When I was invited to be on the Bold Brush podcasts, I over prepared. After talking with Clint Watson and his team on the (subscription based) BoldBrush Circle webinar, and then with Laura Arango Baier on the (free to the public) BoldBrush Show, I had lots of unspoken answers. I had prepared for the questions sent to me before each recording. Rather than discard them, I thought to share them with you all here. And if you want in on the fun I had chatting with the amazing folks at BoldBrush, please check out the podcasts and leave a comment!
Here is a link to the BoldBrush Show everyone can view:
Debra Keirce - Art That Makes Admirals Cry
These are not presented in any particular order, and in the interest of brevity, I am not including the questions. I hope you find a few of them useful. But thanks for taking a look either way.
1. I look for affirmations. If I get featured, mentioned, awarded, or sometimes just a hug, I know I'm doing the right things and I try to do more of them.
2. If something gets attention, I think about what more I can do. For example, my Boston Langham Hotel Commission - Designers zeroed in on me because they liked the art with my spin on master paintings and also my "little bit quirky" vibe pieces. So, I made a quirky collection of paintings on my website, and next year my workshops will be based around master copies.
3. When I have a big win, I shout it from the mountain tops. For example, I won the George Gray Best in Show award for the U.S. Coast Guard Art Program in 2022. I advertised and posted and hash tagged about it as much as I could, till I felt like people had heard enough. I painted some more first responder pieces. My efforts resulted in several commissions and sales from first responders and military art collectors.
4. A weird thing always happens that feels very woo-woo. When I am at a venue, my sales bump up. I try to visit my sales venues frequently. It's probably something scientific, like my presence means I am on the minds of the sales staff and so they work harder for me. Whatever the reason, I always sell work in the days following my departure.
5. I work hard to be consistent. Followers like to know what to expect. I keep the timing, length and tone of my newsletters the same each month. I always show up hours before so I am never late for teaching or judging. Whatever project I am involved in, I follow up with participants monthly, even if it's just to say hello. If you do the same professional behaviors repeatedly, people have more confidence in working with you.
6. I've come to understand that not everyone is my collector, and that's okay.
7. I try to be patient. I still struggle with this one. I know from experience that art careers move forward in little increments. If you just try to move an inch each day, you eventually find yourself on the BoldBrush Show!
8. There is great value in role playing. Pretend you are the person you are serving. For example, pretend you are a collector. Do internet searches for work like yours, see what shows and galleries and artists come up? Can you get involved in them? What can you do to get your name to pop up too? Can you title your art with some of the words that are common in those searches? Can you title a show with them?
9. I brainstorm out of the box marketing ideas regularly. 90 percent of them are useless. But on occasion, one will stick in my head and I find myself thinking about it a week later. That's the one that may have merit.
10. Recently I've learned I need to get better at being unprepared. So much of this art life I'm living is unscripted. I'm reaping the benefits of things I've forgotten about. I laid the groundwork for them over a decade ago. My job now is to recognize and optimize opportunities, even if I never expected them.
If any of these resonate with you, reach out and let me know. Leave a comment and add more of your ideas too if you have them.
