Category: Art Business & Entrepreneurship

Posted on

Upcoming Art Reception and Double Book Launch Party – Details!

 

Have you heard? In just a few weeks on December 5th, 2018, I’m having an Art Reception and Double Book Launch Party! 

But…what does that mean, exactly? What goes on at a triple event like this? 

Read on to find out the details! 

 

First, the Necessary Details

Venue:

First off, let’s get some of the necessary details out of the way. This event is going to be at the New Moon Cafe. This recently renovated cafe has a gorgeous and cozy (but spacious) seating room in the back, delicious food, and warm drinks! It’s located at 150 Cherry Street in Burlington, VT. 

Parking:

The New Moon Cafe is conveniently located just across the street from one of the parking garages! You can enter the parking garage on Cherry Street, less than a block from the cafe. The first two hours are free, and then I think it goes to $3, and up $2 for each of the next hours you’re there. There may also be parking available on the street. 

Date and Time: 

This triple event will take place on Wednesday, December 5th, 4-6pm. 

RSVP Info: 

You can RSVP to this event on the Facebook page I’ve created HERE, or you can simply email me to let me know you’re hoping to make it! Email me at: corrinathurston@gmail.com or go to my contact form HERE. You are absolutely allowed to bring friends! 

 

Now, What To Expect! 

Art Reception:

If you’ve ever been to one of my art events, speeches, or workshops, you know I’m a relatively low-key person. I like to keep my art receptions that way as well. You don’t have to dress up or come prepared with any “art talk,” instead I want you to be comfortable and relax and enjoy the artwork. 

New Moon Cafe is a great atmosphere for a reception like this, and as you stroll into their back seating area, you’ll see my pencil artwork framed and lit along the wall on the right. At the reception, you’ll also see me, wearing a black dress and a smile, probably standing by a banner and a table full of fun products featuring my artwork! 

There’s no rules for my art receptions and I want to make the artwork as accessible as possible, so feel free to walk up close to it to see those tiny details I’m known for, read my artist statement that’s hanging on the wall, and come talk to me about your favorite piece! 

This exhibit is special because it is the VERY FIRST TIME some of these drawings have been on display! That includes my Black Rhino drawing and my Lion Cub drawing, both of which are part of my current series called Threatened & Endangered. Those two pieces, along with the African Elephant, are the centerpiece of this exhibit! You have to see these drawings in person! 

Sneak peek at part of the display…

Surrounding those striking black and white drawings are some of my best and brightest colored pencil drawings of animals that are also considered threatened, endangered, vulnerable, or are on their way there. That’s why this exhibit is called: Disappearing Act…

Double Book Launch Party:

But the art reception is only the beginning! Not only will I have a table of cool prints and products featuring my artwork (great gift-sized items for the holidays by the way…hint, hint, wink, wink…) I will also have a table full of BOOKS! 

This is going to be the first time ever that my first two books, How To Build Your Art Business with Limited Time or Energy, and How To Communicate Effectively – For Artists & Creatives, will be available in paperback form! 

A Little Background: 

In August of 2017, I released my first book as an e-book. I had no idea how it was going to do or if anyone would care it existed. But I felt the NEED to write it. I felt the NEED to get those thoughts out on paper and then share it with the world. Little did I know that within six months that e-book would become a #1 best-seller on Amazon in the Business of Art category and be listed as one of the Best Books for Artists on the Artsy Shark website! 

The response was amazing and readers from around the world started reaching out to tell me how much it was already helping them with their business and work-life balance. It was incredible, and some of the comments I kept getting the most were about my writing style. People kept telling me how easy the book was to read, how well I simplified things to make them doable, how articulate, warm, and conversational my writing was. 

Then I was asked to give a few speeches on the subjects within the books and I was told the same things: my speech style was conversational, accessible, warm, and friendly. I was told that I was articulate and comprehensive. 

This gave me a thought. Perhaps my next book should be about: Effective Communication. 

Communication, in any form, can be a difficult thing to learn, especially for those of us who like to express ourselves in other creative outlets, like art and music. So I once again got to writing and released my second book as an e-book just this past September (2018). 

Immediately after release I had a list of emails from people reaching out to tell me how much they were enjoying it, how helpful it was, and how they were going to spread it around to their creative and non-creative friends alike! 

From E-Book to Paperback:

If you’re like me, e-books are fine, but what you really want is a good old fashioned BOOK in your hand. You want to be able to smell it, feel it, write notes in it, and access any page you want without a struggle or needing a device to get to it. You want something you can show people, lend to people, something that feels real.

Well, thanks to the sales of the e-books, I was now able to bring my first book to life as a paperback! 

Excited beyond measure, I got to work formatting the files and signing contracts with my publisher, Onion River Press. After weeks of work, we submitted the book to the printer for a proof and I started playing around with the idea for a book launch party. 

Then it struck me. Should I also be doing my second book at the same time, or wait a few months?

It was already published as an e-book. I had the formatting and design for the printed versions fresh in my mind. 

So I called my publisher. “What if we did the second book, too? Could we get them both printed at once?”

