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]]>One Saturday morning I was watching Produce Pete – the veggie guru on the NBC New York affiliate station who chats about seasonal fruits and vegetables each week.
On that day, Pete was expounding on the glory of asparagus and he stuck the stalks in a glass of water, held it aloft and proclaimed, “THIS is how you keep asparagus fresh!”
It made me smile as I admired the elegance of upright asparagus.
I decided to take on the challenge of painting asparagus stalks refracted in water. I liked the result and, in appreciation, I called the painting Tribute to Produce Pete and wrote about it on my blog.
About three months later I got a phone call from a guy who said he was Produce Pete from NBC. Thinking it was a prank, I nearly hung up. Fortunately, he said the magic words, “I want to buy your painting,” and I stayed on the line.
Apparently he had Googled himself (doesn’t everybody?) and found my tribute painting to him! Not only was he calling to buy it, he wanted me to come to New York to present it to him ON AIR … at NBC … in New York City!
If I had titled this painting Asparagus Stalks in Water, this opportunity would have never come my way.
In spite of an extreme case of stage fright, I talked myself into it and began worrying about important things – like what to wear!
It was all a bit scary and I immediately thought I’d better placate the gods of marketing and serendipity by giving back somehow.
In gratitude for being handed this unexpected gift of exposure, I decided to donate 20% of all paintings sold for the next 6 months to Edge of Seven, an organization I admire that facilitates equal education opportunities for girls in the mountains of Nepal.
And, We’re Live
Being on Produce Pete’s segment was a great experience. He was thrilled to meet me!
The NBC crew loved my painting, set it up on an easel, and projected an enlarged image as a backdrop for the segment.
The station posted my website URL on the screen during the show, but, in an unlucky twist of fate, the website was misspelled.
I did not become instantly famous as the Next Best Still-Life Painter on the Planet. My 15 minutes of fame were more like 15 seconds, but it turned into an excellent marketing opportunity in the end.
Capitalizing on My 15 Seconds of Fame
After being on Produce Pete I wrote to a local reporter about the experience and she interviewed me for a story with photos of my paintings.
A businessman saw the local article and invited me to hang some paintings in his space. During that exhibition, I sold eight paintings!
I’ve now been invited to exhibit at the same venue regularly and my mailing list has grown. In addition, publicity about the Edge of Seven donation generated yet more interest, more subscribers signed up for my blog, and I began to sell paintings directly from blog posts.
I feel a new sense of confidence having taken steps toward making my artwork more accessible and visible.
Still, I wouldn’t recommend counting on a TV appearance to make a mark with your artwork. What I would recommend is to always be ready to take advantage of opportunities as they happen and maximize those events by generating more publicity where you can.
I could have let the New York NBC gig be the end of my story, but I had a feeling that it was only the beginning.
The big lesson here, in addition to paying attention to the titles you give your work, is that you can build momentum after a single exposure in the media. Being on television enhanced my credibility in the region.
When you are blessed with publicity about your work, ask, “What can I do with this now?” or “Who else might be interested in this story?”
Have you been on live TV? What did you learn from your experience?
About Our Guest Blogger
Dorothy Byers Lorenze paints still lifes at her studio in Somers, New York. She is attracted to the shapes, translucency, texture, and reflection of everyday objects. Follow her blog and become a fan on Facebook.
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I’ve had various titles and roles throughout my life. These are a few of the lessons I’ve learned from each. They’re applicable to what I do and what I share with you.
Assistant to a U.S. Senator
One’s success depends on building and maintaining relationships.
Museum Curator
Artists within the community are vital contributors to the health of an art museum.
Museum Educator
Most people aren’t privy to a visual education. It’s our job to teach them how to look at and appreciate art.
Art Collector
I buy art from artists I meet and like. You really should meet more people and be nice to them.
Art History Grad Student
Art history is a history of individuals, not of companies. Put your name out there. Don’t hide behind a business name.
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]]>When you’re urged to mail postcards, do you say it’s too expensive?
When you’re told that you should start an artist newsletter, do you respond that you don’t have anything to say?
Saying No vs. Saying Yes
I often teach my clients how to say No in order to bring some sanity into their hectic schedules. It’s important to learn to say No to things that don’t serve you well.
But it’s equally important to say Yes and to be open to possibility. It’s critical that you don’t erect walls that fence you off from valuable experiences.
When I first started my business, I encountered a lot of excuses from artists who told me why they couldn’t try this or that. If I hadn’t been given so many excuses, I wouldn’t have been able to subtitle my book The No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion. I would have had a different book. Without those excuses, I wouldn’t have been able to define the artists I wanted to work with.
I now only consult with artists who are open to possibility. I want to work with people who choose to live their lives as an adventure instead of playing it safe. I want to work with positive people who enrich my worldview.
Practice saying “Yes, and . . . “ to everything.*
With this in mind, let’s return to my three questions at the beginning of this newsletter.
A friend says: You should try Twitter!
Rather than saying that it’s silly, you respond: Yes, and maybe you can tell me how it might benefit my art business. I love hearing about any new tool that allows me to share my work with more people.
A friend says: You should send out postcards for your art exhibit.
Rather than saying they’re expensive, you respond: Yes, and I’m going to update my mailing list over the next few weeks. I’m also going to talk with other artists to find affordable options for sending postcards.
A friend says: You should start a newsletter.
Rather than proclaiming that you don’t have anything to say, you respond: Yes, and I will sign up for other newsletters to see what I might be able to share that would be of interest to my mailing list. (See Action 8, Send a Killer Newsletter, in I’d Rather Be in the Studio!)
See how different these responses are to immediately dismissing a suggestion?
[*This is discussed in the excellent book Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith as it relates to improvisational comedy. They recommend the book Improv Wisdom by Patricia Ryan Madson.]
FINAL WORD: Don’t dismiss what could be a good idea. Practice saying “Yes, and . . .” this week. It’s hard to do, but it’s powerful. Saying “Yes, and . . .” immediately changes your outlook from negative to positive. It opens up your world to other possibilities.
When have you embraced a new idea that made you uncomfortable at first, but ended up being a great move?
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