Getting Organized

Inspired in part by what Lisa Call has written on her blog, I've decided I need to organize myself if I'm going to make any real attempt at responding to calls for entry and/or entering shows. By "real", I mean a deliberate and conscious effort. I've had some luck, to be sure, but I'd like to have a more planned approach. I'd prefer to eliminate last minute, oh my gosh, entries. Yes, opportunities might come up at the last moment that require scrambling, but I'd like to see if I can't think ahead in anticipation of exhibits. I'd like to create some goals. I'd like to know what pieces have been successful and what pieces have been, for lack of a better word, duds. I'd like to keep track of entry fees, shipping expenses ... you get the idea.

So I'm taking my first stab at it. I've created a "Calls for Entry" binder with four sections. The first section, called "Entry Info" has individual sheet protectors that include the details of the exhibits that are of interest to me. They're organized by "due date". This is followed by a "pending decision" section, then "accepted" and "declined" At the front of the binder is a simple list of the exhibits in due calendar order. I've also created a spreadsheet of all my entries, with contacts, prices, fees, tracking numbers, the works. I even got myself a FedEx account, in the hopes that I'll have things to ship back and forth! Hope springs eternal, I guess.

I'm looking forward to giving this system a try. I'm sure I'll be making tweaks along the way. Any pointers you'd like to share would be most welcome. Hopefully the chart with all the blank lines will be an incentive to create more art!