As we all get ready for the new year and we begin to plan ahead, here is a list of seven killer resources for your art career.

1. Organize your artwork effectively

Organizing and keeping track of your artwork in the digital realm may be one of those things you have been putting off for later. Remember those days in which you had to take slides of your work? Now that those days are over and everything has move to the digital realm, you need to have a system to organize your digital data related to your artwork. If you are looking for a way to do this, look no further. Use Artwork Archive and organize your art production. Their online platform provides excellent tools for you to keep track of your artwork while it is in the studio, at a gallery or in someone’s art collection. You can print labels, consignment sheets, data sheets, collections and much more with the click of a button. Read my complete review here and get a 20%off for life when you use the link at the end of my review. www.artworkarchive.com

2. Organize your art projects the smart way

Every project you have requires information you need to store and keep track of. There are various project management tools and resources out there but one that I recommend the most is Evernote. With it, you can take your projects on the go. It provides a great app for your smart phone and an application for your laptop or desktop computer. All your information synchronizes even when you use multiple devices. With Evernote you can keep track of information, manage projects, attach files, record voice notes, etc. check out my Evernote review in this link. www.evernote.com

Additionally, I recommend signing up to Dropbox to keep a back up of your important data. You just never know when a hard drive might fail or a device might get lost.  If that happens, you want to be protected with an online back-up system like Dropbox.  You can ready my post on backing up your data here. Having a back-up plan is a must in the digital age. www.dropbox.com

3. Manage your social media accounts like a Pro

A lot of artists I know have a hard time managing all their social media. It can be overwhelming. I am one who believes you have to pick and choose what you want to manage the most. It is almost impossible to keep up with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn, ArtStack, Instagram, Selfienet and everything else. If you want to use one app to manage multiple accounts, I recommend Hootsuite. There, you can link your social media accounts. When you create a post, it will go to the  various accounts you choose simultaneously. You can also read your various feeds within the app. If you don’t have a smart phone, the online application works great as well. www.hootsuite.com

4. Learn the basic Photoshop tools

Most likely, in 2015 you will have to manage and prepare your artwork digitally. Therefore, you need to learn the basic ways to edit your files. You need to know how to change image sizes, crop photos, fix color issues, balance the light density and other basic things. Learning the basics will ensure your images always look great. If you want to get started, I will be doing a FREE live webinar on January 7th at 7pm about enhancing your images with Photoshop (CS & Elements). All you have to do is go to www.theartistnextlevel.com and sign up for my free photoshop online webinar. You can also read my post Five basic Photoshop tips every artist should know about.

5. Keep up with your website

There is no reason why a serious artists should not have a website today. Seriously, if you do not have one, make it your priority this year. If you are on a tight budget and cannot spend a cent, there are a number of free resources. One of them is WordPress. start a website with WordPress in the meantime you can invest in something more professional. If you are ready to go pro, I recommend Wix.com or Squarespace.com. Both offer fantastic templates for artists to create killer looking websites. They are easy to use and will make your site look amazing. If you already have a website, make sure your images are up to date. Think of it this way, as long as you are a productive artists, your website will never be completely finished.

6. Learn on the go

There are literally thousands of amazing podcasts out there. Think of it as the school after school. You can find amazing stories, resources, information and advice on just about everything. podcasts are a great way to learn while you are on the go. It is estimated that there are over 100,000 podcasts. You can download them to your iPhone/iPad, you can subscribe to the podcast channel you like, you can share them with your friends, etc. If you don’t have an Apple device, use Podcast Republic to listen to iTunes Podcasts in your Android device. You will find hundreds of great podcasts within the art category. Do not miss my very own podcast launching in mid January. Search for “The Artist Next Level” in the search box.

7. Have a Plan of Action for the new year

What are you trying to achieve in the new year? Do you have a plan of action? Do you know what is the next logical step for your art career? I recommend you take a course that will help you get your art career on track. If you need help, I recommend you come to my site www.takethenextlevel.com and sign up for the Taking Your Art Career to the Next Level webinar. There, I will help you identify the next level goal that makes sense for your art career and will give you practical tools to reach it. You may also want gather reading materials related to your current artistic interests to help you create a plan of action.

There you have it, Artist Survival Kit for 2015: Seven Resources for Your Art Practice. I hope 2015 is a wonderful year for your art career and you achieve each and every goal you have. Best wishes to you and thank you for following my blog. Happy new year!!!!