Nikolas Allen Art

New Art: Nudes

nikolas — Tue, 18 May 2010 00:27:20 +0000

One of the main tools in my creative arsenal is a camera. Most of my art begins with a photograph.

Plus, as a blogger, it’s essential to always be ready to capture images of art projects and life events to illustrate blog posts. I call this, “living with a blog mentality.”

This became a lot more difficult when my camera broke late last year. I haven’t invested in a new one yet because I’m not sure if I wanna go cheap and portable (for the blog) or expensive and professional (for the fine art).

Luckily, my current muse just got a camera for her birthday. I’m teaching her to treat it as an extra appendage, as in “don’t leave home without it.” She’s an artist, too, so she understands the importance.

She is also quite fearless and is willing to doff clothing at the first sign of a creative spark. This is great, ‘cuz with me, creative sparks fly often.

With photography, all it takes is a great shadow, a perfect block of sunlight, or a distressed texture to catch my eye and inspire a new idea, photograph or series.

However, when I’m painting, I often stare at a blank canvas, paintbrush in hand, struggling to realize what it is I want to “say.” For this reason, I find photography to be an easier art form.

That’s not to say photography is easy to excel at. One still must possess a strong vision, a unique point-of-view and the ability to edit. By edit, I mean to notice the slightest detail that differentiates a good shot from a great shot.

Editing also means being able to pick the “hero” shot out of three dozen similar pictures. We’ve all seen Flickr streams from someone’s event that contain twenty pictures that all look similar. It’s far more powerful to present one or two strong pictures than a dozen mediocre ones.

When I was working as an Art Director, I loved scanning the contact sheets from a photo shoot and zeroing in on the hero shot that would end up in the ad.

Early in my career, it felt a bit overwhelming and I often feared that I would pick the “wrong” one. Eventually, it got easier and I loved to challenge myself to see how quickly I could pluck the diamond from the goldmine. These days, I still shoot several frames, and now the hero seems to practically jump out at me as I scroll through the images.

The shots displayed in this post study the interplay of light and shadow, they examine contrast and shape, and they speak to my passion for abstract, graphic imagery. I notice these elements recurring in my work, especially my photography, and find it exciting to be able to spot the concepts, motifs and nuances that develop into a signature style.

Of course, these images also celebrate the beauty of the female form, which has been a popular subject of artists since the beginning of time. And, hey, I am more than happy to do my part to carry on this celebrated tradition!

I’ve noticed my photo collection expanding into a sizeable body of cohesive works. In fact, it’s even starting to rival my collection of Digi-Pop Art. I’ll definitely be staging a solo photography exhibit in the latter part of 2010, and look forward to sharing the details with you as they come into focus.

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YOUR TURN:
Do you have any camera recommendations? What role does photography play in your life? What’s your favorite subject to shoot?

Kicking The Habit: Coffee

nikolas — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 21:45:29 +0000

For the past 20 years, my morning ritual has revolved around the coffee machine. Anticipating “Coffee Time” made me happy to jump out of bed and start my day.

The high-pitched “whirrrr!” of the grinder, the aroma of freshly ground beans, waiting impatiently for the carafe to fill up enough to put the brilliant pause-and-serve function to use.

Every morning, I attempted to create the perfect cup of French Roast with just the right proportions of soy creamer and agave nectar. Dark, bold, rich, slightly sweet…delicious.

So, it was quite a surprise to me when I walked to the kitchen one early March morn, stared glumly at the coffee machine and announced, “I quit.”

“What!?!”, screamed the little part of my brain that needs its daily dose of caffeine in order to send proper, functional signals to the rest of the body, “But why?!?”

I that moment, I couldn’t quite articulate why. It was just an instinctual feeling that I had. The body is very good about letting us know when something is not right for us, or is no longer serving us.

The challenge lies in actually listening to those messages and taking action. No matter how much you love something, if it doesn’t serve your well-being, it needs to go.

I drank alcohol for 16 years before giving it up for good. I was a chronic pot-head for 20 years before finally putting that to rest. I also endured a short stint with cigarettes, before realizing they just weren’t for me.

While the negative effects of caffeine aren’t nearly as damaging as those addictions, it started to feel like just that: An addiction.

It felt like a crutch that I needed to prop myself up on every day. At home, that meant drinking three cups before I left the house. When traveling, or on the road, it meant knowing where every Starbucks was located within a 100-mile radius and hitting at least two coming and going.

