Have you been thinking about selling your art, but everyone tells you there is no money in art?
Are you discouraged about the feedback your hearing form others?
In this post, I would like to talk about 6 starving artist myths to ignore if you are planning to start an art business.
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6 Starving Artist Myths To Ignore
What is a starving artist?
A starving artist is an artist who sacrifices material well-being in order to focus on their artwork. They typically live on minimum expenses, either for a lack of business or because all their disposable income goes toward art projects. (Source: Wikipedia)
I agree that artists do sacrifice for their artwork, but I do not think it is a bad thing to live within our means.
To “live within your means” means that what you spend each month is less than or at least equal to the amount of money you bring in each month. For many people, it’s a lot easier said than done. Credit cards, loans, savings, and even emergency funds allow you to buy more things than your income would allow. (Source: The Balance)
Can artists make a decent income selling artwork and handmade crafts? Is there any truth to the myth of the starving artist?
Of course, artists can make a decent income selling their creations. This has been proven over and over.
Artists have a better chance of reaching their goals today than ever before.
The internet allows you to reach people around the world.
Below I am going to talk about 6 starving artist myths to ignore, but before I do that, I want to make it clear that it does take a great deal of effort selling art.
For you to make a steady income selling art you will have to:
- Create enough art to generate enough income to reach your goals
- Learn how to market your artwork offline and online
- Learn how to reduce business shrink
In the retail world, shrinkage, or shrink, is the term used to describe a reduction in inventory due to shoplifting, employee theft, or other errors. The common misperception is that retailers absorb shrinkage as part of the cost of doing business. (Resource: The Balance)
The list above does appear easy, but it will take a great deal of effort.
Let’s talk about some starving artist myths to ignore.
I will not enjoy creating art if I sell it because it will feel like a job
I have heard too many times, “I would love to make money from my art, but I don’t want it to feel like a job.”
This statement has always confused me.
The question is, “Do you want to sell your art, or do you not want to sell your art?”
If you do want to sell your art, then yes, it is a job, and you have to treat it like a job.
The growth of your art business will be determined by how much effort you put into it.
If I sell my art, then I will be a sellout
A sellout is defined as selling an entire stock of something.
I can guarantee that if you asked one hundred artists if they would like to sell every piece of art that they have on hand, the answer would be yes.
There is no problem with creating art as a pastime or a hobby, but if you want to sell your art, you cannot fall into the “sellout” mentality.
Let me ask you this, “Would you rather see your art hanging on your walls, or would you rather have money in the bank while doing something you love to do, creating art?”
If I create great art, it will sell on its own
Many artists believe that if they create great art, it will just sell on its own. This way of thinking is nothing farther than the truth.
No matter how good your art is, it will not sell if nobody knows that it exists.
The only way your art will sell is by promoting to your target audience.
Related Post:
Simple Strategy For Finding Your Target Audience
Artists are not good business people
Artists that make money are excellent business people.
Any artist that makes a living selling their art knows the business inside and out.
They know how to promote themselves online and offline.
They have excellent time management skills, goals, and develop plans that will lead them towards their goals.
You can also become an expert at marketing your art. All of the information you need is right at your fingertips; you need to take some time to read the available information.
Marketing makes a person dishonest
Marketing is the action of promoting and selling products.
Marketing does not make a person honest or dishonest.
Marketing your art is only showing your art to as many people as you can.
If you are an honest person and people like your style, they will buy your art because they trust you.
As an artist, you have to build a collector’s trust for them to make a purchase. You will not build their confidence if you are dishonest.
My art is not good enough
This is one of the biggest roadblocks many artists share.
They believe that if there does not sell quickly, it is because their art is not sufficient.
Because your art does not sell quickly does not mean that your art is not good enough. The main reason art does not sell is that the right people have not seen it yet.
Related Post:
Art That Sells – What Artists Need to Know
How Can You Break The Myth Of The Starving Artist
The first step is to acknowledge and accept your passion for creating art. It does not matter if you like to paint, draw, or build crafts.
What matters is that you have a passion for creating.
The next step is to identify what you would like to create for the long term.
The longer you are selling your artwork, the more variety you can have. At first, I would recommend focusing on one or two different mediums.
This will help you to market your art more efficiently.
The third step is to learn everything you can about marketing your art online and offline.
The last step is to act.
Start now. Do not wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes. Start living for your dreams today.
Conclusion:
Selling art is much more than creating art; it is operating a business.
You can become a successful artist. All you need to do is be patient, stay driven, and keep learning.
The only thing that will prevent you from reaching your dreams is yourself.
Stay away from the starving artist myth; they will only keep you from reaching your dreams.
Being a starving artist does not exist anymore.
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