By Barney Davey, Guest Blogger  – 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.

No One Is Saying It’s Easy!

To become a successful artist-entrepreneur today is challenging. It requires mastering many skills, not the least of which the ability to create art that continuously sells well. 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 greatest 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

• Artists have the widest and best choices ever in art-making tools.
• Creative new ways to make art are expanding along with buyer interest in the growing variety of art forms and genres.
• Consumer buying habits have changed, which makes them more likely to buy directly from artists, and from their websites and blogs.
• Many galleries are more willing to explore new opportunities to collaborate with artists who bring their fans and marketing expertise to the table.
• Artists have access to affordable, practical, easy-to-use, marketing tools to help them spread the word and find new customers.
• The number of places to sell art both through brick and mortar and online venues is developing and growing.
• Print-on-demand technology allows for remarkably high-quality reproductions with virtually no inventory costs.
• Licensing offers artists ways to create new, passive income streams.
• Artists can show their work online at no charge, and 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.
• The wealth of freely available, practical art marketing advice from blogs such as this one, and dozens of others, is a blessing upon artists.
• The breadth and availability of webinars, free art business podcasts, and self-paced art marketing workshops, which are focused on helping artists learn how to be more efficient business operators and get their work to market is astounding.
• 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.
• Artists can tap free publicity to take significant advantage of the explosion of media and the demand it creates for more content.
• Free digital submission of press releases provides artists greater and wider access to journalists and media outlets.
• 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 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.

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 think 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 biggest 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.

You may have dire circumstances although most likely you don’t. It doesn’t matter. Whatever your situation is, you can change it. You can lift yourself up. You can beat the odds. You can take an already 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. 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 is many things. By its nature, art is ever-changing in how it is perceived as much as how it is made. You don’t know what impact your art will have in the future. No artist ever does, not really.

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 something that came from my imagination that was crafted by my hands will endure. It gives me goosebumps when I think about it deeply.

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. I wouldn’t try. You have your go-to sources for that.

Helping You Now and Then.

My job, my mission is helping artists. It’s been a passion for nearly 30 years. I’ve gotten quite good at it if I say so myself. 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 centered, and sure 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, just know nothing is impossible. And, nothing boosts confidence like excellence and success.

About Barney Davey

Barney Davey began his career advising artists in 1988 as a senior account executive with Decor magazine and the Decor Expo trade-shows. He helps artists and photographers find buyers, sell art and operate profitably. His mission is to provide artists with systems they can use to create successful, sustainable and rewarding careers. You will find numerous ways to grow your career through his books, blog posts, workshops, online training, consulting and more. http://barneydavey.com