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Stake in the Ground
By A | November 14, 2007
Knowing Where You’re Going Makes Getting There Simpler
In The Guerilla Exhibitor™ [GX], the first day of the 12-week course is devoted to identifying and overcoming internalized beliefs that stop many artists in pursuing their heart’s desire - making a living as an artist ON THEIR OWN TERMS. We move through the many obstacles we confront as artists throughout the day, and at the end create a Vision Statement that captures for us the essence of what we do as a creative being, and why.
Once we are armed with the power of our own Vision we can move onto the second foundational piece of the Guerilla Exhibitor process - defining the dream event that becomes our Stake in the Ground.
The importance of the Stake in the Ground is that it gives us the target we need to aim our intention, much like an archer uses the bulls-eye to guide the direction he is shooting and steady his aim.
DEFINING THE STAKE
To define the Stake, GX participants are lead in a series of exercises that spotlight the artist and their work. Each person is asked to completely let go of everything they know or think they know about what works and what doesn’t, and to paint a picture for themselves, and their classmates, an event that makes their heart sing.
Many people already have enough experience in life to KNOW how to do this - but EMOTIONALLY this can be a difficult step in the process of an artist’s pursuit of happiness. The idea of taking an action toward what often is considered a lost cause, or “just your hobby”, and creating a career that produces a living wage doing something you love can feel unreal. An artist’s mind can immediately fill with reasons why this is ridiculous to hope for, or are embarrassed by the idea of being in the spotlight, or any number of other thoughts that lead an artist to stop dead in their tracks.
This is the point where the Vision Statement comes in–when those doubts and internal naysayers are revving up to a scream. In the course, we have the artist check in with her Vision Statement to remind her of what she is REALLY up to, and with a little help from the group and the course leader, she begins to paint a detailed picture of what would thrill her to their core.
We start by brainstorming particulars. For example, if our artist is a painter, the brainstorm list might include items like these:
THE EXHIBIT
- The opening is at Urban Artist Gallery, Portland OR, First Friday - June 6th 2008 from 6 to 10 p.m.
- 18 NEW oil paintings were on display
- My artist’s statement included my Vision Statement and a bit about how the paintings evolved, who and what inspired them, what they are expressing from my point-of-view
- There were price lists, with thumbnail images, that people could take with them as they looked at my paintings
- Reproductions of the paintings were available for people who could not afford the original paintings, but wanted a piece of my work in their home or office. Other bought packets of note cards.
- There were fresh flowers all throughout the gallery, donated by my favorite florist in exchange for promotion on the pricelist, in the announcements and releases, as well as her business cards being made available by each floral setting.
- The event is catered by a new business in the neighborhood, happy to provide food at the event at cost - and who also received promotional considerations for the donation of his talents and skills.
WHO ATTENDED
- There were over 75 people in attendance - my family, people who’ve bought my work in the past, interior designers and architects I contacted who I thought would resonant with my work, journalists, other gallery owners I’d been creating a relationship with over time, people in my husband’s world who are in start-up phases or expanding their businesses who might be potential purchasers of my work for their offices.
THE OUTCOME OF THE EVENT
- 9 paintings sold at an average price of $275
- 10 reproductions sold at $25 a piece
- 15 sets of note cards sold at $20 a set
- 30 new people signed up for my mailing list
- I was interviewed by 2 reporters, one from the Oregonian, the other from Portland Monthly
- A gallery owner approached me about joining his gallery and we have an appointment to meet next week
WHAT A MOST CHERISHED PERSON SAYS TO ME and WHAT A MOST DESPISED, NAY-SAYER TYPE PERSON SAYS TO ME about this event when it is over and successful.
- My mother is so proud of me, she’s almost speechless, grinning from ear-to-ear and I overhear her say to her best friend, “Now THAT’s the way to succeed!” (CHERISHED)
- My high school art teacher, Mrs. Harville, came to the opening, stayed for quite a while spending time with each painting, and when she’d seen enough she approached me and said, “I was wrong about your style - it’s unique and breathtaking, and your subject matter is poignant. Thank you for proving me wrong.” And then she turned around to leave and I detained her, and introduced her to my mother… (NAYSAYER)
Now these two parts of the design of the event are important. It’s with these two statements that the artist really gets down to what they want to hear from the people who’ve had a real influence on their lives - positive and negative.
We don’t guarantee that these people will say these things at the event. But what we do guarantee is that if the artist allows herself to FEEL the great feeling it brings about to imagine hearing these things, that feeling will buoy her as she continues with the process and face whatever challenges comes along her way.
WHY INCLUDE NUMBERS
Just as games are played with specific outcomes in mind, and ways of measuring whether or not you’ve won the game, you include specific outcomes in designing your event to help guide you toward what you define as success.
In the end the numbers will likely be different. The important thing is to assign numbers to the plan, numbers that seem reasonable to you, as it gives you a point to start your research, and to begin exploring what’s possible for your event. By doing this you give yourself a powerful tool for taking specific actions needed to achieve the outcome you desire.
ENGAGING YOUR IMAGINATION
Once you’ve defined the outcome, it’s time to engage your imagination. IMAGINE selling 9 artworks at the price you set. IMAGINE being interviewed for a news article about the motivation behind your art by two reporters from two different publications. IMAGINE your mean old 4th grade art teacher who told you that your painting sucked because you painted “outside” the lines, attending your show, seeing those 9 red dots, and having nothing to say to you because he’s speechless. IMAGINE being exhausted AND hyper at the end of the opening, sitting with your favorite people, all of you basking together in your success.
There’s juice in your imagination and allowing yourself to experience what you define as success – it helps you focus on what you truly want as an outcome. And it’s this focus that then allows us to take the next stage in defining, and then achieving, this goal - Reverse Event Planning.
NEXT Issue: Reverse Event Planning | Ensuring the Outcome You Desire, One Backward Step at a Time
To Art and the Power it Brings to Our Lives!
A.
a@workingartistsonline.com
Topics: Guerilla Exhibitor |
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One Response to “Stake in the Ground”
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December 4th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
[...] your spirit – it is the motivation behind that which you do in your life and your art. The Stake in the Ground (an event about you and your art) is your mind’s expression of that Vision and provides it with a [...]