| Selling Your Art by Douglas Ready |
There are only two ways to earn money as an artist.
The first is to independently create an image and find someone with the desire and the means to
purchase that image. The second is to find someone with the desire and means to enlist your skills to
generate an image that reflects their own imagination. In the first scenario, the artist has sold a product.
In the second, the artist has sold a service resulting in the creation of a product.
One who creates work designed from his own internal mechanisms is generally referred to as an Artist.
One who creates work designed to illuminate an idea generated by someone other than the artist is
generally referred to as an Illustrator. These descriptors are used to suggest a functional direction of
purpose and nothing more. Both functions require a requisite amount of artistic talent and skill and
inherent creativity. Both the Artist and the Illustrator may well wind up producing the same kind of
work, applying the same kind of skills and utilizing the same kind of working materials. Regardless of the
arena in which one chooses to apply those skills, it is reasonable to consider both artists.
As artists we are often presented with the notion that seriously attempting to generate a monetary
return from what we produce is somehow beneath us--that exchanging our creative endeavors for
financial gain somehow minimizes our accomplishments. Only in the creative sphere--and for some
unfathomable reason especially the arena reserved for those of us who drag drawing implements across
blank surfaces--is this concept given any serious consideration. Suggest to an automobile manufacturer
or a pharmaceutical concern or even a movie production studio that their efforts are best geared toward
the production of altruistic aesthetics--that they should profit from their labors only in a purely artistic
sense--and they'll laugh your butt right off their respective premises.
And rightly so.
Nobody becomes an artist just to make money. If financial return is the primary goal, there are a
variety of methods guaranteed to help one achieve that end with a great deal less headache and less
heartache, not to mention less aggravation. It is reasonable, however, to not only expect but also require
that one's professional efforts consistently produce enough return to allow the regular acquisition of
groceries and the disbursement of monies designated for rent, clothing, utilities and the occasional
romantic foray.
CREATING AND SELLING ART IS A JOB
A professional artist is in effect an independent business operation, a manufacturing endeavor concerned
with the concept and creation of an artistic product and the marketing and sales of that product. If the
artist lacks the ability to complete a reasonably unique project on a continuing basis, chances are his
efforts will blend into the multitude of other proffered creative efforts and become lost in the shuffle,
never allowing the gathering of a clientele anxiously awaiting the artist's next work. Likewise, if the
artist refuses to embrace the principles of basic marketing and learn elementary sales technique, chances
are his efforts will never find the exposure necessary to build a dependable collector list or customer
base.
A professional artist understands the working aspects of his job, both functionally and philosophically.
He strives to master those tools and techniques which will result in the creation of projects more likely to
endear him to those who might purchase his work. He recognizes that a job is a continual process, lasting
the full day and beginning again the next day, and knows that his job performance requires a critique not
only in the area of artistic competence, but also in the areas of persistence, volume and follow through.
INVENTORY YOUR SKILLS
The artist must be realistic about the achievement of his objective. He must make certain he has
acquired the necessary skills he needs to be successful, and if not the artist must be prepared to acquire
those skills, both the artistic and the non-artistic.
There are certainly instances when an unqualified, less than competent creative hack has somehow
managed to stumble into something that offers an incredible financial return on what little he has to
offer. More often, success occurs when a practiced professional has taken the time to properly learn the
application of the skills he's acquired and is recognized for his accomplishment.
ITEMIZE YOUR ATTITUTE
Ego is the biggest hurdle the working artist must overcome if he is to have any chance of lasting success.
A certain pride in one's abilities and the willingness to acknowledge that the work produced is truly
viable and valuable is essential to the artist's survival, but the blind refusal to identify areas of less than
stellar conception and execution and the unwillingness to engage in an improvement strategy to correct
the problem will mark the artist as something other than professional and guarantee a lifetime of
pursuing what one can only hope will remain a satisfying hobby.
The artist must learn to separate himself emotionally from the work he produces, if only for a period of
time long enough to recognize that which must be improved. And, the artist must learn to recognize
when the required amount of improvement is so immense that he might actually be better off pursuing
other venues.
For an artist, there is no vision until that vision is shared. An unshared vision is merely a concept, lines
on paper or paint on canvas that will never enlighten, entice or entertain. Continuous creation is
paramount, if for no other reason the continuous application of skill is the only method of developing a
truly unique and original personal style--essential if the artist is to not only survive, but thrive.
THE IMPORTANCE OF A BUSINESS PLAN
The single factor separating the professional artist from the hobbyist is the intent to sell--intent, not
desire. The professional structures his work schedule and his output to produce a required minimum
amount of imagery to allow appropriate presentation to potential buyers, whether that presentation is to
be directed toward the private collector or toward an art director whose concerns are wholly commercial.
The artist must consider the possibilities inherent in his particular abilities and decide in what directions
he will focus his creative efforts. Whether the artist decides to produce stand-alone pieces or whether he
decides to pursue some faction of the commercial market, he will need to focus promotional efforts on his
areas of choice.
