This month I want to focus on the importance of building a team to help you with your art career or art business.
I think that as an artist it is really easy to get into the independent “I’m going to do it all by myself” mindset - because
for most of us that’s how we’re wired. Yet nobody can really claim to have done anything worthwhile all by him or
herself. Yes, great achievement requires a lot of determination, self sacrifice, and perseverance in spite of failures.
As Michelangelo put it so aptly, “Genius is eternal patience.”
But in reality when we look back at all of our accomplishments with unbiased hindsight we can see that many
people helped us along the way. In fact, moments of great success for one individual are often built on the
cumulative efforts of many. Take a college degree for example. First of all you were able to get into college in the first
place because people took the time to effectively educate you and instill in you the value of attaining a degree. You
made it through tough exams by studying books written by others and finding study partners and groups to help you
with the details. And most of us got financial aid in the form of a loan from either family or the government. Yet a lot of
us graduate with the “I did it all by myself mentality.” We really didn’t. We all need help whether or not we realize it.
In just the same way it’s important to realize that you need a team of people to help you be a successful artist. I
imagine that if you’re an artist you may be very good at the following:
- Thinking of innovative ideas
- Seeing the long term possibilities for various ideas
- Working alone for extended periods of time
- Remaining focused on a specific task without distraction
These are great qualities that can really benefit you in many situations, including the business side of your art
career. You can probably create fantastic marketing materials, think of creative ways to sell your work, and sit down
and create original art with little difficulty.
On the other hand, you may struggle with the following:
- Implementing daily steps required to get to your long term vision
- Making decisions based purely on logic, numbers, and reality
- Focusing on one idea or vision for an extended period of time
- Performing routine/mundane tasks that are required for maintaining a profitable business
- Getting out and making sales, networking, and promoting yourself
Obviously these are generalizations and will not be true for everyone. I’m just using some examples to illustrate my
point. And the main point is you can’t be everything. Nobody is superman. We all need help with the things we aren’t
naturally wired to do.
Note that this is a completely different approach than ignoring the fact that you’re just not especially good at some
things. And the great thing is, once you realize you’re weak in a certain area, you can fix the problem. If you ignore it
then it will never go away, and you will not move past the same roadblocks you hit over and over again.
So, how to overcome your weaknesses? There are two basic solutions. First of all make it a point to improve on the
things you know you are not so good at. Take a bookkeeping class, learn how to set up a business entity, get up
earlier every morning even if you find it hard. I think a lot of times we don’t like doing things because we don’t
understand them. I used to hate bookkeeping. The first year in business I left everything until the week before taxes
were due and then crammed it all together last minute. It was a nightmare, and although I got it done, I swore I
would never do it again. I took a course on using Quickbooks, hired an accountant for a couple of training sessions,
and then started doing my accounting at the end of every week. Now I really enjoy it. Honestly. It’s amazing how
much I can learn about my business by just doing this simple task. Plus taxes are a breeze at the end of the year.
Secondly, our Creator wisely made us all unique, with various strengths and weaknesses. I’m no philosopher, but I
think this is because we’re all supposed to work together for the greater good rather than selfishly pursuing our own
interests all the time. There are people who know more about and enjoy more the tasks and aspects of your career
which you struggle with. Seek them out and ask their help and advice. You’ll be amazed how willing people are to
help you. This is how to begin building a team. Maybe mom is a great organizer and is feeling bored after retirement.
Give her a job managing your sales or structuring your price lists. Maybe your husband is a successful business
owner. Ask him for day to day steps you can take to help you implement the vision for your career. Don’t be afraid to
receive some “tough love” from trusted and honest friends. And of course, be willing to pay for expert services once
in a while. Having an attorney craft your licensing agreement is much smarter than simply signing the one the
publisher gave you. Stuff like that pays for itself in the long run.
I like to think of Steve Jobs of Apple as a current day example. He obviously is a highly creative and innovative
thinker. He’s an idea guy. But if he didn’t have the other folks around him for support then he simply could not
implement his great ideas. Henry Ford was similar, a visionary - but with a great team.
We all need a professional support network, and I think a great way to begin building it is to let everybody know what
your vision is and where you’re trying to get to. People will then look for opportunities to support you and open doors
for you that they may never even have thought relevant to you. It will help you build momentum, overcome obstacles,
and know that you have people to fall back on when you need emotional support or advice. I know that in my own
business it has been invaluable having a monthly meeting with my own business mentor. He keeps me honest
about numbers, accountable to goals I’ve set, and is a great reality check for my many ideas. I believe you will find
the same value when you find the right people to work with and support you.
Let me know how it goes, or if I can help you out…you know I always like hearing from you guys!
Thanks for reading!
Chris Kennedy is the owner of PrintThatImage.com, a specialty fine art printing company located in Fort Lauderdale,
FL. Chris works with fine artists, galleries, and art publishers to develop custom archival print editions and giclee
prints that match their business needs. He also designs and publishes artwork for kids and nurseries at
HappyLittleWorld.com, and is a fine artist specializing in contemporary landscapes in oil. His original artwork can be
viewed at ChrisKennedyFineArt.com.
He can be reached at 954-353-1095 or by email at chris@PrintThatImage.com.
This Article Copyright © 2011 Chris Kennedy, All Rights Reserved.
