BradHallArt Blog

Understanding vectors in Adobe Illustrator

2012-01-27T12:14:00.004-07:00

When I first started teaching at The Art Institute of Phoenix, back in 1996, I found that students who knew a particular software program, such as Adobe Photoshop, were reluctant to learn anything else. And *reluctant* is putting it mildly! Many students were absolutely belligerent about using Photoshop for everything. And I guess you can, if you must, design a logo in Photoshop. But Illustrator is the correct tool for this. Using the wrong software program is what I call *pounding in a nail with a screwdriver* - it's better to go get a hammer!

I guess that you can use just about any software program to create a logo, even Word, but if you know Adobe Illustrator, it is much easier and faster to use than anything else. But you have to deal with a concept called *vectors*. Unlike painting or word-processing programs, vector programs, like Adobe Illustrator are all about points and shapes. If you can wrap your head around what vectors are, you're in business. If you can't, well, you can't. It's definitely a *light-bulb going on above your head* thing, and I have been thrilled to see hundreds of my students *get it* over the years.

In a training session that I did a couple of years ago, while the class was waiting for the computers to be updated, I spent about fifteen minutes in the break room with the class. I told them that they all would be vector points and to stand around the room. Each time a vector point moved, the shape would change. And there are only two types of vector points - sharply angled and curved. And one of the students in the class, the only female, volunteered to be a curved point. And I watched light bulbs go on above everybody's head!

The whole class got it, and they did great. I love this kind'a stuff.

How to create a Google+ page for your business

2012-01-25T09:19:00.001-07:00

Creating a Google+ page for your business requires two steps - creating one for yourself, and then creating the business page. The reason for this is part of why I prefer Google+ to Facebook. Please let me explain.

A Google+ account is for real people. In their help page, they politely ask you to go elsewhere if you choose to be anonymous. If, for whatever reason, you need to be anonymous, Google+ is not for you. I am Brad Hall, owner of BradHallArt, and have been a public person all of my life. My website has been up for over ten years, I write multiple blogs, and I have taught at colleges and training companies since the mid 90's. I have no desire to be anonymous. I have had a Google Profile for years, and when you search for Brad Hall in a Google search, I hope that you find me.

Once you have created your Google+ profile, you will see this graphic, which you click on to begin building your page. This page is administered by you, but has the profile of your company. I recommend using a different profile picture, to be sure that you are posting as your company when you want to, not as yourself.

Once you have created your page, don't be concerned with followers, treat it as you would any web page that is indexed by Google. Write in complete sentences, use keywords. There really is no limit to how much you can write, but Google+ is not a blog, so keep it fairly short and simple. I find that a paragraph or two is plenty. And be sure to include a visual with each posting. And be sure to make your postings *public*. Needless to say, write things that you want the public to see.

Your customers and clients will find your business page the same way that they find anything on the web, with a search. The search box is built right into Google+.

And since you are the owner and administrator, you don't need to stop with one business page. You can create as many pages as you like, including one for your favorite hobby, or your other business, or whatever. It's actually kind of fun. I created a page for my hobby, The Tropical Paradise, a page for one of my businesses, Caricatures for special events, a page for my Cartoon Illustration, and a page for another hobby of mine, collecting historical information about Phoenix, Arizona.

Once you're on Google+, look me up. It's a pretty cool place to be!

Saying goodbye to Twitter

2012-01-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

For years I have been advising my clients to *tweet* their blog posts. That is, copy the URL, write something eye-catching and post it all on Twitter. It's what I have always done. It gives a little extra *kick* to promote your blog, which of course, is on Google Blogger.

But now with Google+, there is no need to go to all of that trouble. And in fact, it makes more sense to share your blog post on Google+ than to tweet it. If what you are looking for is exposure on the web, you are looking for the highest possible ranking in the Google Search Engine. That is, to be on page one or two. And the tight integration of Google+ with Google Search just makes it work better than Twitter.

