Beginner's Guide to Selling Your Art
You dream of endless hours and days working in a gorgeous, light-filled studio. Deep in your flow…creating powerful work. You visualize gallery shows, collaborations, and making a great living selling your work. You can almost feel the energetic charge, the excitement and pure bliss to be able to have flexible days and freedom to run your own schedule. Maybe you can see a beautiful website, regularly sharing your work with friends, colleagues, email subscribers and your social media community. You get excited with each new sale and have become a magnet for new opportunities to show your work and reach new collectors.
Do you see yourself in any part of this scene? Are you ready to give flight to your dreams? Ready to take action to build a business doing what you love? Read on - in this post I’m unpacking the key things you need to release as well as the essentials you need to make your dream a reality.
As I’ve walked my own creative path and started painting relatively later in life, plus the fact that I have 27 years experience in the advertising agency space, and I now do business and brand consulting for artists and creative entrepreneurs of all kinds - I’ve seen several things that time and time again stop people from ever getting their businesses off the ground, or keep them playing small. This post will help you cut through the clutter and release patterns and limiting beliefs that keep your mission and your creative work hidden.
First of all, know that self doubt kills more dreams that failure ever will! Here are a few limiting beliefs and falsehoods you need to be conscious of and let go of if you want to start selling your work.
I need a dedicated art studio in order to create and sell my work
An art degree is required to be a professional working artist
I have to have all the right supplies in order to start creating
I need a website in order to sell my work
Hours and hours are necessary in order to be a successful artist making a living
The truth is, there are only a few things I recommend you need in order to thrive as a working artist. Here they are listed in order of most important first:
Strong, compelling work that is unique to you
A regular creative practice
An email list/way for people to opt-in for your valuable, inspiring content
A simple, consistent marketing plan
A website
One social media group/site where you can share your life, your work, and your inspirations
It’s also vital to notice when those pesky thoughts of ‘maybe my work isn’t good enough’ or when you find yourself endlessly scrolling and comparing yourself to other artists work so you can practice SHIFTING from these thoughts and get back on the path to going inward and listening to what makes YOU come alive. Then get into the studio with that inspiration, that connection and a sense of detachment and play. Yes, it’s definitely easier some days than others. It’s a practice - so practice!
I’ll be diving into each of these essentials in the future in my email newsletter (be sure to sign up!), as well as in future blogs and IG posts.
If you’re READY NOW to get started to build your creative business and get your work out in to the world, contact me (you can message me on IG: @_minimalandwell or hit the ‘CONTACT’ button on this site) and we can discuss the options for working together.
One thing I know for sure is that the world needs your creative work, the work only YOU can do. It’s time. You’re ready.
I’ll just be over here cheering you on all the way!
xo x