Art is a Business - Get used to it!

By Hans Baarschers on 1/11/2014 1:53:58 AM
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Working at the business of art

By no means am I unique in starting an art career later in life, many have gone before me and some have become quite successful. A lot depends on the goals we set for ourselves or whether we even bother. Some are quite happy to just be able to paint and that alone is their reward, while others like me want to be more serious about it and make every effort to apply ourselves and take a professional approach. Most of us late careerists did not always have the privilege of attending a good art school or had any other type of significant art training other than belonging to an art club or attending the odd workshop. A lot of us would probably put "self-taught" in our resumé. Most of the time a full time job or career in an entirely different profession and/or supporting the family and raising kids took all available time and resources.

However the dream is always there and gets nourished one way or another along life's journey to keep it alive and then....retirement! Now it's time to put our money where our mouth is, but that's always easier said than done, especially when resources are stretched. And having the passion to paint is one thing, but how are you going to build that second career without any knowledge of business practices and marketing? This is the part of being an artist that sounds less romantic - what do bookkeeping skills have to do with art and besides that I'm not a salesman - goes the argument. Most art schools to this day barely touch on this subject and that makes little sense. Why teach students to make a product without teaching them how to market that product? The expectation seems to be that that is what galleries are for, but that is hardly realistic.

In my case I had the bad fortune to lose a job due to the recession and then the good fortune to be able to qualify for a business training program for self employment. That involved a lot of homework even before qualifying as it involved doing market research and writing a business proposal as one would for applying for a business loan at the bank. Upon acceptance we had two months to write a solid business plan including financials that then passed by a small panel of local business people. If a plan did not pass their muster the candidate would be dropped from the program. Fortunately my plan was accepted and the following six months were spent attending workshops, writing progress reports and implementing our business. For me that involved studio time for practising, working on ideas and starting to build a body of work, which I did not have much of yet at the time.  

Honesty compels me to say that I argued in my proposal that my income needs from this business would not have to be very high as I soon would be having a pension income, and was not dependent on the business for paying the rent and having food on the table. Had I needed to rely on a full income from my art I would have had a much tougher time getting my proposal passed. Making a full time living from art is far from easy (especially in today's market) and depends a lot on one's personal circumstances which vary for everyone. But as long as we understand the realities involved and are passionate about what we are doing all things are possible. And also understand that this is not about quick sales (as much as those are great) but about a longer term process of career building. Your name is your trade mark, so make it known. That is certainly my plan for this year and take whatever steps are necessary to implement my goals. Be consistent in what you do and at some point you are going to be successful.

Rests me to thank FASO (Fine Artists On Line) for providing me at a very reasonable fee with an excellent website and terrific marketing and art related information through their various blogs, newsletters and a chance to periodically shine in their Daily Art Show and the monthly BoldBrush art competition. They have given me a much better insight and knowledge of art marketing and the art community as a whole. It truly feels like being part of a larger family and the technical staff has been prompt and capable in resolving any problems.

In today's competitive marketplace it is hard to stand out. Thousands of artists are out there marketing their art and many are outstanding, and that can easily intimidate.  The need to build on your own skills and becoming more confident is essential and having good marketing tools at your disposal is important.  The need to be active on the website , Facebook and other social media - whatever way you choose to connect with people - is evident once you are able to monitor website visits and see a response to your activities. Politicians have to be in touch with their constituents, but so do artists. Good communication skills are as important as marketing skills. Nurture them and use them.

These are some of the thoughts I wanted to share as I  started my travels on this new career path and felt that there are many like me out there and hopefully this little essay gives some encouragement to fellow artists who read this. They are by no means new ideas or concepts, but realities we have to remind ourselves of now and then as we plod along on this journey and we are all fellow pilgrims on this road. As Roy Rogers would say: “Happy Trails!”