This is how you do it

After you've published your post in Google Blogger (and yes, you need to be in Google Blogger for this - if you are on WordPress or somewhere else, move), click *Share*. That puts your post right on your Google+ stream.

This is what it looks like in your stream on Google+

So, the new technique is: write your blog post, then share on Google+

And goodbye to Twitter.

How to write a post in Google+

2012-01-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about Google+, as compared to Facebook and Twitter, is that the content is more meaningful. There are definitely a lot less people writing status updates like *I'm drinking a cup of coffee now*. Since I am enjoying exploring what other people have to say in Google+, I would like to encourage what I consider the correct way to post there.

This is how you do it -

• Write in full sentences, with keywords, such as *training dachshunds*. Google+ has a built-in search, so if you want people to find your posts, use the words that they would use for searching. It is Google, after all!

• Don't fill up your post with a lot of hash-tags, or ampersands, or other such nonsense. It makes your post look like you are trying to do some sort of Search Engine trick. Just write something interesting, for example, about dachshunds.

• Include an image. This is something that Google+ does really, really, well. An eye-catching image can get people to look at your post. If you don't want to include an image, go post on Twitter or Facebook.

• Click the +1 button for posts that you like. You don't have to join a circle or write anything like *LOL hehehehe*. Just click the button.

Thank you. See you there!

Forgetting about followers, focusing on visits in Google+

2012-01-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

I have been telling my clients that getting *followers* on their blog, on Facebook, and now on Google+ is meaningless. I advise not showing followers of your blog and now I am advising not showing followers on your Google+ pages. And it's all about focusing on what is important.

I will admit that it feels pretty good on Facebook when you do a rant about your favorite movie, and immediately one of your close friends *likes* it. And it does seem kind of strange to put something out there, like the posts that I do on this blog, and not see the faces of your audience. This blog, and the others that I write, has very, very few *followers* - I think a few close friends clicked the *follow* button before I removed it. And since I'm not writing for my close friends, I really can't blame them if they never read a word of my posts. But my blogs are constantly being visited - which I can see in Google Analytics. And I can see visitors who go from my blogs to my website.

What you are looking for, and what you can achieve on Google+, is a wide audience. One of the best features of Google+ is the search bar on top. Hey, it's Google! If you want to see some cool stuff about dachshunds, for example, just type it in and you are immediately immersed in a wiener dog world, with interesting people to talk to. Sure, you will find the *LOL hehehehe* stuff there, these are human beings after all, but mostly you will see thoughtful articles and comments, and some really beautifully-displayed photos.

So, when you post on Google+ plus, be sure to use keywords. If there is a picture of you and your dachshund, write the word *dachshund* or *wiener dog*, not just *me and Peppy*. People will find your Google+ post, read it and look at the pictures and may want to find out more about you, and your product or service. They may or may not + it (which is Google+'s equivalent of the Facebook *like*).

So stop checking your *followers* or *circles* or whatever, and focus on getting meaningful content out there. That's what the web, and the Google Search Engine, is all about anyway!

How to get started on Google+

2012-01-19T09:12:00.002-07:00

Google+ is the new social media network from Google. As of this writing, January 2012, I can't really recommend jumping into it unless you like new stuff and are willing to be an early adaptor. I've been on it since about the middle of last year (2011) and I can still feel it changing as they refine it. It is, of course, a beautiful, clean, and intuitive interface, but it can be annoying if you need to have everything settled in before you start. Personally, I like being one of the first people somewhere. When I started teaching Graphic Design at The Art Institute of Phoenix, they were still literally putting in the walls for the classrooms. So, this kind of stuff doesn't bother me, in fact, I find it exhilarating.

If you are ready to jump in, go to the Google Plus site, sign up, and get started. If you already have a gmail account, or are on Google Blogger, or use any other type of Google product, you just use the same id and password.