Hmmm…

We decided to try and what had taken me a month to do for formatting the first book for the printed version, I now had to do for the second book in a week. Meanwhile I had received the proof for the first book and had to read through and edit that whole book to make sure it was set for printing. 

It was a loooooonnng week. 

By the end, we scrambled to get everything done and were successful in getting both books printed at the same time, and both in time for the book launch party I had planned for December 5th! 

Time To Party:

At a past art reception.

Now that the books are set, it’s time to celebrate! And I want to do so with as many of my friends, family, and fans as I can! So where better to do it than where I have my artwork on the walls, where they serve great food and warm, cozy beverages? 

The first hundred books of each of my two books will be SIGNED and NUMBERED! Plus if you come to the art reception and double book launch party, I will have pen in hand to write you a note in your copies! Just excuse my less than beautiful handwriting. 😉 

There will also be a brief READING from one of my books likely around 5pm where I will stand up and give a short thank you speech and then read a passage from one or both of the books. If you’ve read the books and have a suggestion for which chapter I should read from, I encourage you to leave a comment or email me! 

Have I mentioned there may also be cake? Yes! I mean, what’s a party without cake?!?

PLUS, the first 50 people there will get a free bookmark with my wildlife artwork on it! 

 

Can’t Make It? 

That’s okay! There will be lots of pictures from the night shared on my Facebook Page here, so you can enjoy it vicariously and celebrate with me on there, and you can also PRE-ORDER either or both of my books here! After the December 5th launch, the books will be available on my website, but until then, if you can’t make the launch, you can absolutely pre-order your copies! 

 

Have questions or comments? Feel free to leave a comment below or email me! 

Posted on

How to Hire Me as a Speaker & What to Expect

 

As an artist and a writer, I know how to express a message in a way that grabs the audience’s attention. I have an appreciation for words, but also know that cadence and movement, humor and storytelling, are what make a speech truly memorable. 

Like you, I’ve been witness to presentations that have left me wondering what they were about, ones where I was bored and watching the clock. 

That’s why I aim to engage with my audience and leave them with information they can take away and put to use immediately. 

 

I appreciate you considering me for your event. Please contact me here with any questions! 

“Working with Corrina was a joy. She helped us draw a great crowd for her presentation and delivered an insightful and informative talk.”

– Rob Hunter, Executive Director of Frog Hollow

More About Me

Back in 2008, at the age of 18, I was a freshman in college. I was planning to double-major in Anthropology and Biology, but after only a few months into my first semester, my life changed. 

Suddenly I was sick. Very sick. I struggled to stay in school as long as I could, but I had to medically withdraw partway through my second semester.

Being the type-A personality I was, a three-sport athlete and 4.0 student, I refused to give up. I tried going back to school the next Fall, and my illness once again overwhelmed me. It wasn’t long before my parents had to come collect me from my room and take me back home, where I was mostly bedridden for a number of years following. 

I was overwhelmed with a 24/7 migraine (if you can imagine), extreme fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, and more. Light made my eyes ache and noises made me wince in pain. I couldn’t even read or watch more than a few minutes of television.

I felt hopeless, useless, and like a burden on my family. 

Despite all the doctors I was seeing, no one could diagnose me or figure out what was wrong. Many turned me away.

Two years into my illness, I picked up a pencil and began drawing. I don’t know what compelled me to do so, but it was a turning point in my depression. It helped me focus on something other than the pain. It helped me feel like I was at least able to do something, I was at least able to be productive in some way.

Over the next few years I taught myself to draw from the confines of my bed, alone in my darkened room, just a little at a time as my migraine would allow. 

In 2014 I was finally diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, Bartonella, malfunctioning adrenal glands, two types of pneumonia, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, IBS, Endometriosis, and more. I’m on long-term treatment that is challenging, frustratingly slow, and yet thankfully has shown significant improvement over the last few years. 

Now my artwork, which began as a therapeutic outlet, has turned into a rewarding career. I’m now a professional wildlife artist, entrepreneur, business consultant, and author of the books, How To Build Your Art Business: With Limited Time Or Energy, and How To Communicate Effectively – For Artists & Creatives. 

(Check out the event page for an art reception and double book launch party on December 5th, 2018 here!)

“As the Vice President of the Swanton Arts Council and freelance artist, I found Corrina Thurston’s Workshops on “Creating your best artist statement” and “Social Media Marketing for Artists,” to be extremely resourceful and informative. Her workshop provided me with clear, easy to follow insight on how to promote my own art and help other artists do the same when I curate shows.  I love her suggestion to create multiple artist statements, written for specific purposes. I have never thought of using more than one. Brilliant! She is full of wisdom that is shared in such a humble way. Her ideas and advice can be easily applied immediately after her workshops.””

– Nicole Gadouas, Vice President of Swanton Arts Council

Where I Usually Speak

I usually speak at art galleries, high schools, colleges and universities, for organizations, non-profits, businesses, churches/religious organizations, etc. 

Different places tend to have different interests in what I speak about, so see below for what might be best for your event/organization. 

