I have been spending a lot of time
lately trying to balance being creative and being a business person,
or should I say learning to be a business person.
These 2 things, at a first glance, just
don’t seem to go together well, being a artist and being a business
person. I think its cause there has been a huge disconnect create in
our society that says if you are an artist you have to be a starving
artist and if you make money doing art then you aren’t really a
artist cause your work is commercial.
But, when I look back on even some of
the great fine artists of the day like Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollack,
Leonardo De Vinci, or Michelangelo, I recognize they must have been
doing something pretty big to get there work seen by the public.
After all the 16 chapel was a co
mmissioned by the Pope. Doesn’t
that make Michealangelo a artist for hire (a commercial artist) so to
speak.
It also makes him a business man.
In some of my research I have been
finding that being a good artist is only 20 – 30% of what it takes
to be a successful artist. The other half is Hype!
Marketing and
getting your work in front of the eyes of the many individuals out in
the world that might actually like what you do. It takes a great deal
of time and effort because you aren’t just selling your art you are
selling yourself.
I always felt like even when I do a
caricature I am giving a little piece of myself away to the world.
Some people appreciate it and some people don't, but I always want to
give whoever I draw for my best. Even when it seems to take me
forever to complete.
In the end creating content is
important, but sharing the content is even more important, and making
a living from your content is the most important. To me being a
starving artist is not noble, it's just an excuse to not work hard for
yourself. People that don't see the value in what we do or that want
us to sell ourselves cheap lack respect and understanding of how art
truly effect our society.
So you have to step up to the plate, set the value for your work you feel you deserve and push you work out into the market place. In other words learn how to control your business life and create opportunities that will allow you to be a thriving artist.
Its ok to be a hobbyist, as well, but
if you are trying to make a living as an artist you have to learn a
lot more than just how to draw pretty pictures. It has been a long
road and a difficult lesson to learn but a valuable one non the less.