Begin with your Google Profile. Make sure the information and your photo is up to date. Google+ is not a place for people to hide, like predators, it's a place for people to connect. If you do not want to reveal your real face and your real name, Google+ is not for you. I am Brad Hall, the owner of BradHallArt, which has been on the web for about a decade. I present myself on Google+ the same way that I present myself professionally in person. So, the first page you start with, they call *You*.

From there, you can create pages that promote your business. I created one for my Tropical Paradise, one for my Caricatures for Special Events, one for my Cartoon illustrations, and one for my Phoenix, Arizona Historical Images. I have all of my settings to pubic, because I want people to find me. And they do, because Google indexes all of this information. As a business person, I want to connect with other like-minded people and attract new clients, which is what Google+ will do. The image on the right is the drop-down menu from my Google+ that lets me manage my pages.

You can do *circles* and all that, and I have, but Google+ really isn't Facebook. People can view your pages without having to be *your friend*. Again, they are still refining and changing Google+ to make it more appealing to the Facebook crowd, but right now the fact that it isn't like Facebook is the most appealing thing to me.

See you there!

How to gain exposure on the web

2012-01-17T15:57:00.001-07:00

As a marketing person and Graphic Designer, my job is to help you to get exposure. That means getting your message out there, getting your product or service ranked high on a Google search, getting people to talk about you, which should hopefully lead to more customers getting in touch with you so that they can purchase your product or service.

If you are already have all the business you need, you do not need to go looking for exposure on the web. You need to attend to the business you have right now, and get it done. There are a lot of people like that out there. They don't need business cards, they don't need to advertise, they don't need a website. Some of them have full-time secretaries just to deal with their correspondence to politely turn offers down.

If you would like more exposure on the web, here is how you do it

• Get a professionally-designed website. This is definitely the first step. And it may be all that you need to do. This is the storefront for your product or service, and maybe all you need to do is to build it, and customers will come.

• Write a blog. Blogging for your business is like being your own Press Release person. Say good things about your product or service. Repeat the same information that is on your website just in case people find your blog, and not your website. Do it again. Repeat.

That really should be more than enough. A great website and a steady stream of blog posts - be absolutely sure to use Google Blogger, not WordPress or anything else - and the web will find you, and if you have a good product or service, word will spread.

If you feel that you have to do more, you can create a page on Facebook and on Google Plus. Personally, I'd rather see my clients *burning off nervous energy* on Facebook, which is pretty much useless for exposure, than messing around with their website, which is probably just fine. And if they would like to do their product or service some good, I advise writing a blog post. Every day. At least once a week.

There are about a million more things that you can do to gain exposure on the web, but their return on your effort is minimal.

Go write another blog post!

How to use Facebook as a business

2012-01-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

If you have a business, you need to be on Facebook. It's the most popular party in town, and you need to show your face. This is how you do it -

• Open a Facebook account, create the page, post a good profile picture, fill out all of the information. No, you don't need to put in silly stuff like if you're in a relationship, or your Zodiac sign! What you are looking for is the most dignified presence that you can have in the slightly-silly world of Facebook.

• Write a couple of posts yourself. Just say something like *our new offices just opened in Cincinnati* or something like that. Don't be cute or funny, unless you're a comedian. If you are a motivational speaker, use some of your best lines like *Success comes in cans, not in cannots!* People will be attracted to that, and will click the *like* button, or make a positive comment. Facebook is a popularity contest - and it's great to be popular!

After that, there really isn't much else that you need to do except monitor the page for spam or inappropriate language. Most of the content of your Facebook page will be filled in by people who are *friending* or *liking* you, and writing comments such as *Glad to finally see that you are in Cincinnati!* or similar.

Once you've done all that, go back to what really matters, which is enhancing your Search Engine Optimization by using Google Blogger, Google Plus, and updating your Google Profile.

