THE 100HOUR RULE

Putting in the work to reach your gallery goals

Paintings are what you sell. And your gallery is where you sell them. The “100-hour Rule” can start your gallery making consistent income. Here is what that means.

» Do 100 hours of work focused on one outcome. » Break that down to 10 hours a week for 10 weeks. » Part-time success is a first step to full-time gallery success.

» But the 100 hours is additional to time spent organising the gallery.

Follow up with the “500-hour Rule.”

» 500 hours of real work focused on one outcome will give you a gallery making a full-time income. » For 10 hours a week, that’s less than one year and you have your own gallery.

It’s about how you move from “professional artist” to “artist with gallery.”

» Imagine this time next year you’ve done it. » You now have your own gallery and it’s a great feeling, isn’t it?

But you work 10 hours a week and that hasn’t happened yet!

» When I first started I had to figure out all the stuff that doesn’t work. » Eventually I discovered what does; sometimes that was years after my gallery closed! » I’m sure your experiences are and will be similar. » That’s why it takes most artists longer.

It’s natural to look for greener grass on the other side of the fence!

» I’ve been guilty of this just like you. » Something new arrives and the marketing hits your psychological triggers. » Next thing you know, hours, days, even weeks have passed, but you’re in the same place you were when you started.

Stay focused on one outcome and the steps to make it successful.

» Look for things that make that goal more successful faster not a distraction from your outcome.

Is this typical of how you work on your career?

» Turn on computer, download email, read the latest emails. Click on a few links, watch a video for 30 minutes. Go back to emails to see what new messages came in you need to read. » Think about a new blog post, but don’t write those thoughts. » Download more emails and spend the next 45 minutes reading and clicking It’s getting late, close up after another productive day working on your career.

During that entire time there was not a single action taken that moved your gallery forward.

» Nothing that made your gallery better today than the day before. » There was a lot of time spent on activity, but no time spent on action.

Here’s the million dollar question:

» If you spent 10 hours a week moving your gallery plans forward, how great would your success become over the next few months? » You’d run rings around a person who spends their time doing “busy work”.

You should make money from your gallery.

» Making money from your gallery is honourable and worthwhile.

» I strongly reject the idea receiving money somehow diminishes your integrity » Your income is the only objective way to measure your success.

Do you know anyone interested in earning more from their art career? If so please tell them about the book ART MARKETING for ALL - Six.

» Here is a link to the book that tells you all you need to know to open your own gallery: http://www.amazon.com/dp/179099635x

Best wishes in your art career in 2020 and the future as well.