New Year's Resolutions

Well I've been working on a few, so I figured I might as well put them in writing (maybe that will help me stick to them this year!)  Here they are in no particular order:

• Paint! I've been on a roll with painting lately, and the daily painting idea really inspires me at the moment.  I'm starting to have a consistent body of work again, and by this time next year I should have PILES of work (unless I've sold it all!)
• Take advantage of non-traditional exhibit venues.  There's a local bank that I'm putting work together for right now.  They love the idea of having a show of my work (we're working out the details soon.)  There's also a high end hand-crafted furniture store that I've done lots of work with musically that I'm approaching about carrying some paintings.
• Enter Juried Exhibitions.  I've made a list of a half-dozen or so of the more important ones to me and logged their entry deadlines on the calendar.  I used to enter exhibits regularly back in the college days, but haven't been doing so much lately. 
• Submit work to galleries.  I've been keeping a list of potential galleries to approach, their submission guidelines, and dates that they review portfolios.  I'm planning to make the rounds to visit several in person again and see if they'd be a good fit for me.  I've exhibited in three galleries before, with mixed results.  I'm trying to approach it in a more organized fashion this time around.
• Amplify my internet presence. I have a new website (http://www.marknesmith.com/), and now this blog and a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/marknesmithart).  Now I'm working on what Alyson Stanfield refers to as "leaving your virtual footprint all over the internet" in her book I'd rather be in the studio! I'm working on joining some other sites and webrings to create a network with other artists and art lovers. Her book is full of practical advise to help build an art career, and alot of what I've been doing lately comes from her information.  If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend you grab a copy.  You can find out more about her at http://www.idratherbeinthestudio.com/

I have lots of other personal goals as well (lose weight, spend more time with kids, etc.), and some hefty music goals as well (top of the list is finish recording CD of my songs), so it's shaping up to be a busy year.  I have the ultimate long range goal of being able to earn my living from my artwork and music.  The music side of life has been doing pretty well, and if I can get my art income to match what my music income was last year then I'd have a full-time salary.  I can actually see that it's possible now, and that's an amazing feeling! I hope you're all setting a few goals for yourself, and I hope you accomplish them all.  Here's to all of us having a better year than the last!