Saying goodbye to Facebook

2012-01-14T09:29:00.001-07:00

I've been teaching computer software for over fifteen years now, mostly Adobe, so I pride myself on keeping up with the latest thing in the world of computers. I was an early adaptor to the internet and have had a website, and the same email address, for almost a decade. And I really like cyberspace, and I want to know what it's all about. It's best expressed by a friend of mine who once said, "When I was a kid, I wanted to know everything, and I never outgrew it".

In spite of my advanced years - I'm well over 27 - I have no desire for everything to remain the same. In fact, it kind of saddens me when I hear someone lamenting how good it was *back in the day*. Sure it was, then, but this is now.

If you like Facebook, don't worry, it will be around for a long time. Hey, MySpace is still there, much to my surprise! But as for me, and my clients that I advise, I am saying goodbye to Facebook. But please don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with Facebook, or MySpace, I've just outgrown them.

Yep, I'm moving over to Google Plus. Yeah, it's quiet over there. I was fortunate enough to be one of the very first people who got an invitation to Google Plus last year. I remember looking at it, wandering around, walking down empty hallways and opening doors to empty rooms. It didn't seem like much. But I returned yesterday and the transformation is amazing!

Google Plus is where I want to be. There are grown-ups there! Professionals who have something interesting to say. You don't *write on walls* there - and I have yet to see the type of inane chatter that Facebook is. It's a window to the world.

Goodbye, Facebook. If you're wondering whatever became of me, I'll be on Google Plus.

How Facebook works

2012-01-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

If you're puzzled by Facebook, I can help to explain it to you. If you've never used it, or if you've used if for a long time and still don't quite *get it*, this should help.

Facebook is a gathering of friends. In spite of whatever you may have heard about *privacy problems*, Facebook is indeed a private place. Even though it's on the internet, it's easy to keep everything you say, and every picture you post, as private as is possible, seen only by your chosen friends and family. And because of this, it's a safe place to be.

The place to start on Facebook is to make everyone that can see your postings someone that is your friend. You give people permission to enter your Facebook space. And if you're self-conscious about making mistakes in front of strangers, there is no need to be, as there are no strangers there. Like all good gatherings of friends, they are supportive of your efforts. Statements that you make, and pictures that you post, are immediately responded to with something positive, or at the very least, the *like* button. It feels good.

Compare it to giving a piano recital in front of close and supportive friends. You can be assured that they will like what you do, because they are your friends. Facebook is a place for loyalty. And because of that, it is the very best social media place to start. Believe me, you will not feel foolish, you will feel welcomed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

If, on the other hand, you are in a business, or are trying to promote yourself, using Facebook is pretty much useless. If you are looking for exposure, not just the adoration of your friends, you will need to get on a stage that goes beyond your group of friends. This is the same step that a band makes when it accepts a gig at a club, instead of just playing in a garage for their friends. It's a scary step, and it means performing in front of a group of strangers, people who are not already your friends, people who will judge your product, service, or company on its own merits. And if you have merit, people will be attracted to you for that, not because they are already your friends. That's a good feeling, too.

Facebook is the shallows, where the water is warm. If you want to swim in the ocean, you will need to break away someday. But Facebook is the perfect place to start.

Protecting your reputation on the internet

2012-01-13T09:25:00.002-07:00

The internet is a public place. And if you choose to go out into this public place, people will see you, they will hear you. People will probably talk about you, and it may or may not be the truth. Yes, the vast majority of people out there are good and considerate, but there are always some bad guys. Some people are just plain mean, twisted, and malicious, and they make life miserable for the rest of us.

In a public place, whether it be in a high school or the internet, if you have someone who wants to try to destroy your reputation, there really isn't much you can do directly. Everyone has known a vicious gossip, or someone who delights in ridiculing people, and they are as prevalent on the internet as they are in *real life*. It would be nice if these kinds of people would just go away, but, sigh, they won't.

Here's what you can do to protect your reputation on the internet -

• Google yourself. Type your name, and your company's name into Google regularly. See what comes up under images and videos, too. Chances are very good that no one is taking the time to ruin your reputation - maybe the images you see are from a company party when your eyes were glassy - or maybe you see your avatar from a forum you posted in years ago. Don't worry about that stuff.

