meglyman_holidayoctopus

Happy Holidays!

So, I promised a plan for 2009. It’s still a rough outline – refinement necessary. But it exists, and that’s half the battle. The other half is execution. And that battle, my friends, will be laid out for you blow-by-blow on this blog as the next 12 months unfold.

Unlike last year, I’m going to throw in some personal goals, because they are time-consuming enough to effect my art productivity. Which is just a fancy way of saying I’m legitimizing my excuses up front.

  • Show art at 10 shows. Same goal as 2008, and I almost made it… 9/10.
  • For the local shows, get a booth to sell merchandise. This is far more profitable than just selling originals. And by keeping it local, I cut down on travel costs. For the far-away shows… only go to the profitable ones, and mail in art to the rest.
  • Research new ways to merchandise. I want to build the business, and in a recession, people are more likely to buy art if it’s got a purpose (other than looking good on your wall). A few ideas so far: greeting cards, stickers, stamps. Would you pay for cute, 41-cent USPS cephalopods to send your bills?
  • Get married.  :D
  • Learn Arabic.
  • Try gouache on more supports. I’m becoming quite familiar with some, but I want to try more, like Colourfix board, Wallis, and Aquabord.
  • Keep all the paperwork straight. I need to renew my business license and make sure I file those semi-annual sales tax returns even if I didn’t sell anything in the state of PA except for 3 days last June.
  • Update the website into a portfolio. I have actually done some coding for this. It’s been on my list for a year. I’d better get it done soon or the personal accountability police are going to beat me with their nightsticks of righteousness.
  • Ditto on the blog content and interactivity, and promotion on social networking sites.

Please share your goals too! And I’m open to suggestions on mine – especially the merchandising part. What have you had success with? What would you buy, especially in this tight economy?

HAPPY HOLIDAYS and have a safe New Year’s. Cheers to 2009!