authentic visibility
How to make it as an artist: Stop following the rules
Yeah, that’s me on stage with podcasting stars Roman Mars and Glynn Washington, with my comics projected 20 feet tall onscreen. It was 2015. It was a pinnacle of my artist career. Yet I had no idea how to truly make it as an artist. That’s the problem with looking at the outside of someone’s…
Read MoreRaise your bar for risk: do something scary and don’t die
I’ve got a vulnerability hangover. I recently finished a launch campaign for my new course on building an audience and marketing specifically tailored for creatives who (think they) loathe marketing. You might not know what I mean by a “launch campaign” (I sure didn’t, the first time I found myself running one, back in early…
Read MoreAuthentic Visibility: Growing your audience without selling your soul
The secret to becoming known for the work that you care about most without selling your soul or wasting all your time on humiliating “self-promotion”? Authentic Visibility. Let’s do a little thought experiment. Let’s say you’re working on something big. A nonfiction book about women warriors throughout history. A graphic novel about surviving brain cancer…and…
Read MoreHow to accidentally build an “Authentic Personal Brand” when the whole idea makes you gag
Heeeeyyyyy! Check it out! I’ve got a brand-new website! I’m proud, I’m happy… I’m definitely completely sure it’s not finished…but I’m going live anyway! Ever heard the phrase, Imperfect Action? It means take action before you have every detail nailed down. It means take the jump. It means Dare to be Bad. Imperfect action is…
Read MoreStranger danger: What’s keeping you from building the fanbase your work deserves. [Video lesson!]
Building your fanbase means getting comfortable with the “know-like-trust” factor Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t accept a lollipop. Definitely don’t get in the car. You learned these rules when you were five, and, if you’re like most people, you probably still basically follow them. Even if you’ll talk to strangers, it makes you nervous. What if…
Read MoreWant attention for your work? You need a hook. (Video lesson!)
I admit it; like just about everyone, part of me still clings to the fantasy that if I just make awesome stuff, and keep on making more of it, somehow I’ll get discovered (how? by whom?), and my work will sell gangbusters (where? how?) without me having to lift a finger. The audience’s attention will…
Read MoreMaking money as an artist: Magic? Or could we take control?
Shakespeare had to sell theater tickets. DaVinci had to sell paintings. Dickens had to sell magazines. Being in the business of selling my work does not suddenly make me a “business person.” It makes me an artist.
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