Knocking on Doors

Some of you have probably noticed that my posts have been relatively sparse for this month. The main reason is because at the beginning of April, I caught a nasty cold, lost my voice, and was completely out of commission for a good week and a half. I spent the following week recovering, and this week I am just now starting to catch up. Since getting sick basically forced me to go on hiatus from the studio, I decided to use this time to work on some promotional tasks. These tasks can be done mostly online, so I’ve been able to just work on my laptop while also physically resting these past few weeks. Spending time on publicity makes me feel a little less guilty about not being in the studio.

Since giving a lecture based on my book for the RISD graduate program in Teaching + Learning in Art + Design a few weeks ago, I’ve been inspired to try and bring the lecture to other places. (I did have that lecture videotaped, so that video will be coming soon)

I strongly believe in taking the initiative to knock on doors. In the past, I’ve had success securing exhibitions and teaching positions simply by contacting people and telling them that I was available and interested.  So I have concrete proof that knocking on doors does work. The tough part is that you have to put in an immense amount of labor and time to actually get results.

I sent out over 80 emails to specific people at schools, museums, and artist associations throughout New England. Out of those 80+ emails, I heard back from 23 people who expressed interest. Whether those responses will turn into actual invitations remains to be seen, but it’s a good start.

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