As I look through websites looking for artists of all mediums to interview and feature on this magazine, I found it quite a surprising journey; and not in the way you would expect. What I’ve found is the inability to contact these artists for various reasons.
One major reason is they don’t have a website. Other reasons are they have a website but fail to have a proper contact page, or they use these forms that fail to work right.
Sadly these talented artists found a way to expose their work yet they will find it harder to excel to the next level because they are improperly using their resources and tools that work for them and their art. Its frustrating to see this.
Like it or not our world and the way we do business is changing. Regardless what you think art is still a business, even if you don’t make money at it the goal is to expose your work to the world, and the internet has been the platform that most people rely on and one that can bring you international viewers.
Unlike most jobs art is universal, people can buy your work anywhere anytime; that’s why its key to utilize your resources at hand.
Why is it important for people to contact and talk with you? As an artist many times you can receive special commission jobs. These jobs can run more than your normal work because its customized. In order to obtain these jobs your viewers need to be able to effectively communicate with you. Another reason is your fans love the opportunity to talk with you because it makes it more personal for them to have a one on one relationship. It makes them feel special, which in turn brings in more views, fans and requests.
The Excuses
Through out my journey to discover artists I have often asked them my they refrain from posting their e mail. Believe it or not most of them are afraid of spam and they feel the forms will fight spam better. WRONG!
My business website for my photography studio has a form. Believe it or not I get more SPAM from that form than I do anything else.
I hate SPAM more than anything, it is a nuisance I agree but I refuse to let it keep me from my goal or mission with my art.
What To Do
First of all I suggest using a form but still post your e mail address. As an artist I also strongly suggesting that you never use your personal e mail for communication.
With Google and Yahoo offering free e mail accounts, set one up there strictly for business purposes. If you get SPAM here, so what. Most of these e mail services have decent SPAM filters.
Next I suggest placing your e mail as a puzzle. For instance you can make it look like this, I am using the magazine’s e mail theexpressionistmag [at] gmail [dot]com. You can also place the e mail address in an image. Bots can’t read an image as long as you don’t make the image a hyperlink to mail you.
Why is this important since I have a form?
I have found through asking people directly why they tend to not use a form. The answer is this… “They don’t believe that the intended person receives the e mail”. I can see their point of view. They don’t know if you have an office of people working for you who sees the e mail request and deletes them. With a direct e mail for you they feel more secure in knowing that you have received your e mail.
Some artists may still have their staff screen their e mail address correspondence too, but its a greater chance that you will receive that e mail that not.
Do yourself and your art a favor and make yourself open to correspondence. If you are afraid of criticism then let me tell you, you are in the wrong field. Art is about criticism, and a good artist takes the good and bad compliments and makes it into something positive.
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