My Most Popular Speech Topics

  • What it’s really like to be a full-time working artist

This speech is typically geared toward art students in college, but can be tweaked to be used elsewhere. It uses humor and my experience as a full-time working artist to talk about what a lot of art schools don’t, which is if you’re a professional artist, you’re also an entrepreneur. It uses anecdotes and more than a pinch of sarcasm to talk about the business side of being an artist.

  • My story

Sometimes the best inspiration comes from people who have been through the worst experiences, and came through the other side in some way better than before. I’ve been chronically ill since 2008, including over six years undiagnosed and with no light at the end of the tunnel. My life was flipped and I was forced to adapt to my circumstances, despite how terrible they were, and make the best of them. And somehow, I came out the other side of the hell I was in, happier than I was before, a better person than I was before, and more grateful for what I have than I ever could have been before. 

  • How to maintain happiness, despite negative circumstances

I’ve been through hell. It took me time and research and experience to figure out ways to not let my circumstances drag me straight down to the full depths of depression. Now I know how to keep my spirits up even when life continues to throw me curveballs. I think it’s my job to make sure others know how to do the same.

I’m writing a book that will be released in 2019 that will address some of these topics called, How To Crush Self-Doubt & Gain Real Confidence. 

“I’m so delighted that I attended all three of Corrina’s workshops sponsored by the Swanton Arts Council. As an author of several series, I’m faced with not only having to market my work but also myself. Corrina offered fantastic tips and practice advice that showed me ways to get past self-doubt, gain confidence, and have a clear path forward. Thank you so much, Corrina!”

-Pat Esden, author of the Dark Heart and Northern Circle Coven series

  • Productivity

I’ve started and now run a business despite being chronically ill. I can’t work consistently, because I never know when I’m going to feel well and when I’m not, so I’ve learned techniques to be as productive as possible when I can work. This speech is directly coordinated with my book, How To Build Your Art Business: With Limited Time Or Energy, which has a focus on ways to make yourself extra productive with art and business (and everything else in life). 

  • The key to success – the ability to adapt

Sometimes you think you know what path your life is going to take. In reality, you have no control over what life is going to throw you, you can only control how you handle it. This one is especially good for high schools and colleges. 

  • How to conquer self-doubt and gain real confidence

I have severe anxiety. I used to have panic attacks every day. I was chronically ill and a burden on my family for many years, with no social circle. And I had a voice in my head that was constantly putting me down and doubting everything about myself. Trust me when I say, if I can learn to overcome my own self-doubt, fear, train myself to work with and calm my anxiety, and build back my self-confidence, you can too. This speech goes into detail with practical, easy takeaways for you to start building yourself up too, to become the confident, inspired person you want to be. 

I’m writing a book that will be released in 2019 that will address these topics called, How To Crush Self-Doubt & Gain Real Confidence. 

  • Goal-setting 

Most people have trouble meeting their goals. That’s because most people don’t know how to create the right goals for themselves. I’ve written blog posts and a chapter in my book about this topic as well. I go into detail about creating the right goals, goals that are measurable, the difference between what I call Summit and Step goals, how to not get overwhelmed, and more.

  • Artist topics like: how to create effective artist statements, how to talk about your creative work, email marketing, art marketing, social media tips, how to create an effective business plan, how to think like an entrepreneur, and more. 

I regularly speak on a number of topics that relate to my consulting and books about art business. How to communicate effectively, marketing tips and techniques, and more. This can be a one-time workshop/speech, or you can hire me for a series! 

 

“Corrina Thurston’s workshop on Creating An Effective Business Plan for artists at the SEABA Gallery was so worth the time. We learned about small steps and what to figure out. We left feeling: “Yea, we can do this.” We were photographers, ceramic artists, fiber artists, painters, cartoonists, jewelry makers, and more.”

                           – James Valastro, HenArt Cartoonist

What You Can Expect

Here’s what you can expect from me as you hire me to speak for your event or organization. 

  • Responsiveness: I respond quickly to any emails or phone calls and get back to you myself.
  • Professionalism: You can also expect full professionalism and timeliness throughout the entire process.
  • Consultation: I want to speak directly with you before the speech to make sure I know exactly what you’re hoping for with the talk or lecture.
  • Promotion: I will promote your event across my social media channels and on my website.
  • Good Delivery: Mixed with humor and full of practical takeaways, each speech is tailored for your audience and presented in a conversational tone.
  • Follow-Up: I always follow up afterwards for feedback and to make sure you’re satisfied with how everything went.

What To Do

Interested in hiring me for a speech? Please reach out to me here and ask about my availability, tell me a little about your organization and event, and what you’re hoping for from a speech. Once I know more about what you’re looking for, we can discuss the speaking fee.

Hire Me To Speak

 

If you’re not looking for a speaker but know someone who might be or whom you think could benefit, feel free to pass this blog post along to them or reach out to me directly! 

Posted on

New Art Exhibit: Disappearing Act…

 

As you walk into the newly renovated New Moon Cafe in Burlington, VT, you’ll notice beautiful large wildlife photos lining the walls of their gorgeous seating area toward the back of their large space…

But wait…

You take a step closer and realize, those aren’t photographs at all. Those are drawings! 

