Dear Artist, Recent studies of more than 5,000 people by social scientists Dr. Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler show that happiness is contagious. The happy people you know are party to your own happiness. Moreover, the happy people you do…
Dear Artist, You may not have heard of Carl von Clausewitz. Back in the early nineteenth century he wrote “On War,” a brilliant treatise that is read and taught in military academies to this day. His observations were based on…
Dear Artist, Some folks are in the business of helping artists get what they want. Alyson B. Stanfield, for example, has been coaching artists since 2002. “Artists need intimate conversations with artists who have found success,” says Alyson, “Many artists…
Dear Artist, Yesterday, Catherine Stock wrote, “I wonder if you have any thoughts about channeling negative energy into creative endeavors. The other day, one of my most valued friends and I parted company. I was pretty upset by his obviously…
Dear Artist, Yesterday, Shelley Burke wrote from Chelsea, Quebec: “Recently I’ve been treating myself to copying some important artists and their paintings that I admire. Is it okay to put these reproductions on the market, while always crediting the original…
Dear Artist, Recently, Linda Menke of Sarasota, Florida, asked, “Is it expected or appropriate to send a thank-you note to the person who buys your painting? A local artist did this for us when we bought one of his. It…
Dear Artist, The making of every work of art is a series of fated moves. Sometimes, bad moves are so frequent that work goes into self-destruct. Professionals and amateurs alike are prone to the problem. An occasional mess comes with…
Dear Artist, Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book, Outliers, has some implications for artists. Like his other books, The Tipping Point and Blink, it’s a refreshing pop-culture examination of well-worked subject matter. Outliers is about the phenomenon of success — what impedes…
Dear Artist, Exactly one year ago today we received the first 3000 copies of my self-published coffee table book, Love Letters to Art. Ceiling-high, it was like The Great Wall of China straddling my studio. Simultaneously, deliveries were made to…
Dear Artist, In my part-time, unpaid job as an art coach, I hear from folks who are suffering from lackadaisicalitis. While they may be naturally talented, they seldom produce art and have little motivation. It’s easy to say they don’t…