Traits of Successful Artists

Sharing secrets to creating art while creating an art business is the "tag line" on my blog and I am not sure it's quite the right one...because it may not be the clearest way for me to say what the purpose of this blog is.

 

I mean.  Sharing secrets to creating art...taken just at face value...well. 

 

That's pretty straight forward really, isn't it?  I mean....the secret to creating art isn't really a secret.  Just get into your doggone studio and create it, right? 

 

The rest of the sentence is the clue really to why I'm writing this blog.  ..."while creating an art business."

 

That is really a huge challenge because so much of the time an artist must tend to the business side of their art career and somehow find the TIME to create art.  To anyone who thinks being a professional artist is not a full time job (and then some) ...think again.

 

Go to an art show as an artist and you will find that we are all struggling with the issues we have in the world of being a professional artist.  All the artists who participated in Sculpture in the Park had an opportunity to attend a seminar on Friday. 

 

I only had the time to go listen to George Walbye speak about "Making a Connection with Potential New Patrons- learn how to engage the patron and close the sale from the Dynamic Duo of George Walbye and Mark Williams who sold 30 pieces at the 30th Anniversary show!" before it was time to go on to other adventures on Friday.

George Walbye.
George and “HIGH PLAINS WARRIOR”
in Loveland's Benson Sculpture Park

It was fun to hear George speak for sure.  But also, on Saturday, I asked my husband Mark to go listen to George speak with people in real time at the show...just for a little extra education. 

 

George probably was so busy selling his work that he didn't even notice Mark ;) (who happens to be rather tall...) and Mark did figure out some more about George's method by listening to him and watching him with patrons.

 

Now, you might call that "spying".  But I call it "learning".  And besides.  I have no problems sharing anything I do with anyone else...and I reckon George feels the same way...otherwise he wouldn't have spoken to all of us on Friday.

 

And we are artists but ALSO we are businessmen and women.  But the business side of things can be a struggle because what does learning and creating art teach us about selling it?

 

If we fail to learn how to sell our work (or get it out into the public somehow) than we will fail to have any wide spread ability to share our unique perspective of this beautiful world with the other humans in it.  I think that is sad.

 

And, incidentally.  When I am at a show, even if I speak with a jillion people who aren't interested in buying my work, they are still interested in seeing it (and I am still interested in sharing it) - otherwise they would not have come to the show.  So I always try to engage with them somehow...exhausted as I may be at about 3:30 on Saturday.

 

So, tomorrow I have some great quotes from other artists about the habits and traits of successful artists.  So stay tuned :).

 

'Till tomorrow!

~Alex