Posts Tagged ‘marketing’

In Part 2, let me address the issue of the artists who insist that starving is the only way to be a “real” artist.

Let me clarify that by no means do I believe that all art is pure commodity; rather my argument here is geared toward those who dream of making a living with their art, but are holding themselves back through their limiting beliefs about money, selling, success, business, etc.

I’ve heard friends say, “Well, you know, I’m an artist, so I don’t buy into ‘The System’” or, “I haven’t even thought about how much money I could make with my art” or “Real artists don’t care about money.”

These statements leave me feeling sad and frustrated for all artists. In my pursuit of the Art of Coaching I have had to learn that in order to be perceived as valuable by potential clients, I need to deeply understand my own value. What I offer as a Coach is not so different from what many offer through their creative pursuits: I help people come to understand themselves better through my art; I challenge accepted norms in peoples’ lives and encourage them to open up to a different perspective.

If I believe that my art is somehow “above” monetary value, I only distance myself from the people I want to serve. If I do not come to deeply know the value of what I create then what, exactly, am I offering? And who will buy it? How could I possibly make a living from this mindset?

I posit that this type of thinking can be dangerous: it becomes an excuse for not making art. When we prevent ourselves from earning income with our art by refusing to attach a monetary value to it, the process of making art becomes more and more difficult. We end up not having the money to purchase supplies; we take on jobs working for others, thus limiting our time to make art. It can become a downward spiral where we simply reinforce the Myth – that we can’t make a living doing what we love. We end up not making our art, not contributing to the world in the ways we know we can. We remain frustrated and stuck, dreaming of a life we want, but believing we can never have it.

What would it take for you to value your contributions, skills and genius? What if you chose to put a number on that value so that you could make a living? How would it feel to tackle your relationship with money; empower yourself to learn more about what it takes to make a Creative Business work for you?

Don’t give in to the Myth of the Starving Artist and try to convince yourself that art is “superior” to actually making a living. If you’re not fully living (with all your basic needs met) then what becomes of your art?

I work with artists who choose to value themselves, who value their work and their contributions. I support artists who have a passion to make the world a better place through their art. Those artists who are courageous enough to choose to face their own demons, who learn to love and value themselves, those who step into abundance and birth their gifts into this world which so desperately needs them.

If you are an artist who is ready to prove wrong all the people who’ve said “that’s nice but it’s not a real job”, I want to work with you. I want to coach you to create the life you dream of. You deserve it. All artists deserve to become full on the abundance life has to offer them. All artists deserve to make a living doing what they love, what they do best.

I invite you to choose your reality, not the myth.

I’ve hired a wonderful Marketing Coach to help me market my coaching practice. Marketing is, of course, the process of building relationships with prospective clients and collaborators. Marketing to your current clients is a way to maintain and strengthen your relationships with them, as well.

So how do we market our Creative businesses in a way that is true to our Creative Selves? My biggest concern for the longest time was that I would be in the position of offering something that didn’t feel like “me”. I’d struggled with a feeling of rebellion against doing what all the business and marketing books/videos/blogs/teleseminars told me to do, just because they “said so.”

I was filled with questions and worry. How do I market my business from my authentic self? How do I stay true to my message that everyone is creative? How do I balance doing it “my way” with doing it “the right way”?

This morning, I remembered Jack Kornfield’s wisdom about the “Four Rules of Relationship” and thought about how it might apply to marketing my Creative Business:

Show Up. To me, this means to show up fully as myself. Don’t hide or diminish what you do in any way. Remember and celebrate all of your accomplishments and how they have positively influenced others. Be willing to be vulnerable. Share who you truly are.

Be Present. This one can be a challenge. Being present, to me, means being focused on what I am doing, what I am saying, how I am being in this moment. Marketing my business from this state of being present allows me to approach tasks from a calm and centered place, rather than a state of worry or anxiety, which is not the best way to attract others!

Speak Your Truth. Here’s where you get to express your true Creative Self. What is your Truth as it relates to your Creative Business? What is the message you wish to express to the world? Is it about beauty? Courage? Passion? Speak it – in your Marketing message, in your newsletter, on your business cards, website, promotional brochures, etc. Your Truth is a reflection of who you are and what you bring to the world.

Let Go Of Outcome. This is by far the toughest part. But it can also be the most rewarding. When we put our message out there to the world, when we share who we truly are, when we are vulnerable, passionate, caring and Creative, we connect and build relationship with the people who need us, our services and works, the most. By letting go, we free ourselves to be ourselves in our business and our lives. When we cling to outcome, worry about what others might think or how we’re going to pay the bills, we limit our capacity to build relationship. When we can let go, we open the door to others and keep it open, inviting them to come again and again, to view our work, to visit our seminars, to read our newsletters and blogs. When they are ready, the will choose us because we have kept that door open long enough and consistently enough for them to know, like and trust us. In this way, the clients and customers we desire the most will also be the ones who desire us and our work the most.

When I choose to market my business with these four basic rules of relationship in mind, my marketing “efforts” become “effortless.” I attract the clients I truly want to work with and who truly want to work with me. Marketing in this way is an opportunity for me to share all of who I am and my Truth with the world. Even for those who do not choose my services, I am providing a message which may inspire them. When I choose to be in this state of non-attachment, I can see that Marketing is truly just about expressing myself, who I am and what I hope to bring to the world, building relationships along the way.

That feels so much better than worrying about “getting it right”!

How will you choose to market your business with Heart?