‘Insured Umbrella’ Kate Forman Copyright 2004
It’s come to my attention lately that I am a great writer of recommendations and giver of glowing recommendations. Many co-workers from my multitude of past jobs have requested that I write letters for them.
A benefit of this blog, and of the Twitter and Facebook account, is that they’ve encouraged (forced?) me to more or less construct illustrative “letters” of recommendation for myself. I’m proud, and going prouder, to be representing and marketing myself more fully, but…
This week I re-started my cold call campaign, based on an e-mail blast I recently sent out. Eek! Cold calls…all I’m doing is recommending myself, but the amount of nervous anxiety I feel doing it is disproportionate to the task. So why does writing a letter of recommendation for a co-worker get filed under “enjoyable challenge” in my noggin, where-as “speak well of your art” gets filed under “primal threat to existence?”
Hmm. I’ll keep you posted, and for you artists and lovers of art, I’d welcome any recommended words to keep in mind to describe my art, and your own tips for how you speak glowingly of yourself.
Kate Forman Illustration 
I once knew a woman who worked in sales at a local tv station. She got involved with local theater and decided to become a full time actress. She used her sales skills to market herself as an actress; as she put it ‘ I’m selling a product I believe in, it just happens that I am the product”. And she was very successful in the local market, where she wanted to be, doing commericals and such.
I like the way she sounds — a certain amount of moxy comes through your lines — no doubt she was successful! I also follow a blog called “All business is personal,” (gotta get that link up here) and I think he speaks to that same intent. I’m definitely thinking a lot about when it’s beneficial to be more “personal,” as opposed to more “business.” Thank you for the success story of a woman who obviously found the sweet spot…