If you’ve been paying attention to what we’ve been doing at Art Biz Coach the last couple of years, you might have picked up on a “big table” theme. Not round table. BIG table. We don’t care what shape it is.

We have Big Table Art Talks, where I show up – free of charge – and talk with your group about whatever is on your minds.

And we have Big Table Art Retreats in various parts of the country.

The Big Table is a metaphor for my life vision, which goes something like this: I want to spend my nights sitting at a big table with artists and deep thinkers. We’ll talk about art and big ideas all night while eating excellent food and drinking copious amounts of wine.

Sounds pretty awesome, right?

So, let’s pretend we’re at the big table. You, Elaine, and me. This is a juicy topic, so don’t forget the wine! (Really good coffee is okay, too.)

The Negative Review

Everyone says that there’s no such thing as a negative review. That any media attention is good media attention.

That’s easy to say until someone slams your work.

In this episode of the Art Biz Podcast, I’m at the big table with Elaine Kehew, who shares the story of a negative review she received last year and the resulting journey to improve the quality of her art.

The critic who rankled her was someone she knew and trusted, so she took his comments to heart. And they hurt.

This isn’t a story about perfectionism. Perfectionism is crippling, Elaine says. It’s not about aesthetics or beauty. It’s about Elaine’s quest to quantify the quality of her work – to ensure that it is getting better.

Elaine is a repeat student of the Art Biz Accelerator, a class in which my students set goals. When I read that Elaine’s #1 goal for the year is to improve the quality of her painting, I asked her how she would measure that. After all, goals are supposed to be measurable so you know when you achieve them.

This led Elaine to explore quality – particularly the research being done around quality management in the 1990s and early 2000s. (In her previous life, Elaine was a researcher for a law firm.)

Listen as Elaine opens up about what happened after her negative review and shares 8 targets she has identified to improve the quality of her paintings.

Music: Keep It Simple by Wildermiss. Used with permission.
Listen to or subscribe on iTunes.

Elaine’s 8 Targets for Improving the Quality of Her Paintings

Text in italics are Elaine’s notes to herself.

1. Prioritize quality.

Make quality my number one priority all the time … and then think about how I will handle the first conflict between my stated objective and a pressing deadline or an attractive shortcut.

2. Identify quality issues.

This is an internal process that involves a, gasp, spreadsheet.

Why were approx 20 of my paintings last year not really successful? Was it execution, paint selection, time and effort or too much of an experiment from my style to be really professional works? Were the materials used sub-par? Was the original concept for the painting too weak to actually carry through a painting?

3. Gauge response and satisfaction.

This is the external flipside of #2.

If I am getting a 10 out of 10 every time, great! But what about when my reviewer, friend, or customer, or self, is only a bit satisfied, or I get a negative review, or a completed commission is refused?

4. Acquire skills.

Increase skill level through training or education.

Is there a course I could take or a technique that needs more research? Are some applications simply not ready for prime time until I master them? Find out and do it!

5. Set up a Quality Circle.

Elaine’s Quality Circle consists of having a few trusted friends critique her work before it leaves the studio.

6. Dig deeper.

Evaluate every painting in the series on its own merits, and making sure I am communicating exactly what I want, and then making sure that the execution is closer to flawless.

• Does it represent me as an artist?
• Is the execution well done, or can I do it better?
• Are there any wince-worthy passages?
• Is this a portfolio piece?
• Are the materials top quality ?
• Is the concept my own, or appropriated in an original way?

7. Document my processes. 

As a mid-career artist, to improve quality, I have to get more consistent with my output and my processes. This can best be accomplished through detailed documentation – using journaling and a sketchbook.

I can write down my color palette (instead of picking paints willy-nilly or at random), I can narrow down my canvas size selection, and I can be very deliberate when starting an unusual project (such as an installation or sculptural piece).

8. Analyze what works.

After a show, take time to review and narrow my efforts toward what’s really working. What sells, what gets the best feedback, what juices me up (this will always be important), and what draws people in?

For a few years I have been worried about presenting a consistent look as an artist. At the end of each year I cut and paste what I painted into a pdf, and I make a similar collage for sold work. It’s very revealing.

I sold three “star” paintings in 2017 and didn’t realize it until I made the collage. So those are working, but the large pieces with characters didn’t sell. Do they need more work?

About My Guest

Elaine Kehew is an American artist living and working in Nairobi, Kenya.

She’s now on a mission to improve and ensure the quality of her art.

The post The Art Biz ep. 14: Quantifying Quality in Art: Elaine Kehew appeared first on Art Biz Success.

Building an art business is even scarier because your artwork is so personal. It’s not like you’re making widgets. You’re baring your soul to the world.

You’d be crazy not to be a little scared.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve coached clients with the following fears:

• Fear of setting boundaries with a spouse. (It ended up that the spouse wanted the same thing. What a relief to have the conversation!)
• Fear of public speaking, and knowing that it is necessary when you get to a certain level with your art.
• Fear of the next step when you’ve reached what you always thought would be the pinnacle of your career.
• Fear of too much success and being overwhelmed.

The fears I have in my business:

• Fear that there’s not enough time.
• Fear of sending an extra email to my list.
• Fear that I’ll create a new program that no one will be interested in.
• Fear that I won’t be able to help someone get the transformation they need from me.