• Bury the bad stuff with good stuff. Post your own information about you, and your company. Write blog posts, post images, upload videos. Be sure to use Google Blogger and YouTube. The Google bots will index this better information and push the stray stuff back a few pages in a Google search.

Whatever you do, don't get involved in a *flame war* with someone - just remember that slinging mud just makes both people muddy. I like to think back on a friend of mine in high school who responded to a nasty comment said to him by just rising above it and saying, *live with the guilt*.

You're a good person and you have an excellent company. You deserve to be in a public place like the internet. Keep doing the right thing. Your reputation will speak for itself.

Why should you use Google Plus?

2012-01-12T12:47:00.003-07:00

Google Plus is not a replacement for Facebook. Facebook is a place for friends. Google Plus is a place for business contacts. And if you are interested in improving your exposure for your business on Google searches, you need to get involved with Google Plus. If you just want to connect with friends and have fun, stick with Facebook. Personally, I use both. Please let me explain.

Google Plus is for people who want exposure, and want to control it on Google. If the only thing that comes up in Google when people search for you is a random high school picture that someone posted back in 2003, then it's time to take control. And you do that with a Google Profile and Google Plus. This is what you do -

Create a Google account. If you already have gmail, you already have one. Fill out your Google Profile. Upload pictures of yourself that you want people to find when they search for you. Describe your business. Create links to your website, your blogs, articles written about you, that sort of thing. Then make some connections with other pros in your field that you know. It starts off slowly, but the connections get made. Google's bots do most of the work.

In addition to Tweeting your blogs, post them to Google Plus. This will help you ultimately get much more exposure than just showing stuff to your friends on Facebook.

But don't give up on Facebook! It's fun and it's a great place to communicate with friends. Excuse me, I gotta go see if someone *liked* my last post in Facebook. But I'll be sure to post this to Google Plus!

Overcoming your fear of new technology

2012-01-12T11:05:00.002-07:00

I'm a techie guy and have always been what is now referred to as an *early adaptor*. I was one of the very first Graphic Designers to use computers in the 1980s. I had one of the earliest *answering machines*, one of the first VCRs, was an early user of voice mail, and have had a website for over ten years. My genuine enthusiasm for this stuff made me a natural to start teaching it in 1996. I am a *hey, this is cool, check this out* person and I like to believe that I would have been that way back during the invention of electricity, or cars, or even the invention of the wheel.

Very few people say that they have a *fear of technology*. It's usually just described as *I don't have time for this!* If you have several decades behind you, you may be getting the feeling that technology is passing you by. And the best way to overcome this fear, and this distrust, is to compare the technology of now with the technology of the past.

Unless you are over 100 years old, you grew up with electricity. Imagine how mysterious this technology must have seem to people when it was new. Many people back then would have rather use a candle than get anywhere near an electric switch! And what about cars? This new technology had the old-timers saying, *get a horse*! This sounds as ridiculous to your ears as the fact that I can't pay for your product that I found on the internet with Paypal. You want me to mail a check? Really?

If you are reading this now, you have access to a computer, which is a good start. And that's how you do it, one little step at a time. As a teacher, I encourage people to try a little bit at a time. I don't have to sell you on how great technology is, you will discover it for yourself.

How to write your next blog post

2012-01-10T13:36:00.002-07:00

If you've just created your blog, and written your first blog post, it's time to write another one. The important thing to remember is to consider that your audience probably hasn't read any other of your posts and probably has no intention to. So, whatever you do, don't tell people to go and read what you already wrote - it's tempting to do, but rude.

Instead, look at your blog posts as stand-alone compositions, inspired by whatever you would like to share. So, start with a good title - remember that Google is indexing your titles, and if someone types in *how do I write my next blog post?* maybe they will find the one you are writing. Nearly 100% of the people who visit my blogs are finding information on Google. They are not *followers*.

