Whether you are an artist who has set your mind to selling art or making art for art’s sake, you will come upon a crossroad where you need to decide if you are going to propel forward or to stay stagnant for a while longer. So what does it mean if you are labelled as a ‘struggling artist’?
This basically means that you are trying to make your mark in the art scene where you are either facing problems trying to find a gallery to represent you or to make others notice you. The former is of course, easier because if a gallery decides to represent you, then half the battle is pretty much won.
So what does it take for you to make it out of your cocoon of struggle? First things first, you have to move out of your comfort zone. Art to you must be a certain type of ‘business’ and no longer just a hobby. It would be more applicable and effective if you give your business a professional name like ‘Tai Ka Paintings’ and such.
This is most important if you are looking to venture out on your own independently and it would help too if you are approaching galleries. Put the business name in your name card and register your business.
Never rest on your laurels. Even if you have been selling paintings for a few years now, you must continue to work on your art on a daily basis. If you are serious about being an artist, then ensure that you practice enough and come up with new artwork if possible every day.
Explore new methods
This works very much into a win-win situation for both your career as well as your techniques. By constantly working on your art, you will improve and explore new methods while you can continue to have work to show galleries or collectors when required.
Always remember that your artwork will not be sold or noticed if they are lying there in your studio. You will need to market your artwork because it is an important part of the entire process.
In fact, this should be a priority because marketing your artwork is not only done when you finished your work but throughout the entire process of producing your art. Furthermore, marketing your artwork will allow you the chance to get to know your potential collectors and to network with new ones.
Never be too rigid about your art. As with any buyer or shopper, they will appreciate it if they have choices. This means that you should have a different range of work and pricing. If a certain piece of art is too expensive, be ready to show some which are cheaper and the collectors would surely be more than happy to accommodate you.
On top of that, ensure that you are ready to work on other works if required. At this point, you might not be ready but the fact that you are receptive to such opportunities make the collectors want to work with you in the near future.