New Exhibit on Display

For the months of November and December, my colored pencil artwork will be on display at the New Moon Cafe in Burlington, VT. If you’ve never been there, now is the time to go! This space has been newly renovated and is one of the warmest and most inviting atmospheres around town. 

Plus, if you go between now and the end of December 2018, you’ll be able to view my display, “Disappearing Act…,” on the walls. 

Disappearing Act…

This exhibit is called “Disappearing Act…” because it features animals that are considered Threatened, Endangered, or Vulnerable. It also features a number of drawings of mine that have NEVER been on display in public before! 

As you walk through the exhibit featuring these gorgeous animals, keep in mind the title of the display and know that these animals need our help. 

That’s why if you purchase one of the drawings, or any prints or products because you saw this display or during the Art Reception on December 5th, some of the proceeds will go to conservation organizations that help that particular species. 

Me putting up this display, hanging my Lemurs colored pencil drawing, which features a mother and baby Ring-Tailed Lemurs, which like all Lemur species, is endangered and losing its habitat at an alarming rate.

Threatened & Endangered = The Centerpiece

The centerpiece of this exhibit involves the first three drawings I’ve completed for my current Threatened & Endangered series. This series, as many of you know, is focused on animals that are endangered or nearly endangered, and brings them to life in larger black and white drawings. These drawings are different than my usual pencil drawings in four ways: 

  1. They’re not brightly colored, they’re in black and white to help bring more emotion to the pieces 
  2. They’re bigger than my usual pieces, to bring more attention to them
  3. They’re drawings of the whole body of the animal, not just a portrait
  4. They don’t have backgrounds, instead the background is left stark white, both to bring more attention to the animal subjects, but also to represent the fact that their habitats are disappearing…

Two of these three drawings have never been on display before, including the Black Rhino drawing, which is one of the biggest ones I’ve done to date. Check them out in person as part of this exhibit to see the impact these drawings have on viewers. 

Reception

Want to talk to me about the artwork while you’re there, have some food, and make an evening of it? Come to the Art Reception for this exhibit on December 5th, 4-6pm! 

DATE: December 5th

TIME: 4-6pm

LOCATION: New Moon Cafe, Burlington, VT 

Sneak peek at part of the display…

But Wait, There’s More! 

The Art Reception isn’t the only thing happening that evening! December 5th is also the in-person release of BOTH of my books in paperback form! 

What does that mean? 

That means the Art Reception is actually a TRIPLE event with the Reception and a Double Book Launch Party all at once! 

Talk art, have some food, talk about the books, and get your signed, numbered copy of each of my two books! 

Don’t know about my books yet? Check them out here. 

Check out the event page for this opening reception here, and RSVP to this event on Facebook here. 

 

Posted on

Help Me Win Up To $26,000 For My Art Business!

 

Hi everyone! 

I’m excited to announce that I have recently submitted an application to the FedEx Small Business Grant competition. This is an annual competition for small businesses to potentially win the grand prize of $25,000, second prize of $15,000, or eight winners who get $7,500. 

As you can guess, there’s a lot of competition! Thousands of businesses have signed up and only the top 700 will even get looked at. Then they’ll narrow those down to the top 100 and those businesses are asked to fill out more information, and then they choose the top ten to win the grant prizes. 

How do they narrow down to the top 700? YOU! 

VOTE HERE

 

I Need Your Help

The top 700 that will be scrutinized further are based on votes. The businesses with the most votes are the ones that will get into the next round! 

That’s where you come in. In order help my art business expand and potentially have a space within my community, I need you to vote for me here. 

Vote For Me Here

You Can Also Help By…

Sharing with your friends! You can vote once a day and I would be so appreciative if you could share this with your friends to get some of them to vote too. 

Rules & Deadline & Voting Process

The deadline for voting for this grant is April 4th, 2018. You can vote once a day, but no more than that. You can, however, share it with your friends and family and on social media, etc. as much as you like. 

You can’t buy votes or incentivize anyone to vote, but you can share it as much as you’d like. 

Voting is easy! The link will bring you to my application page and there is a button that says “Vote for this business.” Click that and they’ll ask you to verify your identity (just to make sure you’re not voting a bunch of times) by providing your name and email. Then hit Vote, and that’s it! It takes about 10 seconds total! 

Vote For Me Here!

 

Deadline for the $25,000 grant voting is April 4th! And the deadline for the $1000 grant is April 1st!

That Other $1000

You might be doing the math and wondering why the title says $26,000, and the grant mentioned above is for $25,000. Well, I’m also a finalist for a different, completely unrelated, $1000 grant for my art business! 

Voting for this grant only goes until April 1st. The top three finalists with the most votes each win a $1000 grant for their business from entrepreneur Sam Priestley. As I’m writing this, I’m currently in fourth place, by just a tiny bit! (Thank you so much to everyone who has already voted!!) 

Vote here for the $1000 grant. 

For this grant you can only vote once from each IP address, meaning if two of you are using the same internet source, only one of you can vote, unfortunately. But if you do it on your phone, taken off the WiFi, you might be able to vote like that, because it’ll show a different IP address. 

