Cake image from The Cake NinjaNo, not a real Elephant. Eewwwww!!! 

I'm talking about how to accomplish something that seems very large and overwhelming, like managing your art business and marketing your art certainly can. 

I KNOW how it feels. I'm faced with it every day of my life, just like you. And a few years ago, after I got over the realization that I would have to INVEST more time, money and brain power into myself and my business than I ever dreamed, I got v-e-r-y overwhelmed and wanted to run away. And sometimes I did. I'd hide under the covers and mutter things like, "Oh My Gawd! This is going to cost me thousands!!"

And then I did something smart and hired Aletta de Wal for some one-on-one coaching time (hint: you should too) and she taught me something wonderful:  She told me, "Yes, you do have to invest in yourself, but you don't have to do it all at once."  She said, "I know times are tough and it seems overwhelming, but if you DO NOTHING, no one will know who you are."  She suggested that I make a list of all the things I wanted to do for my business and my marketing. Then she said to start with the smallest. And I did, and then I did the next thing, and the next, and pretty soon my business was doing better than it ever had.

How do you "Eat an Elephant"?  One bite at a time.

PLEASE, I know times are tough and it's soooooo tempting to stop investing, to stop spending money on your business and marketing. But I'm telling you, it's a mistake. Yes, be frugal, be wise, have a long-term plan and keep going, just don't stop. 

P.S. Soooo, for those of you who have pondered whether or not licensing your work would be something good to do, here is a first step:  Take this class, it's on Thursday 3/10/10 (that's in two days if you're reading this blog post on the day I wrote it). Really, this is good stuff: 

Five Things Artists Should Consider Before Deciding to License Your Art. It's only $29.95 and THAT is a wise investment in your future. Come on now, just do it. Skip the double vanilla caramel lattes for a couple of weeks and you've covered the cost. See, that wasn't so hard. Get the info and register by clicking here. And when you're wildly successful write to me and we'll celebrate with a yummy elephant cake!