I received yet another email from an artist who said they were tired of being taken advantage of in art competition scams. While fraudulent entities and scams are out there. With a little bit of homework and integrity in ones self, you can avoid these roadblocks out there.

To compete in art usually means there is a winner and many losers. Before entering another competition I suggest putting your own art show together. Perhaps an event to benefit your community and bring people together We have no right to complain or make excuses when we are blessed with talent. Instead of following the crowd, create something new. You don’t have to win anything to be successful!

I know how it feels, to experience loss, fear and make excuses. But it’s time to stop playing victim and allowing this behavior to continue. We can change our patterns and learn. When we buy into the mass consciousness of lack, especially the poor artist consciousness we get to continue in the comfort of playing the ongoing victim. That’s right it’s comfortable to stay stuck in the same place. It’s what we know, what we do and what we are accustomed to. A funny thing happens though we learn and grow, it’s uncomfortable to go back and even the people around us change, for the better!

It’s time to change. Let’s put our big artist’s panties on and get on with the show.

Wherever people do not take control of their destiny unfortunate things happen and fingers start pointing. Many good willing folks who trust unwittingly and tend to follow blindly instead of turning on the light and doing a little investigation first before driving off the cliff of getting “the show”. I find artists who say if they had gone with their original gut feeling they wouldn’t be in a nasty situation and out of money and worse, their art is missing. Listen to your artistic intuition, it’s telling you something, it’s your passion surfacing and leading you where you want to go. The more you are aware of it the more serendipitous life becomes.

There are many trustworthy places to display your art. There are people that want to and can help you. Do your research first, talk to people, tell them what you do, be clear, and then you won’t have to complain to the wrong persons.

As a successful professional artist, gallery owner and author, here are a few things I’ve learned along with some intriguing questions to ask yourself.

1. Know exactly what you want and who you are. Live from your passion! What is your ideal vision of what you want as an artist and what does your gut feeling tell you? What you put your attention to energy follows, good or bad. If being a victim is comfortable then you’ll always be a victim. Don’t like it change yourself first. Like it then stay that way. It is what it is, till you change. Your passion is Spirit talking to you. It is always there whether you are aware of it or not.

Okay time for some questions. Let’s say you own a gallery. Would you do business with a person, an artist who wasn’t sure of who they were, had no passion or knew what they wanted?

2. Artists who take control and responsibility of their careers are successful and thrive.

Take control of your destiny including your artworks. Artists are visionaries, when opportunities arise, and many will, investigate. Ask questions, lots of them, you will learn this way and your artistic spirit will lead you to your passions.

Would you do business with a person who was out of control, irresponsible with no passion and appeared to care less?

3. Be honest with yourself and responsible, it’s loving to yourself and to others. You are in charge of your destiny. An artist is always the boss of their art, not the gallery or promoter unless you give your power away. Don’t be lazy! What is your artistic spirit leading you too? Something it’s trying to show you NOT to do or a great new journey to take. There’s a lot of talk about the Law of Attraction these days and sometimes what we do NOT want can show up first, so we can say “OKAY I see this choice however I wish to choose something else, something better”. We attract what we want, we also attract who we are.

Be responsible to yourself first. Be responsible to others next.

Copyright your art collection(s) Visit here to get the proper paperwork http://www.copyright.gov/

Buy the url for your name/business or your million dollar idea. Don’t wait around for someone else to do it.

Find out who the best Intellectual Property Attorneys are in your area and get to know them.

Would you do business with a person who was dishonest, not responsible, and nonprofessional?

5. Communication. Stay in touch with galleries, weekly, and make sure they are doing their job, sales, including before you hand over the goods, get everything down in writing, if not, move on. If art doesn’t sell you’ll both be out of business.

Would you do business with a person who wasn’t there, or available?

6. You are in Business and artists are serious contributing members of society.

Whether home or storefront based the most successful artists, own their own companies, galleries and publishing companies. If you are serious about business, pay attention, It’s all economics, every bit of it. It doesn’t matter what the business is.

Do you need a license in your town or city to be in business? GO get one and pay your taxes. You’ll be legit! Ask other business owners how they did it.

Would you do business with a person who only would do business on the condition that they could take advantage of you and not appreciate you?

7. Motivation. Put yourself in the shoes of the person who you are going to do business with a competition or even gallery. What is the motive for doing business with you?

Take yourself out of the picture and look objectively at the opportunity being presented, another words observe the situation without emotion so you can make a rational decision.

Would you do business with a person that did nothing for your business thriving?

8. Be Enthusiastic in the galleries success as much as your own. A gallery who is interested in their artists success is as important as an artist who is interested in it’s galleries success.

Would you do business with a person who wanted you to fail?

9. Honor and Value your Time and Worth. When giving away your art, joining an affiliation, being in a certain gallery, ask this question. Is my artwork and namesake going to a good cause, respected, and safe while, honoring and valuing my time and worth? If yes go for it, if no decline graciously.

To your success! You are deserving!