 

THANK YOU

I couldn’t (and wouldn’t want to) run this business without the support from all of you. I appreciate every time you like one of my posts, leave a comment, email me, and make a purchase. The number of you who have come out and shared and voted for me already for the $1000 grant has been incredible. I’m humbled by all of your support! 

 

Posted on

What To Expect From Me As A Business Consultant

Consulting

As a professional artist and entrepreneur, a past president of the board of directors for an arts non-profit, and author of the book, How To Build Your Art Business: With Limited Time Or Energy, which was a number 1 bestseller on Amazon in the Art Business category, I also do a limited amount of business consulting. 

This post is to give you more information about my consulting, including who I typically consult for, my fees, and what areas of interest I usually consult about. 

If you have questions or want to talk about hiring me to consult for you or your business/organization, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

How To Build Your Art Business: With Limited Time Or Energy

Who Are My Clients?

I typically consult for other artists looking for business, marketing, production, display, and presentation advice, as well as how to talk about their artwork effectively.

I also consult for galleries looking for similar help with their marketing, social media, audience engagement, audience growth, events, copywriting, or curation.

Other organizations, such as non-profits and small businesses come to me for consulting as well, with similar interests as the two groups above.

Are you a good fit? Click to contact me about a consultation. 

What Do I Consult About?

I consult on a number of topics. Below are the most popular ones:

  • Copywriting/Marketing Materials
  • Email Marketing
  • Goal-Setting
  • Productivity/Efficiency
  • Social Media
  • Artist Bio/Statements
  • Website Content
  • Blogging
  • How to talk about artwork effectively
  • Work/Life Balance (and/or Health relating to work)
  • How to close a sale
  • Curation/display/exhibition
  • Audience Engagement
  • Audience Growth
  • Professionalism
  • Grant Writing/Seeking
  • Writing/Editing
  • Public Speaking
  • Professional Presentation (ie. craft/art festival display, business cards, gallery proposals, framing, labels,website photos, artist resumes, etc.)

What Does It Cost?

I frequently answer questions from other artists and organizations/businesses, and I’m more than willing to give you free advice, but if you want to get into specifics when it comes to your own business, it’s best to hire me as a consultant and sit down with me in person (or over the phone) to talk. 

My current consulting fee is $35/hour. I live in Barre, VT and am willing to travel up to 30 minutes away to meet (or further, for a slightly higher amount). I usually meet in a public location, such as a cafe, or if you’re within that range (or hire me to drive further), I’m more than willing to come to your studio.

I’m also willing to do phone/video consultations for $28/hour for those who live too far away.

How Does It Work?

Wondering how you’d go about hiring me? Contact me! Let me know a little about who you are and what it is you’re looking to accomplish by hiring a consultant like me and I can tell you if I think I’m a good fit. Then we plan to meet or video/call and go from there! 

It’s very simple. Just fill out this form HERE and let’s get started.  

Let’s begin! Click to contact me about a consultation. 

Posted on

End Of Year Round Up – 2017

 

What a year! 2017 was a struggle health-wise and emotionally as I know it was for a lot of people. Many people, myself included, are rather glad in some respects that it’s over. However, it was also my second full year in business and a lot of exciting things have happened too!

My Second Year As An Entrepreneur

Wow. Two years as an entrepreneur, running a business based around my artwork. If you’d asked me a few years ago, I never thought that would happen. Before 2010 I didn’t even think I had an ounce of creative talent, let alone enough to create artwork that people would like, buy, and share with their friends. If you’d called me an “artist” anytime before 2015, I would have laughed at you and shaken my head. I would have responded, “I’m not an artist.”

That changed part-way through 2015, when I started to fully embrace my artwork as a career. 

Now, when asked what I do for a living, I proudly say that I’m a wildlife artist. I say I specialize in vibrant, detailed colored pencil drawings, and then explain to most people that yes, it’s possible to have a colored pencil drawing that is detailed and VIBRANT and absolutely love the look of shock on their face when I show them examples of my work. 

But as of this year, my second full year as an entrepreneur, I’m also an author, speaker, consultant, and wildlife conservationist. 

The Highlights

Below are some of the HIGHLIGHTS of 2017!

  • I experimented with drawing on wood, and found out I love it! 
  • I created my first drawing on furniture, my very popular Luna Moth drawing on a stool.
Luna Moth
In colored pencil on a wood stool
  • I wrote guest blog posts for well-known art business blogs like: Artsy Shark, Manhattan Arts International, The Healing Power of Art, The Abundant Artist, Artwork Archive, and more. 
  • I PUBLISHED MY FIRST BOOK! 

