Words on Self Promotion

Last week on Facebook there was a post from fellow blogger and artist Lynda Metcalf who is also trying to balance making art and raising young children. In the post she mentioned that she received her copy of Cloth Paper Scissors and that my artwork was featured in it. The mag wasn't in the bookstores yet so I had her post and photo to enjoy until it
arrived at the stores. Thanks Lynda! 

My owls were on the opening page of an article covering a Carving Challenge in the magazine. I just picked up the mag, here it is! I was thrilled to see it, my heart raced with pride. I stepped back and I could see myself reflected on the page in my artwork. Wow! My first time in a magazine.  The owls first appeared in a post about carving stamps here.

My owls are the bottom three lined up in a row.

This had me thinking about self promotion. I thought well I have to tell people, share this great event. Self promotion is an uncomfortable subject for many in the business of making art. 

All of a sudden I found myself in that uncomfortable place. Embrace your work and use the promotion of it as a place to inspire, mentor and even help others achieve greatness as you follow your dream. I did say in a recent interview......."Put yourself out there", so I decided to stand behind my words and give myself a push to the front of the stage. Yes it is an uncomfortable place as an artist because when others see your art you feel a bit naked and vulnerable. We as artist have such a close relationship with our art.  Do your best work, be authentic, and come from a true place.

I have been wanting to post this self promotion conversation on my blog for a while but when the Cloth Paper Scissors piece came out I knew it was time to get over it! You can have a studio full of beautiful work but it doesn’t matter if no one knows about it. My husband says that all the time when he looks at my work. As I have said before he is my biggest champion. When you choose art as your life path you do so because you want to make a living doing what you love. Difference between being just okay and success is promotion right?
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I had the opportunity to be interviewed by fellow blogger Zulma Bucio Cadena of edustory.wordpress.com, where she shares her creative journey and thoughts on teaching.

Get to know me a bit better... you can read the full article here. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

..........."To me, to be on a creative path or journey is to choose to make art, evolve and grow as an artist with knowledge through learning, build your body of work, create a style all your own. Your work is the essence of you, is it not? Be you, be true, be.".........

Never Hide                                                                                  by Lori Moon©2012 

What I find interesting is that on the same day I was grappling with the subject of self promotion, I wanted to share the interview I mentioned above. I wasn't sure what to write how to write about it etc... Then I found this "message" on my friend and photographer Lori Moon's blog, she has a series called Shared Messages from the Universe. I do believe in signs from the universe but I never really noticed that sometimes it is spelled out for you literally, you just have to "see" it. That is what Lori says all the time! So funnily enough while out later that day picking up a pair of specs at Lenscrafters I found this. 

So it was unavoidable I needed to get out of my own way!!!
So the message here is .....Get out there, now is the time!

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