So, get those keywords into the title of your next post. If your blog is about gardening, you may want to write a headline that says, *How to plant daffodils* or *Making daffodils bloom* or *Ten reasons why the daffodils in your garden are dead*. Those are the keywords that your potential readers will search for, and find, in your blog. Writing a headline like *My next great idea for a blog post* will attract no one.

And changing around your gadgets or your template on your blog is mostly a waste of time. Write a post!

What the pencil, screwdriver, and wrench tools are for in blogger

2012-01-06T09:35:00.004-07:00

One of the confusing things about the Google Blogger interface is the little pencil and the little criss-cross tools (screwdriver and wrench) icons on your page as you view it. They are short-cuts and they are only visible to you, the person who is logged in to your blog. They don't show up for anyone else.

The pencil tool icon allows you to go directly to edit a post. The criss-cross tools icon allows you to go directly to edit a gadget. It's actually pretty cool.

Just wanted you to know. Now go blog!

What to do after your website is complete

2012-01-05T09:48:00.002-07:00

The best thing that you can do with your website, after it's complete, is to leave it alone. It's just human nature to want to go back and tinker with it, and as a Graphic Designer I've seen a lot of this. It's good for me, as I charge by the hour, but it's bad for my client, and for people using my client's web page.

Think of your website as if it was your store. Once it's built, and everything is set up, there is really no reason to move the doors to somewhere else, or move the shelves around. If you need to add something, that is a different story, but why are you adding something? It might be better to build another store.

After your website is complete, leave it alone. The time and energy that you have should not be put into changing the website, instead, it should be put into marketing the website. This is what you should do -

• Create a Twitter account - and tweet about your product or service

• Create a Facebook page - and write about your product or service

• Create a Blog, like this one, and promote your product or service

The web site is done. Now get out there and tell everybody about it!

How to stop those annoying emails from Facebook

2012-01-04T14:45:00.000-07:00

Getting an email every time someone posts something on a Facebook group really stinks. But you can make it go away, and Facebook has even made the process easier.

From your page, find the little arrow with no name (no, I don't know why they do this), click on it and select *Account Settings*

From that page, look over at the left for *Notifications*. Did I mention that this is simplified?

From that page, select Email Frequency. I did this a couple of months ago and it stopped the Facebook emails!

And there you go!

How to use Google

2012-01-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

If you have ever wondered what the capital of Bolivia is, or who was the star of *North by Northwest*, or just about anything else, you can find it by using Google. This is how you do it -

If you are using Safari, Chrome, Firefox or Opera, there is an area along the top of the browser window that will allow you to type in anything and have Google search for it. You don't even have to spell it correctly, Google will figure it out. Google is a search engine, and while there are other ones, Google is the most popular. You may have heard people say, *I will Google that when I get home...* Other major search engines are Yahoo and Bing.

When you get to the Google page that lists the capital of Bolivia, or whatever you were looking for, you have the option of seeing images, videos, or articles. There is no need to go to the Google-specific page for images, or videos. It's all there. By the way, if you misspelled Bolivia, it will say *did you mean....* but it will give you the option to search for Bolvia if you prefer.

Google has a built in algorithm that learns about what you want. Each time you go back to Google it remembers a little bit more about you. If you visit sites that are about the architecture of Bolivia, it will give me more results the next time related to architecture. If you visit sites about the food of Bolivia, it will remember that preference, too. Google knows what city you are in, so if you search for K-Mart, it will find the closest one for you on the first page and push the other locations to the other pages.

This isn't magic, or demonic artificial intelligence, this is just how a computer can access a database and update it. This technology has been around since the invention of computers. And now it helps you to find stuff. Cool.