Commercial assignments will most certainly not find their way to his studio unless they are directed
there. Wall space to hang original art won't be revealed unless those who manage the blank space are
aware of the artist's ability and availability. The artist must first identify those areas in which his skills
suggest some viability, then target those areas he has an interest in pursuing. A preliminary business
plan is nothing more than a written directive planning the creation and submission of work to various
potential markets. The plan will necessarily include a time frame for completion of the different factions
so the artist may gauge his performance.
FUNCTION, PRODUCTION, PROMOTION and PERCEPTION
There are many factors the artist cannot control in his pursuit of financial solvency, especially in the
beginning days of his career. The artist must learn to focus on those areas that can be controlled, and
control them to the best of his ability.
FUNCTION is directly controllable. The artist is the one who determines that he will indeed spend a
specified amount of time at the drawing board or easel, or devote a particular block of time to improving
a specific skill.
PRODUCTION is directly controllable. The artist is the one who sets production deadlines, even if in the
early stages of his career the deadlines are capricious.
PROMOTION is directly controllable. The successful artist is the one who makes the effort to put his
work in front of new prospects, and while there can be no guarantee of a sale there must certainly be a
guarantee of a minimum number of presentations if the artist is to find success.
PERCEPTION is directly controllable. The artist is the one who must constantly reevaluate his
skills--and his mindset--to make sure he is truly up to the task of continuously producing a viable
product that can be successfully promoted and sold.
Simply put, making a living as an artist comes down to these simple steps:
1. Learn your craft and practice it continuously.
2. Produce as much work as you possibly can and make sure the artwork that leaves your studio is the
best work you can produce. And make sure a LOT of work leaves your studio.
3. Never miss an opportunity for self-promotion. Understand that opportunity is MADE, not found.
4. Repeat Steps One, Two and Three every day, day in and day out for the rest of your professional
working life.
Understand that the mediums you choose to work with today might not be the mediums that best
showcase your abilities, and be open to making adjustments that will eventually serve you better.
Understand that every action will not bring a desired result. Know that rejection from any quarter is a
temporary annoyance, nothing more and nothing less.
Review your work, your goals and your plan of action for achievement regularly. Retain what seems to
garner a return, reject what doesn't. There are literally hundreds of different pathways to finding
success as an artist, and each of them is a valid route so long as you wind up at your chosen destination.
If one approach isn't working for you, discard it and try another. And another. And another.
As my grandfather used to say: You can't always get what you want, but you can generally get what you
chase.
Douglas Ready
©2006 Serendipity Press. All rights reserved.
The first is to independently create an image and find someone with the desire and the means to
purchase that image. The second is to find someone with the desire and means to enlist your skills to
generate an image that reflects their own imagination. In the first scenario, the artist has sold a product.
In the second, the artist has sold a service resulting in the creation of a product.
One who creates work designed from his own internal mechanisms is generally referred to as an Artist.
One who creates work designed to illuminate an idea generated by someone other than the artist is
generally referred to as an Illustrator. These descriptors are used to suggest a functional direction of
purpose and nothing more. Both functions require a requisite amount of artistic talent and skill and
inherent creativity. Both the Artist and the Illustrator may well wind up producing the same kind of
work, applying the same kind of skills and utilizing the same kind of working materials. Regardless of the
arena in which one chooses to apply those skills, it is reasonable to consider both artists.
As artists we are often presented with the notion that seriously attempting to generate a monetary
return from what we produce is somehow beneath us--that exchanging our creative endeavors for
financial gain somehow minimizes our accomplishments. Only in the creative sphere--and for some
unfathomable reason especially the arena reserved for those of us who drag drawing implements across
blank surfaces--is this concept given any serious consideration. Suggest to an automobile manufacturer
or a pharmaceutical concern or even a movie production studio that their efforts are best geared toward
the production of altruistic aesthetics--that they should profit from their labors only in a purely artistic
sense--and they'll laugh your butt right off their respective premises.
And rightly so.
Nobody becomes an artist just to make money. If financial return is the primary goal, there are a
variety of methods guaranteed to help one achieve that end with a great deal less headache and less
heartache, not to mention less aggravation. It is reasonable, however, to not only expect but also require
that one's professional efforts consistently produce enough return to allow the regular acquisition of
groceries and the disbursement of monies designated for rent, clothing, utilities and the occasional
romantic foray.
CREATING AND SELLING ART IS A JOB
A professional artist is in effect an independent business operation, a manufacturing endeavor concerned
with the concept and creation of an artistic product and the marketing and sales of that product. If the
artist lacks the ability to complete a reasonably unique project on a continuing basis, chances are his
efforts will blend into the multitude of other proffered creative efforts and become lost in the shuffle,
never allowing the gathering of a clientele anxiously awaiting the artist's next work. Likewise, if the
artist refuses to embrace the principles of basic marketing and learn elementary sales technique, chances
are his efforts will never find the exposure necessary to build a dependable collector list or customer
base.
A professional artist understands the working aspects of his job, both functionally and philosophically.