  • My first book, How To Build Your Art Business: With Limited Time or Energy, was a #1 best-seller on Amazon in the Art of Business category, and named one of the “Best Books For Artists” by Artsy Shark. WOW! It also has all 5-star reviews so far on Amazon. Double WOW! 
  • My African Elephant drawing won the Artist Choice Award at the Festival of Fine Arts, hosted by Arts Alive in Burlington, VT.
  • I had solo exhibits of my artwork, and was part of group exhibits at places like: New Moon Cafe, SEABA, Creative Space Gallery, Spring Street Gallery, SPACE Gallery, South End Art Hop, North Star Sports, Arts Alive at Main St. Landing, The AM Art Shop, BioTek Instruments, The Milton Artist Guild Art Center, the Island Arts Gallery, Morgan Orchards, Phoenix Diagnostic Labs, Exile on Main Street, and more.
My exhibit at Morgan Orchards this year in Randolph, VT.
  • I was interviewed by these publications: The Times Argus, The Seven Days, The Islander, and Take Magazine. Click on any of these to read the articles!
  • I became a member of the Vermont Businesses For Social Responsibility.
  • I was able to donate more than last year to wildlife conservation efforts, a cause that is extremely important to me and one with which I strive to use my artwork (and some of my proceeds) to help.
  • I held a number of art demonstrations and signings, including a signing of my 2017 poster design at the Tunbridge World’s Fair! 
Signing posters featuring my design for the 2017 Tunbridge World’s Fair.
  • I spoke as a keynote speaker for organizations/groups.
  • I created new artwork, like my Tiger Eyes, the Mandarin, the Kitten Heart, the Jada commission, a number of other commissions, the Tree Swallow, my Luna Moth stool, and the ever popular Black Rhino drawing.
Some of my artwork from 2017.
  • I mentored other artists.
  • I made some AMAZING connections.
  • I positioned myself for some potential BIG things in 2018!
  • AND MUCH MORE!

 

Thank You!

With everything that’s happened this year, both good and bad, I just want to say THANK YOU. I have the BEST. FANS. I’m especially thankful for everyone who bought something from me and help me keep this business going.

I’m also especially grateful to everyone who has read my book and reached out to me after reading it and told me how much it’s helped them. I’ve literally been brought to tears with some of the feedback I’ve received from my readers. When you write a book you never know what people are going to think of it. To be told how helpful the info in the book has been and will be to my readers, has been amazing. To hear over and over again that my book is a “must-read for artists” is the best thing I could have hoped for and I’m quite humbled and overwhelmed with the response. So THANK YOU. 

If you haven’t yet and are interested in reading the book, you can order and download it here. 

Thank you, my dear fans and readers, customers and clients, for your support, loyalty, and help as I keep developing my business and my artwork. Let’s keep it going! 

 

I wish you all the best for your 2018! 

untitled-design

Posted on

Check Out These Guest Blog Posts

 

Thanks to my recent book, How To Build Your Art Business With Limited Time Or Energy, I’ve been writing a number of guest blog posts. These posts involve well-known art business websites, and I didn’t want my own blog followers to miss out on their content! 

If you haven’t checked out my book yet, you can do so here! Thanks to everyone who’s given me a review on Amazon! I’m continually amazed by the wonderful response readers are having to this book. If you think you have a friend who would like it, please share it with them! 

Recent Guest Blog Posts:

The Abundant Artist: Finding Your Unique Working Style

The Abundant Artist is a website that helps coach and teach artists how to build their art businesses. Cory Huff is the founder of TAA and wants to help disrupt the idea of the “starving artist,” which is something I’m passionate about doing as well. 

My article, Finding Your Unique Working Style, was a guest post for The Abundant Artist, and talks about the different types of working styles there are, why it’s important to find yours, and how it can help you grow your art business. 

Hermit Crab
In colored pencil

Artwork Archive: Ways To Build Your Art Business With Limited Time

Artwork Archive is a tool for professional artists to help with organizing their inventory of artwork. They also have a website that has a blog full of helpful information for artists trying to create or grow their business. 

My article, Ways To Build Your Art Business With Limited Time, goes into brief detail about different ways to build your art business even if you have limited time. It talks about ways to be more productive, prioritize correctly, make the right goals, and more. 

Artsy Shark: 8 Ways To Be More Efficient

Artsy Shark is a website and blog devoted to helping artists build their businesses. It features artists to help them with exposure, and has a great blog of business information for artists. 

My article, 8 Ways To Be More Efficient, talks about just that, how to be more efficient. Having a chronic illness means that I have limited time to do my work, so I’ve learned many ways to be as efficient as possible. I share some of those techniques in this article. 

More To Come Soon! 

More guest posts are coming soon! Stay tuned. 

Posted on

My Book Is Now Available!

Hey everyone!

This week’s blog post is to let you know that my new e-book, How To Build Your Art Business With Limited Time Or Energy, is now available!!

You can now buy my book as an e-book through the Amazon store here!

What The Book Is About:

As most of you know, I began drawing in 2010 after becoming chronically ill in 2008. I had to medically withdraw from college and was mostly bedridden, in extreme pain, and unable to do much of anything.

In 2010, I began drawings as a therapeutic outlet from my bed, teaching myself as I went, a little at a time as I had the energy.

It turns out I really enjoyed drawing and began to do it more and more, with my first exhibit of artwork at a cafe in 2011.

From then on, I kept drawing and increasing my skills. Then, after I was finally diagnosed in 2014 with chronic Lyme disease, Bartonella, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, malfunctioning adrenal glands, IBS, endometriosis, and more, I am now on proper treatment. Slowly, I’m starting to feel better, although my energy is still limited and inconsistent.

