My Personal Finance Blog

What’s the perennial question that a good half of all artists face?

It’s not a lack of inspiration, or the money to sustain oneself. From our survey, It seems that its simply – How do I get noticed?

We realised that a good third of artists (convenient sample group of 50 Asian artists) were not in it get noticed. Their art is for themselves, it’s a journal, it’s their research and thinking put on canvas. It makes them happy. They have no interest in showing or selling it.

A good half that responded wanted to show it to friends and family. Their art was a commentary of their observations about themselves or their surroundings. Surely, they are happy if someone recognised their work by commenting or as an ultimate compliment – to buy it from them.

If you’re an artist, you’re taking a big risk in opening your artwork to the public, but the rewards – a good comment, an offer to get represented and recognised, means a lot. As artists ourselves, we understand this.

However, we also realise that beyond your immediate relatives, it’s hard to get appreciating eyeballs on your work. Hence, we’ve put together these 5 quick tips on how you can get your art out there.

1. Start Writing and Publishing

Why write? Isn’t everything you need on the art itself? We cannot emphasise the importance in putting your ideas in writing. While you may wish to leave your viewers to interpret your work themselves, writing (giving a good artist statement) provides viewers with a stepping stone to appreciating the finer details of your work. If you do not wish to put your artwork explicitly on paper, it’s always good practice to give hints on what you’re trying to say or portray.

In a short attention span world, giving good artist statements helps retain the viewer’s interest in your work.

2. Attend Events

The bane of most artists we spoke to, attending openings and exhibitions are usually the last thing on your mind. We wouldn’t encourage networking if you prefer to focus on your art. But, art dealers and gallery owners usually attend such events and its always good to drop them a name card. Well, some of the most successful artists out there (in terms of sales) are also good business people.

3. Knock on Doors

Many artists out there approach galleries themselves. This is a viable option, but it’s always good to show up prepared. A simple picture of your artwork, its details and an artist statement will do the trick. If you don’t think you can put a professional looking portfolio, you may also consider looking for an online art platform such as Artyii or Etsy that does this for you. All you need to do is to send galleries your link and viola!

4. Attract Publicity

Do something crazy. We wouldn’t recommend this unless you are absolutely sure of the artistic value in your work. Many artists attempt to shock and gain some publicity via the newspapers or bloggers. Putting controversial elements in your work, blowing it up elaborately and working on installations in public places are methods that some artists use. We encourage this – it challenges peoples’ perceptions, breaks them out of their routine lives and you may just change the life views of the layman in the process.

5. Go Online

This is your best bet. It’s the most convenient, cost effective and if done on the correct website, can bring you at least 100 views a day from around the world. You could create your own blog, but its effectiveness is limited due to the millions of other art blogs out there fighting for attention.

Many people today and it’s a good idea that you could put your artwork or on a platform dedicated to art sales. You may be just one other artist on the platform, but the arts focused traffic such platforms provide are more likely to sieve your work out, especially if Point 1 is done right!

Galleries and other art professional frequent such sites as well, giving you opportunities to get noticed and properly represented. Why approach others when they can approach you?

The process of purchasing gifts can be a stressful, hectic endeavor that requires hours of time and a true understanding of the recipient’s interests. It’s tough, it really is, but it doesn’t have to be. The goal is to select a gift that’s interesting, unique, memorable and is something the recipient will enjoy. This, my friends, is where personalized gifts come in.

Personalized gifts allow for any present — whether it’s a coffee mug, picture frame, clock, pen or anything else you can think of — to be customized for the person you are giving the present to. This is huge. you’re not giving them a standard, off-the-shelf gift that thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people already have. You are giving a gift that has meaning, is one of a kind, and has no duplicates. A unique gift is special in itself.

Additionally, personalized gifts mark an event in time whereas conventional gifts do not. For example, a personalized graduation gift can be engraved with the date of one’s graduation and his or her name. A personalized gift of this nature can be picked up 50 years later and still be recognized. Why? It has been engraved with a memory — the graduation.

Lastly, giving someone a personalized gift shows extra effort and thought, which is something most people don’t put forward. The fact that you selected a gift and had it personalized takes more effort than grabbing something off a shelf and tossing it in your shopping basket. Remember that.

In conclusion, the next time you are selecting a gift for friends or family members be sure to keep personalized gifts in mind. Your friends and family will thank you.

Sincerely,
MemorableGifts.com

Going to the beach is a fun summer event that represents many things. You are able to spend time in the sun, enjoy fresh air and water, and enjoy fun and quality time with friends and family. There are many gift options available out there that are great for taking to the beach. With personalized beach gifts, you will be able to enhance the already amazing activity of going to the beach quite easily, while giving a gift to someone that they will look forward to using. There are many different gifts that you can give when it comes to personalized beach themed presents.

These days, there is an abundant amount of personalized gift options available to you. When you are looking for a particular personalized gift that you can use at the beach or at a destination vacation, you are going to find a plethora of items that could leave you not knowing which one to pick. There are certain gifts that can be used for fun as well as gifts that can be very functional during your beach trip. No matter what purpose you want your personalized gift to have, you will definitely not have a problem finding them.

Before you begin perusing the many personalized gift options, you will first need to decide if you are looking for a personalized beach gifts for fun or for utilization. Sometimes, you can find gifts that do both. However, many of these gifts are either going to be useful, or for fun. For instance, if you are looking for gifts that are fun, try a personalized beach ball or other types of games that can be played on the beach. You can also get personalized water floats, which will allow you to enjoy being in the water while remaining safe. If you want to get a personalized beach gift for a child that is fun, look for personalized shovels and sand pails that are embezzled with the child’s name on it.

