What a Week... again!

Excitement is ahead!

Hello, this has been a somewhat amazing week.

We’re getting settled into our current hotel, and that’s going well. We have the option of staying here through the middle of June, but we’ll see how things go. A lot depends upon my career and my husband’s.

Lately, we’ve been leaning away from the idea of returning to Florida, and - instead - we’re looking at Utah. But time - and job/housing opportunities - may tilt the scales again.

(We’ve both lived in the Mountain West region of the U.S. My husband spent much of his childhood in Colorado; I’ve lived in Salt Lake City twice, and would return there in a blink. Besides, the latter would make Disneyland more accessible. My husband has never been there, and - in my opinion - it’s a must-see for Disney fans; it has authenticity that the Florida parks never quite achieved. As the daughter of a Disney artist, that matters to me… a lot.)

Of course, our long-term goal is to move abroad, and sooner rather than later.

So… This week, I published two more of my cheesy Short Reads, and I’ll publish just one more in the next few days. Then, with ten published, I’ll pause, at least briefly, to see if they continue to attract new readers… or if my current income reflects a limited number of loyal fans, each reading every new book as it comes out.

At that point, I’ll decide if I want to keep writing these books, or change genres.

Frankly, I’d like to move forward with different books… ones that I’ll cheerfully admit to writing. (Note to those who’ve asked: No, I’m not writing porn. Or anything political. They’re just silly stories and - in some ways - a bit tacky.)

Towards that end, I’ve now read two books - both by the same author - that radically changed how I’m looking at what I’m doing. The first was “Get Rich Like It’s a Game.” That one helped me align (and streamline) where I want to put most of my focus/energy: Art, photography, and books… in that order.

(Note: My links to Amazon are almost always affiliate links, meaning: I earn a small commission if you click that link and then buy something.)

The one I’m now in the middle of reading is “It’s Not the Product, It’s the Marketing,” and - so far - that one is icing on the cake. Narrowing my focus to what I really want to accomplish with what I’m doing… it gave me astonishing insights.

And, in a way, those gave me even more clarity about my energy, and where I shine.

So, you’ll see big changes at my websites in the next couple of weeks. My books, under my real name, the Aisling name, and more…? Oh yes, those changes will begin as soon as I finish reading that marketing book. (I definitely need more hours in the day! lol )

Following-up on last week’s recommendations for art career videos, I think it’s important to find a balance between “Corbellic” videos and “Contemporary Art Issue” videos. They represent two very different aspects of art and art marketing, as you’ll see in CAI’s “4 Reasons Why Your Art Is Bad/Unsuccessful (& How To Fix It)”, compared with Corbell’s choice of materials. (Btw, Contemporary Art Issue videos discuss all kinds of art: mixed media art, textile art, sculpture, and a lot more. If you’re serious about fine art, that’s a must-see YouTube channel.)

Speaking of fine art, here’s one of my oil sketches from several years ago. It’s a New Hampshire (USA) sunrise. The original is oil paint on canvas board.

If you’d like a printable copy - for an image link that will print at about 8” x 10” or smaller - click on the graphic above, or use this link: NH Sunrise 1. (If that link - or any link I share - doesn’t work, let me know.)

NOTE: Like all of my freebies, these downloads are copyrighted and for personal use only, not for commercial use or redistribution.

And, while I’m adding freebies, here’s a coloring page. You may have seen it before, but it’s still one of my favorites.

Click on that image to download a letter-sized copy, or click this link.

(Btw, I have lots of coloring books - under my Aisling D’Art name - at Amazon. Click this link to see some of them; more will be added/restored in the next few weeks. Mostly, I need to remove the “Rose Meadows” brand name, as we let that lapse, and another company is using that now.)

So, that’s the news for this week. I hope to have some cool/fun announcements for you, next week. And, of course, more freebies.

Cheerfully,

[My real name, from childhood, is Eileen Morey. In the late 1990s, I adopted the “Aisling D’Art” name. Back then, men represented the vast majority of people online, and… well, let’s just say it was best for women to protect their privacy in forums, etc. Though my name changed with marriages, I’m in the process of reverting to my maiden name. That has nothing to do with my current, 20+ year marriage - to one of the most delightful, funniest, caring men, ever - but because my career as a professional artist began - at age 14 - as “Eileen Morey.”]