Lynn & Jim Powers

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A Quick History on Artist Support

The modern artist still has galleries but the system has changed dramatically yet again and much of the security of yesterday no longer exists for artists today.

Artist Myth #1: You Must Starve To Be An Artist

There is a romantic notion perpetuated by operas like “La Boheme” that artists must be poor. People who believe that the “true” artist is a “starving” artist think that this lifestyle keeps them “in touch” with creativity. They wrongly equate making money with commercialism and “selling out.” Whoever gave you similar advice probably meant to save you from hardship. They probably gathered their reasons for this well-meaning advice from common myths and misconceptions about making a living making art. These myths are so common that they sometimes even creep in the back door of our own thinking.

Artist Myth #2: Society Owes Artists a Living

Some artists feel that their contributions to society and culture merit more financial support. I share their dismay that funding and grants are fewer and harder to get and that the IRS favors collectors over artists. Collectors may take a tax deduction the full price they paid for donations of art. The artist can deduct only the cost of materials.

Artist Myth #3: Artists Are Not Business People, My Dealer Will Handle Everything

I often hear artists say that they are too right-brained to do left-brained business tasks. They imagine that getting a gallery means that they will be able to wash their hands of the filthy business side of art. They assume that the gallery will handle every aspect of marketing and selling their work.

Artist Myth #4: A True Artist Lives Life Free and Without Structure

Some artists mistakenly believe that their chosen vocation entitles them to be “free spirits.” Normal rules and schedules do not apply in their world. They do whatever they want, when they want and how they want. They push the boundaries of outlandishness and rebel against normal business constraints. These artists often feel “misunderstood” and knocked about for their individuality. They believe that others should make allowances for them simply because they are . . . “Artistes”! With respect, no one is that entitled.

Artist Myth #5: Artists Don’t Need to Know About Anything But Their Art

Any artist who wants a successful art business cannot afford to live only in the confines of a studio where making art is the only reality. If you just want to make art, and ignore the business side, then you must have other ways to support yourself. This choice limits you to being a hobbyist or an amateur. There is nothing wrong with that, but you won’t be able to make a living making art without a change of heart and mind.

Artist Myth #6: Your Artwork is So Good, It Will Appeal to Everyone

Some artists think their art appeals to everyone because family and friends are always enthusiastic. This “captive audience” then encourages you to sell your work in galleries. You trust them, so you tend to agree. Who wouldn’t? It’s a good feeling. You make the leap that these opinions are universal, so you assume your artwork will get a great response from others.

Artist Myth #7: One Big Break Will Make Your Career

There is no such thing as one big break. This doesn't happen in any profession, and art is no exception. All great achievements happen through many small acts, staged consistently over time. Examine carefully the stories of artists who are "suddenly discovered." There are exceptions, but you will usually find that celebrity success is based on years of study and many, many marketing efforts, with a sprinkling of synchronicity.

Artist Myth #8: If You Just Do Your Art, Everything Else Will "Work Out"

Many artists would love to have their only job be to create works of art, so that they could be in the studio or outside most of the time. It is the reason we chose this profession. It is what feeds our souls, but it isn't enough to feed our bank balances. The belief that "everything else" will take care of itself is a lovely fantasy. Like it or not, we are all part of the world that provides us with income.

Artist Myth #9: Your Art Speaks for Itself

This is part of Aletta de Wal's 12-part series,Bust That "Starving Artist" Myth (and Eleven Others). Artists who do not like to talk or write about their art insist that their work speaks for itself. If that were true, there would be no art critics, show catalogues or labels on museum walls. Aside from the art, people are interested in knowing more about the person who created it - and in this, you are the expert. 

Myth #10: Your Art is So Good That One Day You'll Be Discovered

This is part of Aletta de Wal's 12-part series,Bust That "Starving Artist" Myth (and Eleven Others). There is no shortage of artists producing very good work. I see lots of it every day. It takes more than just believing in yourself as an artist and creating good art to have an art business. The odds of being discovered are pretty slight. Don't wait for this minuscule possibility. You must create the work that your audience will desire enough to buy it and display it in their homes and offices.

Myth #11: If It Didn't Work Out Once, It Will Never Work Out

Avoid the artists who tells you that they've "done it" and "it doesn't work." These artists will tell you that they contacted the right people, sent out the correct material, created the work that the public wanted, and even after doing all of this, they still didn't get anywhere. Even if it does work out once, skeptical artists will find a way to make it fail the second time. They are living proof that you can't succeed in the art world if you decide not to. As Henry Ford said, "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right."

Myth #12: You Can Succeed Only in New York (Or any Other Art Mecca)

New York City is one of the most eclectic art scenes in the world for artists and visitors. Symbols of artistic recognition and fame include prominent museums, leading edge galleries, cutting edge artists, top art critics, and trade shows like Art Expo. It's no wonder that the city has such mystique for artists as the dream destination. A related myth is that you can be successful only if your work is in the iconic magazine Art in America. Not true! 

P.S. Please link to this article in your Blog and post on social media sites for artists. We appreciate it when you tell your friends about Artist Career Training.  We encourage forwarding this publication in whole.  Copying without acknowledgement of the publisher is against the law (and highly unprofessional!)

