To Be An Artist Is A Gift!

It Is a Unique Thing to Be an Artist. Learn to Celebrate, Enjoy, and Utilize the Blessings You Have!

While much of the world is plunged into darkness, we, by comparison, live with a nearly embarrassing, abundant, and comfortable means.

It’s a Good Life. But, Reaping Rewards Takes Work

To become a successful artist-entrepreneur is challenging. As a result, it requires mastering many skills, not the least of which the ability to create art that continuously sells well. Indeed, it takes talent, dedication, and ability to make art, to learn how to find buyers and make sales on a steady basis. These hurdles have always been present, and they will never go away.

These Are the Good Old Days

We are witness to an incredible moment in human history as we experience the most significant advancements in technology, communication, and product distribution ever seen. The pace and scope of significant developments in these fields are increasing at dizzying speeds.

Among these changes are tremendous opportunities for artists who are ready to take them.

15 Reasons Why Now Is the Best Time to Be An Artist

    1. Artists have the most extensive and best choices ever in art-making tools.
    2. Creative new ways to make art are expanding along with buyer interest in the growing variety of art forms and genres.
    3. Consumer buying habits have changed, which makes them more likely to buy directly from artists and their websites and blogs.
    4. Many galleries are more willing to explore new opportunities to collaborate with artists who bring their fans and marketing expertise to the table.
    5. Artists have access to affordable, practical, easy-to-use, marketing tools to help them spread the word and find new customers.
    6. The number of places to sell art both through brick and mortar and online venues is developing and growing.
    7. Print-on-demand technology allows for remarkably high-quality reproductions with virtually no inventory costs.
    8. Licensing offers artists ways to create new, passive income streams.
    9. Artists can list their work online at no charge. Then have it sold and fulfilled without any action from them, through sites such as Fine Art America, and a growing list of many others.
    10. The wealth of freely available, practical art marketing advice from blogs such as this one, and dozens of others, is a blessing upon artists.
    11. The breadth and availability of webinars, free art business podcasts, and self-paced art marketing workshops, that help artists learn how to be more efficient business operators.
    12. Alternative marketing through home shows, artists staged events, selling retail in antique malls, upscale coffee shops, boutiques and restaurants, and numerous other locations, venues, and situations is a growing trend.
    13. Artists can tap free publicity to take significant advantage of the explosion of media and the demand it creates for more content.
    14. Free and affordable digital submission of press releases provides artists with more and broader access to journalists and media outlets.
    15. Social media provides new channels for artists to develop relationships with buyers who they would have never found through traditional means.

Great News! It Is Not All or Nothing

As an artist, you don’t have to master or use all the items mentioned above to be successful. However, the more you use to help you get your work seen and sold, the more likely the success you dream about becomes a reality.  Start by mastering one or two and grow your expertise. The faster you learn, the quicker you can hand off many of those items to assistants.

Art Talks Made Easy ($5 Mini-Course) Connect with Collectors Confidently
The Art Talk Secrets Mini-course equips you with powerful, yet simple, tools.

 

 

Not my circus, not my monkey.
Not my circus, not my monkey.

You Don’t Need Anyone’s Blessing or Approval

There’s a popular phrase going around, “Those are not my monkeys, and that’s not my circus.” When it comes to your career, it’s the exact opposite.

You are the ringmaster of your life and your career. If you don’t believe you are, you need to change your thinking and take charge of your life. Sometimes when you turn the looking glass inward, you find you are the bottleneck clogging the lanes to your success.

Clear Out the Clutter! Break Up the Bottleneck

If you are feeling put out, put down or put upon, you have the power to stop those feelings. That’s all they are, feelings or perceptions you can change. You also are empowered to realign your thinking and start taking actions to bring about a massive change in your life.

While you may have dire circumstances, it’s most likely you don’t. Even more, it doesn’t matter. Whatever your situation is, you can change it. You can lift yourself and beat the odds. It’s possible to take a successful career and ramp it higher than you imagine right now.

Artists Leave Footprints!

There are mountains to climb, masterpieces to sell and legacies to leave. It’s mind over matter. That’s because if you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter. Success is limited only by your imagination and your willingness to not let it matter how hard you will work to achieve it.

Art Talks Made Easy ($5 Mini-Course) Connect with Collectors Confidently
The Art Talk Secrets Mini-course equips you with powerful, yet simple, tools

Art is many things. By its nature,  art is ever-changing in how it is perceived as much as how it is made. Furthermore, you don’t know what impact your artwork will have in the future. No artist ever does, not really.

Above all, the one thing you can know for sure is that your art is a gift to the future. Construct it well with archival and conservation quality materials, and it can last for centuries. That is an incredible feeling. I know the quality woodworking pieces I’ve made over the years will outlast me by decades and more. I’m proud that something that came from my imagination that was crafted by my hands will endure. It gives me goosebumps when I think about it genuinely.

Finally, take care in how you make your art and how you brand yourself as an artist. Those are the two things you control. I can’t help you make your art and wouldn’t try. You have your go-to sources for that.

Helping You Now and Then

My job, my mission is supporting artists. It’s been a passion for nearly 30 years.

Art Talks Made Easy ($5 Mini-Course) Connect with Collectors Confidently
Art Talks Made Easy ($5 Mini-Course) Connect with Collectors Confidently

Hence, I’ve have become quite good at it if I say so myself. That’s how I ended up with a range of services and products from free to full-service. As a result, I teach my artist followers one can’t expect others to toot their horn if they’re not willing to do it first and with pride.

