Many artists struggle with how to balance freedom of the creative process and the making of commercially viable art.
The starving artist is a cliché. Not all artists starve. It is up to you, the artist, to choose how your art will be presented to the public. It is also your choice if you want to make money from your art and use it as your main source of income. If you do decide that art is your career and your primary professional focus, then to survive financially, you will need to look at your art from a business perspective.
Often I find that my creative clients struggle with creating sellable art as they feel that going commercial is selling out. They look at the art buying public with distain and cringe at the thought of them buying a painting to match a couch. They see money as dirty, do not feel their art can have a price put on it or feel shy to ask a price that reflects their talents and time.
Certainly there are artists who take the business aspect to the extreme and pump out art with little regard to artistic expression. There is also the other extreme where artists create with little or no intention to make money with their art.
To build a career with art, however, the creative process needs to happen freely but with enough regard to what is sellable art.
Art as a Career Tips:
- Create a business plan
- Determine your demographic and create an promotional strategy
- Study your competition
- Price your art guided by market research
- Get an agent if you are poor at sales
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Copyright © 2007 Joni Rose and Suite 101. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use will constitute an infringement of copyright.
