colorful earrings and necklaces, with antique and vintage trade beads. I’m discounting them about 40%-50%, so get ’em while you can! (Pic of resistor earrings below my signature stuff.) Oh, and my freshwater pearl jewelry, too! The weather is supposed to be lousy, but no worries if you can’t make it, especially if you live anywhere except Northern California…. …Because I will offer these for sale on my Etsy shop after the event! Hope to see you there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now for the ifs…. If you know someone who might enjoy this, pass it on! If you’d like to share it, please be sure to share my name and appropriate links. Thank you!!!! If someone sent you this newsletter and you found it helpful, sign up for more at my website (at the top of the home page): LuannUdell.com

button and resistor jewelry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

button and resistor jewelry

THE EYE OF THE STORM: VERMEER IN BOSNIA

This article was originally posted on my Radio Userland blog on Sunday, October 2, 2005. 

This summer, I created a special “artist’s table” for our local coffee house, Prime Roast. The owners, John and Judy Rogers (who also happen to be our good friends!) commissioned artists who were also regular customers to create “art coffee tables”. When the final table is completed, there will be a grand reception. I hope to post images of my table soon. (UPDATE: See all the images of my table at the end!) (Yeah, they’re out of order, so you could start from the bottom and work up…)

Last night, we had friends over for Bad Movie Night, a tradition where we find a terrible movie, invite friends over, have tacky (but yummy) snacks (jelly beans! caramel corn!), and talk and joke about the movie as we watch.

They had seen my table, and loved it! We got to talking about where I got the inspiration for it. (Bear with me, this is a meandering journey!)

Years ago, I read an article in THE NEW YORKER magazine by Lawrence Weschler. It was an excerpt from his book “Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet Of Wonder:  Pronged Ants, Horned Humans, Mice on Toast, and Other Marvels of Jurassic Technology“. You can read about this book here. 

The book is about an odd and intriguing “museum” called The Museum of Jurassic Technology. You can explore this unusual work of performance art here: 

http://www.mjt.org/

It’s a real building, with exhibits, in a strip mall in Culver City, CA. I hope to visit it someday. (UPDATE: We DID visit it a few years ago, and it’s even more fascinating than I imagined! If you go, go with an open mind, no judgement, and READ the exhibit information. Jon is pretty sure he saw Mr. Wilson while we were there!) It’s a fascinating mix of real and faux scientific exhibits, and inspired the “History of Coffee Part I” collage tabletop I made for John and Judy. (UPDATE: Judy told me a few years later that a customer came in regularly for weeks, sat at “my” table, and read every entry. Then they announced that everything on that table was false. I told Judy to tell them that almost 3/4 of the entries were TRUE!)

While searching for the link to send to people, I came across a second book by Mr. Weschler. Here is the Amazon entry for “Vermeer in Bosnia : Cultural Comedies and Political Tragedies“:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0679442707/

The first essay on the author’s musings about Johannes Vermeer (Girl with a Pearl Earring artist) and his world, juxtaposed against Weschler’s coverage of the War Crimes Tribunal judging the atrocities committed in Bosnia in the 1990’s.

Now, scroll down that Amazon page to the customer reviews, and read the review by G. Bestick of Dobbs Ferry, NY. (UPDATE: That review can’t be found anymore, and I’m so grateful I captured it here!)

This passage especially caught my heart. Weschler writes about a war crimes judge who retreats daily to a local art museum to restore his soul after gut-wrenching court sessions:

“Weschler shows us that Vermeer’s greatest achievement was to imagine a world of stillness and serenity at a time when all of Europe was being torn apart by national hatreds and religious persecution, and then to will that world into existence through his art. Those magnificent paintings are more than technical triumphs; they are triumphs of the human spirit. The distance between Vermeer and the murderers, rapists and torturers on trial is heartbreaking. Weschler makes us see Vermeer in a new light, and makes us feel in a new way the unique burdens of being human.”

Just a beautiful essay, one that speaks deeply to the artist in me today.

Art can be beautiful, but not always.

Art can inquire, and expose, and provoke. It can arouse us to look and think deeper on the world.

It can also offer respite and restoration, and peace.

It can ask, “What if?”

What a delightful journey Google and Amazon took me on today! I’m ordering the book now.

And now for the coffee table images!

CRAFT EMERGENCY RELIEF For the Rest of Us Part 3: “I’m Outta Ideas!”

Tolderance for a trial-and-error approach made allllll the difference in my new, smaller, shrine series!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last story from an article originally published in The Crafts Report (now known as Handmade Business) in July 2010. Backstory now included!

(Phone rings)

(Operator): “Craft 911, what is the nature of your craft emergency?”

(Caller #3): “I’m out of ideas!”

(Operater): “Can you give me more details?”

(Caller #3): “I’m in my studio and I’m wandering around. I just don’t have any good ideas for what to make. Is this fatal??”

