Power of Telling Stories

Today I've decided to revisit "Telling Your Artistic Story"

Telling your artistic story

In my work at ArtISability I often ask people what their end goal is. Some people just want to have a dabble with paint and others tell me they're interested in selling their artwork.  Some of the artists I work with at ArtISability, will be eligible for support under the NDIS to run their artistic practise, for these artists they will need to communication their story well to ensure they will be supported by the NDIA to achieve their goals.

The rules for setting goals are:-

• Must be clear to everyone (I want to sell my work), is clear.
• Must be measurable (when you sell your work you have achieved your goal)
• Support required must be reasonable and necessary. (I think being an artist is reasonable).
• Must be cost effective, the NDIA is not going to pay for your set-up cost, art supplies, gallery hirer, website development, marketing fees. These are all costs that we as professional artists need to budget for.  The NDIA will pay for necessary costs of getting to work, support to produce art and assistance to get it to its sale point.
• Planning - How will you fun your set-up costs. Take an inventory, know the resources you are starting with and find out the cost of getting your work to the point of sale.

So who besides the NDIA needs to hear your story?

I like to say everyone, the more you share your story, the easier it will become.  "Word of mouth" is still your most economical and powerful marketing tool. There are lots of other ways to market your work, such as social media, like facebook or giving out flyers like the one above.

However as a professional artist their are very formal ways you will need to tell your story.  When you approach a art gallery, they will want to here your story and see samples of your work.  These are know as Artist Bios, CVs or Artists Statements and a portfolio of your artwork.

My artwork hanging in a gallery

So the first 'tool' in telling your story is to keep a record of your artwork through photographs. Keeping photos of your art on your mobile phone is a great 'tool' to use when talk to people you meet in the street. So here's my first golden rule in sharing your story with others.

Golden Rule # 1 - Don't ask people in the street if the want to buy your artwork.

Random people you meet in the street or at the bus stop are not the sales point for a profession artists.  Professional artists sell there work through art competitions, galleries, gallery shops or sometimes online. If people are really interest in your work they will ask or you could give them your business card.  A business card could be a miniature version of your story.

It has your name

(I have a postbox, I do not give out my home address)

Contact details:  Email / or phone

Your online presence (facebook, twitter, website)

I also have a online shop (this is a point of sale and one way to start putting your name out there.

I also think using you own artwork on your business card is a good way to spread your story.

So as you can see there are some small items you start to need to pay for in order to sell your work.

I recently bought some business card 500 for $60. While producing your artwork you're also be buying art supplies and to sell your artwork you also need to think about the cost of framing you work.

Some you might need to borrow some money, apply for a grant or find a sponsor, online crowdfunding is a new way artists are funding the art projects.  Again you will need to tell your story in a more formal way.

Sharing Your Journey

One of the reason you might share your story or journey with friends, neighbours, people in your youth group or work, is to build a bit of a support group or network around you.  These are the people you need to become your personal cheer squad. While some of these people might buy your work, what your want to do is as these people to invest in you journey and travel with you.

Golden rule # 2 - Don't ask people to buy your work straight-up

Sharing your journey requires some form of emotional connection. So the first ingredient you want to share with them is 'your passion'. Before asking others to believe in you, you need to show them - you're real deal.  You're in this gig for the long haul and your willing to invest you time and money into delivering your artwork to the gallery.

From this 'network' of people you may like to as for references, testimonials or a graduator in case you skip town. If you find you need to raise some cash through fundraising these are the people who might help, especially if you a passionate body of energy.  If you 've be pestering them for sales that may not work.

If your an artists you might have other artist in your network so if your wanting to enlist their support it's not going to go down to well if you haven't been promoting their events and attending their openings.  You need to be actively support them.  Offering to take the exhibition flyers to coffee shops.  Physically I find it hard to get to openings on a Friday night.  If its an artist that has assist me or I am wanting to encourage, I might push myself.

You can bet I am sharing all artist events on facebook.  To be a community we need to be linking with each other and providing support. I have posted on that before.  The more you are supporting others and sharing you growth journey as an artist, the more likely others will be spreading the word.

