The Art Business..........  There are so many articles and blog posts about starting a creative business and making a living from your art. Can you make art your career? The answer is yes. Yes you can but you have to be focused, persistent, and determined. It is not always easy but it can be done. Below are some ideas and advice that I have learned a long the way. You may have heard some of these before and some may be completely new to you.
1. Focus. This one is a really big one. The quote, " A man who chases two rabbits catches none" is a perfect example for this. As an artist and creative you have to pick a focus and stick with it. It doesn't mean that you can't try new things because you certainly can but it does mean that from a business stand point you must choose a focus area and put your energy into making it work. Once you become established you can branch out but in the beginning please stay focused. For example, Lets say you are a painter. You love painting all sorts of things from portraits, to landscapes, interiors and even abstracts. But lets say that you absolutely love painting modern style interior spaces. If you focus your art business on this style and fuel it with energy than you are more likely to become established and well known in your niche. So you become the person that paints the cool interiors. You become recognized as an expert in a specific area. This does not mean that you can't paint other things but it does mean that from a business stand point you focus in one area until you become established and start making an actual living. 2.Do market in social media. Many artists/creatives believe that they have to market their art on all different social media outlets from Facebook, to instagram, to twitter.....etc. For some this may be okay but for most creatives this can be exhausting. Social media is time consuming and takes a great deal of energy to promote unless you are just naturally popular and can obtain many followers with little work. But for most of us it is a lot of work. My advice pick one or two social media outlets and focus on these. For me, I love instagram and really have fun with it. Pick something you like and enjoy. Download these social media apps on your phone and market and promote your work on the go. Make it fun! 3.Do local events in your area. In this era of online marketing and online shops people forget that promoting and establishing you self in a particular region is a great option. For example lets say you are an artist located in Virginia Beach, Va. In addition to having an online presence you should also do local events and shows in the Hampton Roads area. Become known in the region you reside. Do gallery shows, exhibit in coffee shops, get your items in local boutiques. Once you establish yourself regionally it is much easier to become more established nationally and even globally. Remember one step at a time. 4. Create a website. It doesn't have to be complicated. I have a weebly website and love it because it is really easy to create for somebody with limited technical knowledge. 5.Think about what type of product you are going to do, This kind of reverts back to number 1 with focus. Once you focus on a niche think about what products you will put this artwork on. For example, will you put your art on greeting cards, T-shirts, stick to original paintings, sell prints, jewelry.......etc. Again this goes with focusing on one area. For example lets say you focus your art on on drawing/painting whimsical girls. Now that you have your focus you need to figure out how to deliver it. Will you start a t-shirt business and put your images on shirts? Or maybe you just want to stick to traditional mediums such as paper and canvas. The choice is your but remember focus, focus, and focus. 6. Start slowly and build your brand over time. You don't have to quit your day job just yet. Pick a focus area and start establishing your self in addition to your regular full time job. This way you are not pressured to succeed right away and you are not worried about financial means which can really stump creativity. Once you become established and your business is taking off than you can quit your day job. Hope all these tips help!
1 Comment
I recently applied to have my art shown in numerous locations. I applied to a well known online art gallery, an online curated arts and design website, and a physical gallery in Kansas. Well guess how many said yes? None. Yep that's right out of the three all three denied me. I wont lie and say that I wasn't hurt because I was. And for a brief moment I started questioning my art and the path that I am taking. However, after thinking about it for awhile, I am more motivated to do art and I realize that art makes me happy and I really do want to continue creating. Art makes me happy and gives me so much joy. I believe in myself and I think that my art is pretty nice. It's not for everyone but there are people out there that will like it. We all have different opinions and that is ok. There are so many different types of art out there, so if you get rejected form an art gallery or boutique or online store don't give up. Keep trying and remember to try to reach your audience....the people that will appreciate your art because we all have different taste and that is perfectly ok. 
|
Let's TalkWelcome to the Let's Talk section of my website. This will be the section where interviews, discussions, and sharing will take place. We can think of this place as a private cafe on the moon. 
My Etsy Shop
 Archives
July 2020
|
RSS Feed