(Operator): “Happens to everyone, ma’am. Tell me, do you have any upcoming shows? A big order for a gallery?”

(Caller #3): “Um…not really. Things are kinda slow this week.”

(Operator): “Uusally this kind of situation responds very well to deadlines. Are you sure there isn’t some kind of deadline coming up on your calendar? Something you’ve overlooked? Go look, I’ll wait.”

(Caller #3): “Let me check… Wait a minute, yes! There’s a special order here I forgot about! Okay, now what?”

(Operator): “Ma’am, I sugget you simply settle in to fill that special order. I’m sure you’ll be flooded with lots of new ideas once you get those craft hands of yours moving again.”

(Caller #3): “Wow! That’s great advice–thanks!”

(Operator): “It’s our job, ma’am. And next time this happens, try taking two days off from checking your email, then call me in the morning.”

I think this is a great idea whose time has come, don’t you?

And now for the backstory….

This was me! Er…this IS me, all the time.

It usually hits during a difficult time in my life, when I’m distracted. When sales are slow, when I’m feeling invisible in the world. “What’s the use?” “Who cares about my work? Obviously, NO ONE!!!” And other thoughts of no purpose and no use.

I’ve found not one, but TWO terrific solutions. The first, obviously, is a deadline. The minute I realize I HAVE to get something, anything ready for a show, a photo shoot, an article, etc., that’s when I’m swamped for ideas for…something else!

I either hold that thought/idea/vision until the deadline is met, or I start on it instead. (Some deadlines are flexible, self-imposed, or not as important as I thought.) This is the power of procrastination! When we don’t want to do a certain thing, we suddenly find the inspiration to do another thing instead. (Yep, I’ve written a slew of articles on this!)

OR I realize I’m trying to figure out that “thing” in my head before I start it. I think if I do all the thinking stuff ahead of time, I won’t hit any roadblocks.

Wait for it…..

Hahahahahahahahaha wheeeeee!!!!!!  (Oddly, I found this article today about getting things done,  while searching for….something else!)

At the beginning of the pandemic shutdowns, I finally realized that a project that had been in my heart for years, could only be accomplished by using…..yup, trial-and-error!…to figure stuff out. With all that time on my hands, I realized I had plenty of time to do that.

And it worked! I created enough new work to call it a new series.

Of course, as the pandemic measures eased, I’m back in my my “old normal”, and the dozens of small shrines I made are now works-in-progress. And without the deadlines of articles to be written for pay, it’s a lit-tul harder to make room for writing/publishing.

But then I remember how this helped me. And wondered if it might help someone else.

And hence, this article, with the addition of backstories.

I hope this gave you a giggle, and the realization that anything that’s holding YOU back, could be overcome with a little finagling, a deadline, and knowing it worked for me.

Now go to your creative space and make some stuff!

A VALUABLE ART MARKETING RESOURCE FOR YOU TODAY

Yep, like Dave, I’m allllll about the stories. Even sticks have a story!

One of the ‘free’ gifts I get with my FASO website (FineArtStudiosOnline.com) was the wisdom of art marketing expert extradinaire Dave Geada.

So much of the ‘expertise’ about marketing our creative work really gets my goat. “Branding”, “driving people to our website”, etc. are all cattle herding metaphors. I really wish there were more human-based conceptions available.

Oh, wait–there are!

Dave first rocked my socks off when he explained the value of a “creation story”. I’ve known mine for decades.

We’re all familiar with “hero stories”.But I didn’t realize mine was a CREATION story until I heard him share his.

After a near-death experience with a health issue, he realized that his place in the world wasn’t about becoming rich, or famous. It was about being a force for good in the world. And helping other creatives grow their audience (and buyers!) became his mission in life.

Dave gives funny, inclusive, heart-felt videos sharing his insights and suggestions. I always get something from them, too!

He’s now created a library of these podcasts and videos, with a reasonable $9.99 (okay, $10) a month plan, or $99/year, and a free 14-day trial period so you can decide if this is for you or not.

My only issue is, I don’t do podcasts or recordings of people talking. I WANT to. But I can’t do my creative work, read, or drive while listening to people talking. It’s just a ‘thing’ that doesn’t mesh with my brain.

So when Dave’s latest email hit my inbox, I let him know: I love his take on marketing, I love his insights, I love his sense of humor.

Would he ever consider providing transcripts with these? (I could easily make time for this, I could read them faster, and I wouldn’t be distracted by trying to take notes while he’s talking.)

And he said yes! Hurray!!!

Now, you don’t have to have a website with FASO to access these videos/transcripts, though you can sign up for a basic plan for $12/month. (Includes free email app, see-your-art-in-a-room options, sell from your website, etc.) Anyone can have access!

So check Dave’s work and see if it speaks to YOU.

(This recommendation is based on my personal experience with Dave’s skills, and I receive NO commission or rewards of any kind from this.)