P.P.S. If you need an accountability partner for your art business or someone to roll up sleeves to produce art marketing materials or work on your web site, just let us know. We have a whole team to help you. Start with a complimentary 15-minute conversation. Sign up here: http://www.artistcareertraining.com/request-a-conversation

These articles add information that until now has only been available to my individual clients.  You won't find these tips anywhere in my own Blog. I write them exclusively for the Empty Easel online audience.

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6 Art Pricing Mistakes to Avoid

Pricing is one of the hardest aspects of marketing. While there are many factors that go into pricing, there are no hard and fast rules that artists can use, nor are there any absolute benchmarks. There are, however, six common mistakes to avoid.

Four Pillars of a Strong Art Pricing Strategy

When a potential buyer looks at your work, price is not the first thing they're interested in. First, they decide whether they like it enough to want to know more. If they do, then they'll want to know about the price.

Regardless of how you sell your art, you are in charge of your pricing strategy. To bridge the gap, and to ride out the ups and downs of any economic climate, you need to build up four pillars to support your art pricing strategy.

8 Smart Pricing Strategies Every Artist Should Consider

There are many good ways to determine how you should price your art. . . but in addition to making sure that you're covering costs of material and hours worked, I believe you should also have an overall strategy in mind. Take a look at 8 smart pricing strategies which are designed to help you build a resilient, successful art business.

How to Make Your Own Art Pricing Formula

How would you like to own a calculator that could calculate the perfect price for your art? All you'd have to do is punch in a few numbers, and it would tell you exactly how to price your work. . . no guessing, no stress.

Unfortunately, that calculator doesn't exist yet, but you CAN create your own art pricing formula fairly easily.

How to Write an Art Purchase Policy

In my opinion, every artist should have a version of these two notices on their own sales page. I call it an Art Purchase Policy. Basically, it's a written statement that you display on your web site, indicating the terms that the buyer agrees to upon purchase. The reason for an art purchase policy is because copyright laws and accepted practices for art sales can be confusing. It's good business sense to put into writing exactly what you're transferring to the buyer of your art, as well as what you're not.

9 Ways to Boost Your Artistic Creativity

Most artists take great care of their art making tools. . . that's a given. But whether you are naturally creative, or have developed your talents through training, it's just as vital to care for and nurture your creativity. I recommend nine techniques to all of my artist clients who need a creative boost.

How to Develop Good Creative Habits in Just 21 Days  

Anyone else out there ever decided to lose weight and get fit? The first time you go to the gym, you can't just jump into an Olympic level workout. If you try, there's a good chance that you'll injure yourself, or strain muscles in your body that you didn't even know you had. Instead, the key is to develop a habit of going to the gym. Over time, that good habit will bring healthy rewards.

How to use the "Art of Conversation" to Market Your Art

You may have the best art in the world, but if you're talking to the wrong people, you won't have a business. Conversations with the right people at the right time, in the right place, about the right things can lead to relationships. It's those relationships, carefully nurtured, that lead to sales. I tell all my clients that you can learn to have those conversations and market your art successfully. There are just three parts to a successful conversation: the beginning, the middle and the exit.

6 Ways to Develop Your Signature Style

Emerging artists are typically consumed by making art. The thrill of creating is mesmerizing and intoxicating. Everything is new and absorbing. You'll go through alternating periods of exhilaration and frustration. You will produce work that pleases you one day and looks unfinished the next. That's just how it works. It's normal. When I work with emerging artists, one of my goals is to help them understand and refine their signature style, so they can move away from that constant up-and-down of exhilaration and frustration.

Navigating The Three Stages of a Professional Art Career

In every profession, you don't just leapfrog from the bottom to the top - instead, you progress through a series of stages. You learn the ropes in an entry-level job and pay your dues as you climb the ladder. Describing artists as "emerging" "mid-career" or "established" is shorthand. Some artists dislike these terms, and prefer not to be pigeon-holed as an emerging, mid-career, or established artist. Please don't interpret the three stages as limiting. I'd rather that you choose to see them as a realistic context for taking certain actions at certain times.

Hobbyist, Amateur, or Professional Artist - Which are You?

At some point, the hobbyist might realize that this is an awfully expensive hobby and maybe they ought to think a bit about putting together some sort of business - at least so they could deduct the costs on their taxes. As their confidence and skills grow, amateur artists may start to seriously consider art as a profession. They like the money they make from selling their art and it's great to deduct the costs at tax time. After expenses, they're actually making profit! If you decide to go ahead and move from being a hobbyist to an amateur, you don't have much to lose if it doesn't work out. You can always go back to being a hobbyist. If you want to move from being an amateur to a professional artist, you are making a much bigger commitment.

Reject the Clichés and Ignore the Myths: Your Art Career is Waiting

Clichés and myths persist because they contain at least a kernel of truth. There's just enough truth in them that people take them at face value. But beyond every myth, or cliché, there is a much larger reality. . . and you can find it by looking at the facts.

P.S. Please link to this article in your Blog and post on social media sites for artists. We appreciate it when you tell your friends about Artist Career Training.  We encourage forwarding this publication in whole.  Copying without acknowledgement of the publisher is against the law (and highly unprofessional!)

P.P.S. If you need an accountability partner for your art business or someone to roll up sleeves to produce art marketing materials or work on your web site, just let us know. We have a whole team to help you. Start with a complimentary 15-minute conversation. Sign up here: http://www.artistcareertraining.com/request-a-conversation/