Be Smart about what you do free
#positiveputney #putney #london #bridges #watercolours
If we look at how online business these days work it becomes clear that the way you are drawn into a purchase is through some sort of free offer being made. Secrets to or how to etc…
I am sure many of you have the other email address that you use to pick up these freebies and then that’s the end of it.
So as an artist is this any different than the way we have always worked anyway. The days of being precious about our work have gone if we want to be in business anyway.
In other words for an artist, I feel it is all about giving. Sharing your life is actually what is fantastic.
I realise that when somebody has a piece of my work on their wall and they continue to tell me how much they really love it; yes that’s worth it. If people just bought my paintings and never got anything from them then firstly what is the point and secondly does that sound like long term success.
What is a success?
Money is an exchange and energy. So all free to start with is training. As an artist, I pride myself on not being special. Actually, I am really fortunate to do something that amazes me and that I can share with others
So the mindset is so important
Then, of course, to have art a business we have to be realistic as to where we are at. Unfortunately, I don’t see fine artists getting business training in their portfolio.
We have all of these platforms but hey put the creative head on. Look at the opportunity. I realised after a painful start that doing FB live painting is a no brainer. Now I am not teaching but I am inviting people into my life and showing my work. Okay so I haven’t been sharp enough in optimising the feed or traffic attraction through ads but I have become a lot more confident on screen. ON SCREEN is the opportunity. It’s like busking. I have attracted sales of my paintings and gotten commissions through this.
What I am doing now is digging deeper into how I give all of these activities the best chance to be seen. It is easy to spend hours simply trying to perfect what you are showing. Like Picasso, I think said once “Every painting is an experiment” Same with the online presence.
I feel that the problem in the high street and all the shops that are closing at the moment is that the shop experience has become a little formulaic. Also, of course, the overheads are monstrous.
A marathon not a sprint
Without a doubt selling artwork online is a challenge but now with the advent of building shops and sites without the need for intensive coding abilities is absolutely awesome.
Also, it is possible to get going even if you have limited time, build up some revenue over a reasonable period of time and then become realistic about the work you make the range of stuff you have to offer and the value of the skills or Intellectual property that you have. You have got to realise that this is a marathon and not a sprint.
When I was a kid I lived in a neighbourhood with loads of kids no cars limited danger. We would all go and play together. The Olympics were on somewhere so we all wanted to run.
The older kids wanted to do long distance. That was like three times around the block. Just as we were going to start one of them said to me ” Listen don’t run too fast at the beginning coz you will get knackered and won’t make it” We started running and I was so excited that I shot off in front. I felt invincible and completely forgot the advice. Sure enough, I collapsed after once around the block.
I STILL HAVE THIS TENDENCY believe me and I am 60 years old !!!. Still young at heart and daft. This time I am in it for the long term and so I will get there as long as I keep persisting in creating content that creates value for others and gets ready to take the opportunities to sell when they present themselves.
Perfect platforms for Visual Artists
Please remember all of the platforms YouTubeYouTube Instagram FB etc…are tools they are not the solution. The solution is down to commitment and hard work. Do you really want to do this?
We all have our blocks in creating but what I am finding is super cool is that if my painting needs a couple of days to break then that is when I get on with building the foundation for my marketing etc.. Or research competitors
On this journey of building a business, there will be days of despair and doubt. There will be times where we don’t feel strong enough to continue or not want to make any more work. Is this any different to our art practice? In most cases perhaps not.
-Patrick
