I met with a creative yesterday who told me that it is his job to produce art, not to worry about who would buy it or how to find customers. He clearly believes that a “real” artist is above all of that commercialism. He told me that if his work is meant to be found and purchased by the public it will happen, if not, it won’t. This may be what you are thinking too and that is ok with me. But, if you want your art to make money, there are some things you can do beyond being a fabulous artist.
You can focus your energies in a single area so people understand what you do and you can learn how to talk about your work in a way that resonates with people and gets their attention. AND, you can figure out what distinguishes your clients from everyone else and then pursue those special attributes by marketing or even just showing your work in places and at events where your likely customers are likely to be. In today’s connected world you do not have to be a starving artist and you do not have to sacrifice your artistic integrity to make money.
(Illustration by Dave Chow……..not a starving artist!)