He strives to master those tools and techniques which will result in the creation of projects more likely to
endear him to those who might purchase his work. He recognizes that a job is a continual process, lasting
the full day and beginning again the next day, and knows that his job performance requires a critique not
only in the area of artistic competence, but also in the areas of persistence, volume and follow through.
INVENTORY YOUR SKILLS
The artist must be realistic about the achievement of his objective. He must make certain he has
acquired the necessary skills he needs to be successful, and if not the artist must be prepared to acquire
those skills, both the artistic and the non-artistic.
There are certainly instances when an unqualified, less than competent creative hack has somehow
managed to stumble into something that offers an incredible financial return on what little he has to
offer. More often, success occurs when a practiced professional has taken the time to properly learn the
application of the skills he's acquired and is recognized for his accomplishment.
ITEMIZE YOUR ATTITUTE
Ego is the biggest hurdle the working artist must overcome if he is to have any chance of lasting success.
A certain pride in one's abilities and the willingness to acknowledge that the work produced is truly
viable and valuable is essential to the artist's survival, but the blind refusal to identify areas of less than
stellar conception and execution and the unwillingness to engage in an improvement strategy to correct
the problem will mark the artist as something other than professional and guarantee a lifetime of
pursuing what one can only hope will remain a satisfying hobby.
The artist must learn to separate himself emotionally from the work he produces, if only for a period of
time long enough to recognize that which must be improved. And, the artist must learn to recognize
when the required amount of improvement is so immense that he might actually be better off pursuing
other venues.
For an artist, there is no vision until that vision is shared. An unshared vision is merely a concept, lines
on paper or paint on canvas that will never enlighten, entice or entertain. Continuous creation is
paramount, if for no other reason the continuous application of skill is the only method of developing a
truly unique and original personal style--essential if the artist is to not only survive, but thrive.
THE IMPORTANCE OF A BUSINESS PLAN
The single factor separating the professional artist from the hobbyist is the intent to sell--intent, not
desire. The professional structures his work schedule and his output to produce a required minimum
amount of imagery to allow appropriate presentation to potential buyers, whether that presentation is to
be directed toward the private collector or toward an art director whose concerns are wholly commercial.
The artist must consider the possibilities inherent in his particular abilities and decide in what directions
he will focus his creative efforts. Whether the artist decides to produce stand-alone pieces or whether he
decides to pursue some faction of the commercial market, he will need to focus promotional efforts on his
areas of choice.
Commercial assignments will most certainly not find their way to his studio unless they are directed
there. Wall space to hang original art won't be revealed unless those who manage the blank space are
aware of the artist's ability and availability. The artist must first identify those areas in which his skills
suggest some viability, then target those areas he has an interest in pursuing. A preliminary business
plan is nothing more than a written directive planning the creation and submission of work to various
potential markets. The plan will necessarily include a time frame for completion of the different factions
so the artist may gauge his performance.
FUNCTION, PRODUCTION, PROMOTION and PERCEPTION
There are many factors the artist cannot control in his pursuit of financial solvency, especially in the
beginning days of his career. The artist must learn to focus on those areas that can be controlled, and
control them to the best of his ability.
FUNCTION is directly controllable. The artist is the one who determines that he will indeed spend a
specified amount of time at the drawing board or easel, or devote a particular block of time to improving
a specific skill.
PRODUCTION is directly controllable. The artist is the one who sets production deadlines, even if in the
early stages of his career the deadlines are capricious.
PROMOTION is directly controllable. The successful artist is the one who makes the effort to put his
work in front of new prospects, and while there can be no guarantee of a sale there must certainly be a
guarantee of a minimum number of presentations if the artist is to find success.
PERCEPTION is directly controllable. The artist is the one who must constantly reevaluate his
skills--and his mindset--to make sure he is truly up to the task of continuously producing a viable
product that can be successfully promoted and sold.
Simply put, making a living as an artist comes down to these simple steps:
1. Learn your craft and practice it continuously.
2. Produce as much work as you possibly can and make sure the artwork that leaves your studio is the
best work you can produce. And make sure a LOT of work leaves your studio.
3. Never miss an opportunity for self-promotion. Understand that opportunity is MADE, not found.
4. Repeat Steps One, Two and Three every day, day in and day out for the rest of your professional
working life.
Understand that the mediums you choose to work with today might not be the mediums that best
showcase your abilities, and be open to making adjustments that will eventually serve you better.
Understand that every action will not bring a desired result. Know that rejection from any quarter is a
temporary annoyance, nothing more and nothing less.
Review your work, your goals and your plan of action for achievement regularly. Retain what seems to
garner a return, reject what doesn't. There are literally hundreds of different pathways to finding
success as an artist, and each of them is a valid route so long as you wind up at your chosen destination.
If one approach isn't working for you, discard it and try another. And another. And another.
As my grandfather used to say: You can't always get what you want, but you can generally get what you
chase.
Douglas Ready
©2006 Serendipity Press. All rights reserved.