This post is the fourth in a series on Seeking the Hidden Path of the Artist’s Career. If you want an overview of the concept, click here to read Thoughts on the Hidden Path.
In Finding the Path we talked about the need to start showing your work, and how most artists start by just showing their work to friends and family. In this post, we’ll discuss growing beyond the friends and family relationships.
The private nature of making art alone in a studio lends itself well to people who are naturally introverted, so many artists who are introverted say, “I don’t sell myself/do events/reach out/promote, I’m an artist.”
In the traditional world of art galleries and museums, the artist stays hidden. The gallery hires an academic to interpret the artist’s place in history. The artist remains an enigma. It’s in the gallery’s best interest to do this because they control the relationship with the buyer.
For some artists, this makes a lot of sense. Some artists just can’t handle the spotlight or don’t have the mental faculties to learn basic social skills. But most of the time, these are just excuses.
A secret that most beginners don’t know? This problem isn’t just limited to artists. Most entrepreneurs come from some sort of technical or skilled background. They might be software developers, hardware inventors, machinists, weavers, or writers.
They’ve trained long and hard to acquire the technical aspects of their skills. They’ve logged 10,000 hours in their respective fields. Then they see an opportunity to sell some of their skills. But they don’t have the people skills, the math skills, or other skills necessary to make a business venture work.
But they learn it. Every year there are hundreds of small businesses that figure it out. Smart inventors, makers and artists collaborate together to grow their customer base and help prop each other up. Partnering with your friends along the path is an opportunity to learn from them and to help them.
Bringing Friends Along the Path
In addition to showing your work, social media lets you build a rapport with your fans. You can answer their questions about your work, ask them questions, find out about their lives and what makes them tick. You can begin to build a little following that understands your story and encourage them to share it with their friends.
The next logical step for many artists is to put on a show. Monet was rejected by the French Academy, so he organized a group show with a handful of other young artists. That’s where Louis Leroy made his famous criticism of Monet’s work and named a new movement.
Using other artists, friends, and your online social networks to reach their contacts is called the network effect. It’s one thing to reach out to everyone you know to sell art. It’s another thing entirely to inspire everyone you know to share your work with everyone that they know.
I can often predict the local artists who are going to do well because I see them at every small art fair in town, or on every coffee shop and restaurant wall. Their small pieces end up on the walls of 2 – 3 of my collector enthusiast friends. They are busting their humps to show their work in as many places as possible.
Because they are showing their work, partnering with other people, and talking to everyone about their work, they intuitively start to understand this next point:
The thing that many artists miss in their early career is that showing your work is not necessarily about selling your work. It’s about gathering information and building a network.
Who is interested in what you do? How do people respond to what you make? Who is willing to sign up for your mailing list to hear about future shows?
While getting sales at this point is certainly wonderful and welcome, the information you’re gathering is the most important element, because it gives you a clue about where you should go to find the next step on the path.
With that said, what is one thing you can do today to build out your network?
Nice post Cory, very true about showing in as many places locally as you can, even seemingly insignificant ones. It’s a good reminder for me. I can attest that small art fairs and cafes don’t always lead to the greatest sales, but being a painter, it only takes one or two people who really like what they see to turn the tables and make things profitable.
Thanks for reminding us that small actions on the local level can be a predictor of future larger successes, as you say you can predict the artists who will do well by gauging that.
Apparently my art is too dark. I just got a text message from my brother informing me of this, and suggesting I make children’s books or lighten up. True, my most recent piece is an impasto, sci-fi as metaphor, take on executions and police brutality: http://artofericwayne.com/2015/10/21/euof-meaning-details-process/
Not for the bank foyer or the little niece’s bedroom!
It’s rather difficult in a way to network with my immediate circle of friends and family, because, well, almost none of them have a background or real interest in fine art, especially serious or challenging art. This isn’t a problem if one is painting horses, landscapes, portraits, or pretty abstractions, because people are generally familiar enough with art to appreciate that. Which is not to say that my closest people don’t support me in spite of the rather dark and experimental art I do which is nevertheless true to myself, they do.
I’m sure there are tens of thousands of people out there who would prefer my kind of work, but I haven’t yet found a way to reach them. Working on that. Art contests, submitting work to online magazines, sharing work on Google +…
So far I make absolutely nothing.
Hey Eric, you gotta get your work out on Instagram. There are millions of people to there on I G that LOOOOVE dark art. Particularly around the tattoo, gothic, biker and gothic fashion followers. You can start with Juxtapoz magazine and any tattoo related sites. I like dark art, but I don’t paint that way, well, not since I was a teenager, and that was some time ago. cheers, Lew
Right. Instagram. I don’t have a smartphone, but my girlfriend does. I’ll have to borrow it to set something up.
if you go to my web site some of my art work but not all of it is dark the Kennedy king Assinations 911 Freddie Kruger my name is Allen Eberle and I live in Clinton Iowa and do black light hologram paintings maybe we could work together on line some how some of my art work is pop culture too but you will need to wear chromo depth three d glasses for this to work which you can get at American paper optics
Keeping a network is so important! I let mine get cold while working a day job. My old list is from before people gave out emails. So, I’m thinking of doing an snail mailing just to see if the list is even still relevant.
However, I did keep my work hanging in coffee shops and restaurants during the years I wasn’t make any significant new work. Recently, I have rejoined art centers, gone to open drawing nights and started a blog with posts to FB. I’m surprised at how many people still know me by my work. I still struggle to get them to sign up to my mailchimp list. I do think keeping in contact will help in the long run even if it doesn’t seem to be bringing sales at the moment.
When I meet someone new, I track them down on LinkedIn or FB. Also, I’m working harder at reaching out to other local artist just to get their thoughts about the local art scene.
I think being introverted is a draw back in networking but an asset in art making. I’m still figuring out how to make both work.
Having been a fairly successfull muralist, decorative painter for the last 15 years, and before that a sign artist ,For another25 years.
Now I’ve reached a point where I ‘m ready to sell prints online of some of my work. I am working on finding my favorite style to paint.Then publicising that look as my own. In being a muralist and advertising artist, Ive had to be a Cameleon, if you get what I mean. ( adapt to the clients needs and surroundings that will best fit their style.)
I can paint just about anything in any style, so I have about a dozen styles I work on.
Most of all… Still trying new things that I will enjoy doing as my own. Determined to make money at it, and create streams of income that will keep giving.
I appreciate this article because it has value in not neccesarily selling yet, as Im getting a foothold on how to market our artwork ourselves. It will be a 100 fold improvement from what we make thru a marketing firm that reps our work now.
Hi Eduard, Which of your many styles do you love doing the most? Thats THE ONE.
Lew
I make art that is “safe” – meaning the public likes it. I sell well when i exhibit. i am reluctant reg instagram or other online sales because folks can use the images, lift them right off the screen….
water marks do not help here. Any thoughts ?
I am going to put all my images in public domain. I think the more people who see what I have created the better. In a small way I am vain enough to believe that people will be able to recognize that I influenced it:)
And it makes original art way more valuable. I think make as many copies possible sell an amount of pictures in frames for the cost of doing it plus whatever it takes to make it worth while. Reproduction is so good now. I believe we are in a dawn of an new Era. Only the real think has the best value
Congrats on selling well. I am here because inside my head
Great post! Reminds me of a quote I love, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” (Theodore Roosevelt)
Even if it doesn’t seem like it at times, there is always something you CAN do. Even if it seems small, it could make all of the difference.