I often have a hard time with the transition from winter to spring. This year, I was feeling especially sluggish, irritable and unmotivated. I determined that I needed a change, a Spring Detox, and coffee would be the first casualty.

So, I went cold-turkey and boy, was my brain pissed. For four days straight, my head felt like a log beneath the axe of a burly lumberjack.

Flashbacks of the debilitating hangovers from my drinking days came rushing back as I painfully stumbled and bumbled through the first week in a disoriented fog. If I felt sluggish, irritable and unmotivated before I quit, these same feelings were tenfold after quitting.

I managed to survive that first hellacious week and the next couple got progressively easier to go without. Then I started to feel downright GOOD in the mornings. I was off the mood-swing roller coaster of caffeine and felt a far more even level of energy.

Protein shakes have become my placebo. A freshly blended mix of fruit, rice milk, nuts, seeds, flax and protein powder feels much more filling and nutritious. I even drink them out of a coffee cup as an homage to my recently departed friend, Joe.

My Spring Detox regimen also includes less carbs, more fruits and veggies, increased exercise and plenty of fresh, clean water.

For the occasional treat, I allow myself a chai soy latte, which has about a third less caffeine than coffee. However, I don’t want that to simply replace my coffee addiction, so I drink them sparingly.

So, what do I look for when I’m traveling, or on the go?

Well, let’s just say that now, instead of Starbucks, I know where every water fountain is within a 100-mile radius.

No, it’s not nearly as fun as the triple-latte experience of yore, but it’s a lot easier on the wallet and a much better indulgence on my continual path to optimal health.

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YOUR TURN:
Have you kicked any of your habits recently? Was it a choice or a necessity? How does it feel?

Group Show: “Portraits”

nikolas — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:29:49 +0000

Late last year, I was itching to expand my palette and decided to try my hand at some acrylic-on-canvas work.

Being a digital pop artist, this presented an exciting new challenge for me.

My initial efforts produced a quartet of mini-paintings, which I dubbed my “Bad Li’l Betties” series. (I blogged about them here if you want to learn more about the Li’l Betties).

Recently, I heard there was a group art show coming up at a local gallery with the theme, “Portraits.” I decided to up the ante, go large and paint an acrylic piece to submit to the exhibit.

An impending submission deadline is a great motivator and this was no exception. I finished constructing the piece on the morning of submissions and dropped it off with only a couple hours to spare.

Contemporary Pop Artist, Nikolas Allen, stoked to be part of the show.

As you may have guessed by my expression – my piece made it into the show. The placement was a little wonky – way above the eyeline, over a door – but the piece is bold enough that it still stands out.

As for subject matter, I was still exploring the challenge of depicting the beauty and complexity of female faces, expressions and emotions, as I was doing with the “Betties” series.

As for the construction of the piece, this was the first time I was attempting to paint on flat canvas, build a custom frame, and wrap the finished canvas myself.

Since I had never done that before, I enlisted the help of fellow artist and partner-in-crime, Brenda Woods, to show me the ropes.

Artists, Nikolas Allen and Brenda Woods, celebrate their collaborative efforts.

Not only has Brenda been building frames and wrapping canvas for years, but she also has a tool collection that would make Ty Pennington blush.

We built the frame with 1×2’s, but I wanted something other than just the wrapped edge of the canvas showing on the sides. After all, as creator of the DigiPopFuzzBox, I’ve set the bar high for myself regarding innovative framing techniques.

Holey plastic molding adds interest to the framed edges.

I was low on both time and budget, so I had to get creative. While browsing the hardware store, I saw a rack of L-shaped plastic strips full of tiny holes.

I thought all the little circles running along the outer edges would look cool. Plus, they reminded me of the benday dots that Roy Lichtenstein used to great effect.

I’ve been focusing soley on group shows for the last eight months. I spent a lot of time and money on my solo exhibit, “Bomb Pop”, in Ashland, Oregon last June and, while I love to execute my own Grand Vision, it’s not always feasible to do so.

“Portraits” on display at the SAC Gallery.

I realized that group shows would still keep my work in the public eye, allow me to meet and interact with other artists and their fans, share in the promotional efforts and decrease the overall cost of producing a show.

Plus, so far, each group show that I’ve partaken in has lead to further creative opportunities down the road. So it has been a great way to continue expanding my sassy brand of Contempo-Pop Goodness.

Plus, it forces me to continue to augment my body of work so when it does come time to stage the next Nikolas Allen Pop Extravaganza, I’ll have plenty of fresh neon eye candy for the peeps to chew on. Yum-yum!