When you are confident about what you are doing, it’s not boastful to say what you do is excellent. If you’re not there yet to toot your horn, for internal reasons, for lack of skill, or other issues, know nothing is impossible. Consequently, nothing boosts confidence like excellence and success.

Art Talks Made Easy ($5 Mini-Course) Connect with Collectors Confidently
The Art Talk Secrets Mini-course equips you with powerful, yet simple, tools

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  • DovBer Marchette says:

    I think that it is the best time to be an artist is because it is our time !
    DovBer

  • Susan Mason says:

    I am very happy to have found your website. I am probably at an intermediate level as a photographer…but, I could already be much better, if I had less limiting equipment and software. I also think I was born too early. When I first got really serious about Photography, there was only film…and being as low income as I was, I could not afford to buy enough film and pay for enough processing, to be able to practice enough and get really good. It was about 2 decades, before digital SLRs became affordable for most people…so I lost about 20 years worth of experience and practice. This kind of put me behind in the game, so to speak.

  • Before I joined The Art Marketing Mastery Course, the above list seemed like an impossible task. You have demonstrated that through hard work, it is attainable, though! For anyone who is on the fence about whether or nor to pay for the course, here is my humble advice. Your goal is to be a prolific artist. If you are struggling to reach this aim, you need this course. Procrastinating will only hurt your art career as other artists wave to you driving down the road to success. Barney has my endorsement!

    • Thank you, David, for such kind words. I know you were on the fence about whether to join the Art Marketing Mastery Workshop for a long time. You asked questions to become as confident as possible it was the right thing for you to do. To have you now offer such a moving testimonial is very humbling. I’m proud of you for overcoming your hesitancy and for taking steps to grow as an artist.

  • The Real Estate market is rebounding big time all over the country! More new houses, more sales for existing homes, businesses expanding means this is a fabulous time to be an artist. There are walls to fill with all kinds of art and photography. If I weren’t 83, I’d be on the road calling on Interior Designers and Architects as i was for more than 20 years as an art rep. Oh! to be 75 again!

    • Thank you for your comments, Dick. You are the youngest 83-year old I know. I’m so pleased you are my friend and my co-author on our How to Sell Art to Interior Designers book. I believe nearly all artists can learn from the lessons of your career that you show generously share in the book.

  • joe krastel says:

    looking forward to working with you….

  • Andrew Atkin says:

    Hello!

    I’ve been a struggling artist for many years with a career being hot and cold, mostly cold. I make lots of art, mostly paintings right now and am happy with my results, but I’m a terrible marketer!!! I market on facebook and have done ok…but I really need to discover more ways to market my work and locate the right buyers. I’m approaching 61 so I don’t have time to waste nor money! I am interested in seeing what you’re all about. Thanks!

  • Oh, so excellent, positive, and uplifting !!!! Thank you for this list of encouraging TRUTHS !!

    • Thanks for your comments. They are appreciated. It’s always good to get feedback that lets me know I’m doing some things right.

  • CHIVILÓ says:

    Muchas gracias Barney! Estoy aprendiendo inglés para poder seguir tus notas.
    Coincido plenamente con tus conceptos.
    Si en algún momento viajás a Buenos Aires, estás invitado a navegar en mi velero.
    Los límites son internos!
    Abrazo

    • De nada. No hablo español, pero sé cómo usar un traductor. Gracias por tus amables palabras. ¡Todo lo mejor para usted!

  • Marianne Brearley Love says:

    Merci thanks ? most kind

  • It’s so admirable how you’ve been helping so many artists find their way in the industry for the past 30 years! I write a blog about ways for local artists to get themselves started in the industry. Your note on the growing variety of art forms and genres is so important and something I try to really show my readers. Artists now have access to so many different outlets and resources to learn, and get themselves out there. They can market themselves online and reach a large audience, or find alternatives like you said. I never thought to market in some places you mentioned like boutiques and restaurants, but it’s definitely something I’d love to look into! Marketing in some ways is more important that skill, so I’m glad you point this out. Branding really is key.

    • Thank you for your kind words. I have blog posts about local marketing and grow where you are planted. I devoted a couple of chapters to local and warm marketing in my Guerrilla Marketing for Artists book. Get it on Amazon for under $4. Good luck with helping artists!

  • Thanks, Barney.
    I started correctly?
    lera-evdokimova.info

  • Thank you for your motivation and vision for artist.i stopped painting because i could not sell in exhibitions….
    NOW…I will move on with my most inner desire to paint.
    THANKYOU SO MUCH

    • You are most welcome. I can’t tell you how gratifying it is to know that my words have helped to inspire you and get you back to creating art again. Wishing you all the best for your great success with all you do.

  • iris prusky says:

    I would like to thank Barney for your clear words to artists, who are talented, as I am, but who has no enthusiasm or push to advance and sell myself as an artist. I do take part in exhibits in Israel, but people hardly buy, only if it is a low price… or just a matter of luck. I was studying art in the states and while a student the head of the art dept. talked to me personally and my husband to tell us that I am very talented and I should continue with my art further on. but didn’t get a chance as we came back to Israel and had to work and raise a family. too busy. now as unfortunately my husband passed away I started with art classes and am painting and as said above I take part in exhibits and people like my work, but there are so many people taking art classes and have better connections etc. so it is not as easy as said. but I still hope.
    thanks for ur attention,
    iris prusky

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