art career « Art Biz Blog

Is the Artist's Life Selfish?

I am thinking about leaving a high-paying job for an art career. While my husband can cover our family’s needs, I am having trouble letting go of knowing I can provide for my children – on my own. It feels too selfish. Do you feel guilty for sacrificing security for love and passion? Is the artist’s life selfish? [...]

Why I Never Advise You To Follow Your Passion

If “Follow Your Passion” works for you, heed the call! I’m not going to tell you not to follow your passion. You just won’t hear me offering those words as quick-and-easy business advice, which is often how they appear in print. Here’s my alternative version, which I hope serves you. [...]

Freedom To Be an Artist

In recognition of the Fourth of July holiday and celebrating independence, I interviewed Chris Guillebeau, author of The $100 Startup, who’s book is all about freedom. [...]

What is an emerging artist?

You may think it unimportant to define, but granting agencies, galleries, and collectors have their own definitions. Every artist, at some point in their careers, will be called an emerging artist by someone. If you ruled the world, how would you define “emerging artist”? [...]

When You Don’t Know What You Want from Your Art

If you are in the dark about what you want from your art, perhaps these 9 pieces of advice might help. First . . . Don’t quit your day job! You need money coming in while you’re figuring all of this out. If you don’t have a day job, go get one. [...]

Conspire Against the Artist Myths

Bruce L. Bunch, Greenback Cutthroat Trout. Watercolor.

Take a positive spin on the word “Conspiracy” and join the Artist Conspiracy membership program, which serves as a virtual space for like-minded artists who are conspiring against perpetuated myths. [...]

The Worst Time to Start Your Art Career

The worst time to pursue an art career is when you’re desperate – desperate for money, desperate because time is running out, desperate for attention. If you’re laid off from a day job, it’s tempting to think “Now I’ll have time to focus on my art.” I’ve been hearing this a lot over the past two years and it worries me. [...]

The Shaun White Guide to a Gold-Medal Art Career

You could learn a lot from Olympic athletes like Shaun White. I learned to train hard, have fun, create a signature trick, and let ‘er rip. The most important lesson was watching White give his fans exactly what they want–even though he didn’t need to. [...]

Podcast: Remember

Every little step, every tweak, and every turn matters when you’re building your art career. What does it take to get to where you want to be? Listen to these 9 reminders of what you can do to build your art career and sell more art.

Remember

It’s time again for my annual Memorial Day issue. This is the day I give you reminders of what you should be doing to build your career and reputation and to sell more art. This is an incomplete list that reflects some truths as I see them at the moment.

Remember that you are in charge. This is your life and your career. Don’t listen to anyone else’s definition of success, but know how you would define success for yourself. Don’t sit by as others try to steal your power.

Remember that your mailing list is your #1 asset. Get it organized, update it, and, most importantly, use it.

Remember that your images stand in for your artwork. Make sure they are first-rate.

Remember that your artist statement is the backbone of your marketing efforts. Until you can articulate what your art is about, you will find it hard to write brochures, Web copy, grant [...]