Seriously

As you recall, I embarked on an office cleaning project once the paintings were safely escorted from the premises on Thursday morning. I did manage to get my desk pile down to one {even though there is still plenty of extraneous debris littering the book shelf area}. One of the files that was full to bursting in my cabinet, the one that seems to take the most room, is a folder full of painting receipts.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining that I have sold enough work over the past 15 years that I have a busting file. I'm having serious regrets that my bookkeeping skills weren't as grand as I thought they were.

Up until 1999 I always had a job working for someone else, a job that would pay all my basic living expenses and then some. I was extremely good about getting slides done of all the paintings that were being produced, although I fell short when it came to recording them and writing down the buyers {when there were buyers}. I thought I was so smart writing up an invoice, but let me tell you, here it is 15 years later and I'm trying to match images to the receipts. Can I emphasize what an incredible pain in the ass that is.

Here is my beginning attempt at reconciling some of the information. This is only an eighth of the pile of invoices and I only muddled through one binder yesterday of slides pulling one each of the dupes to match with the buyer. Is there a better way to do this? Anyone? What is your method ... please, I'm begging you.

I will say this however, in 2004 I got smarter. I started researching and looking into software that would help me keep all these records straight. My first attempt was with ArtScope. I thought it would solve all my problems and at $100 I thought it was really reasonable. I'm not going to even give the link but it really wasn't the most user friendly program. I never even got so far as entering any information before I found Flick! Thank goodness I have at least 4 years of work in a database ready at my fingertips.

I have talked of Flick! in several posts. I cannot emphasize how fantastic this tool is and it's only $30 including all the upgrades that they make from the time you buy it. It is a savior and I pray to it regularly, it has made my slide foraging a thing of the past. I look so professional to my clients and fellow artists it's scary!

If only the 4 more binders of slides would jump into my scanner, scan themselves then enter all their appropriate information into the boxes provided I would be one well adjusted, well organized and stress freed artist.