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“Portraits” runs through April 11, 2010 at the Siskiyou Arts Council Gallery & Cultural Center in Mt. Shasta, California.

New Series: “Lies We Tell”

nikolas — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:39:09 +0000

January is a great time to start lining up art shows, exhibits and events for the next year. Recently, I was prepping a submission for an art mag that profiles emerging artists.

I asked my girlfriend her opinion on whether I should include some of my “Urban Hues” photography pieces (which I’m ready to introduce to the market this year), or just focus on my pop art works.

She offered, “Your Urban Hues series is fluff. It’s couch art.”

She went on to explain that my DigiPop collection is deep, layered, provocative and makes people think about uncomfortable subjects such as sex, addictions and infidelity.

We proceeded to have a great conversation about the difference between “art as decor” and “art as emotional provocateur”, including the merits and drawbacks of each.

Later that night, my wheels were turning. Into my head popped the phrase, “He was provoked”. This was followed by, “She wanted it”, “He deserved it” and “She had it coming.”

I knew I was onto something, so I grabbed my sketchbook and proceeded to jot down over a dozen phrases.

I started to realize that these concise, but powerful, statements are stories we concoct in order to absolve ourselves of blame and to justify our actions after doing something stupid, irrational or heinous.

These are the “Lies We Tell” to ourselves and others.

BAM! Another concept was born.

As for the medium, I’ve been getting into painting on canvas lately, and I thought it might be cool to create colorful, abstract, expressionistic pieces using letter stencils for the words.

But it was late at night, I had no stencils and this concept was burning a hole in my brain. If I’ve learned one thing in all my years of pursuing the Muse, it’s this: When she shows up, be ready to dance.

It was not the time to be contemplating new techniques. It was time to “Go With What You Know”. And, hey, I’m a Digital Pop Artist, so I hopped on my trusty computer and worked into the wee hours on the above piece.

Over the next couple days, I fleshed out more ideas. While the first piece was softly suggestive, the next two were a bit upsetting to work on.

I felt like I was lowering my energetic frequency; shifting my consciousness to that dark place where people who think like this exist.

As I worked, I was concerned that viewers might think these sentiments were the voice of the artist. Or, would they be savvy enough to realize that I, as an artist, am merely a spotlight, shining a light on the absurdity of our actions and beliefs?

And, would anyone in their right mind want this hanging on their walls? Wouldn’t they rather have a nice piece of “fluff” hanging over their couch that they don’t have to think too much about?

Either way, the conversation I had with my girlfriend was echoing through my head. While I do believe that “couch art” has a place in the world, I also believe that artists should attempt to create work that wakes people from their slumber to contemplate issues they would prefer to ignore.

This concept is just emerging, but I wanted to share its origins early in the process while its exciting birth is fresh in my mind.

I feel like 6 to 8 pieces are necessary to make a cohesive, powerful statement as a series. I’m not sure where it will lead, but I guess I’ll be lingering in this dark place for a bit.

One thing I do know is that, after spending time and energy on this challenging concept, I’ll be more than happy to work on a little bit of “fluff” for awhile.

(“Lies” Model: Tiffany Alexandria Moy // Photos by: Nikolas Allen)

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YOUR TURN:
Do you enjoy “easy” art or “challenging” art? Is there a difference between what you want to see in a gallery or museum vs. your home? What are some of the lies you tell yourself?

Are Goals Necessary?

nikolas — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:36:06 +0000

As 2009 came to a close, the familiar excitement of the New Year started to well up. It’s always enjoyable to consider the myriad possibilities offered by a clean calendar slate as we plan an ambitious slew of new resolutions and goals.

However, by the time the ball dropped in Times Square, I still hadn’t taken the time to ponder, plan and write down my dreams and desires for 2010.

I had been sick with the flu for a couple weeks, so that was partially to blame for sapping my energy and enthusiasm. But there seemed to be more to it.

I was feeling a bit of a crisis of faith. Faith in my own ability to alter the outcomes and events of my life, no matter how much I plan, strive and visualize.

When I moved to California eighteen months ago I had plenty of Big Plans. Since then, I’ve been on one big, crazy, challenging, unpredictable, exciting ride.

But for most of it I have felt more like the passenger than the driver. And along the way, those Big Plans were squashed dead like unsuspecting bugs on the windshield of Life.

Sure, there have been several other positive events and successes along the way to replace the dead bugs. But, when I think about it, they seem to have been a result of my taking decisive action when the opportunities presented themselves, rather than me plotting and planning far in advance.

