Effective Management Association Newsletter - July 2026
"Innovation plays a large role in all works which may become art. But even this can be overdone. Originality can be overdone to the point where it is no longer within any possible understanding by those viewing or hearing it. One can be so original one goes entirely outside the most distant perimeter of agreement with its viewers or listeners."
- L. Ron Hubbard
Message from the Director
I hope you are enjoying the summer weather and making the most of the many art fairs, concerts, festivals, and other seasonal events that provide wonderful opportunities to showcase your work. Success as an artist today requires more than creative talent alone. It also calls for effective marketing skills, sound business practices, and the ability to promote yourself with confidence. The question is: where do you learn these essential skills? One excellent place to begin is by understanding and applying the Hubbard Management System, which EMA Artists USA promotes and teaches. These practical principles have helped many artists strengthen both the creative and business sides of their careers. If you would like to learn more, I would be delighted to hear from you.
– Leisa Collins
Featured Artist of the Month: Leisa Collins
Leisa Collins believes that art is a powerful means of communication and a potent weapon for change.
Leisa is a nationally acclaimed architectural portrait artist, and working with the L. Ron Hubbard Historic Landmark Site of Elizabeth, New Jersey, she presented her Historic Preservation Award to the Mayor of Elizabeth in recognition of the city's outstanding restoration of the newly opened Elizabeth Welcome Center and Museum. The building, which had stood vacant for many years, was formerly the historic Elizabeth Train Station.
"Rather than demolishing this beautiful piece of Elizabeth's history, this landmark has been transformed into a living museum, cultural gathering place, and welcoming destination for both residents and visitors alike," said Leisa during the ceremony.
Following the award presentation, Leisa joined community leaders for a panel discussion entitled How Art and Historic Preservation Keep Community Stories Alive. The events were held in celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the United States.
Please tell us a little bit about your art business.
I have always had a passion for architectural subjects and the built environment, and I love capturing the historic legacy of beautiful homes and buildings through my pen-and-watercolor paintings. Passion fuels purpose, and I decided to transform that passion into a niche, commission-based business specializing in custom architectural portraits of homes and historic buildings.
Developing this business model allowed me to expand my marketing and public profile exponentially while also creating a reliable income—something that has enabled me to pursue my love of travel and continue growing creatively as an artist.
I began by painting homes in one city but soon set myself the ambitious goal of documenting the architectural heritage of every state in America through my artwork. In 2021, I published my legacy coffee table book, Hand-Painted Homes: An Artist's Pen and Watercolor Journey Across America, featuring paintings of homes and historic buildings from all 50 states.
As a way of giving back to those who preserve our architectural heritage, I established the Leisa Collins Historic Preservation Award, which I present during my travels to recognize individuals and organizations dedicated to saving and restoring historic buildings. These ongoing public relations initiatives have significantly increased the visibility of my work and enabled me to build a thriving business that now receives a steady stream of commission requests each week.
In general, how has the use of Mr. Hubbard's administrative technology impacted your business?
The writings of L. Ron Hubbard on administration, public relations, marketing, and the arts have provided a valuable foundation for my business success. From the very beginning, I applied the basic administrative principles taught by Mr. Hubbard to the operation of my business, and I consider them to have been a major factor in its growth and stability.
As a successful art business owner, is there one really valuable tip that you would like our readers to take away with them?
No matter how busy you become or how much you find yourself simply coping with the day-to-day demands of running a business, never stop organizing and planning for the future.
Continue studying and applying Mr. Hubbard's extensive writings, and always strive to improve both your artistic skills and your business knowledge. Creating excellent art is only part of building a successful career. You must also be willing to confront the business side of being an artist—marketing, promotion, planning, and communication.
Artists who master both their craft and their business have the greatest opportunity to build sustainable careers, reach a growing audience, and ensure that their work is appreciated by as many people as possible.
Artist Members in Action
Torrey Trimble - Musician, Producer, Visual Artist and Martial Artist
Torrey loves to create across music, visual art, design, martial arts, and performance. His career highlights include songwriting collaborations with Aaliyah on several Billboard-charting songs, as well as work as a muralist and graphic designer. Now, he may be turning his creative talents toward the screen. Torrey recently took part in filming The Steve Harvey Show and appeared as an extra in the new Superman film, currently in production. Torrey’s work can be found on major music platforms under his name, and he connects with audiences on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X as well as on his website.
Janice King - Artist and Designer of Wearable Art
Janice loves to inspire. She recently served as the featured artist at the grand opening of the Alumni House Art Gallery in Wilmington, Delaware, where thirteen of her artworks were included in the exhibition. Her work also appeared in several August group exhibitions. Her piece Human Race was accepted for exhibition at the Delaware Contemporary Museum, while Lilacs in a Jar was exhibited at the Delaware Art Museum. Additional works were featured in the Louis Redding Building Art Loop exhibitions, Rhythm and Blues and Jazz Festival—A Tribute to Clifford Brown. You can find her on Instagram and her website.
Misha Crews - Novelist
Misha loves to tell a good story, especially one filled with family secrets, small-town mystery, and a love that refuses to stay safely in the background. Her newest release, One Secret Summer, reached #3 in Women’s Romance Fiction and #6 in Clean and Wholesome Romance—a milestone for this addition to her popular Angel River series. The novel follows physician Chris Appleton as he travels to Angel River to uncover the truth about the grandfather he never knew, accompanied by the independent writer he loves, Rose Stanislaw. What begins as a weekend becomes a search through photographs, unexplained fires, and long-buried secrets that could either draw Chris and Rose closer or give them a reason to walk away. One Secret Summer is available now on Kindle, and is coming soon in paperback. You can get to know Misha on her Facebook, Instagram, and website.
On the Lighter Side
This cartoon was created by EMA Artists USA member, Steve Gill, who spent 40 years traveling to shows all over the United States, selling his humorous artwork and making people laugh. Steve is the Resident Cartoonist for EMA Artists and his light-hearted works are included in each of our newsletters.
Poets Corner
KEEP ME IN THE FRAY* by Laurie Noelle (*Fray: A fight or battle.) (From the Peoples of Earth.) Though they strip me of my dignity And tax me more than I can see. No matter what I have to pay Forever keep me in the fray! To me the fray means freedom found, Where hate and greed are outward bound, Where the truth and rights and artists stay; The defense of these is the fray! |
Copyright 2026 poem and painting by artist Laurie Noelle. All Rights Reserved.
Artist Momentum Monday Meet-Up
Written by Janice King, Visual Artist, Designer of Wearable Art for Women, and co-organizer of the Momentum Monday Meet-up.
The weekly Zoom meeting Momentum Monday continues its forward progress, helping artists who are not familiar with the Hubbard Management System to build their art businesses. Throughout our recent meetings, several subjects were discussed, including commissions, storytelling, PR and getting our work into the public eye. All attendees contributed to the conversation by sharing their experiences. Janice King was asked to present her experience creating wearable art fashions and how she got started.
As always, the response to the meet-ups, and Artists United USA continues to Unite, Support, and Inspire artists. To join the next meet-up, email leisa@leisacollins.com, or call her at 703-598-7360.
Interested in learning more about us or becoming a member?
Email us at: emaartistsusa@gmail.com
This month's quote is from page 29 of the Art book by L. Ron Hubbard.
©2026 Effective Management Association Artists. All Rights Reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard. HUBBARD and LRH are trademarks and are used pursuant to a license agreement. EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION is a registered trademark. IA #073026EUS
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