Insane Imaginings, Random Reveries & Other Creative Cogitation

I finished up day 7 of the SmArtist Telesummit and I can tell you, brain full now.

One thing made eminently clear to me as that I have to work on marketing myself.  So 2010 because the Year of Marketing for me.   I have made it my mission to deal with this deep dark hole in my business plan.

Its an scary proposition for an artist.  The accountant in me always has some ready accounting, tax, business, human resources factoid to whip out an a moments notice, but art is not easy to talk about. It is a visual medium.  So I guess I will be showing a lot more art in my blog in coming days.  If I can’t talk about it, at least you can look at it.

Then maybe something will occur to me.

On other fronts, I know I need to chose a style of the moment and develop it into a consistent body of work which makes the schizophrenic artist in me squirm.  “What do you mean I can’t do a landscape if  I want to?” Of course I can still do a landscape if I want, but I will be promoting something different  – probably – I haven’t made up my mind which body of work I am going to focus on yet. I am leaning toward my representational abstracts.  I have heard them described as mysterious. It sounds good anyway.

I also have a lot of work to do on the Social Media front.  Holy cow, I didn’t know there was so much of that out there.  Facebook Fan pages? Who knew?  Tweetmeme? Twollow? Tweetdeck?  RSS feeds?  It is overwhelming. But at least I know if I work it bit by bit, eventually a whole will emerge.

Also somewhere amidst this mental chaos I also have to continue to create.

Whoever said Art is not a real job?!

Got anything to say?  Would love to hear it.

Jake

Artist, AKAJake.com Come Experience the Art!

The art work in this blog is federally copyrighted. All reproduction and publishing copyrights are retained by the artist. Images are not to be copied, re-distributed, imitated, derived OR otherwise used in any form without the explicit written permission of the artist.

So lately I have found myself making moves, which has the accountant in me is screaming, “This is fiscally irresponsible. “  The artist in me is telling the accountant, “put a sock in it.”

It started with the Biennale.

The accountant in me:  “$8,000 in estimated expenses?  Are you kidding me?  We don’t have the money.”

The artist:  “Everyone (who matters to me) is telling me I must go; it’s a ticket to the show.  I am going.”

The accountant in me:  “But it’s $8,000.”

The artist:  “I will find a way to make this happen…”

You get the idea.

The artist won on the Florence Biennale, but the benefit of attending the Florence Biennale is not financially obvious.  The artist still sees the intangible benefits I did receive.  The accountant is still grumbling. What were the benefits?

• The networking opportunities with like minded artists are unbelievable. All participants passed through the same ring of fire that I did and came out at the other side.  The Biennale is a band pass filter that indicates a level of commitment to your art.
• Some artists faced far more difficulty than I did getting there-risking their lives, jail…  for some other artists getting there was just another day on the job, but for me getting there was an accomplishment.
• After talking to many of these other like minded individuals my vision of my art has expanded.
• I did it without winding up homeless (I am absolutely sure for many of you reading this, that fear is one of your fears too).  I conquered my fear.

What am I talking about then?  A paradigm shift.  I perceive my world differently. The accountant is all doom and gloom, fiscal responsibility.  Reacting to the down economy by want to draw all resources inward and conserve them until the sun comes out again. The artist is telling the accountant, “You have no vision.  Besides, look around little accountant dude, the world is currently full of people who followed all the rules and wound up bankrupt anyway…”

The accountant in me certain has its place, don’t get me wrong.  The accountant knew it was going to cost 8 grand to get to the Biennale. The accountant can organize a plan.  Knowing what you need to accomplish something is useful too. But I needed to curtail the accountant’s powers to some extent as the accountant is fully aware of the worst case scenario and plans for it, but really, does it usually get that bad?

Anyway, so today I read someone else’s blog and the words for this change in my perspective clicked.  I thought, “Oh. That is what is going on.”  When I create, I create.  The whole process from beginning to end unfolds without regard for worldly distractions; I have a vision and it will be expressed in its complete form.  But when I am not painting I respond to the world reactively.  I don’t know about you but these last few years have given me a lot to react to.