As for the failures and disappointments? Well, those obviously happened despite my best efforts at planning and goal-setting.

I wanted to write a blog post on Setting Goals to kick off the New Year, but I couldn’t even muster the enthusiasm to ideate my own goals. Therefore, how – in good conscience – could I advise my readers to do it for themselves?

Then I started reading the newsletters, blog posts and RSS feeds from the people I follow. Most of them were writing about setting goals, visualizing the year ahead, planning strategies for success, yada, yada, yada…

They all started to sound the same. Perhaps I was feeling bitter ‘cuz I never got around to my own setting, visualizing and planning. Perhaps I was starting to realize that my Goal Sheets look the same every year and I was beginning to question their validity.

Cuz’, let’s face it, no matter how many times I’ve listed that “white Toyota RAV4 L Sport Edition”, it STILL hasn’t shown up in my driveway.

On the other hand, the “New Relationship with Sassy Female Artist in my Age Bracket with Similar Interests and Values”?

Waaay better than a RAV4.

She showed up in October. Out of the blue, when I least expected.

Had she been on my Wish List? Mos def.

Can I take credit for the realization of that goal? Well, aside from being a superdope rockstar artist with mad steeze, not really.

It was merely a matter of right place, right time. Perhaps that’s when the RAV4 will show up, too.

In fact, perhaps that’s when ALL my goals and dreams will be realized. Exactly when they are meant to be. Regardless of my goal setting, list making, visualizing, chasing, scheming and striving.

Maybe my belated New Year’s resolution will be this: Aspire to be more like the heron.

“The heron knows a lucid stillness. It stands unmoving in the flow of the water for hours. When Tao brings it something that it needs, it seizes the opportunity without hesitation. Then it goes back to its serene, contemplative state.

Unless it found the right position in the water’s flow and remained patient, it would not have succeeded.

Actions in life can be reduced to two factors: positioning and timing. Almost anything is appropriate if an action is in accord with the time and the place. When life presents an opportunity, we must be ready to seize it without hesitation or inhibition.”

Deng Ming-Dao, 365 Tao – Daily Meditations

Not quite a heron but you get the picture.

I’m a pretty ambitious person, so it may be difficult to take a more mindful, zen-like approach to my goals this year.

I’m also pretty spontaneous, so I may wake up tomorrow, wonder what the heck I was thinkin’ when I wrote this post, then commence to some serious goal-settin’.

But, as long as I have the CHOICE and the POWER to make plans, to take action, to make decisions AND to change my mind at will along the way, I’ll be happy.

At least these things give me the illusion that I do have SOME control over the outcomes in my life. Even if I’m not in the driver’s seat, at least my arm can still reach the wheel from the passenger seat just in case the Big Guy needs a little help steering once in awhile.

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YOUR TURN:
I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on making New Year’s resolutions (and their success rate) and the importance of setting goals as it applies to YOUR life.

Press: Artist Interview

nikolas — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 19:32:46 +0000

I had several pieces of art in a group exhibit in Redding, California over the holidays.

During the run, I was contacted by Adam Mankowski, who saw the exhibit, loved my work and wanted to interview me for Date Magazine, a weekly Arts publication that he writes for.

Adam also runs HawkMan Studios, a company that represents artists and organizes monthly Art Hops in Redding. He invited me to exhibit in an upcoming Art Hop and we are currently planning something for March.

Pop Art Designer, Nikolas Allen

Here is the interview featured in the Artist Profile section of Date Magazine:

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Nikolas Allen: musician turned advertising art director turned video producer turned artist and designer, transplanted to the north state from Minneapolis via San Francisco in 2008. This Mount Shasta artist explores the shadow side of human nature with his neon eye candy pop art.

Describe your work for someone who has never seen it.

“My work is contemporary pop art. It’s sexy, bright, bold and fun with an urban edge and an acerbic wit. I enjoy exploring innovative presentation techniques. My trademark creation is the DigiPopFuzzBox, which is digital pop art mounted to fuzzy box frames. I’ve also mounted my art to chain-link fence gates and recycled window frames.”

Have you shown very often in the north state? [Note: the north state refers to the far northern region of California. - NA]

“In the year and a half that I’ve been in California, I’ve had solo shows in San Francisco and Ashland, Oregon, and been in group shows in Yreka, Mount Shasta and Redding, California. Before I moved out west, I exhibited in both solo and group shows in Minneapolis, Minnesota.”

