I have been giving a lot of thought to what this second post
will address, where to start with this whole art as a business concept. It isn’t
easy to speak the truth about this as it is different for each individual and
certainly different for the various art forms. Being a production potter and
making several hundred coffee cups is totally different than painting 15
paintings a year. I am a painter, so I will be speaking from what I know.
I make a significant distinction between being an artist, or
an artistically talented person, and being in the business of selling one’s
art. An artist with no thought towards their work being a business does what
they want to do, when they have time to do it, spends money on supplies as they
can afford to and generally enjoys creating simply because they love the
process. This doesn’t mean that they won’t occasionally sell something they
have made; it just means that it isn’t part of their intention when they go
into their studios.
Being in the business of selling your art is a Life Choice.
An artist who is committed to making their living through their creative
self-expression must go into their studio and work whether they feel like it or
not, they have to spend money on supplies whether they can afford to or not and
they have deadlines and commitments that often involve other people and stretch
out for months or sometimes years. It is a business like any other business and
its health and well-being depends on the artist’s willingness and ability to
nurture and grow it. The huge difference is that we artists can’t just go to a
trade show and order a selection of merchandise to sell. We make our
merchandise ourselves. The other huge difference is that for many of us, the
process of creating is our spiritual practice. We don’t just crank out the
goods. We lovingly pour ourselves into our creations and this is what gives
them their life and their ability to speak to others.
A ready to hang mounted giclee of "Grace". |
A selection of greeting cards with images of my original paintings. |
I never, and I mean NEVER, think about whether a certain
painting is going to sell when I am painting it. I paint because it gives me
joy. I am passionate about process of painting and see it is my daily spiritual
practice as well as my life. The business of selling my work is built on this,
not the other way around.
Believe it or not, I only sold 5 original paintings last
year. I show them, and occasionally I sell one or two, but for the most part I
keep them and enjoy them in my own home. So how can I call myself a successful artist?
I don’t make my living from selling my original paintings! In fact, sales of
original paintings accounted for less than 10% of my income last year. Archival
reproductions and greeting cards of my original paintings sold through
galleries and my Etsy shop accounted for approximately half of my income. The rest
came from other things that I make and sell, namely Fringe Adornments (small
hand-crocheted scarf/neck ornaments) and my jewelry. I may be a painter, but I
have a few other skills as well.
Earrings made from paper that I design and print. Sold on Etsy and in galleries locally. |
Thinking about all of this and what it means to you will
help you put your art and whether you want to make it into a business into
perspective.
Personally, there is nothing I would rather do more than be an artist. It is how I think, it is what I do best and it is what gives me indescribable joy. It is not simply what I do, it is truly WHO I AM. Making a living as an artist is my reward for showing up and allowing my creator to work through me and I honor this great blessing by doing everything within my power to make it happen, including working a part-time job for the first 6 years while I established myself as a painter.
Personally, there is nothing I would rather do more than be an artist. It is how I think, it is what I do best and it is what gives me indescribable joy. It is not simply what I do, it is truly WHO I AM. Making a living as an artist is my reward for showing up and allowing my creator to work through me and I honor this great blessing by doing everything within my power to make it happen, including working a part-time job for the first 6 years while I established myself as a painter.
Anew piece that I am working on. Exploring the use of Scribblertoo to give the fabric texture. |
WHO ARE YOU?
To see more of my paintings, prints, cards, and jewelry, please visit my Etsy shop.
I want to apologize in advance for those of you who got multiple notices regarding updates to my blog. It didn't occur to me that this would happen if I edited errors as I found them... live. Sorry. It won't happen again!
To see more of my paintings, prints, cards, and jewelry, please visit my Etsy shop.
I want to apologize in advance for those of you who got multiple notices regarding updates to my blog. It didn't occur to me that this would happen if I edited errors as I found them... live. Sorry. It won't happen again!
Very interesting post, and some food for thought there. I would just love to paint all day (and have done for weeks) but today am forcing myself to get back to the day job and do some sewing.
ReplyDeleteIf you get stuck for idea's I would love to hear about your first painting you sold, and how you had the confidence to start selling.
Ah, sewing.... I used to make my living sewing for many years.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thoughtful comment and your suggestions. You made my heart sing this morning. Yesterday I was thinking, "Boy this takes a LOT of time" but if I can achieve my goal of reaching out to emerging artists, if I can address some of these questions, then it will be well worth my efforts. I will definitely weave both of your ideas into my blog soon as they are both subjects that emerging artists have to deal with - letting go and having courage. I would love it if you would share my blog with any of your friends who might find it helpful, interesting or maybe even inspiring.
Have a great creative day. Yarrow