2020 Artist Development Programme
£1,200.00 Regular Price
£1,080.00Sale Price
"Invaluable, inside knowledge that just isn't available elsewhere"
the next ADP starts September 2020
10% early booking discount ends July 3st 2020
The Artist Development Programme is for artists at every stage of their practice, who are ready to take their painting practice and their business to the next level.
'Booking myself a spot on the Artist development course was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Helen is not only an accomplished artist but she is a natural teacher and excellent mentor. Her guidance and honest advice, both with my artork and in beginning my new career as an artist, are invaluable. I cannot recommend the course highly enough!' Kerry Shearer, Nov '19 ADP
It's just like being in the studio with me for twelve weeks. Aask the questions you'd like answers to and learn how a professional art business is managed.
Join me personally for this three month, online structured pathway to your raise your business from good to great and to learn the skills that will help you connect with your potential collectors in an easy, natural and effective way.
Focussed, friendly, expert advice and support to get your practical, psychological and creativeness into gear.
This is a small, personally mentored group, with very limited numbers, so do book early.
For less than the cost of a term at college, you'll get direct access to my business and studio practices.
It can be tough to figure it out all on your own. By joining ADP you get direct insight from another artist who knows the steps you should be taking.
Mindset and motivation.
Tools and techniques.
Skills and Support.
And very importantly, continuing community.
Guarantee
I guarantee that you will achieve your aims for the programme and increase your knowledge base in the agreed areas, or I will give you your money back.
ADP - BACKGROUND
The Artist Development Programme (ADP) was launched autumn 2019 with an initial 10 participants. All artists, who at that point in their lives and careers were ready for the next big step, but they weren’t sure about how to start or which direction to take. They were all 'emerging artists’, in that they already had quite a strong creative output, some had a cohesive body of work and style, others were producing experimental work, finding their niche; but all were ready to transform their art into their business.
They all had a keenness, that "almost readiness”, and felt something more that they could achieve with the creative careers. Some like you, were retiring, some, like myself 15 years ago, were taking redundancy, and some were following the call that they had heard for awhile and wanted their art to be more central in their lives and to provide an income for them.
The in last 15 years my art career has been so rewarding. I’ve been blown away by the response people have had to me and my work. But I am not special, extra talented or unusual. I had luck, I had commitment and I had help of good teachers and mentors. Over this time I’ve met many artists who want for themselves a successful art career. I get that - it’s such a fabulous thing to be able to do, to be creative and have your creativity acknowledged in the world and rewarded.
The hardest step for me, and for many others I have worked with is that first tentative step to ‘yes’. Yes to acknowledging that your creativity is valuable, unique, special. Yes to owing the title ‘artist’. And yes to really acknowledging that we can, and deserve to, succeed in our artistic endeavours. And Yes to this being financially rewarding too.
Artists were talking to me, asking me how I made a successful career.
And I started to think about the sheer complexity of all the detail that goes into a successful art career and I realised that I had something, in terms of real world experience, to offer other artists. To help them find the joy and freedom that living in alignment with their creative selves - and thriving as a result of this, could bring.
For example, artists have asked me: How do I get my prints done? how do I approach a gallery? how I know what to charge? how do I attract buyers? how I I find people who are interested in my work? How do I develop relationships with them? you name it…. In my art career I have done it. I have worked it out myself, often the hard way.
Being a thriving, creative artist is not just about the painting - although that is a massive pleasurable part of it, but equally important and pleasurable is the business of art, the selling of art. What a joy when someone loves what you create so much that the will spend hard earned cash on it. Selling art can seem like a dirty word to some, almost as if it devalues their art in some way. I decided long ago that I wanted creativity to be central to my life, and that I also wanted to pay bills, eat, and indeed thrive.
So selling my art became important ant to me. I don’t mean selling in a hard nosed way, oh no. In fact I think there’s nothing less likely to achieve sales than to sell with a capital S. This is where ADP comes in.
ADP - PROCESS
The one thing I know about selling art is it’s not about selling. it’s about connecting to who you are as an artist - your genuine, beautiful, individual, unique, artistic voice - that’s what attracts your audience, that’s what entices people to want to know more about you and fall in love with your paintings. That and belief in yourself and commitment.
And this isn’t hard work, really it’s not.
It’s about flow and it’s about ease, and it’s about intention. Attracting and allowing the things that you want into your life and realising where you put blocks in the way of this happening, and gently removing those.
It's also about the practicalities of art and selling art, as a business in the art world.
Everything from: where do I get my prints done? how should I wrap them? what is the limited edition certificate? what number edition should I use? what paper should I print on? how to market these? how should I store them? How should I post them? where should I sell them? How do I price and plan commissions? How do I negotiate a license fee? should I produce calendars? where should I get them printed? how would I market these? Should I have an exhibition? am I ready for an exhibition? how do I approach galleries? should I pay to join in art fair? how would I show my work in an art fair? what work would I need for art fair? how do I manage my mailing list? what is the mailing list? what do I say to people? why would they be interested? what opportunities are there for me? do I need a website? how would I set up a website? could I run a website? what about Instagram Pinterest Facebook? when will I get time to paint? how do I organise all these things? who can help me with it? ……I can!
Being an artist is challenging but we love that challenge - as artists it is what we thrive on.
Being an artist in businesses is another challenge, and one that with help, it is possible to thrive in. It blends creativity with practicality in a way that is similar to a painting. When you tune in, it works, it flows and there’s ease, and that’s what I want people to get to with their art careers.
In three months we will cover every topic that you’ll need to know about to become a successful selling artist.
The three months are designed so that you’d be able to launch your art business in that time, if you want to.
Having said that, it is not necessary that you plan for launch in that time if this is not your aim. But you will have all the skills, all the knowledge, all the advice and a whole load of detailed downloadable PDF‘s on all the subjects that are essential to start or to further develop your business, by the end of the programme.
ADP DELIVERY
For three months there are twice weekly live zoom group meetings, which are recorded and downloadable.
Every two weeks we have a 121 mentoring session where we plan and review your individual progress.
In my experience learning in a small group forms a strong community. Last year’s group is still together and I’m still part of it, and we still talk regularly about our our businesses. So it doesn’t the end after three months. We’re all continuing to support each other.
During the 3 months, each week is split into an input section, a do section and review section.
PLAN, DO, REVIEW
For example.
We may discuss Pinterest on Monday, how it works, how to use your boards, how to use a business account. This is accompanied by practical downloadable resources and links. You get to ask questions about your Pinterest account.
You then work throughout the week, in a way that is relative to your aims, and in your own time. Via our private Facebook group you’ll be able to ask me and other members of the group any questions that come up at any time during the week.
At the end of the week, we get together again on zoom and review how we’ve done. Working in this way keeps us accountable, in a gentle way, and helps create and maintain momentum throughout the three months.
There are going to be so many questions that come up! And I’ll be with you every step of the way. I’ve got answers for you I’ve got plans, I’ve got ‘secrets' of my success for you too. It can be tough to figure it out all on your own so direct insight from another artist who knows the steps you could be taking is invaluable.
For me there is nothing as pleasurable and as joyful as painting. The only other thing that comes close is the joy that comes from supporting, mentoring and helping other artists develop their own successful careers. Things that might have been big hurdles for them with help and support are in fact an open gates, and it’s such a thrill such a delight to see artists really blossoming and having the success that they so richly deserve.
And we all deserve that. We really do.