The art field is one of the first to be affected when the economy is down. A friend reports that it appears to be picking up for her again though. 
Back in the 1970s, when I was doing quite a bit of painting and selling my work on consignment and commission, the economy went into a downward spiral and art sales were flat. Just at that time we had the Bicentennial celebrations in the U. S. and interest in quilts revived.  So I accidentally (that’s a whole other story) got into making and selling these.
As a result, a different aspect of …read more

While watching a documentary about artist Georgia O’Keeffe, as I  taught an art class today, I was struck by her determination to find her own way, go her own way.  She mentioned she “took hold of most anything I wanted” and essentially went for it.
Can’t we apply this philosophy to our home business? 
 I found it interesting that after I wrote yesterday’s blog post, Are You “Taking Flight” with Your Home Business, I watched this documentary in class during my substitute teaching work.  It seemed a continuation of that theme I had addressed.
In a way, Georgia O’Keeffe had a home business.   She sketched and …read more

As I progressed with my 20 minutes per day organizational plan in my home and business, I discovered “art from the past,” when I did oil and water color paintings for sale (and fun), along with designing greeting cards and notepaper for shops and my own use. 
Since then I’ve illustrated some of my books and reproduced art on cards for myself.  However, this rediscovery of my designs has me thinking about adding art to my home business.  I’ve been analyzing at My Organized Biz whether this is practical, potentially profitable, and possible to organize into my schedule.
Sometimes an idea keeps nudging …read more

HomeBizNotes.com
Artist and author, Alyson Stanfield visits Home Biz Notes today answering questions about her book, I’d Rather Be In The Studio! The Artist’s No Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion.  Although the books focuses on promotion tips for artists, you’ll find much helpful information and suggestions for any home business owner. 
Alyson is here as part of the blog tour to help promote the book and is also giving away a free copy. 
Alyson: Thanks for inviting me to your blog, Mary Emma. I’m honored to have you on the blog tour.
Mary Emma: Since there are numerous books out there with advice about promotion …read more