Katie has also given many presentations and workshops at schools, colleges and the Norman Rockwell Museum.  Her favorite topics include:

1) The Art of Marketing & Self promotion

2) Tips for Success in Creating Art for Licensing & Stock Illustration

3) Holiday Greeting Card Workshop

To schedule a date for a presentation or workshop on one of the topics above or a similar topic, please contact Katie at pandkatkinson@sbcglobal.net.

Katie's Tips for Success in Creating Art for Licensing and Stock Illustration

1)  Create the work that you want to do and get in the future.  Study the marketplace and look at what is being published  in the areas you want to pursue, for example greeting cards, editorial, or children's books. Generate your own work after really studying the market, the competition and artist rep's sites.  Don't just wait for assignments to come to you; produce the work you truly want to do and create your own momentum by continually moving forward.

2)  Getting your work on to a well-known website or in with an agency will give you lots more exposure than you can get on your own.  Many art buyers purchase art by searching on major art sites with key words by subject.  It is a great way to gain worldwide exposure and clients you would never reach with your own mailings.  Don't expect  to see an immediate payoff though.  When you have several years worth of images, sales will start to gain momentum.  When you have a consistent look and a large body of work on related themes, you will stand out in that niche.  Once I started getting known for my many images on peace and the holidays on www.images.com, I then started getting some great assignments on these subjects!

3)  I can't recommend this one enough - go to the National Stationery and Licensing Show.  New companies form every year, and looks and needs can change with established companies.  You will clearly see where your work has possibilities and where it doesn't.  Meeting people face to face will take you so much further than just mailing samples hit or miss.  I brought several printed samples of my holiday work to this show and made the rounds to the booths that looked of interest to me. That is where I found the first greeting card company which has published most of my holiday cards.

4)  Become visible as an artist in your community and in the media.  So much can come from personal contacts.  When you are involved in local exhibits and causes, newspapers will be interested in you.  Be your own agent, supply them with press releases tying in your local event with your illustration business accomplishments and websites.  For instance, I had my illustration on exhibit in town with a write up in the paper.  A neighbor, Dr. David Leffell,  had just finished writing a book, saw my art, and hired me to illustrate Total Skin, which ended up being featured on The Today Show. You can also send articles to special interest magazines.  As master marketer Jane Pollak would say  "Media begets media!!!!"

5)  If  you can learn to write and speak about what you do, amazing opportunities for self promotion, income and networking will open up.  Most importantly, use every single success to create another one.  When something is published, think about who else might like to know about this.  Can this be of interest to a trade magazine if a story is written?  What else can this lead to? One day on a whim I emailed my press release to the Art of Licensing magazine, and to my utter amazement they emailed me back just minutes later saying that they were doing a related story on stamps and could I be interviewed for an article on my work for the Christmas Seals illustrations that I did for the American Lung Association. Lastly, make thank-you notes a regular part of your business and people will want to help you succeed.

6) You are in the idea business as well as the art business!  Your desire to create art is a God- given gift; think about how it can be used to be of  benefit to other  people, companies or causes.  Take what is personal and meaningful to you and make it universal.  Persevere and when you have created many images with broad appeal, developed your own style and completed your learning curve to find out what sells best for you, then the payoff finally comes.  You will be hired to do assignments on subjects you truly love and want to paint!  Meanwhile your stock illustrations are like your employees- earning you money whether you are working, sleeping or on vacation!

Just remember that creating artwork for licensing requires a tremendous upfront effort. Persistence and faith are so important.  Success often looks like failure in the middle.  A good group of art friends can help see you through the ups and downs of getting to where you want to go, and it sure is wonderful to share in each other's victories along the way.  To paraphrase Michael Bolton when he was asked about becoming an overnight success: "Most people don't realize that that night was 105,000 hours long."

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