July 20, 2011

E-mail, E-mail, E-mail

OK, I know this sounds like a silly thing, a blog all about having an e-mail address.  Yes, I know it is the 21st century and my children do not know a world with out computers, internet, and e-mail.  However, as our summer helpers are working on compiling information for various databases, they have fully realized how many organizations do not have e-mail.  I understand that many organizations are run by volunteers, and not all volunteers are comfortable with e-mail.  However, I believe it is vital for any organization to sustain and grow to have one set e-mail account and not change for each new primary contact or president.

1. I already have a couple between work, school, and personal, why do I want to have another one?
  • Don’t look at it like you have another e-mail address; it is the organization’s e-mail.  It is not something you need or have to be checking every 10 minutes on your phone.
  • Even some companies have one general e-mail so people do not have to try and figure out which department they really should be contacting.
  • Many universities have a simple e-mail for the departments or organizations.
2. Why not just use my personal one for the organizations?  I will check it more regularly, making my response time more effective.
  • What happens when you are not the primary contact any more?  (I have received some very upset e-mails for contacting the past president because that was the only e-mail I had.)  With one set e-mail for the organization, it does not matter who the primary contact is.
  • You don’t have to let everyone know the new e-mails to contact after each switch of officers. I am not talking about just your members, but other organizations you work or have membership with will need to know the new e-mails.
  • It is easier for someone to remember myorganization@yahoo.com that doesn’t change than each officers’ personal address that may change on a yearly basis.  (Plus, some personal e-mails are very hard to remember with their crazy spellings and random numbers.)
3. What about all the contacts I already have?
  • This is time consuming, but enter them all into the new account.  (There are ways to speed it up with inputting and exporting the information, but I am not going to go into how to do that in this blog.)  Once it is entered, you just have to keep it up dated. 
  • Yes you will probably have some members who you contact personally on a regular basis.  But there are many more that you need to send information/newsletters/minutes/etc to that you don’t need their contact information filling up your personal e-mail.
Do I have you convinced yet?  If not, take a minute and think about how often you change officers, yearly for most organizations.  Now think about all the places you have to change the new primary e-mail to: website, brochures, newsletters, all your members, the bank, membership organizations, office supply stores you have "membership" cards with, etc...  Yes you will have to do this one more time if you set up a general e-mail, but you won't have to do it again.
If you are thinking that it is time to get a general e-mail set up, keep a few things in mind when getting started.

1.      Decide what server you want to use.  There are many free e-mail sites available.  Yahoo!, Gmail, and Hotmail are some of the popular ones.  While your cable and phone companies do offer free e-mail with your internet, I would not recommend them if you are relying on an officer's internet service.  Remember, you will most likely lose the e-mail account if you no longer have their internet services.
2.      Decide on the e-mail name.  Keep it simple.  Use the name of your organization or a shortened version.  You want people to remember it and be able to share it. 
3.      Know who is going to check it.  If more than one of you is going to check it, have a system so you know what is taken care of.  You don’t want to double respond or worse, not respond at all.
4.      Make sure more than one of you knows the password.  Even if only your secretary is going to check it, someone else should know the password so they can get in if they need to.  Remember to pass on the password if you change it.  E-mail does you no good if no one can access it.
5.      Check it regularly.  Regularly does not have to be hourly or even daily.  Checking it once a week, even if it is to make sure it is still empty, will work.
6.      Don’t have it forwarded to your personal e-mail.  I know, I know, it is a more effective response time to have it forwarded to the e-mail you check all the time.  But some e-mails you need to keep for historical and record keeping.  If they are in your personal e-mail, the organization doesn’t have them.
7.      Use a web based system.  Using a web based system allows you to check the e-mail anywhere and access all the e-mails you have saved.  I love all the Outlook can do, but it will keep all your e-mails on that computer.  And again, some e-mails you need to keep for historical and record keeping.  If they are on your personal computer, the organization doesn’t have them.  

