Let's face it. Most of us start our art careers wanting to be successful artists, but we have no idea what that means. A few years ago, a non-artist friend asked me "So, are you successful with your art yet?" I didn't know how to answer her. So, I asked "I'm not sure. What do you consider a success?" Her response surprised me. She said, "Well, are you making more than $60,000 doing this yet?" I explained that many artists are considered successful if they make less than a third of that number. But as I was talking, I realized my measures of success were much different from hers. I hadn't put a price tag on my success, but she had.
She got me thinking though. Was I successful? Did I even know what success meant? What did I want?
Set Your Intention
It's so much easier to work toward your goals when you know what they are. Sales and marketing strategies are not the same for an artist who wants to sell $50 sketches, and the artist who intends to sell one $60,000 masterpiece this year. If you are like me, 30 years ago I was happy to get $25 for a painting I spent two days creating. But as my skill levels and process matured, my pricing has increased. My intention has grown along with my experience on this art journey. My business strategies have also evolved.
Here is what I have done over the years to get snapshots of my intention. Please leave comments and add to this list. I would love to hear the creative ways you have gone about this task.
First, I asked myself these questions. What do you currently enjoy most in your creative process? How can you do more of it?
At times I really enjoyed trying new techniques. I charged small amounts or donated many of my experiments to people I thought would be good to work with.
For awhile in the 1980's I sold $25 to $75 shelf sitter paintings of houses that I carved out of 2" x 6" pieces of wood. I sold to coworkers and realtors. I was learning how painting and varnishing with various paints, panel preparations and reference sources worked.
I really had fun painting in different media in the 1990's. I did work for a puzzle company at an hourly wage, while I practiced using graphite, watercolor, acrylics, inks, and combining them in different ways. I used that puzzle work in advertisements for pet commissions to friends and neighbors with cats and dogs. These were in graphite, charcoal, watercolor or acrylic paint.
In the 2000's my intention was to build my commission business. I focused on learning the nuances of figuring out ways to better understand what clients were wanting. I still get such joy out of seeing the happy, often tearful reactions when I deliver commissioned artwork. Most of the paintings I did in these years were portraits, buildings, and landscapes.
In 2010 I set my sites on being part of gallery teams. I worked at founding a cooperative gallery with a group of 20 other artists. It was a great economic and social experiment. Ever since, my goal has been to be the best gallery artist I can be.
So with 20/20 hindsight, I can list the things I enjoyed most, in step with the intentions I set during those times.
- Enjoy exploring materials = Intention sell as many pieces as possible to maximize learning
- Enjoy working with a partner and learning about media = Intention discover what art sells best when working with a particular agent
- Enjoy creating art that is precious to people = Intention embrace all aspects of customer service
- Enjoy the gallery experience = Intention be the best gallery artist team member possible
Can you envision Your Success?
Once you set an intention, it's so much easier to imagine what success means to you. Do you see how you can begin to build a sales and marketing strategy around those imaginings?
When my intention was to sell lots of low priced experimental pieces, I advertised by posting classified ads in local papers, posting my phone number on community boards, leaving my business cards in auto repair shops, coffee shops, veterinary and doctor's offices. I approached realtors. Most of my time was spent trying to network with as many people as possible. I started a few groups with local artists where we got together to paint or draw and share marketing ideas regularly.
Now, with an intention to be the best gallery artist I am capable of, I focus on assisting the galleries, societies and museums I work with in their marketing on social media. Developing relationships with my contacts and collectors is a priority. With each venue, there is a learning curve. The subjects, frames, price range, and quantity of works is different for the art Salmagundi Club needs me to create for 2020 shows vs. the 20 paintings I am working on for a show I am part of at The Mansion at Strathmore in January 2022, vs. the new artwork I am supplying Bella Arte Gallery with this year. The more time I spend with them, the better and more creative I get at providing pieces these venues can market and sell.
My art journey is different from yours or hers or his. But we all go through a similar time of figuring out what works best for us.
Avoid the Herd Mentality
We often do stuff just because we think we should - herd mentality. But what if we first stop to think should we? Is this right for ME? Just because galleries are where I want to be, doesn't mean you will like being in them. While museum shows have served me well, they typically don't result in a large number of sales. I know many artists who want to see more immediate income. They don't or can't wait years for the sales to materialize from relationships born out of the museum experiences.
Just because everyone else is teaching, doesn't mean you will be, or should be an instructor. Don't write a book or create a video or tutorial because everyone else is. Do it because you are curious or you really love doing it.
Who says you have to enter shows and win awards to be a success? Some of us take great pride in building resumes full of best of show awards. But, I know some of today's most notable artists who haven't entered or won at any contests in years.
Final Thoughts
Here's a strategy that may work for you. Look at the artists you admire and are interested in. Notice what they are doing. Map out how and where they sell their art. Who do they sell to? How much do they create? Write down the ways you see them marketing their works. You can often glean this information from their website, newsletter, Facebook and Instagram presence. Do any of their behaviors resonate with you?
Do you want to incorporate them into your business?
How do you define success? What is the measure of how successful you are? Is it your income? Your number of collectors or followers? How many people view your art? Your number of students? The number of galleries or societies you work with? How many juried shows you get into? Most importantly, how does the intention you set today line up with the success you want tomorrow?
Are you inspired now to delve deep into the details of your intention? Do you think doing so will maximize your sales and marketing efforts? I'd love to know, and others will, too!
