What would you do if you could not fail?

This statement has been a part of my professional life since I entered the film business. In times when the uphill climb on the professional treadmill is wearing me down, I turn to my vision board, see this quote and remind myself that I am placing the obstacles in front of me - it is my fear talking, my gremlin rearing it's nasty head.

In this challenging economic environment it is important to keep your focus. An exercise that I do frequently is answering the following questions:

What would make me feel more alive?
- "Time to paint, create and volunteer more."
- "A balanced life - more time for my loved ones."
What would I like to create?
- "A traveling art show."
- "A peaceful, soothing abstract painting for my bedroom."
If I wasn't afraid:
- "I would paint and create more often instead of working on my business so much."
- "I would create a life of abundance."
- "I would take flying lessons."

These questions are powerful when answered honestly, because they create and clarify a direction and pathway from wherever you are to wherever you most want to be. It's not to create a new "to do" list, you'll find that you will naturally gravitate and make room for the things you want in your life.

"Don't ask what the world needs - ask what makes you come alive and go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Rev. Howard Thurman

What would your list look like?

Clive Barker Comic Book

Just back from a series of meetings in LA. While at Clive Barker's studio I got a chance to view his new 3D comic book with IDW, releasing in October.

It's amazing! Clive really is excited about this project, and so is the rest of the team.



Here's a link to MTV covering the impending release: mtv

Lesson Taught and Lesson Learned

I always advise my clients to create a targeted list of prospects for their services. This is a process that takes time, energy and commitment to create a database, a wish-list of sorts of the people you want to do business with.

This week our own exhausting and exhaustive efforts bore fruit. I spent months researching just the right clients and opportunities for one of our fine artists. Together with Hannes my partner in the fine art division of our company, we painstakingly reviewed websites, articles, you tube, linked in and every search engine to drill down to a list of companies and people we wanted to present our client's art to... months of daily tasks.

Research, promotion, press, phone calls, follow-thru and follow-up, has led us to a great series of meetings in Los Angeles. Sitting around a conference table with like-minded people, people we genuinely like, whose own work we admire, was the greatest high - a sense that together, as a team we can create work, projects, art that truly reflects our collective sensibilities.

So, lesson taught, lesson learned ... and the added benefit - a new set of friends, and a collective sense of possibility.

Stick with the research and marketing tasks at hand, it may not offer immediate gratification, but it certainly offers the best end result.

Happy Friday All.

Angela

Ideal Client

I often give my clients the assignment of defining their ideal client. While on vacation I read a few chapters in The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, the author is Mike Michalowicz.

He has an exercise that proved a little daunting for me - making a simple list of 100 words or phrases that identify my ideal client. This was challenging and I truly realize that this helps define the type of clients I need to market to, and who I want in my business, saving me time, energy and resources by focusing my scope.

Here's a portion of my list:
My Ideal Client is
• willingly to pay my premium prices
• often refers us
• values our expertise
• gets why we're "worth it"
• is focused and passionate about their art
• is committed
• talented
• able to follow instructions
• respects the process
• passionate
• displays a commitment to excellence
• has or desires to have balanced lives
• lives, loves, for their art
• self taught or schooled
• is current on the industry
• upbeat and has a zest for life and career
• has the resources to afford our services
• wants a trusting relationship with us - their coach/consultant/manager
• genuinely likeable
• a creative thinker
• future oriented
• decisive
• ready for action
• fearless
• wiling to invest in themselves
• may be a member of organizations ex: ASMP, APA, SOI, etc.
• open to new ideas
• willing to create new art for their portfolio
• can make smart decisions about their career
• wants to have fun while learning
• desires the freedom to pursue a higher quality career, art and life
• has a clear sense of what’s important to them
• gives us "energy" - emotionally and financially!
• wants to create multiple streams of income from their knowledge & expertise

I challenge you to come up with 100 words or phrases to define your ideal client - it's fun.

If you find yourself struggling then it's likely you're feeling unfocused on your business, a bit insecure about your expertise or value, or are afraid to narrow your niche, to name a few reasons.

If this is the case, I invite you to get in touch for your FREE 1/2 hr. consult. I'd love to discuss this challenge with you. It can make all the difference between surviving in business vs. thriving in business. Send me an email at info@fotoprojx.com

Best ~ Angela

Clive Barker's New Comic Books & TV Series CLIVE BARKER'S HOTEL

Announced earlier this week, Clive Barker returns to the comic book genre with an October release of SEDUTH, from IDW Publishing. Termed especially horrific, SEDUTH is being presented in 3D.

For more info: click here

Also announced this week CLIVE BARKER'S HOTEL will be on ABC.

Check in to "Clive Barker's Hotel"

Clive Barker's great run continues ...

CLIVE BARKER'S HOTEL

NY, NY - August 14, 2009 -

Visionary, Clive Barker has a new project set up for television - "Clive Barker's Hotel" for Warner Bros - network details to follow.

TV SERIES
The TV show premise is being kept under wraps, but the show is expected to follow a series of unsettling incidents at an eerie hotel.


VISIONARY. FANTASIST. NOVELIST. ARTIST.
Barker is world-renowned for his movies, novels and video games - "Clive Barker's Hotel" will be a new media for him - television, sure to make him a true household name.

RESULTS
The deal was announced yesterday in the Hollywood Reporter and already there are 222,000 search results for CLIVE BARKER'S HALLOWEEN on Google, BING 390,000 and YAHOO 776,000.

Barker continues to sign marketing, licensing and fine art deals and has several other books, TV and film productions to be announced soon.

Licensing and Fine Art Representation opportunities available: email Hannes Tamme at ht@foto-projx.com or 646 401 0162

Inspirations

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." Albert Einstein

"The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself." Alan Alda

"It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all." Edward De Bono

"Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties." Erich Fromm

"Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort." Franklin D Roosevelt

"Obstacles are these frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals." Sydney Smith

"You must have long term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short term failures." Unknown

"An artist cannot fail, it is a success to be one." Charles Horton Cooley