I know it sounds like one more thing to do, but it really will make everything much easier in the long run.

If you have or are just starting to use a general e-mail for your organization, do you have any tips that helped you?  Anything you have tried that didn't work?

July 6, 2011

Artist Statement

I’m sure at one point you were asked to write an all-too-official ‘artists statement.’ It can be a divine or detrimental element to the impressions you leave on your audience. This statement essentially answers the general gist of your art. Here are a few common guidelines and rules to follow when writing a statement. 



THE GENERAL FACTS: WHAT? and HOW?
  • What is your artwork made of?  How do your make it? What is the process? It would be best to provide a general idea of what your work is. If you work with photography, mention it, but I do not need to know the intrinsic details.
  • Is there a special process to creating your work that resonates with the actual theme being delved in? How does the process affect you? If it is nothing particularly special to you, leave it out. There’s no need to confuse us with the technicalities of your work.

THE DEEPER MEANING: WHY?
  • Why do you do what you do? Themes? Significance?
  • Your statement should definitely touch base with any recurring themes. Talk about the significance of your work: what does it mean to you? Talk about yourself: what interested you in such themes?
  • When writing your statement, try to stray from unnecessary comparisons and obscure references. Often, this can pose as a hindrance rather than an aid.

RULE #1: KEEP IT SHORT AND SIMPLE
  • You are not writing a novel of your life­–you are meant to entice us, but not formulate expectations of how we experience your work. No matter how much you attempt to explain your philosophies, methodologies, ideologies, etc. my point of view, is still, my point of view.
  • Keep it short and simple– give us just enough to fuel us to want to know more. I don’t need a book, but one word or two sentences isn’t really going to do any good either. Usually, an artist statement can range from one large paragraph to four short ones.
  • Again, I cannot stress this enough, simplicity is the key to connecting with your audience. Your statement should be in a general language that your audience can understand and interpret.  You don’t want to eliminate people from your extensive audience by using an ancient or unfamiliar language. Think of it this way, an artist statement is essentially printed to explain your process and ideas when you are not there in person to speak–it’s somewhat of a tour guide.

RULE #2: GIVE IT TIME AND GIVE IT TO OTHERS
  • Sometimes going off on a tangent is easier that it your think. You may think that your piece is a God-given masterpiece in itself, trust me, wait a day or two and comeback to it, you’d be surprised.
  • Consider letting a few colleagues look over it, another perspective and opinion is always useful. If you are still unsure or have a dire need for perfection, why not hire a professional writer? Feedback is your friend!

RULE # 3 BE YOURSELF
  • I feel as though this should be the golden rule. Don’t create some sort of false façade to impress us. More than likely, you’ll have impressed us by just being your creative self anyway. If your artwork is personal, there has to be some personal aspect in your statement as well. Never be silent– just because your work speaks, doesn’t mean you have to be quiet.

RULE #4 NOTHING IS SET IN STONE
  • Anything is open to change. Once you get it done and said, doesn’t mean it’s set in stone.
  • With each theme and concept you explore–even with each medium–you should probably either update or write a new artists statement.
  • For example, let’s say you had an exhibition exploring themes of nature using watercolor. You are now having a new exhibition about the urban themes using photography as your medium, write a new statement. You may talk about your transition, but you cannot use the same statement. This new exhibition requires incorporation of new ideas and elements, with fluidity comes revision and change.
  • Yes, you can still incorporate and reuse consistent, knowledgeable information, but it must be relevant to your new exhibit.
 Do not worry, it’s easier to write about how you feel and what you know than about the unknown. While these are just a few tips and guidelines to help with the process, more in-depth and detailed looks into writing artists statements are available.  Here are a few links to help you out.  (They’ve even helped me when I had to face that fateful day of writing mine).




How to Write an Artist's Statement
By Marion Boddy-Evans 



Written by guest blogger and artist, Carianna Arredondo.