Over the last couple years, I’ve been building my art business from scratch in my “good” time.

Because of my illnesses and limited energy, I’ve had to learn a number of tricks and techniques to be extra productive, efficient, and correctly prioritize what’s important to focus on in my business.

This book takes everything I’ve learned about building my art business despite my energy/time limitations, and makes it accessible to other artists trying to do the same thing.

 

Who The Book Is For:

This book is for anyone building their art business who wants some practical, down-to-earth guidance. If you’re struggling, this book can help you.

This book is especially useful if you want to get more done in less time, and push your business forward more quickly.

If you have another full or part-time job, if you take care of your kids, if you are sick or injured, this book can help you build your art business in whatever time you have available.

 

What Others Think Of The Book:

I had a group of beta readers (some people I knew and some people I’d never met before) read my book before it was published in order to get their honest feedback and make this book as useful and as good as it could be for you.

Honestly, I was completely overwhelmed (and at one point brought to tears) by the positive feedback I received from my beta readers. People I didn’t even know were so excited to be a part of this project and read this book, and to know how useful they found it was amazing. Below are just a few of the things they’ve said, plus you can read more of the positive reviews on the Amazon page.

 

“Corrina Thurston shares her hard won knowledge and guidance in a friendly, conversational style.  She doesn’t hold anything back, and every page contains useful information and ideas.”
– Kelly Paquet

“This is a wonderful book! It is full of great advice about how to start an art business, as well as many helpful tips on how to manage this with a difficult illness. Corrina has presented this important information with an enjoyable conversation style and in a very easy to follow format. I look forward to her follow-up book!”
– Holly George

“I just finished reading Corrina Thurston’s book HOW TO BUILD YOUR ART BUSINESS WITH LIMITED TIME OR ENERGY for the second time and I can honestly say that my life would be very different now if I’d had this manual to build an art career in my 20’s! That being said, in the spirit of “never too late,” I will be implementing the many guidelines and pointers she has laid out so plainly in this very smart guide.

That Corrina was able to build a successful art career, essentially from zero (starting to draw from her sickbed to keep busy) to creating quality art, exhibitions, writing and getting grants, collaborations and more is inspirational.

Need a boost for your career? You will likely find the roadmap here, and enjoy the journey!”
– Susan Donze

 

Where You Can Buy The Book:

Interested in my book, How To Build Your Art Business With Limited Time Or Energy? CLICK HERE!

What’s Next:

Keep your eyes open because I’m currently in the process of writing the next book in this art business series called: How To Communicate Effectively – For Artists & Creatives. 

Posted on

About My Upcoming Ebook – How To Build Your Art Business With Limited Time Or Energy

 

Hi everyone! 

For the last couple months you’ve heard me talk about my upcoming ebook, How To Build Your Art Business With Limited Time Or Energy. Well, the book is written and the final edits are almost finished! The launch date for this book to be published is getting close and is planned for August 1st!

This post talks about the book, what to expect from the pages within, and why/how I went about writing it. 

Join the debate on my Facebook page about which general cover design you like best out of these two!

The Initial Idea 

The idea for this ebook began to take root after I attended an art business workshop in Washington, DC last year, held by the Arts Business Institute. It was a great two-day workshop that focused on building an effective website, wholesaling for artists, working with galleries, what corporations are looking for in the artwork they buy, art licensing, pricing strategies, and more. It was a great workshop led by Carolyn Edlund. 

At the end of the workshop I had a consultation with Carolyn herself to talk about my new art business and what I was planning to do with it, taking into account my personal health limitations and the fact that I am chronically ill. The consultation was great and the conference ended. 

On my way home I received and email from Carolyn. She had been thinking about her consultation with me and loved how I was planning my business and wondered if she could interview me for her very popular art business blog, Artsy Shark. Of course, I said yes. 

You can read the interview, Creating An Art Business With Limited Energy, here. 

This article was so popular it was listed at the end of the year as being in the top 10 most popular articles from the Artsy Shark blog for 2016!

 

What Led To Writing This Book

The feedback I received from the article posted on Artsy Shark was great and it was surprising to me how many people reached out. So many artists out there suffer from some ailment that limits their energy, and many of them were grateful to read an article that touched on that exact problem. 

The more people who reached out to me, the more I realized there is a need to help not just artists thrive with their business, but to recognize that a lot of artists are trying to do this, like me, with limited energy and/or time. A lot of artists have a health problem, an injury, a family, a full-time or part-time other job, and more that keeps them from being able to dedicate themselves to their art and business full-time. 

As the idea developed in the back of my mind and I worked on building my own art business, I started keeping note of all the things that were helping me build the business with my limited energy, and the things that drained that energy. 

Finally, I listened to a webinar one day while working on a drawing about self-publishing, and that spark of an idea ignited into a full flame. 

Writing The Book

I’m not usually an outline person, but for this book, I needed to see if I had enough information to write a full book. So I sat down and I brainstormed on paper everything I’d learned about building my business with limited energy. Then I took all the ideas and I grouped similar ones together. Each group then became the outline for a chapter in the book. Turns out I had plenty of information for a book!

