You all know me by my name and by removing it from my marketing material I am cheapening my product. I would use Michelle Frances if I were approaching a gallery or a client interested in commissioning a painting so why should it be different if I am approaching a client about decorative painting work. Ultimately all my work should be gallery quality and that is what I want my marketing material to say (albeit subtly).
I will clearly need to speak with my web savvy friends to find out how much I will hurt myself (in web searches) by eliminating the word 'murals' from my web address but where I loose some clients I hope to gain others.
I'm not sure why this decision has taken so long. The answer was so obvious. I will just have to let my web analyst friends tell me how to turn Michelle Frances into a successful web presence. There is a reason that 'michellefrances' domain names aren't taken... I am the only Michelle Frances. 'Wall Whimsy' was taken by someone I would hope to never be confused with, Google searches for 'Treatments' are flooded with cosmetic surgery ads (don't get me started on how 'not me' cosmetic surgery is), 'The Wall Artisan' was better but would have needed a huge tag line before you could get 'Michelle Frances' worked in.
This business name dilemma came up when friend who was helping me with marketing stuff asked me who I am as an artist... I need to promote my best self. If what makes me unique is my mural work market that, if what makes me unique is my ability to reproduce master works market that etc etc. Trouble is that my most marketable quality is my range of abilities. How do you market that without confusing yourself thoroughly in the process? So, back to the drawing board. What makes me marketable is my wide range but what do I love? What do I want to be doing in ten years? Big landscape murals?... no. I enjoy murals but they don't inspire me like canvases do and they aren't as much fun as painting polka dots on kid's walls. Scattered trees and pachyderms peaking out from behind bookcases are fun for me; 15 foot murals of the African savanna, not so much. I am good at those murals and if someone wants me to paint one I am, of course, happy to do it but that is not where I want to focus my marketing efforts (thank you Brian for helping me figure this out). I was more inspired by the face of a Weimaraner and a blank canvas recently than I have been by anything else in a long while... so, I am going to go with that.
I was at a yoga retreat last month and learned a great deal about a great many things. One of the most profound discoveries I made was that I need only be concerned with how I see myself and the rest of the world will follow. I was not thinking in terms of business marketing but the principle holds true... it is just a bit harder to manifest when your livelihood hangs in the balance. If I think first about what I need, what inspires me, what feeds my soul then, eventually, others will see that same me and appreciate it. I had been skipping a step. I was trying to define myself by what would be most marketable. Pure Silliness!
I am simply me. I am an artist and a darn good one. And, I was given a great name so I am going to stick with it.
* This was typed between the hours of 3 and 5am so please forgive my poor grammar and scattered thoughts.
** Thank you Aruni and Brian H. (aka Coach Fancy Pants)... seriously Brian, you have a future as a life coach ;)
*** A miller moth just landed on my keyboard... telling me that the sun is rising and I need to get my head back in bed before I have to wake up in an hour or two. Good night and good morning.