The Fear Is Real

These might sound like trivial first-world problems when we think of people who are afraid of being bombed, of finding their next meal, or who are held against their will. But they’re still fears that are real to the people (you? me?) who experience them.

It’s not like you need any more reminders of scary stuff, but since it’s the witching season …

There’s the constant fear of rejection: What if I am turned down or overlooked by jurors, gallerists, art buyers, curators, and other artists?

The looming fear of criticism: What if nobody likes my work?

The fear of the unknown: How can I do this? What happens if … ?

And the fear known as imposter syndrome: What if people find out I don’t really know what I’m doing?

Scary Stuff

But your biggest fear of all should be this:

The fear of not taking action toward your dreams.

You can heal from rejection. You can learn to deal with criticism, the unknown, and imposter syndrome.

But you will never recover from not taking risks.

I can remember the first time I realized that I’d rather regret something I had done than something I wanted to do but never took the chance. I won’t bore you with the whole story, but that moment in my twenties was profound, and I have tried to live that way ever since.

Wouldn’t you rather regret something you’ve done than something you never even tried?

Your Turn

What are your fears, and how have you learned to deal with them?

The post Your Biggest Fear of All appeared first on Art Biz Success.

Originally recorded for my members in the Art Biz Incubator, I am able to share this interview now that my members have benefited from it for a number of months.

In the interview Mark discusses:

• How mindfulness will help you build resilience and how to begin a daily practice.
• The difference between rejection and criticism and why they hurt so much (especially for artists).
• How to deal with rejection and criticism.
• Tall Poppy Syndrome and why you want to be a tall poppy.

[powerpress url=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/artbiz/Silver-McGuinness-Resilience.mp3″]

About Mark

In addition to writing Resilience, Mark McGuinness is a poet who has been coaching artists and all kinds of creatives since 1996. He’s a qualified psychotherapist who also holds an MA in Creative & Media Enterprises. Mark is the founder of Lateral Action and his work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Creative Review, and the Discovery Health Channel.
To learn more about Mark and connect with him, please visit his website, LateralAction.

Want More Like This?

We have been collecting audio interviews with experts like Mark for more than three years in the Art Biz Incubator. Our members also enjoy the transcripts for these interviews as well as the opportunity to ask questions of our experts and discuss the content with one another.
Join us today! The Incubator isn’t for beginners. I suggest first having some foundation for your art business.

The post Resilience: An Interview with Mark McGuinness appeared first on Art Biz Success.

If you read enough business motivation, you will come across attempts to help coach you through rejection and criticism with some form of the following.

“You are not your business.”
“You are not what you do.”
“You are not your work.”

This sounds like it would be helpful to remember, but is it possible? Artists tell me all of the time how hard it is to market their work because it’s so personal.

Deep Thought

Is it possible to separate yourself emotionally from your art? If so, does something have to happen to get to this point?
Which of the following is truer?

• You are not your work.
• Your work is not you.

The post You Are Not Your Art appeared first on Art Biz Success.

The Artist

• The artist had work installed at a major museum in a certain city.
• She created a document that asked people to contact The Reviewer for the city’s major paper and urge him to review her exhibit.
• She made numerous photocopies and passed them out to supporters and (if I heard correctly) people she found at the exhibit who liked the work.

The Supporters

• The artist’s supporters emailed the critic in large numbers. “Please review The Artist’s work in your column!”

The Reviewer

• The reviewer relented (“Please! Call off the dogs!”) and ended up writing a nice feature article with several photos.

Do I recommend annoying an art critic? Absolutely not.
Do I recommend being proactive and not waiting for things to happen? Absolutely!

The post Proactive Self-Promotion: Tweak an Art Critic appeared first on Art Biz Success.

When I was a member of Toastmasters I was called upon to evaluate speakers in a formal manner–standing at the front of the room and giving my evaluation orally. At first, I despised this job. But I grew more comfortable in the role because it made me a better thinker, listener, and all-around observer. It also forced me to work on the language I use.

Artists, too, are called upon to critique one another in both formal and informal situations. When faced with this, try the Oreo® Approach, which I learned about in Toastmasters.

As you know, the Oreo® is a cookie with two chocolate wafers on the outside and light, creamy filling on the inside. When you’re critiquing someone’s art or marketing materials, think of the chocolate wafers (the parts that hold the whole together) as praise. The fluffy stuff in the center is where you can offer room for improvement.

For example . . . your critique might go like this highly abbreviated version.

Chocolate wafer (praise): Julia, I really like your use of complementary colors in the composition. They make the image “pop.”

Fluffy stuff (room for improvement): I’m wondering, though, if it might be better without that tree on the left. Or perhaps toning down the green would allow me to focus better on the center. You might also consider changing the mat color. I think white would be a better choice in this instance. The red, for me, detracts from the collage itself.

End with another chocolate wafer (praise): Boy, your craftsmanship is terrific! I’d love to hear about the adhesive you’re using.

This isn’t a magic pill for giving constructive criticism. I struggle with diplomacy every time I work on an artist’s statement, review marketing material at a workshop, or help a client reword an email newsletter.

What are your experiences with giving or receiving criticism? What can you share with other artists in these situations?

The post The Oreo approach to criticism appeared first on Art Biz Success.