I’m a fairly quick writer, but this book practically wrote itself from that point. It took me 5 days to write the first draft. 5 DAYS to write 40,000 words! I wrote so much so quickly that my hands were cramping. The information was pouring out of me, as if it HAD to be written. It was then that I realized this was definitely the right project for me to be doing. 

 

“Corrina Thurston’s ebook entitled, How to Build Your Art Business with Limited Time or Energy, is a must read! Miss Thurston discusses many topics of interest including: Having the Right Goals, Creating a Business Plan, Multiple Streams of Income, Email Marketing, and Branding. She also wrote a bonus section which includes, 12 Questions to ask before creating a Partnership. I found her book extremely informative.” Lisa Perfetti

 

What To Expect As A Reader

There’s a lot of information in this book, packed into a concise, easily digestible package. As you know from my blog posts, I’m incredibly honest and open when it comes to my writing and I don’t hold much back. 

In this book I go into detail about things like: 

  • Ways to be more productive in less time
  • How to set the RIGHT goals and avoid getting overwhelmed
  • How to handle rejection and why rejection is a good thing
  • How to discover YOUR working style
  • Creating a business plan (easier than it sounds!)
  • Art Marketing
  • Developing multiple streams of income
  • Plus BONUS MATERIALS at the end of the book, including: 
    • 12 Questions To Ask Before Creating A Partnership
    • And a sample chapter from my next book, How To Communicate Effectively – For Artists & Creatives

Plus LOTS more.

Artists will learn to be more efficient in order to get more done in the time they have, while also learning what they should prioritize in order to move their business forward and build it more quickly. 

 

“Corrina Thurston shares her hard won knowledge and guidance in a friendly, conversational style.  She doesn’t hold anything back, and every page contains useful information and ideas.”  Kelly Paquet

Leading Up To The Launch Date

The planned launch date for How To Build Your Art Business With Limited Time Or Energy is August 1st! It’s coming up quickly! 

I’m almost finished my final edits of the manuscript after getting feedback from my Book Launch Team. You might recall one of my recent blog posts asking for volunteers for my Book Launch Team, for which I got a great response. For those who signed up and were accepted to my team, they received a free advanced copy of my ebook, in exchange for giving me their feedback about it before I publish it. 

So far, the feedback has been amazing! If I had any doubts that I was the person to write this book before, the responses from those who have read it so far have quashed them.

I have been brought to tears reading some of the feedback from those who have read an advanced copy of  this book and how much they feel it will help them in their art career. 

Book Launch Date scheduled for August 1st!

Stay Tuned For The Launch!

I’m so excited for you to be able to read this book. A lot of my normal writer’s nerves have been swept away by the tremendous response I’ve gotten from those who have read it so far. This book is concise and to the point, so as not to waste anyone’s precious time. It’s written in a conversational manner and contains actionable advice that I’ve used and researched and I have no doubt will help other artists. 

 

As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me or write to me in the comments! 

Posted on

Be A Part Of My Launch Team – 10 Free Copies Of My Upcoming EBook

 

Hey everyone!

You may recall a few weeks ago I mentioned I was going to be publishing an ebook called How To Build Your Art Business With Limited Time Or Energy. Well, we’re getting closer and closer to launching that book!

Upcoming E-Book.

Right now I’m looking for at least 10 people to be a part of my launch team. Below is what I’m looking for, and what being a part of my launch team entails.

 

What Is A Launch Team?

As I get ready to publish my book, I’m looking for people to become a part of my launch team. A launch team is a group of people who read the book in advance and give feedback, making the book as good as it can be! These people will be my beta readers, and for their participation, they’ll get a free downloadable copy of my book BEFORE I release it to the public.

 

What Do I Hope To Get From My Launch Team?

If you sign up to be a part of my launch team, I’ll send you a free copy of my ebook, either as a Word document or a PDF, before I publish it to the public. What you’re agreeing to by signing up is that you will:

  • Read the book in its entirety (it’s 40,000 words, so about half of a typical novel)
  • Read the book within a week of receiving it
  • Send me honest feedback about what you think of the book
  • Agree to post a review on Amazon after the book is published (positive or negative)
  • Post about the book on social media after the launch if you like it!

How Does It Work?

Feel like this is something that you’d love to do? Awesome!

What you need to do if you’re interested in being a part of my launch team is contact me and let me know! Give me your email address so I can send you the file, let me know if you’d prefer it as a Word or PDF file, and then let me know that you received it and when you’ve finished reading it!

All interactions will happen via email, and if you have any questions, you can always feel free to reach out to me. If you want to skip the contact page on the website and email me directly, my best email is: corrinathurston@gmail.com

Deadline to contact me to be a part of my launch team is July 2nd!

 

Let’s Go Team!

With your help I’m hoping to make this book the best it can be and create a successful launch. But I need you! So if you’re interested in reading this book about creating and building an art business with limited time or energy, contact me and be a part of my launch team!

You might even get your name in the book! 😉

Looking forward to meeting my new team!