9 Myths Artists Believe About Business

Marketing Makes You A Sleazeball. Sure, if you’re like the guy in this picture, then you probably are a sleazeball, but my guess is that you are an honest, friendly, talented artist who just wants to share their work with the world. Don’t lie, don’t cheat, and don’t bait & switch, and most people will just see you for who you are – an artist making a living.

I Shouldn’t Share My Images Online. This is probably the one myth that hurts artists the most. Getting the most exposure for your work you can get is important.You get people seeing your stuff, which makes them talk about it with their friends. That’s the basis of the success of sites like Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. Online showings are the most important thing artists should be doing online.

People Don’t Buy Originals Online. If you don’t offer, you’ll never know, right? I’ve spoken to dozens of artists and online gallery owners over the last year who have sold pieces in the $500, $1000 and $2000 range for an original, with the buyer never having seen it in real life before.

Selling Art Cheapens Its Value. Funny thing about art – the more it gets sold, the more valuable it is. Every time a piece of art goes on auction, the person selling it is looking to make a profit. Every time it goes on auction, a piece’s merits are discussed and reassessed. I’d say that means the more you sell your art, the more value it can acquire.

Heat Exchange by Mark Yearwood

Selling Prints Cheapens the Value of the Original. I can’t even begin to imagine the number of prints that have been sold of Jackson Pollock or Vincent Van Gogh. Selling giclees won’t lower the value of the original – that’s tied to the name and reputation of the artist. Whether selling prints lowers the artistic value – that’s up to each individual artist (personally, I think it’s like a musician selling recordings of their music).

If You Make It, They Will Come. You can make the most exquisite sculpture. You can be the greatest singer in the world. You could have the capacity to make people weep with a single glance. If no one sees it, no one will ever know. You have to let people know what you do. People buy things because they know about it and it provides value to them. Your art is valuable, so just make sure you’re competing for their attention.

Money is Evil. Pretty hard to bust this myth if it’s something you believe, but I’ll try. How much art could you be making if you didn’t have to worry about money? What kind of art would you be making if you didn’t have to worry about money? Yeah, sit and think about that one for a while. Now, how much money do you need to have to meet your wants? How much time are you willing to give to make that kind of money? Figure out the hours there and you’re on your way to figuring out how much you need to charge for your art.

It’s Hard to Sell Art. Nah. All you have to do is find the people who like your work and then offer it to them at the right price. It’s that simple. It really is. If anyone wants to challenge me on this, I’m up for it – try me!

Marketing isn’t Creative. This is my favorite myth, because to paraphrase John Kraft, once you understand the basics of how marketing works, it’s actually pretty fun. Making connections with people, providing something of value to them, and interacting with people who like your work is actually a lot of fun! Plus, there are as many ways to find people to buy your work as there are ways to make your work. It’s a creative exercise all on its own.