Digital Challenges

As a working professional artist I am very aware of the need to also be a business woman. Alas, how nice it would be to just paint all the time...a lament heard from all artists.

Over the years I have developed a mail list of collectors who have purchased as well as those who have expressed an interest in my work. I have sent post cards via snail mail (US Post Office) with an image of a new painting and information about upcoming shows to these folks at various times of the year. It is wonderful to have someone arrive at a show with my card in their hand, saying how glad they were to receive it.

But, times are changing. I must now add "email/newsletter blasts" to my marketing tasks. So, to this end I signed up for an online service that allows me to send these messages with a click of the mouse.

The send with a click sure does sound easy. It is all the behind the scenes stuff that gets so frustrating for me. Getting through the digital maze, uploading files or in my case typing in hundreds of email addresses, uploading images, figuring out how to use the template, etc. etc.etc.!!! And just when I think I have it all down...everything just disappears. I have spent days on this project. My friend, Sharon Crute, has given me some pointers, but when alone at my computer nothing makes sense.

I perservered and have gotten all my email address loaded into the program. I felt pretty good about finally completing that part of the process. So, next I tried to add the little "subscribe to my newsletter" box to my web site. The directions sound simple enough. Wrong. I have managed to completely destroy my web site. It can no longer be found on the internet. A prompt comes up saying the site is under construction. Actually it is under destruction. Oh well, I guess I will spend at least a day on the telephone with the techies to try to figure this all out.

If anyone would like to subscribe to my news letter just email me (schindehette@embarqmail.com) and put subscribe in the subject line. When I get it all straightened out you will receive notices of upcoming shows and new paintings about once a month. I promise not to share your info with anyone and you can opt out at any time.

In the mean time, I will continue to send out my post cards.....at least I know how to do that!