Bare Witness

Have you seen “Hoarders” yet? It’s a TV show about people who save everything. Scary, to say the least, and after watching it I’m proud to call myself a “Spartan.” I get rid of just about everything. I follow the rule “If I don’t need it, use it, or love it, it goes.”

This minimalist approach spills over into my art, where simplicity and beauty are my two main goals no matter the subject. And in the newest phase of marketing my work, I realize I’ve trimmed the fat as well.

I remember when I would do mailings 3 or 4 times a year. New work required new promo pieces, then labels, stamps, and ultimately the line at the post office (not to mention the cost). I remember one intern who put the stamps OVER my phone number on the postcards (clearly hungover at work). It contributed to my need to be on top of every detail of the most tedious of tasks, the fat of the process.

With the evolution of technology, it’s become writing a captivating email, attaching the best new image, and hitting send to my list of collectors, clients and contacts. Streamlining even more over the past year, I created a fan page on Facebook, which in addition to my personal page, are the daily opportunities to reach out and touch, sharing the image shadowing my mind when I wake up that day. Accompanied by one line of description about the image; subject matter, how many are left in the edition, or promoting the designer who bought it for their client, lead to new opportunities for my work.

Over the weekend, a collector bought a piece they admired from a show several years ago after getting reacquainted with it in a posting on FB a few weeks ago (I had noted it was the last of the edition of 5). The fan page has brought sales of books and inquires about studio visits from those who don’t live nearby and want the opportunity to see work in person that they may have missed at past exhibitions. Best of all, it’s a regular reminder to them, with a click of the mouse, that I can mark a moment in people’s lives by making them the subject of art. Apparently we’re coming into nude season as indicated by the inquiries this past week, not to mention the weather. Stay tuned.

A streamlined approach to life, art, and now marketing. Less is more.

What kind of added incentive do you come up with to get clients to buy more art? In an economy where luxury goods aren’t exactly what people are spending money on, what can you do without devaluing what you’ve created, a commodity previous collectors have already invested in?

For my clients who are turning 30, 40, or 50 (the new 30), becoming pregnant, getting married, and celebrating anniversaries, I’m including an 11 x 14 print with the cost of their shoot. A little something extra for those who are rewarding themselves, becoming the subject of art. What started out as a Valentine’s promotion lives on, for now, since it’s helped a few more sign on.

With the tedious activities I’ve procrastinated on of late; emailing a new list of architects and interior designers with samples of work to be used in their projects (each one needs to be tailored to them), getting organized for tax time (ugh), and of course cleaning up the studio (sounds fun, right?), I did find a whole batch of my posters (sent to me by the publisher a while back) which are available through many outlets online. Maybe signed posters will be the next “special”…adding value to something already available and affordable.

It’s always a hustle when you’re a creative, and after all, photography has a lot to do with problem solving. This time instead of adjusting a light and telling my subject “put your shoulders back” or “stick your butt out a little” to make them even more beautiful, it’s figuring out the business of it.

This is still one of my favorites, I call it “Constructing Ricky.”

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday marked the milestone of my first “no show” for a commission. Cold feet, sick in the hospital, or just pain rude. No call, no email, though I’d sent her a reminder/confirmation email the day before and left her a voice message 20 minutes after her call time.

Okay, I can accept that there are some incredibly rude people out there who would blatantly disrespect someone’s time, though I was surprised by the repercussions of the incident on the rest of my day. I couldn’t get past my own negligence in not getting a deposit from someone booking my time from a distance who I hadn’t previously met (south jersey…maybe it was “snooki”). Then the ball started to unravel and by the end of the day it was, “Why did I choose the tough road of an artist when hedge funds would’ve been a quicker path to more money?”

The answer came with todays shoot; a couple married for 15 years, keeping it fresh. I think it was the first time a husband came to somewhat direct the shoot, offering up his ideas and suggestions for what shots he wanted in the end. He brought special music for his wife, a prop or two (note the heels), and a lot of support. I still had total freedom to capture my take on his vision, ending in a perfect collaboration and sexy shots. New inspiration and new creativity. I realized I don’t feel alive unless I’m creating, and I once again feel lucky to be on my journey.

I’m often asked, “How do you stay motivated as an artist working alone?”

I keep going. I remind myself that as long as I’m moving forward it doesn’t matter how big the steps are. Persistence is half the game and the accolades for creativity outweigh any payday on Wall Street. I’m proud to say I’m an artist.

And I realized it’s a waste to let someone so selfish ruin your whole day.