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I’ve looked at quite a few art techniques books, but The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain stands out from the crowd because it advocates such a unique and effective approach. Betty Edwards’ teaching techniques are based on ‘split-brain’ studies carried out during the 1950s and 60s. The basic theory is that the left and right hemispheres of the brain process information differently. The left side processes information verbally and analytically and the right processes information spatially. Her premise is that if we can tap into the special functions of the right side of the brain, it will help us to become competent artists.

By completing simple tasks that only the right side of the brain can perform, we can begin to create more sophisticated drawings. I’ve tried a few of her techniques and yes they do work.

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Guerrilla Marketing is the latest buzz word. It doesn’t have much to do with hairy mammals pounding their chests and eating bananas, more to do with re-examining traditional marketing techniques.

Guerrilla Marketing is the new way of looking at promotion, using techniques that appeal as much to the unconscious mind as the conscious mind. The Guerrilla Marketing Revolution is quick and simple to read and makes a refreshing change from traditional sales techniques.

A couple of ideas that I’ve found useful in the book are as follows:

Anchors

An anchor is essentially an internal or external representation that triggers another representation.

This idea is presented as a short cut to reducing the time spent persuading others to purchase or accept your services. With an anchor, you will not need to repeat your message as often for positive results. If you can create an honest and emotional response in others, they are more likely to react positively to whatever you are promoting.

A good example, that I can think of, is when advertisers use a cute soft toy to promote their product (such as a car). The soft toy creates an ‘ahhhhh’ response and becomes associated with the car.

Presuppositions

Presupposition is the quickest, easiest and most effective means of persuading the unconscious mind, when used by a skilled communicator.

The idea of using presupposition, is to present a choice in such a way as to presuppose the desired response. For example: “I’m sure you’ll continue to enjoy the many projects on this website.” Here, the presupposition is that you are already enjoying the projects on this website and you will continue to do so.

Oh, and here’s another one…

P.S. Don’t forget to buy the book.

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Thei Zervaki is a writer living in New York, who gets invited to many events and parties. She has recently published a book: Get Invited, don’t crash it:, which gives tips on getting invites to events and networking.

Any tips for artists wanting to network or market a show?
Artists can be very “artistic” and they forget completely about marketing and promoting their work. First of all, make your message clear. When guests visit your studio, gallery or any other space where you exhibit your paintings (or any other work), say that it is for sale! It is so simple, but artists do not say it.

I remember I attended the Chelsea Gallery Studio Walk last spring and when I was visiting a studio, the artist clearly stated that all her paintings were on sale, making the comment that she never did in the past! Guests do not know if an artist wants to sell or not so being honest about it, will help you sell.

Second, do not accept the common belief that artists die poor or do not make a lot of money. This is not true. There are and will always be buyers of your art, usually more affluent people. So, your job is to locate your buyers, your target audiences.

Third, have a nice online presence (blog, website, ebay site, etsy.com, facebook.com page etc). A wealthy friend of mine only buys online and his paintings are very unique and rather expensive. Finding an agent may help but maybe not, that depends on your personal situation. Overall, “see” your art as a business, not just a way to express your feelings…

Is your book self-published or did you find a publisher?
It is a self-published book. I didn’t follow the traditional path of getting an agent who then would “sell” me to a publisher. Although a safe path to sales, it is far too slow for my impatient nature, so I decided to self-publish using Get Published: Take your book from manuscript to the masses with CreateSpace, an amazon platform.

Have you any tips for anyone wanting to publish a book?
First, you need to come up with an interesting idea, not yet explored so your angle is crucial. Then, you need to actually write the book (because we all have a book inside us but this is where it stays most of the time). Don’t get stressed out with the timing, just follow your instincts but have a “first” deadline. If you want to look for an agent, just email them while you do your writing. Most of the times, a rejection will follow but don’t give up. In today’s environment, anything is possible. But this is only 50% of the job. After getting published, you have a lot of work to do to market and promote it. Be willing to spend some money as well! So, you get the picture (I am talking about non-fiction).

I found your point about constantly creating “busyness” as a way of avoiding what you really should be doing very true for me. What are your tips for avoiding “avoidance”?
First, find what you really, really, really desire. This is the most difficult step to avoid the busyness. Then, focus on this desire. Take all the actions that they will help you implement this desire. For example: you really, really, really desire to start a side catering business providing food to local events. Don’t fake it and say that I’d rather paint my house, go to the gym or book a trip to Paris (finding all sorts of excuses to support the “second” best choice). Start taking small, baby steps to achieve it. Buy the ingredients, cook, send out some sample food to local event organisers, put some adverts together etc.

