Get The Record Straight
March 13, 2020
Why & how to keep simple and effective records for your creative business
Have you ever found yourself frantically searching your studio or phoning around your galleries and sales outlets for a particular piece because it’s ideal for an upcoming exhibition or a customer has seen it on your website and wants to buy it? In any situation like this time is of the essence. The sooner you can respond to a request for your artwork the more likely it is that it will get in front of the right audience. This is true whether the purpose is to sell it or not. Record keeping is the key to making your art business run smoothly.
How to get more time to create…
As an artist your main priority is the act of creating and the more time you can dedicate to this the better. So, the less times you have to down your tools and step out of your creative headspace the better. One of the keys to ensuring that you spend as little time as possible stepping out of that space is being organised with your record keeping. Spending a little time each month to review your records will save you lots of time in the long run and better still ensure that you can take advantage of any opportunity to get the right eyes on your work.
Here are 3 steps to getting your records straight
Step 1.
List
Take a day, or two if necessary, to go through your existing stock of pieces and build a comprehensive stock list. Do this in whatever manner suits you best but make sure it’s something that can be easily read and updated. Excel is a good and simple choice but a dedicated notebook is just as good for record keeping.
Step 2.
Outlets
Now that you have a stock list made of the pieces in your studio you must add in any that are on exhibition in any of your sales outlets. Don’t forget your website and any online galleries or listings that have your work displayed.
Step 3.
Revise
Use this process to remove any pieces you are no longer happy with, make a list of all the pieces that need changing or finishing and also make note of where new pieces are going, if they are for an upcoming exhibition, for example or if you have a collector waiting to visit to see them.
When you have done this once it is easy to update it going forward. It’s a good idea to do a records and stock review every month. The 2020 Curates Creative Careers Monthly Review cheat sheet is the perfect addition to your routine. It prompts you to cover all the relevant areas and keep you records up to date efficiently so you can get back to creating. Download it for free via the button below!
2020 Creative Careers Via Video Call
2020 Creative Careers advice sessions and mentoring is now available via video call so no need to leave the comfort of home to avail of expert assistance with understanding the art world and reaching your goals. Get in touch for more information.
[…] Make sure that your website is up to date and that you have a clear idea of what work you have available for sale. If you need help getting a good record keeping practice in place check out the 2020 Curates guide HERE […]