Setting privacy settings in Facebook

2012-01-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

Facebook is a great place. It's a place for friends. I have a Facebook page which I use to get involved with groups like Vintage Phoenix, fans of Theodore Roosevelt, gardening, that sort of thing. I have Facebook pages for my cartoons and my caricatures. But my settings for my page for myself are limited, as they should be for you, too. I am not hiding anything, but pictures of my dog, my trip to Tucson, that sort of thing, are for my friends only. The default in Facebook is to be very public with your information, but there is a way to protect a bit of privacy. Here is how you do it.

From the menu at the top right, click on the little downward-facing arrow. Yeah, I know it doesn't say anything. I don't think they are intentionally making this difficult, really. Then select *Privacy settings*

When you get to that page, select *Friends* under *Control Your Default Privacy*.

Below that, click *Edit Settings* for *How You Connect. Hang on, we're almost there!

That will open another window that will allow you to change the settings to *Friends* and *Friends of Friends*, which is what you wanted all along, right?

The end of the internet frontier

2011-12-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

When law comes to town, the frontier is doomed. The new laws being proposed, and ones that will follow regulating the internet, will mean the end of the frontier as surely as the coming of lawmen did to the old west.

If you liked the frontier, I sympathize. And if you were one of the first people there, I can understand a resistance to having to deal with fences - rules, regulations. But a lot more people are moving into the frontier of the internet, and when that happens, you need law and order.

It's going to be quite a battle. And anytime you try to crowd a lot of people on what used to be *wide open spaces*, it's frustrating for the people who remember how it used to be. Back in the day when all you needed was a handshake to make a deal, back when neighbors looked after themselves and didn't go running to a sheriff, or a lawyer. But the fences are on their way. And the laws that will be created to discourage the bad guys will make it more inconvenient for the good guys. And the bad guys will continue to find ways around the system.

The internet has been a frontier for fifteen years now. Old-timers like us will remember the freedom. Future generations will never know.

Making money from your art

2011-12-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

If you enjoy creating art, whether it be drawing, painting, music, or any other type of art, you may have considered finding a way to *pay the bills* with it. That is, making it your living, or your livelihood. It can be a dangerous step to take, but if you don't take the step, well, you will never know. But art can be your life without being your livelihood. If you love to draw or paint or sing, just do it. As a good friend of mine once said about his piano playing, he gets many requests, but he keeps playing anyway!

Taking a businesslike attitude toward art means learning about business. Most people only know about getting paid for their time, so getting paid for a product or service is completely different. And that's what your art, or music, really is in terms of business, a product or service. And like any product or service, you can start by giving it away, but you will need to move it over to getting paid if you want to make money on it.

Getting paid real money for your art is kind of cool. The best advice that I ever got on that subject was from my high school art teacher, who said that if someone liked a drawing, offer to sell it to them. It takes guts! My first *sales* of my artwork were in exchange for something of value. And that's where it starts. If someone values your art, they will show it. Just having someone say that they *like* it doesn't really prove anything. You need to put it to the test.

The good news is that there is a whole world of business out there for talented people like you. There are gigantic companies and huge fortunes that are based on something as simple as as drawings, or songs. The relations between publishing companies and artists can be strained at times, it's true, they they need each other. You may not know anything about copyright, but your publishing company, or record company does. This is a world of contracts, and licensees, and it's good for you to know a little bit about this stuff.

If, however, you feel that all art and music should be free, by all means, do your art, or record your music and post it for free on the internet. You will probably get a lot of followers, hits, shares, and *likes*. But don't expect any money, that's now how it works.

Are your Facebook videos still processing or blocked?

2011-12-19T11:41:00.002-07:00

Uploading videos to Facebook is a mysterious process. You upload, get a message that it will take a few minutes and then wait for a message that your video is finished encoding. But what happened to your video? There is a way to watch your videos currently processing.

About 40 minutes ago I uploaded a video of my dog Macintosh in the backyard and it is still processing. To get to the page shown above, go your photos and click on Videos (next to see all). It will take you to a page that shows the videos that you have uploaded. Then click on Videos currently processing. Yeah, not easy to get to!

