Records save my sanity

Records when in business are key to any survival or success.  The IRS, the state, your accountant, the bank; all of these relationships rely on your record keeping system but my ability to calculate the years accomplishments are just as important.

I talk about records, a lot.  I have lists and I’ll admit that sometimes I have too many but moving from one type of record to another can take some time.  I am about to wean myself off of the original record, but it is nice to be able to access it.

I used to just paint my pieces and sell them until one day, I found I had 2 originals with the same title.  That was a whoops that made me do my first record keeping foray.  I started creating inventory numbers based on important information.  First letters of the title*subject*size*creation date so Storm Warning would end up being SW*Sky*11x14*11/20.  This told me that this particular Storm Warning was of the sky primarily, was 11x14 and was created November 2020.

That was pretty cool, all of a sudden; I knew when something was created.  I turned to Excell, which is a pretty good program.  I started recording all sorts of information until I discovered, Artwork Archive.  I pay for this program, but it is so worth it.  It has spaces for all of this information and places for me to post photos, buyer information, where it has been shown, where it currently sits and what I was paid for it plus the taxes/commissions I paid when it sold.

The biggest thing was now I could create reports that showed me what I accomplished.  I have a yearly goal and sometimes, life gets in the way.  This year with the move, I thought I was horribly behind, but I’m Not!  It was a huge surprise to find that while I hadn’t been able to create a piece each week, I had done one each month on average.  Considering that I had a huge project and started doing larger originals, I was doing really well.

Records can help you see the big picture and have been very reassuring lately. Sometimes while we are busy surviving, we can loose sight of our accomplishments.  Being able to see your achievements in one place is incredibly encouraging. 

While I recommend Artwork Archive, you should find your own way of doing things.  However, if you do sign up for the program, tell them I sent you?  I get credit for everyone that mentions my name. https://www.artworkarchive.com/?ref=71831e