It is not too late to order some great small gifts for the holiday season that showcase your art. I sell notecards and a yearly calendar that feature a lot of my paintings. What's the best thing about a calendar? There is a good chance the owner of the calendar will look at your art every single day. That's right!

Head on over to my favorite online printing service Vistaprint. They have already started their Black Friday sale and their calendars are 60% off if you use the coupon code BESTDEALS. Their full color 8.5" x 11" wall calendars cost only $7.20 with the discount. If you order any of the wall calendars be sure to pay the one time upgrade charge to get Premium Glossy Card Stock. It's totally worth it. Their full color notecards are only $6.00 for 10 cards and envelopes. Don't wait because their sale is on until 11.29.16. 
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​You can sell these on your website or just order them for your customers as gifts. Of course it's up to you!

I have a tendency to make things way harder than they should be. I have to remind myself to just open my eyes and look right in front of me. The answer is often right there.

I tend to over think, over research and spend hours looking for a better answer. I think I am afraid to trust my own instincts and thus I have to make sure there isn't a better answer. It's silly because most times I end up right back where I was days earlier.

This past weekend we were in Venture and I spent some time hunting for sea glass. On Saturday morning I spent hours digging in the rocks with my foot trying to find that rare piece of aqua or cobalt blue glass. I came home with a lot of glass but it took a long time. On Sunday I decided to only look for glass on the top of the rocks. I literally stood there and waited for tone of the huge waves to come in. Then I collected all of the new glass brought to the shore with the wave. It was easy and fun and the pieces of glass were twice the size! And I found lots of aqua and cobalt blue!

In my workshops my students often claim "I can't find anything to paint!". That's when I tell them to head outside the studio and paint the first thing they see. The I tell them to turn to their right and paint that too. Then I suggest they turn again and paint that too.

It's amazing how the answer is usually right in front of us. So next time you are struggling, open your eyes and see what's staring right back at you. It just might be the answer you were looking for all along.

It is so easy to hide behind your email. I do it all of the time. I don't do it on purpose. It's just easier to email someone than pick up the phone and call. 

So I am making a promise to myself. And I think you should join me. From today on, I am going to pick up the phone. And talk to my clients, students and friends. Sure, I will still email and text. But I don't like that I sometimes "hide" behind my email and text messages. My preferred method of communication is going to be talking. Not texting. Or emailing. 

Of course this may not work with my three sons. They have a tendency to text me when I leave them a voice message on their phones. They are not big talkers on the phone. I guess I need to try to change that too. 

Wish me luck.

Stop for a second and ask yourself, "Who were your first customers?". For most of us I think it's safe to say that friends were some of our first customers. Friends are a fantastic group of supporters. They love what you do, they promote what you do. And I think you can get them even more involved in your art. 

What about asking one of your friends to host an art show for you at their house? Some of your closest friends will gladly open their home to your friends and their friends. (Of course you should always gift them something they would treasure. Probably one of your paintings!)

Many of us have a lot of paintings hanging around our studios. What about asking some of your friends to showcase your art on their walls? There is a likely chance they would love to have some of your art for a while to hang on their walls. And the visibility could be fabulous! 

You can also ask them to share your social media posts and even invite your friends to a fun cocktail/painting party so they can see what you do! The more involved they are the more fun you will all have!