What are your favorite regional venues for art?

“I’m a fan of any venue that offers an opportunity for people to experience art. I applaud everyone who helps to create a space where a relationship between an artist and an audience can transpire.”

What’s your view of the state of the arts in the north state?

“From a creative standpoint, there’s an amazing abundance of people expressing themselves in a variety of mediums. That’s always a good thing. From a business standpoint, it’s about the law of supply and demand. While the economy is showing signs of improvement, the current supply of creative media exceeds the demand by a sizeable margin. I would like to see a lot more self-sufficient artists in the world.”

What are your favorite subjects and what makes them interesting to you?

“I like to be surprised, shocked, excited, provoked and inspired when I discover art. I aim to create work that incites similar emotions in my audience, regardless of the subject I happen to be exploring. Also, I’m a pop culture junkie, so anything that references the current zeitgeist usually gets my attention.”

Favorite artist, living or dead?

“This is a tough question. However, I gotta go with the Granddaddy of Pop, Andy Warhol. I saw the ‘Warhol Live’ exhibit at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco last summer and my mind was blown wide open. Being close enough to his giant ‘Double Elvis’ to see the silver spray-painted canvas and staples running up the side reduced me to a giddy schoolboy. Plus, with him, it wasn’t just the art; it was the entire Andy Warhol brand that was so intriguing.”

What are you working on right now?

“I’m preparing my first photography exhibit, ‘Urban Hues’, which is a study of color in the city. I shot the series in San Francisco and Portland and am seeking an appropriate venue for a big, themed spring show.

I’m also creating an educational program for artists who want to learn about personal branding and marketing in order to stand out in a competitive marketplace and achieve greater success. I’m currently writing the eBook and I’ll be utilizing workshops, video and blogging as well.”

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The Redding Holiday Art Show took place at Old City Hall Gallery and ran from November 11, 2009 through December 24, 2009.

This interview was published in Redding’s Date Magazine on December 24, 2009.

New Art! New Medium!

nikolas — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 02:58:13 +0000

While shopping for art supplies recently, I came across some tiny 5″x5″ wrapped canvases. They were so cute, I couldn’t resist buying a handful.

As a digital artist, cameras and computers are usually my main tools, but I’ve been itching to expand my palette and experiment with various media, including paint and canvas.

I had just been invited to partake in the holiday opening of Local Patron, a pop-up boutique selling the works of Bay Area artists.

I figured it would be a good time to create some small, affordable pieces of art with holiday gift-giving in mind.

I had been sketching a lot of female faces for my “FACE TIME” series (which is still in progress), so that theme seemed to continue when I was deciding what my new mini series of paintings was going to be.

I have dabbled in acrylic paint in the past, so I was familiar with it, but there is definitely a learning curve when exploring a new medium.

I love mixed media, so I added glitter and rhinestones to the finished pieces for a little extra pizazz.

When it came time for titles, I had fun coming up with names that were befitting of my badass cadre of SuperBabes.

For the Local Patron opening, I also created a dozen “PopRox”, which are rocks that I plucked from the coast of Oregon and painted with cute, animé-style, pop characters.

These affordable art items even got a little press! SF Station, a blog detailing the arts & entertainment scene in San Francisco did a great writeup on Local Patron, including this blurb:

“Painted rocks might sound dull but those by Nikolas Allen are anything but, and fans of pinup/hotrod culture will love his mini painted canvases ($50).”
- Jailin Luh, SF Station writer

While I won’t be giving up photography and computer manipulation anytime soon, I’m excited to continue experimenting with a variety of mixed media in the coming year.

Stoked On: Marilyn Minter

nikolas — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:16:42 +0000

As an artist, I make it a point to view a lot of other people’s art. But, only occasionally do I come across work that actually excites me and gets my mind racing in all sorts of inspired directions.

This short video, “Green Pink Caviar”, from artist, Marilyn Minter, had that effect on me.

Bold, colorful, sexy and succinct with a nice ambient soundtrack. Beats the heck out of the glut of garbage I’m subjected to on YouTube.

Marilyn’s luscious photography tickles the pleasure center of the brain.

While there is tons of amazing art in the world, I’m mostly drawn to the work that answers these two questions:

1) Do I wish I created it?
2) Do I wish it was on my walls at home?

I answer a resounding, “YES!” when I see the work of Marilyn Minter. Color me inspired.

