Well, it seems that I have "fallen over the edge" and am going to attempt #the100dayproject. So far, I know I have at least one co-conspirator in @gillianpearce, and maybe — or not — @nickydee. But there's no fixed starting date, so people can join in at any time.
Matched design "Chakra Stone Set"
Which is all well and fine, but it also feels a bit like a New Year's Resolution: we jump into something with a lot of enthusiasm because "it sounds good" but we don't have any clear sense of what we're actually doing, or a trying to accomplish.
I know a thing or two about why ostensible "inspirational programs" have worked poorly for me, in the past. And I know some thing about the rare occasions on which they did work out.
For one, I need structure.
Not just the "structure" of knowing I have to do this every day, but an actual framework with checkboxes for what has to be done daily... so it really stares me in the face when some of the boxes are not checked.
Yes, I'm slightly autistic, in certain ways. It's part of the reason I am really good at painting tiny patterns on rocks!
Stones "curing" after getting their finish coat, last summer
Building a Daily Template/To-do List
So the point of this undertaking is that I want to recover ground lost due to almost three years of Covid disturbances; no art shows; lost retail outlets; cratered online business. I also want to "get back in the habit" of creating, and to develop a habit of using social media effectively to promote my work.
Daily CREATIVE Effort
Which will consist of sitting down every day and painting something; whether it be a complete design(s), or finish work or whatever. "Listing something on Etsy" will not count! Writing a Hive post about creating will not count.
Daily PUBLICITY Effort
Every day, share at least one post to the Alchemy Stones Twitter/X, at least one post to the Alchemy Stones Facebook page; at least one post to the Alchemy Stones Instagram page. Anything beyond that is a bonus; consistency is the key.
Daily PROOF-OF-WORK Effort
Every day, publish a daily update to Hive, sharing the day's cretive work/promo efforts.
Gonna cut myself a bit of slack on that one, as writing proper posts takes time, and time is a precious commodity around here. So if I hit 75 of 100 days, I'll consider it a success!
Heart stones might be a bit prosaic, but the most popular type I do
One More Thing, Before We Go!
Benchmarking
Perhaps this also points back to my autistic tendencies... it's one thing to throw yourself off a cliff and into a major challenge, quite another to determine whether you actually accomplished something.
Sure, you can say things like "It FELT successful!" but whereas I appreciate the feelz of something, I like to know, as well.
So — mostly because this is about developing a solid marketing and promotional habit — I'm going to post one more time before we start up in earnest... this time just with a bunch of data/stats on where my social media and sales accounts are now, at the start of the experiment...
That way, I have something to compare to, 100 days down the road, to see whether the effort was actually worth it.
Made for a December holiday show, 2023
I should mention that a large part of my underlying motivation is what I wrote about a week or so ago, about Managed Art Publicity Programs, which easily cost thousands of dollars, and are hardly relevant to the world of a struggling artist.
But this is all, for now!
I appreciate you coming to visit and please do leave a comment if you feel so inclined!
Thank You!
If you enjoy painted rocks, do check out The Hive Rocks Project and help spread the word about Hive, while also being creative!
Because I am trying to make some semblance of income — a part time living, even — I now add this footer to all my posts, in the hope that someone, somewhere, might decide to take a further look at my work, and perhaps consider supporting independent art.
Thank you, in advance, for your consideration and support!
My Alchemy Stones Patreon appeal
Alchemy Stones web site and blog
Regardless, your upvotes and comments are always appreciated!
Thank you for supporting independent art!
2024.02.18 AS-TXT-198/166