Let's face it, if you want to sell your art and make money, you must realize this simple
Truth:
Art is a business.
Sure, it isn't romantic. And most artists have that romanticized idea of just creating all day and having freedom to do what you want, when you want. It's all about "me". Well, you could go that route. But here is another truth:
Art is a business.
And in business, there are tasks that you don't like, but must be done to keep the business running. Until you embrace this fact, you will never succeed as an artist. Some of the things that need doing are:
- Create your work - yes, most of you do this one already. And most of you like this task.
- Define what your creative passion is - identify your voice, your muse, etc.
- Differentiate yourself from others. What is unique to you?
- Understand who your collectors are. The more focused you can become, the better. Who are your ideal collectors? You can't make everyone happy. Which collectors are the best match for who you are as an artist? Who can you reach with your work?
- Write a business plan. Huh? Yes, remember, you are a business. What is success to you? What will it take to get there? What art services/products/programs do you want to offer?
- Run the numbers. What will it take to make your business profitable? How much must you sell? Be realistic. But don't just run the numbers once. You need to stay on top of the books. Run the numbers often. What are your expenses? What is your income? How can you generate more? Revisit the business plan if needed.
- Develop a marketing plan to reach your ideal collectors. You need to let them know how your unique vision as an artist can fulfill their unique needs as a collector - they may not even know that they have needs, but you need to know.
- Set goals.
- Outline a plan to achieve those goals.
- Go to work - you need to actually implement the plan. You need to actually do the marketing. Without the doing, the planning means nothing.
- Management. You need to be able to manage the business. You need to know what deadlines are coming up, where artwork needs to be shipped. You need to keep track of where your art is and follow up with galleries, shows, collectors, etc. You need to be able to manage your time to do the packing and shipping, the creating, the research, the ordering of supplies, etc. You need to manage contracts. The list goes on.
Art is much, much more than simply creating.
If you wish to just do art as a hobby or pastime, then you can ignore everything in the list above. But if you want to sell your work, you must remember that you are a business owner. But more than that, you should be an entrepreneur. Create business. And do it creatively.
And remember, art isn't just a life of creating and having the freedom to do nothing but your own cares and desires at a whim. Your art isn't just about you.
Here is another truth if you want to sell your work:
It's about the collector!
If a collector cannot connect to your work, they will not buy it. If a collector can't find your work, they cannot connect. Find your ideal collectors. Communicate with them. Tell them your stories. But most importantly, tell your story in a way that helps them connect. Why or how does your art fulfill their needs? How are you going to get your art in front of them?
Recognizing that your art is about the collector does not mean that you need to create for the market and sacrifice your unique voice or muse. If you do that, you are not fulfilling YOUR collectors' needs. You are fulfilling SOMEONE ELSE'S collectors' needs.
Create a business and marketing plan that uses your strengths as an artist to fulfill the needs of your ideal collector. Outline the goals and tasks to fulfill the plan. Then get to work.
Many of you don't know how to do all these things. You don't know where to start. My recommendation:
Study. Learn.
Read marketing and business books, including art marketing. Take business workshops. Hire a coach or mentor. You spend time and money developing the first one or two items on the list above (your art). Why not invest time and money learning the rest of the business? You cannot succeed in a business if you don't know how to run a business.
Oh, and don't forget to continue creating your art.
Best wishes,
Keith Bond
