I am not an artist.

I enjoy art, but I’m not very good.

I’ve tried drawing.  I’ve tried painting.  I’ve attempted photography.  Nothing seems to ever come out the way I envision it in my mind.  To me, that’s the true talent that good artists have – the ability to envision the final product and then create it exactly as it was intended.

Anyway, my dad is an incredible photographer.  He has spent his 30+ year career as a commercial photographer, specializing in studio photography in Los Angeles.  He’s a master.  He has an ability to capture light in such a unique and powerful way, its stunning.

Although he’s been a commercial photographer his entire career, I’ve believe his best work is done when he’s out shooting for himself.  Sometimes its to build his portfolio.  Other times, I can tell he does it for the sheer enjoyment of finding the perfect ray of light, at the perfect angle, in the perfect setting, and the perfect time.  Its the joy of the hunt.

Its amazing to me that he’s stayed so dedicated and focused on his art for so many years.  I, on the other hand, have had a much less congruent career.  I was pre-med in college.  Finished with a degree in Zoology with an emphasis in human biology.  Thought I was going to be a doctor.  Well, right before I graduated, 3 days after 9/11, I was laid off from my job at an internet startup.  Our second child was due in two months.  Things got a little hectic to say the least.  I decided that incurring a couple hundred grand in extra debt may not be the smartest thing for me at the time.  So, to finish school and support my growing family, I took a job in a warehouse hand-screwing nuts and washers on bolts used for freeway overpasses – no joke!  It was hard, greasy work, but it paid the bills.

Once I graduated, I got a job as a pharmaceutical sales rep on the Central Coast of California.  Man, I love that part of the coast.  Beautiful!  Shortly, I was promoted to be a hospital rep in So Cal and we moved south.  I did pharmaceutical sales for a little over 5 years.  I call it pharmaceutical marketing because no real sale transaction ever takes place.  So, for 5 years I was immersed in big business marketing.

After I grew tired of pharmaceutical sales, I took a job with Infusionsoft – a software company that sells marketing automation software.  It is at Infusionsoft that I’ve learned that I have a deep love for growing small businesses – specifically building marketing systems to grow small businesses.

Every entrepreneurial idea I’ve ever had in my life started flooding back to me when I started working at Infusionsoft.  A few of them stayed around for more that 5 seconds, but one stuck.

I realized, that after 30 years of watching my dad run his photography business, I had a dang good idea of how hard it is to run a small business, and how extremely difficult it is for artists.  A few weeks ago, dad was visiting me at the Infusionsoft offices.  He and I sat down with Infusionsoft CEO, Clate Mask.  Dad made a comment that shocked me:

“I’ve been doing this for 30 years and every year I wonder if I’ll still be in business next year.”

I about fell over.

He’s been very successful.  He shoots regularly for big clients like Acura, Honda, Hyundai, Mitsubishi,  Samsung, & Disney.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  It hasn’t all been rosy.  I remember many times praying as a family that dad would find work.  I remember seeing the stress in my mom’s eyes as she wondered where the money would come from to pay for grocieries.

That is why I’ve started ThinkBigArt.  I’ve seen the struggle of a succesful artist.  I know there are many others that are extremely talented and haven’t seen the success that my dad has.  I’ve seen first hand how hard it is to run any small business.

It shouldn’t be so hard.  Its just not right.

Over the years I’ve learned how to sell and market art online.  I want to give artists the tools and the systems that will give them total freedom to create as well as the ability to drive serious amounts of revenue online.

I’m going to teach you how to Think BIG.   That’s part of the problem.  Artists dream big about their art – but they often don’t dream big enough about how to market and sell their art.  Implement what I teach you, and you’ll be Thinking REALLY Big.

Come back often for a regular fill of sound advice for artists.  For now, ThinkBigArt will be a site that solely provides valuable content for artists – practicle things that artists can do to make a name for themselves and make money.  Eventually, I may provide actual business and marketing systems to compliment the content.

Thanks and enjoy!

Tyler Garns