For more delicious art works from Marilyn Minter, including her hyper-realistic enamel paintings and the most vulnerable photos of Pamela Anderson you have ever seen, visit this link. [Note: click the link and wait. Once the site loads, Marilyn's portfolio will automatically open.]

Local Patron Boutique

nikolas — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:08:05 +0000

I’m pleased to be selling some of my wares at Local Patron, a pop-up boutique in the North Beach area of San Francisco, which will be open through the holidays.

When I moved to California back in 2008, one of my first connections was with Jessa Freeman, who stocked my Renegade Girl Grafik Garments at her pop-up boutique, SFGallery143.

Jessa Freeman, director SFGallery143

Nikolas Allen shmoozes at SFGallery143 Summer ‘08 Store in Lower Haight

Jessa’s vision is to create a retail environment that showcases local artists, designers and crafters, offering residents a chance to discover and support the abundant Bay Area talent.

Local Patron Holiday ‘09 Storefront in North Beach

This holiday season, SFGallery143 has merged with Local Patron to provide an even larger, more diverse range of artistic creations.

Jessa preps the new store as Opening Night approaches

The “pop-up” concept means that a shop will open for a month or two in various locations throughout the year. This keeps the overhead low and creates a sense of “get it while you can” urgency.

Local Patron Open For Business until January 10, 2009

My contribution to the party is a limited-edition collection of Renegade Girl Grafik Garments, which are basic clothing essentials screenprinted with original designs.

“Little Angel” tunic in heather blue

Semi-sheer “Skully” mid-sleeve thermal in charcoal

“Love Grenade” black burnout tee

“Bandita” long-sleeve tee

Also, with holiday gift-giving in mind, I’m test marketing a new series of affordable art items, including these 5″x5″ acrylic-on-canvas paintings.

These itty-bitty babies offer all the juicy, pop goodness you expect from Nikolas Allen, at a bite-size price. They are currently only available at Local Patron.

Local Patron’s concept is a win/win for all involved. Artists get an outlet to sell their work. Customers enjoy the exclusivity of the one-of-a-kind offerings. The organizers get to realize their entrepreneurial visions and the local economy gets a swift kick in the pants.

I’m proud to be included in this creative co-op of impressive and diverse local talent.

The Elevator Speech

nikolas — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:28:52 +0000

One of the most frequent questions you will be asked over the course of your life and professional career is:

“So, what do you do?”

For many of us, this can be quite difficult to answer because we juggle a variety of responsibilities, jobs and hobbies.

Or, sometimes the thing we “do” that puts food on our table, is not the thing we “do” to express ourselves and make our entire beings come alive with excitement.

But, there is nothing worse that suffering through someone’s long-winded, rambling, unfocused explanation as they stutter and stammer through the laundry list of their job description and responsibilities.

That is why it is important to develop an Elevator Speech. This is a concise explanation of who you are and what you do.

The concept of an Elevator Speech is that your summary is short enough to finish in the time it takes an elevator to get between floors.

The Elevator Speech is often used in networking and social events, where you need to quickly summarize your unique talents and interests.

It’s important that your Speech is casual, easy to understand, and not too tech-y or overly stuffed with biz-jargon.

For those of you multi-hyphenates who have several areas of interest (i.e. Musician-Artist-Filmmaker), don’t overwhelm people with everything at once.

Focus on the one area that most applies to the person asking. Dole out the additional info only as needed.

It’s also important to gauge the actual interest of the person asking.

Is it a rhetorical question?
Stick to the basics.

Is it someone you need to impress?
Focus on your passions, unique skills and accomplishments (and be sure to slide them a business card so they can reach you if they need to).

Are their eyes glazing over from disinterest?
Either change the topic or move on.

I had a woman approach me at a restaurant, who had seen my picture in the paper from a recent art opening.

She asked, “What kind of art do you do, are you a painter?”

I replied, “No, I’m a digital pop artist. I’m also passionate about branding and marketing and I enjoy helping other artists create and market their own personal brand.”

Her blank expression indicated that I was speaking a foreign language.

So, I slid her a business card, said she could visit my website to learn more, and moved on.

In some occasions, there’s just no point in wasting time with explanations. If that’s the case, feel free to step off the elevator.

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It should be noted that the Elevator Speech is the younger sibling to the Elevator Pitch.

The Elevator Pitch is different in that it’s a two-minute presentation geared towards selling your product or company idea to an investor.

If you’re ready to shmooze investors, this 2-minute video fully describes the anatomy of an effective Elevator Pitch.

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YOUR TURN:
So, what do YOU do?