If you are looking for a gift that can be used at the beach, look for items such as personalized umbrellas, towels, or flip flops. You might also want to look at personalized drink holders, or personalized plates, cups, or silverware to use while at the beach. There are so many different fun items that can come in handy while enjoying a day at the beach such as wine openers, bottle openers or holders, and can coolers all personalized with your family’s name on the front. When having a beach party, all of these items can be useful and adorable. If you and your family like to grill out at the beach look for personalized grill tools or cooking utensils.

It is also a great idea to mix fun with utilization when it comes to finding wonderful gifts that you can use at the beach. For children who cannot swim yet, getting them a personalized flotation device can be both fun and useful. If you decide to get personalized towels, flip flops, or umbrellas, you are also adding to the usefulness to a gift that is fun and enjoyed by many.

When it comes to personalizing gifts for the beach, you are left with a lot of options to choose from. Sometimes you might give beach themed gifts for events such as weddings. If this is the case, you can personalize the gift with many different informational pieces such as names, wedding date, or even the names of the giver so that the receiver always knows who it is from.

You might also want to use personalized gifts for the beach in a slightly different way. For example, if you are having a family reunion or another type of get-together, you might want to be able to commemorate it with personalized gifts for everyone in attendance. If everyone has an awesome t-shirt that has been personalized, a pair of flip flops that has the name of the reunion on it, or even a hat that they can wear at the party, they are going to feel more connected to the actual event and everyone there.

If you are throwing a beach party and want to give it that extra special touch by offering beach themed personalized gifts to your guests, you will definitely make an impression on everyone there. For many people, throwing a beach party means that they are going to be able to give gifts to everyone they care about as a way to show off their event so that people will remember it for years to come.  This could be exactly what you are looking for when it comes to wonderful personalized gifts for the beach.

Article by Mark Whichard

While vacation is a good experience for everybody, everyone has different taste of leisure. Others may find it very soothing to follow trails along semi-wet mountain foot, some may find it boring. And while your family may not come up with an activity where all family members agree, why not try something new…or extreme?If you are new to Orlando, there is one thing you should have not tried before – airboating.Riding on an airboat maybe a bit extreme for some but it’s enjoyable for others especially for first-time riders. Whether you are convinced that airboating is fun or not, here are some of the information you may need when you decide to hop on one.Types of Airboat ToursGeneral Airboat Tours – depending the size of the boat, there could be many of you who would want to witness the beauty of the waters and feel the rush of air while the airboat traverses through the winding river. If you’d like to spend your time together with others, this type of tour will best suit you. Basically, it is open for everyone who wants to ride.Private Tours – if you want to enjoy with your family alone, there are available private tours as well. Every establishment providing airboat services knows there are always people who would want to let their family experience something different. Private tours are exclusively for you and your companions, either friends of family.Night Tours – water is so beautiful at night while it is often difficult to witness Orlando’s beauty when dark, night airboat tours would give you an opportunity to do so. More often, night tours are also private so you can spend much time with your friends and family, although there may also be general airboat tours at night depending on the weather.Combo Tours – this is a combination of airboat tours and walk on a nature trail. Usually, there is an hour of boating to a certain place where you and your friends or other tourists can have a short walk and breathe some fresh air. Usually, it is one of the most requested tours of all.While it is exciting to drift and slide through the water, ensure your safety, follow standard procedures and observe the regulations while on tour. There would always be life jackets provided for security purposes. The best thing you can do is enjoy together with your family and stay safe most of the times.

Tony Horton’s’ very famous, P90x workout system is found all over the place. On television, the Internet and quite possibly the topic of discussion with friends and family. If you’re looking to get into the best shape of your life, lose those extra pounds and build muscle, you’re wondering if P90x will actually work. Does P90x really work or is it just another fitness program that is just a waste of money?

Tony Horton’s P90 workout system is a program that you follow right in your very own home. All you need is several pieces of inexpensive equipment, a television and a DVD player. You pop in the DVD of the current week and day and begin workout with along with Tony Horton as he performs the workouts with you on the television.

When you order the P90x workout system, you get everything that is promised with it. It is highly recommend that you purchase the program through BeachBody directly because there are many fakes out there that are bad quality and not accurate to the program. In order to see huge results, you need to follow the program completely, including the nutritional guide.

The right diet is essential if you want to have any success. It doesn’t matter which program you follow. Without eating the right foods and eliminating the bad foods, you aren’t going to see the results you want, if any.

The quality of the presentation of P90x and the DVD is great quality, as long as you purchase it from BeachBody. Some people do not like the fact that Tony will talk much more than he needs to, but there is an option to turn off the commentary, so all you hear is the instructions.

Most importantly, the P90x workouts are extremely effective, if practiced.. Tony uses a method known as muscle confusion which causes your muscles to not get used to the same exercises each workout, which causes them to work harder. Think of it like this. When you repeat something over and over again like a dance step, you keep better at it, but if you perform a new step each time, each dance step is just as hard as the last. If you repeat the same exercise over and over again (each workout session), your muscles get used to it. Tony gives you different exercises each sessions, so your muscles work just as hard as the last workout.

To answer the question, “Does P90x really work?”. Yes, it does, as long as you follow the program completely, you will definitely see stunning results.

However,

The P90x is a workout program where you have to perform 60-90 minute workout sessions at least 6 days a week. For most people, this is too much and they need something that requires less time, but delivers the same results in the same time (90 Days).

If you want a 90-Day workout program that will give you the same results by working out only 3-5 days a week for 20-30 minutes, then check out Athlean-X (created by a trainer to Pro Athletes).

Top Celebrity Trainer Reveals the Top 5 Secrets to Getting Ripped in Record Time in these FREE Reports!