I realized that the artists who managed to fight through this recession have a better shot at longevity than most. The recession was a test of your resolve and passion. I think as we come out of these rough times we will be more adept at survival and will have gained the skills necessary to make a long fruitful artistic career. There will still be those that fade away but we are more likely to grow and bend with the times and prosper.

How do you get into magazines? How can you get on TV or in your local newspaper? What can you do so others will take notice of your art? When I was first trying to get noticed, all of these questions went through my mind. After a lot of trial of error and a lot of reading, I began to understand the world of public relations.

I have lost my faith in goals. At one time, they were like a religion to me. But I am starting to realize that goals by themselves are nothing more than an arrow pointing in a certain direction. The real magic is in the systems you create.

While I was still going to embrace social media, I knew I had to do things that nobody else was doing. I decided I had to meet as many people as I could - face to face. While most artists would email galleries, I would show up in the lobby. Instead of liking an art show or exhibition, I would go there and meet everyone. And while most would send a magazine a press kit, I go and meet the editor. This notion of face to face contact became my mantra.

If you look on the history of art you observe how the most popular forms trample the rest. The abstract expressionists destroyed figurative work for more than 30 years.

A venture not accomplished is loss; working together towards success is VICTORY!

The only way to survive is to intently focus on how the art world operates. Once you understand how things work, you can find a solution to the problems you are facing.