Artists come to a Sobering Fork in the Road

When I use the word art, within Artists Who THRIVE. I am using it in the broadest sense of the word. Why? Because when I conducted my first art business seminar it was standing room only. To my surprise it was packed with a mix of creatives that included:

·       astrologers

·       ceramists

·       culinary artists

·       disk jockeys

·       film makers

·       healing practitioners

·       jewelers

·       massage therapists

·       mixed media artists

·       musicians

·       painters

·       photographers

·       quilters

·       sculptures

·       writers

·       etc.

Like the artists who attended my first seminar, I am guessing that you are an artist who has come to a sobering fork in the road.

You either want to sell your art and you don’t know where to begin or you have been selling your art but not enough. So let’s examine your options.

1.     Like most artists, you have been led to believe that the conventional path of seeking representation to sell your art is the path that you must take. You’ve been hoping for that big break. This way you can let someone else, more capable, deal with all that business mumbo jumbo.  Is that what you learned in art school?

But you know, as does everyone else, that if you take the conventional path the odds are stacked steeply against you. And ironically the first question that you will be asked by a potential representative is, “How much work have you sold and for how much?”

Even assuming you have distinguishable talent, the entrenched art market is a scarcity and permission based model. It is strongly guarded by gatekeepers who will only let a select few past their gate. Why?  Because it is their gate, it is their game, so they get to make the rules.

No need to exhaust yourself by being bitter about the realities of, and the rejection by, the traditional art market. Just ask if you are prepared to wait for the gatekeepers to open their gates and then ask yourself, “Is this the game I want to spend my life playing?”  If so, read no further.

2.     Your other option is to take the reins and actively pursue success by taking an unconventional entrepreneurial approach. The odds are not great but I found them to be quicker, freer, and much more profitable.

What does the entrepreneurial approach mean? You ignore the gatekeepers and you build your own artistic enterprise. This is not a smooth road either. But the gatekeepers cannot blunt your success and you can maintain your creative freedom through business savvy. 

Bottom line. You can direct your limited time and life force to:

1.     submitting and showing your work, or

2.     marketing and selling your work

There is no right or wrong approach. Do what is best for you. But you must decide which path you want to take, the conventional or entrepreneurial path.

You can straddle both paths for a while. But in order to succeed, to arrive at a successful destination, you will need to commit to one direction.  Artists Who THRIVE is committed to creative freedom that can only come by way of business savvy.