I think that as an artist it is really easy to get into the independent “I’m going to do it all by myself” mindset - because
for most of us that’s how we’re wired. Yet nobody can really claim to have done anything worthwhile all by him or
herself. Yes, great achievement requires a lot of determination, self sacrifice, and perseverance in spite of failures.
As Michelangelo put it so aptly, “Genius is eternal patience.”
But in reality when we look back at all of our accomplishments with unbiased hindsight we can see that many
people helped us along the way. In fact, moments of great success for one individual are often built on the
cumulative efforts of many. Take a college degree for example. First of all you were able to get into college in the first
place because people took the time to effectively educate you and instill in you the value of attaining a degree. You
made it through tough exams by studying books written by others and finding study partners and groups to help you
with the details. And most of us got financial aid in the form of a loan from either family or the government. Yet a lot of
us graduate with the “I did it all by myself mentality.” We really didn’t. We all need help whether or not we realize it.
In just the same way it’s important to realize that you need a team of people to help you be a successful artist. I
imagine that if you’re an artist you may be very good at the following:
- Thinking of innovative ideas
- Seeing the long term possibilities for various ideas
- Working alone for extended periods of time
- Remaining focused on a specific task without distraction
These are great qualities that can really benefit you in many situations, including the business side of your art
career. You can probably create fantastic marketing materials, think of creative ways to sell your work, and sit down
and create original art with little difficulty.
On the other hand, you may struggle with the following:
- Implementing daily steps required to get to your long term vision
- Making decisions based purely on logic, numbers, and reality
- Focusing on one idea or vision for an extended period of time
- Performing routine/mundane tasks that are required for maintaining a profitable business
- Getting out and making sales, networking, and promoting yourself
Obviously these are generalizations and will not be true for everyone. I’m just using some examples to illustrate my
point. And the main point is you can’t be everything. Nobody is superman. We all need help with the things we aren’t
naturally wired to do.
Note that this is a completely different approach than ignoring the fact that you’re just not especially good at some
things. And the great thing is, once you realize you’re weak in a certain area, you can fix the problem. If you ignore it
then it will never go away, and you will not move past the same roadblocks you hit over and over again.
So, how to overcome your weaknesses? There are two basic solutions. First of all make it a point to improve on the
things you know you are not so good at. Take a bookkeeping class, learn how to set up a business entity, get up
earlier every morning even if you find it hard. I think a lot of times we don’t like doing things because we don’t
understand them. I used to hate bookkeeping. The first year in business I left everything until the week before taxes
were due and then crammed it all together last minute. It was a nightmare, and although I got it done, I swore I
would never do it again. I took a course on using Quickbooks, hired an accountant for a couple of training sessions,
and then started doing my accounting at the end of every week. Now I really enjoy it. Honestly. It’s amazing how
much I can learn about my business by just doing this simple task. Plus taxes are a breeze at the end of the year.
Secondly, our Creator wisely made us all unique, with various strengths and weaknesses. I’m no philosopher, but I
think this is because we’re all supposed to work together for the greater good rather than selfishly pursuing our own
interests all the time. There are people who know more about and enjoy more the tasks and aspects of your career
which you struggle with. Seek them out and ask their help and advice. You’ll be amazed how willing people are to
help you. This is how to begin building a team. Maybe mom is a great organizer and is feeling bored after retirement.
Give her a job managing your sales or structuring your price lists. Maybe your husband is a successful business
owner. Ask him for day to day steps you can take to help you implement the vision for your career. Don’t be afraid to
receive some “tough love” from trusted and honest friends. And of course, be willing to pay for expert services once
in a while. Having an attorney craft your licensing agreement is much smarter than simply signing the one the
publisher gave you. Stuff like that pays for itself in the long run.
I like to think of Steve Jobs of Apple as a current day example. He obviously is a highly creative and innovative
thinker. He’s an idea guy. But if he didn’t have the other folks around him for support then he simply could not
implement his great ideas. Henry Ford was similar, a visionary - but with a great team.
We all need a professional support network, and I think a great way to begin building it is to let everybody know what
your vision is and where you’re trying to get to. People will then look for opportunities to support you and open doors
for you that they may never even have thought relevant to you. It will help you build momentum, overcome obstacles,
and know that you have people to fall back on when you need emotional support or advice. I know that in my own
business it has been invaluable having a monthly meeting with my own business mentor. He keeps me honest
about numbers, accountable to goals I’ve set, and is a great reality check for my many ideas. I believe you will find
the same value when you find the right people to work with and support you.
Let me know how it goes, or if I can help you out…you know I always like hearing from you guys!
Thanks for reading!
Chris Kennedy is the owner of PrintThatImage.com, a specialty fine art printing company located in Fort Lauderdale,
FL. Chris works with fine artists, galleries, and art publishers to develop custom archival print editions and giclee
prints that match their business needs. He also designs and publishes artwork for kids and nurseries at
HappyLittleWorld.com, and is a fine artist specializing in contemporary landscapes in oil. His original artwork can be
viewed at ChrisKennedyFineArt.com.
He can be reached at 954-353-1095 or by email at chris@PrintThatImage.com.
This Article Copyright © 2011 Chris Kennedy, All Rights Reserved.
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Why You Need a Team
| © 2009 Print That Image, All Rights Reserved |
Decorative Printing Specialists (954) 353-1095