The shift: What I have started to do is apply the creative process to my life.  Rather than responding to deeply depressing state of affairs in the national economy, I am moving on.  I have no power over the deeply depressing state of affairs in the national economy, why am I giving it power over me.  I no longer want to be a flakey artist when I grow up-I will be a flakey artist when I grow up.  It’s the difference between a dream and a vision.

The area that I have always been weak at is marketing me.  My mission this year is to address that defect head on.  Since I have been unable to do it by myself, I am buying the tools I need to make this happen.  I am taking classes, and doing my homework and embracing the idea that for a while I will have to spend more time on this stuff than painting. Yes I am spending money on something other than the art-for me it is a lot of money.

But I realize do need to keep painting to be ready to take advantage of opportunities as needs arise.

Oh, and I have given the accountant another thing to squawk about.  Remember that Biennale networking I was talking about?  That network has presented the opportunity for a mere $1000 to show in NY and get the full court press of publicity from NY Arts Magazine. It’s the publicity that is the thing. Oh yeah, little accounting dude is screaming.  The artist is saying, “Shut up, obviously I have work to do.”

What are your thoughts?

Yours in art,

Jake

Artist, AKAJake.com Come Experience the Art!

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The art work in this blog is federally copyrighted. All reproduction and publishing copyrights are retained by the artist. Images are not to be copied, re-distributed, imitated, derived OR otherwise used in any form without the explicit written permission of the artist.

I thought I had already posted this, but I guess I spaced it. I wrote is a few weeks ago.

Of course now that I am back from the Biennale and the information is of no current use to me, I have found out what those temporary importation licenses are called; Tawera Tahuri  of New Zealand told me this thing is called a Carnet.  I Googled “carnet” and bingo up pops the USCIS website which is where US folks would apply for one.  Most of the following is copied from the USCIS website.

CAVEAT: I have not ever obtained a Carnet so there may be nuances I am missing.  For example, I recall the EPS wanted artists using them to ship to the Biennale to get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) in our given name to use in their shipping process somehow-my guess is that it may be necessary somewhere…

Moving along…

“Carnets are “Merchandise Passports.” They are international customs documents that simplify customs procedures for the temporary importation of various types of goods.  In the US two types are issued: ATA and TECRO/AIT Carnets. “

• “ATA Carnets ease the temporary importation of commercial samples (CS), professional equipment (PE), and goods for exhibitions and fairs (EF).  They facilitate international business by avoiding extensive customs procedures, eliminating payment of duties and value-added taxes (minimum 20% in Europe, 27% in China), and replacing the purchase of temporary import bonds.” This would have been the one desired for shipping to Italy via FedEx etc.
• “TECRO/AIT Carnets, used between the U.S.  and Taiwan only, appear similar to, and serve the same function as the ATA Carnet.  TECRO/AIT Carnets result from a bilateral agreement between the US and Taiwan, covering only commercial samples (CS), and professional equipment (PE).  Merchandise entering countries in addition to Taiwan may also be accompanied by an ATA Carnet.”

Benefits of a Carnet:

• “Carnets are valid for one year,
• “Are accepted in over 75 countries and territories-see list below,
• “Eliminate value-added taxes (VAT), duties, and the posting of security normally required at the time of importation,
• “Simplify customs procedures.
• “Carnets allow a temporary exporter to use a single document for all customs transactions, make arrangements in advance, and at a predetermined cost,
• “Facilitate reentry into the US (and presumably other countries of origin) by eliminating the need to register the goods with US Customs (and presumably other countries of origin) at the time of departure.

“CARNETS DO NOT EXEMPT HOLDERS FROM OBTAINING NECESSARY LICENSES OR PERMITS.

“Merchandise Covered by Carnets: Virtually all goods, including commercial samples, professional equipment, and items for trade shows and exhibitions, including display booths, ordinary goods such as computers, tools, cameras and video equipment, industrial machinery, automobiles, gems and jewelry, and wearing apparel, extraordinary items, for example, Van Gogh Self-portrait, Ringling Brothers tigers, Cessna jets, Paul McCartney’s band instruments, World Cup class yachts, satellites, human skulls, and the New York Philharmonic.” We artists moving sculpture and other artwork around fall into this extraordinary category. “Carnets DO NOT cover: consumable or disposable goods (e.g., food and agriculture products) giveaways, or postal traffic.