As you approach you first solo opening night, hopefully you might have local community support to really behind you to put on a spread, or you might ask a local business to support you.

Your opening night is another opportunity to share your journey and passion.  Those attending are going to want to hear the created process behind putting your show together

Golden rule # 3 - Thank the people who have helped you in your journey.  Public acknowledgment helps them know you appreciate them.

In summary

• Telling you story is about inviting people to come on a journey.
• It's a invitation to your cheer squad
• It require you to invest in them.
• It's only about sales at the actual point of sale

Read my story

The Art Of Telling Stories

One of the things I gleaned on my was, the art of telling our stories.  Tell our stories is important for a few things.

1.    To build of audience

2.    Building a support base as you build your practise

3.    Asking people to invest in us and our work.

One my clichés at present is, opportunities don't this happen, we create them. There's plenty of people out their competiting for our time and money.  Art collectors and art lovers want to buy more than a piece of art, they also want to buy a story. Either the story of the artists or the story the art is telling to the audience.

Your investors on the other hand want a return on their investment. An investment may be made in time, in cash or inkind use of property or service. All investments regardless of their dollar amount a of equal value. Unless you can 100% fund your art projects they are not viable.  We need all investors and we need to ensure we make them feel valued.

 Kylie Stevens is another Ipswich Artists, she has  invested in my career in a number of ways. The most challenging me into booking a gallery, before I even believe in myself. 'Come on I write you in now . . . How about . . . May?

Kylie works at the local art store always ready to advise on my supply needs.  When you going to bring some of your work in. . . Turned out Kylie was a Debbie fan, and she was the first person to invest in my work.  No sale pitch, no I want to sell my work. 

In fact it was a few months later I found out she was my buyer, Kylie was investing in the story I had and my work in the local art community. We now have a working relationship and support each other.  What investors want is 'a relationship' or partnerships. You may find a few random people making one-off donations, but more and more people and business are wanting a return on their time and money.

For some that's an opportunity to become involve in your work, for others it's a memento of the project.  Each of us, has a 'social currency', it is our job to find out what our investors want.

Just as I have used the story to illustrate how to engage with your investors telling your story will enable you to create interest, build your audience and attract investment.  By tell your story you are creating your own opportunities.

Who should you share your story with? Every person you meet is an opportunity to share your story. Meeting people at the bus stop or the train.  And what do you do for a living. . . "Well I work at Woolworths so I can eat and pay the rent, but I am a professional textile artist."  Use a sentence that creates an opportunity for further conversation.

Share your story in a chance meeting is not about sales, but building up you confidence, preparing to share it with differ audience and maybe at you next fundraising event. I like to think everything is preparing me for the next step in my journey. If people are really interested you should have photos of your artwork on your phone, when you pull out you phone share how you created the work.  Here is the perfect opportunity to show your passion.

It is your passion that will attract your investors.  Investors do want to invest in people just looking for the 10 minutes of fame or quick cash.  They are looking to be involved in a long term journey, there wanted a return, how can you help them. This is also known as 'social currency'. Like my friend Kylie, investing in my journey has meant my wiliness to support her jigs.

If the person likes you artwork then they might ask if you sell you art work and where, this in when you know the person either is potentially interested in buying your artwork or at least wanting to come on a journey with you.  Sometimes sharing your story will need to be more formal or even written down and documented. For example if you wanted to apply for arts funding for a project.  You also will need people to say, hep that's what you've been work on and you do a pretty top job at it.

The other place where you can share your story is on Social Media. Social Media includes, Facebook, Google Hangout, Twitter, Blogger, Instegram, Utube, and much more. When you share your story online, unless your uploading a video to utube, people will not here the passion in your voice and you also have a very limited space to give your message. Twitter is a voice that potentially gives you a large reach, the catch is you need to be able to tell your story in 125 characters.

doodler seeks attention this Friday @ 6pm drawing point gallery

You can twit more of your followers can ask for more information. So starting to be more deliberate about the way you share your story today!

More tips on how to fund you art projects and opportunities are posted on our facebook page regularly.