Forgot password?
A creative blog by Brian Leighton on The Whole 9
View Brian Leighton’s Portfolio

Trimming the Fat

April 19, 2010
2 Comments (see all)

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.

Leave a comment
2 comments (see all)
RSS Feed

  1. chinue7756

    Thank you so much for sharing your insight of marketing your art. It was very interesting.

  2. lisa1linenlady

    In our home decor business, when clients are starting a project, I frequently ask them about their personal style. Are they looking for something traditional, contemporary, transitional or eclectic? Are they a “Less is More” kind of person, or do they prefer a “More is Not Enough” sort of approach?

    I totally get the “Less is More” idea, especially in our marketing. I have a mantra: KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid). With the avalanche of information we are forced to sift through daily, the truth is that the public has less than two seconds to react to your message when it comes to advertising. But my brain is a beehive of activity and initially I like to include all of my ideas (even the silly ones) and then distilling them down to their most essential and relevant components.

    In decorating there is also something to be said about the concept of layering: implementing variations of a theme and using our favorite objects in arrangements that are ever evolving. I like incorporating my relics from the past and my fabulous finds. I even include the discarded which I will frequently re-purpose into my garden or for a future art project. I have a big house for the present and I embrace my insane collections; and honestly, I’m not sure I trust people who don’t have “stuff.”

    I believe in having a joy of living and using that in everything I do. I think both approaches can be valid depending on your personal decorating style and the circumstances of the moment. You can go both ways. La Vita e` Bella!

Leave a Comment

You must be a member and be logged in to leave a comment. Click here to log in or join.