I strongly believe that there are many reasons for this “busyness” or “avoidance”. Maybe we are not ready to actually “do” it, we feel insecure, not qualified enough, we are afraid of rejection or we just procrastinate. I would even dare to say that “busyness” or “avoidance” is laziness. When it comes to parties and invitations, many (and that includes me from time to time), accept invitations and go to events that they do not serve them just to say that they are out and about. Having clear objectives about your choices in life is paramount to avoid wasting your time.

I notice in your book that you are critical of shy people. To quote:

I am not personally a great believer in shy people. I know the large majority of social psychologies would disagree, arguing that shyness is hereditary, a social disorder or even a gene. I would argue, though, that those labeled “shy” often are aloof, self-centered and attention needy. Or they simply do not know how to start socializing more. They just need some help.

If someone is claiming to be shy, what advice would you give them? How can shyness be overcome?
I don’t believe in shy people. Having said that I don’t imply that human beings have the same level of “social openness”. Some are far more open and extravagant than others. It doesn’t mean that the less open are shy, they just need a little more help. I talked to a number of psychologists (with PhDs) and they do not seem to agree: some say that it is in our genes, others agree with my statement that shyness is self-centeredness. I would say that if you feel “shy” and you don’t like it, don’t push yourself too hard but make an effort: talk to a few people you don’t know during the week, smile at your bank manager, invite a friend for dinner. Slowly, you will feel better about yourself and your social skills. As I say in my book, nobody is born a socialite or a party-goer. We can all become one.

What was the best event you ever attended?
It was Harvey Nicks in London. Pure luxury! Expensive champagne on all floors, sample food, music, well-dressed guests and more champagne. I experienced something similar on a smaller scale in NYC at the Mercedes-Bentley event. Excellent food, numerous cocktails and expensive cars. The Chelsea Market After Dark event during the NY Food and Wine show in 2010 was amazing. Champagne, cocktails, mouthwatering food and some local celebrities…

What was the funniest moment you’ve witnessed at an event?
Someone who, while trying to attack a meatball almost broke a sculpture! I think that galleries should only provide wine and some mixed nuts otherwise it is a disaster. Party crashers entering parties un-invited is interesting to watch; they do it most of the time!

Have you specialized in a particular area, or do you still accept invitations to a diverse range of events?
I usually attend culinary and wine events and shows, but I go to store openings and gallery receptions. And I don’t do political events…

Do you find how events are organized and promoted in the US different from the UK?
Not really. In the UK, I was in the business world so I was attending networking business events. Some of them were luxurious, others more professional but overall very well organised with selected guests, expensive wine and food. In the US, I became a blogger and then a journalist, and I attend PR events as a member of the press so they are more casual with a different purpose. Most of them are very interesting.

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Marks out of ten: 7/10

Although I found Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell less profound than Blink and The Tipping Point, it is still a brilliant book.

I’ve often wondered why some people achieve so much and others so little. Those that are successful can often seem so ordinary. What is their secret?

According to Malcolm Gladwell, their secret is a combination of luck, where they are from and lots of hard work. Success can often be based on a random selection of circumstances and being in a group that’s excluded can sometimes be an advantage. This was the case for Jewish lawyer Joe Flom, who became fabulously successful from specialising in “hostile corporate takeovers”; something “white shoe law firms” would not touch at the time.

Something as accidental as which month he was born in can affect the chances of a boy becoming a successful baseball player. Success isn’t something that’s unquantifiable, but something whose cause can be analysed and documented. It’s made me feel better anyway.

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Marks out of ten: 7/10

I read Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking after reading Predictably Irrational, and thought it was on similar lines. It’s central theme is how we make decisions, some of them life or death decisions, in the blink of an eye. Surprisingly, some of our best decisions, Gladwell argues, are made in seconds rather than being carefully and cautiously considered.

When we are able to “thin slice”, we can know without knowing why, that an antique sculpture is a fake, whether a couple will stay together, or if we have met our ideal match during speed-dating. If we trust our instinct, look with our eyes without “mind-blindness” we can make effective decisions very quickly.

In a way, I found the book a justification for my snap decisions. When I make “gut” decisions I sometimes feel like I’ve been a little rash. But in fact, I’ve probably been just a right as I would have done if I’d deliberated for hours, weeks or even months. Sometimes I find indecisiveness so debilitating that I’d rather make the “wrong” decision than not decide at all. What a relief, I may even be right!

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Marks out of ten: 8/10

Predictably Irrational surprised me, but also disappointed me. Not because of the writing, I thought it was a very engaging read, but because of the discoveries that the author made.

We believe that our decisions are based on rational choice, after reading this book you will realize that this is rarely the case. You will also realize that our beliefs can be so powerful that they can even effect us physically.

