I Am A Professional Artist: The Key to Survival And Success in the World of the Arts (Paperback)

~ (Author, Illustrator) "If I had spent more time in my life thinking about what I was about to do, I probably wouldn't have done half the things..." (more)
Key Phrases: gilli moon, good business person, professional artist, Bill Bottomley, John Braheny, Robert Borg (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Gilli Moon enlightens us on how to become a well-rounded creative person of many talents who can deal with the nitty gritty of promotion and marketing --Authors' Secrets Radio

Gilli Moon's common-sense approach is packed with tips that provide a blueprint for success. -- Bernard Baur

I Am A Professional Artist' may focus on the Arts, but Gilli Moon's advice and no-nonsense philosophy applies just as well to anyone who wants to live their dream, whatever it may be. Her common-sense approach is packed with tips that provide a blueprint for success. In each chapter, Ms. Moon gives the reader encouragement, as well as practical suggestions that break down into small steps exactly what it takes to make it in the Arts and entertainment. She guides us through mind sets that can turn into obstacles and presents the type of attitudes that can achieve goals. Most enlightening is her perspective that each person can become their own industry and actually profit from their dream. Her attention to detail merges Art with commerce in a way that transforms pipe dreams into reality. Simple to understand and uplifting to read, this book is a must for anyone who wants to live a fulfilling and rewarding life while pursuing their muse. --Bernard Baur, Music Connection Magazine

I Am a Professional Artist' is a HUGE collection of proven ideas that any musician or band can benefit from. The info here is road-tested by Gilli herself and it DOES work. This book is an inspiration for all who want to make a living from their art." --Kathode Ray Music

Reading this book is like a conversation among friends trying to encourage each other to follow their art--their "heart". -- Toni Koch, music promoter, Arizona, May 2002

Product Description

Some say succeeding in the Arts as a professional Artist is all about fame and fortune. So much of our desires are based on false illusions about the industry and what we read in glossy magazines. Being a professional Artist is a life long journey of becoming who you want to be, and achieving success through what you love to do. It s about living your dream. It s also about setting goals that you alone determine if they have rewarded you rather than what the industry defines as success. The Arts industry, whether that be in music, theatre, film, writing, dance or any business about Art, can be cruel and very un-artistic. It s often about survival, especially survival of the fittest. It can feel like a competitive war against large corporations, those who judge you (which can even include your family) and the other artists who are also climbing their way to the top. Gilli Moon, artist, author and record company owner, brings to you her first book, I Am a Professional Artist offering Artists who ve chosen the professional path, practical steps in harnessing one s creative abilities to succeed and survive in the Arts and enjoy your artistry at the same time. Including interviews with various professional Artists, I Am a Professional Artist combines a self-empowering practical guide in surviving and succeeding in the Arts with key business principles and spiritual nourishment. Consider it an Artistic soul s survival guide in business! I AM a Professional Artist follows 2 simple principles: If you want to be a professional Artist, the first thing to realize is that you have to be two people: An Artist, and a Business person. The second principle is based on her own coined phrase: The three Os: Optimism + Organized equals Opportunity I Am a Professional Artist will certainly change the thinking of any professional artist who may doubt themselves or their art, who may feel pressured by the industry, or may feel the hardship of the roller coaster ride.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 125 pages
• Publisher: Warrior Girl Music; 3rd edition (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 095799060X
• ISBN-13: 978-0957990609
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,441,149 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars lots of "feel good" filler and little meat, April 30, 2006

By	Kate "artist/art prof" (NC, United States) - See all my reviews

I should have known by the bad art on the cover. I teach a class at a university on the business of art and periodically review these types of books to see if they should be included in my courselist... this book might work for someone who needs a morale boost or simplistic encouragement, but it was full of new-age cheerleading platitudes (20 full pages of this thin book are simply one-line quotes from the author enlarged to fill the page) and lacked anything concrete to help artists make the jump to "professional". I almost never go to the trouble of returning a book or writing a review, but I was really angry that anyone would print and distribute this book which seems to offer nothing new.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and helpful, September 25, 2005

By	Marilyn Dalrymple "MaLing" (Lancaster, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I Am a Professional Artist: the key to survival and success in the world of the arts by Gilli Moon is a small, motivating, interesting and valuable volume for anyone struggling to make it in the world of art. Author Gilli Moon gives down-to-earth, hard-news-type advice with no promises of success unless you are willing to get down and dirty. Along with sage advice, however, Moon prefaces her get-tough, get-working advice with all things encouraging.

And she knows what she is talking about. I recently saw Moon at a concert in Santa Monica and she is indeed a successful performer. Her performance is electrifying. Fields in which she is successful include singing, songwriting, recording artist, musician, actor, producer, author, painter and motivator, among others.

I Am a Professional Artist: the key to survival and success in the world of the arts discusses things all artists struggle with, but Moon doesn't just talk about the struggles, she tells us how to go about facing and overcoming obstacles of the creative soul.

Some steps to success listed under, "The Lessons I've learned," include:

*Learn from others, work with others, but "own" your art.
*Create a plan. Take one step at a time. Be careful not to do step 5 before you have even conquered step 1.
*Don't fear anything. Be courageous. Opportunity is yours for the taking if you really want it.
*Be creative with a business sense.

She also defines that question we all wonder about at one time or another, "When something changes your perspective, you're witnessing Art," she says, "Everything else is craft."

Not just a motivational guru, though, Moon stresses the need to get busy, keep busy, promote, learn, teach and re-invent yourself if you must, but most of all believe in yourself, your art and your abilities.

She encourages artists to take advantage of the Internet. "The Internet," she says, "is leading the way for Artist self-empowerment." Not only is it to be used for promotion, but also it is a tool that allows Artists to negotiate better deals. "Successful Artists run their own databases, their own offices, web sites, fan clubs and promotional affairs," and the Internet is a key ingredient of successes in these areas.

Filled with sage advice, encouragement, heart and energy, I Am a Professional Artist: the key to survival and success in the world of the arts is a must for everyone who wants to become successful in the Arts. Don't just buy it - read it. Don't just read it - do it.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars errr, May 10, 2005

By	J. Brittain "JFB" (London) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Interestingly, if you look at the reviews of 'How to survive and prosper as an artist' you will see that Gilli Moon has recomended her own book as an alternative. That's a bit questionable isn't it?