The List of Carnet Countries (as of December 30, 2009) on the USCIB website: Algeria, Andorra, Aruba , Australia, Austria, Balearic Islands, Belarus, Botswana, Bulgaria, Canada, Canary Islands, Ceuta, Chile, China, Corsica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Isle Of Man, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jersey, Korea , Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Melilla, Miquelon, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Poland,  Portugal, Puerto Rico, Reunion Island, Romania, Russia, Senegal , Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, St.  Barthelemy, St.  Martin, French Side, St.  Pierre, Swaziland,  Sweden, Switzerland,  Tahiti , Taiwan*,  Tasmania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Wallis & Futuna Island

(Wow – I have never even heard of some of these places)

There are three basic components to the Carnet application process:

1. General list
2. Carnet application, and
   
3. Security deposit.

Basic processing fees are determined by the value of a shipment.  In the US fees range from $210-$350 and the normal processing time is about two working days…  Payment usually can be made in the form of a check, money order, or credit card…  In the US as the National Guaranteeing Association, USCIB (United States Council for International Business) is required to take security, usually 40% of shipment value, to cover any customs claim that might result from a misused Carnet.  Acceptable forms of security are certified check or surety bond.  Cash deposits are returned in full and surety bonds are terminated upon Carnet cancellation.

So if you get a Carnet, presumably you can use whatever shipper you desire, but I still would go with one that ships between your country and Italy so you have no issues dealing with getting your stuff shipped back home.

I really would have like to have had this information – I dunno – back in September perhaps?  But I am getting more and more educated in international shipping.

Thanks to Tawera Tahuri of New Zealand for the clue.

If you have further knowledge of international shipping of art please share it with us all.

Yours in art,

Jake

Artist, AKAJake.com Come Experience the Art!

PS. I am still looking for Sponsors & Contributing Patrons to help me pay the $7651.31 I charged to attend this event; this amount is the sum all the receipts I can find relating to the trip-about $4,000 is the Biennale artist’s share, then hotel & airfare, plus packaging for my art, taxis, meals in Italy, postage and other incidental expenses. I have raised about $2079 in donations-many thanks to those who have contributed to this event.  But I need more assistance and every little bit helps.

The art work in this blog is federally copyrighted. All reproduction and publishing copyrights are retained by the artist. Images are not to be copied, re-distributed, imitated, derived OR otherwise used in any form without the explicit written permission of the artist.

Sorry to have fallen of the Blog planet for so long.  Holidays.  Was busy living instead of writing blogs.  I hope you all were enjoying the holidays as well.

It’s the Happy New Year now and I am back. At the moment I am considering how to use Social Networks as a marketing tool.  Quite frankly I know very little about it.

Sure I have a MySpace account, a Linked-In account, a FaceBook account, a Twitter account, a Manta account, my websites ArtandBusinessConsulting.com & AKAJake.com and blogs ArtandBusinessConsulting.com/blog/ & AKAJake.com/blog/ but how does one use them to market your business?

So this will likely be the topic of several of my next blogs as I see how these accounts can be used to market one’s business.

In the meantime if you have any insights to offer please feel free to post them.  I would love to hear from you.

Today, I updated my Linked-In account, attempted to update Manta which hung up for some unknown reason, posted my first Tweet in a long time, and posted a new blog entry on MySpace and now here.  It seems that Linked-In  will follow my Tweets and my blog on ArtandBusinessConsulting.com and Manta will also follow my Tweets so I guess I should use Twitter more often.

Yours in art,

Jake

Artist, AKAJake.com Come Experience the Art!

PS. I am still looking for Sponsors & Contributing Patrons to help me pay the $7651.31 I charged to attend this event; this amount is the sum all the receipts I can find relating to the trip-about $4,000 is the Biennale artist’s share, then hotel & airfare, plus packaging for my art, taxis, meals in Italy, postage and other incidental expenses. I have raised about $2079 in donations-many thanks to those who have contributed to this event.  But I need more assistance and every little bit helps.

The art work in this blog is federally copyrighted. All reproduction and publishing copyrights are retained by the artist. Images are not to be copied, re-distributed, imitated, derived OR otherwise used in any form without the explicit written permission of the artist.