I'm guessing that Facebook is having some technical difficulties today!

Update Monday afternoon. The video did finally upload. Took about around four hours I figure. It's a 17-second video and the only sound is *bark!*

How to make your customers your salespeople

2011-12-16T09:35:00.001-07:00

Long before the internet, when a product or service went *viral*, it was called *word of mouth advertising*. The idea here is to have your customers advertise for you. And if you have a good product or service, most people are happy to do this for you. Right now millions of people are promoting a product to each other, making millions of dollars for the owners and investors. If you want to learn how to do this, I suggest that you study the masters.

The ultimate in this type of marketing is, of course, sports. Nothing compares to how loyal fans *sell* each other all of the time, from wearing the logos of their favorite teams, to just talking about it and building up interest. However much the NFL does with direct advertising, it's nothing compared to the amount of exposure that they get from their fans. And if you think it just happens naturally, well, you don't know how marketing works. It has to be done in a wonderfully subtle way, or your customers will figure you out, and resist being *unpaid salespeople*.

The absolute worst thing that you can do is to give away your intentions. If you want someone to advertise your product or service on their clothing or on their car, avoid the temptation to include a web address. That's a dead giveaway. Yeah, I know you're thinking, but how will people make the connection between the advertising and getting to my store? Believe me, they will. And if you shoot yourself in the foot by being too obvious right from the beginning, you don't stand a chance.

When I look at the marketing for the NFL, all I can say is *these guys are good*.

Using the new Google Analytics

2011-12-07T08:34:00.001-07:00

My first reaction when I see a redesign of an interface that I have been using for a long time is *oh no!*. I have been in the habit of checking on all of my websites with Google Analytics first thing every morning. The old interface had a page that displayed all of them - with the number of visits during the past month, average time on site, bounce rate, and the percentage of change for the past month. If I needed more information, I could click and go get it.

Now, it's just a page with a listing. Even when you click on a site, you have to click on it again to get anything to happen. Then it takes you to an enormous amount of information. And maybe that's the point. I'm still figuring it out.

I don't know why they changed the interface, I'm sure that there is a reason. There is probably a way to customize a page to display like the old interface, I'm going to try to find out. By the way, it's a bad idea (although tempting) to just click *old interface*. When a new design is launched, they do that, but keep in mind that it will go away after a while and you will still have to deal with the new interface.

Again, I don't know why they do this, but they do.

Understanding visual language - rage faces

2011-11-29T11:12:00.001-07:00

As a cartoonist, I am fascinated with faces, and, of course, expressions. And it's amazing how much we interpret from so little when we are trying to understand someone's expression. In order for us to try to understand, we must attempt to put it in context. And the truth is that we humans don't really have as many facial expressions as our thoughts require. And that's what makes these little cartoons, commonly known as *rage faces* so appealing. There are lots and lots of rage faces, but I would like to concentrate on my favorite one. I really hate to try to give him a name, as that defeats the point. You can find lists of names because people feel compelled to do that. But this is a visual language, not a written one. I had a painting teacher once who said that if he could describe a painting, there would be no reason for him to paint it. And yes, you could read the visual language long before you were taught to apply words to it. If you think that it has been driven out of you by the years, give it a chance again.

The man in the picture is simply laughing. His eyes wrinkle and his head tilts. That in and of itself tells very little. The rage faces are all about *the reaction shot*. Is he showing disbelief? He probably is now that I said that. This particular drawing is used a lot to convey someone who is showing in a good-natured way that he knows that someone is pulling his leg.

Juxtaposition (putting things next to each other) enhances our interpretation of expressions. That's why it's so fun to do *rage comics* - simply place an expressive face next to, well, anything, and our brains are soothed as we know what his reaction is. It could be something he is being told, or something he is being shown. Of course, you can just have him saying something obscene, which is a cheap laugh, but that's not what this all about. This is about telling entertaining stories with simple imagery. When it's done right, it's wonderful - and no need for cgi special effects, either!