What disappointed me was how seemingly honest people would cheat given the opportunity and that we behave differently when money comes into play. During social experiments, thinking about money made participants “more self-reliant and less willing to ask for help.” But also participants were also less willing to help others. Just thinking about money makes us behave “less like the social animals we are in our daily lives.”

Our decisions are not based on logical reasoning, but on how we want to appear to others or through comparisons of arbitrary terms. After reading this book, I’ve realized how my reasoning is often manipulated. Hopefully, from now on I can start making more sound decisions. Wish me luck.

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Marks out of ten: 7/10

Jill Bolte Taylor, a brain scientist, experienced a stroke in her late 30s and observed her mind deteriorate in a few hours. Her story is about her recovery but also her insights into how the different sides of the brain works.

As the left side of her brain lost its ability to function, she experienced the alternate reality of the right side of the brain, which was no longer dominated by the logical, linear thinking of the left. The stroke taught her that the feeling of eternal peace exists beyond the brain chatter that often completely occupies us.

In the 1970s, the theory that the two halves of the brain perceive the world differently first became popular. Dr. Roger W. Sperry conduced a series of split-brain experiments when he surgically separated the two halves of the brains of people experiencing severe epileptic seizure.

Since those early studies of split-brain patients, as they subsequently became known, scientists have observed that the two hemispheres perform differently when they are connected than when they are separated. When connected the two halves enhance one another’s abilities. When split, the two hemispheres function as two independent brains with unique personalities, often described as “the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde phenomenon.”

This is a subject that I have become interested in, since I believe that we can all access the creative part of our minds and develop an ability to observe and record things visually, ie. draw and paint.

Just opposite to how our right hemisphere thinks in pictures and perceives the big picture of the present moment, our left mind thrives on details, details and more details about those detalis. Our left hemisphere language centers use words to describe, define, categorize, and communicate about everything.

When we draw and paint, I believe we are accessing the right side of our brain and in order to do this we need to switch off the eternal (and often annoying) chatter of the left (that internal voice that constantly talks about the past, future, points out all our faults, while seemingly ignoring the present moment).

When we are observing something and drawing it, I believe we are experiencing the present moment of the right side of the brain. That is also why art can be such a rewarding thing to do as it brings a sense of calm to the world around us.

My Stroke of Insight is a recovery guide for anyone dealing with brain injury and an exploration of a completely different perception of our surroundings, available to anyone.

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Marks out of ten: 10/10
Tom Hodgkinson’s How To Be Idle, is a gift for all secret idlers. It means the end of feeling guilty about it.

I’ve always thought that being idle was just about doing nothing and achieving nothing, but Hodgkinson argues that doing nothing can actually be very productive. Doing nothing, having conversations with others, and resting allows you time to think and be creative.

Our time has been controlled by others since the industrial revolution, when strict rules about when to start work and how long to work for where put in place. Before that time, people worked ad hoc hours, completing tasks as and when necessary, and took time to rest when they needed it.

Being truly idle is about gaining your life back, having a balance between work and play and not feeling guilty. Since reading this book I’ve bought a teapot and loose tea, so that I can slowly brew a perfect cuppa, I no longer feel guilty about taking a hour for lunch and have stopped using my alarm clock. These are all small changes, I know, but can make a big difference to how you feel (and yes I still wake up when I need to).

This book may change your life, or if it merely describes what you do already, you will feel less guilty about it.

Readers in the US can order from Amazon US

Readers in the UK can order from Amazon UK

If you can’t find a book, enter a search on the home page and it comes up with booksellers who have the book, along with how much they want for it. I think the website is really easy to use.

You can create a want (ie Abebooks will email you when a book becomes available) and if you can’t remember the name of a book, you can use BookSleuth. Post a short description of what you can remember and others will post a response. The only danger is that you may buy a lot more books than you bargained for.

Here is the link:

Imagine a city where graffiti wasn’t illegal, a city where everybody could draw wherever they liked. Where every street was awash with a million colours and little phrases. Where standing at a bus top was never boring. A city that felt like a party where everyone was invited, not just the estate agents and barons of big business. Imagine a city like that and stop leaning against the wall – it’s wet.

This is not copywriting or copyrighting. It’s a quote from Banksy Wall and Piece.

The Art we look at is made by only a select few. A small group create, promote, purchase, exhibit and decide the success of Art. Only a few hundred people in the world have any real say. When you go to an Art gallery you are simply a tourist looking at the trophy cabinet of a few millionaires.

I agree. It’s time we took this in hand and started to create our own art. Art that we own and love. With no critics to tell us what to do.

Read the book. It’s excellent and will inspire you to be creative.