Should You "Spell Out" Your Message in Your Art?

An artist named Kiki sent in this question which I thought others may have as well...

I have noticed that my creativity is beginning to become focused in some directions that are closely related to my politics. I wonder how important it is for me as an artist to clearly express the political side of my art or if I should just leave it to the person gazing at it to dicipher its meaning.

Great question! I believe in allowing the viewer/buyer of the artwork to contribute to it. What I mean by that is that the work is meant for them not you. You create from your soul to touch another soul. Some people will connect and some won't. Don't be too hard on the "souless" as you call it. If they love the aesthetics so be it. To them it has profound meaning, maybe different from your intended meaning, but meaning none-the-less.

One thing I have learned over the years (and they haven't been many, hey I'm only 43) is that "It's not about me, it's about them". I don't mean this in a derrogatory way but rather a caring nurturing one. At this point in my life I am more interested in moving people to change by them having-self realizations and cognitions. If I try to "force" this realization by having to tell them what they should be thinking or realzing, I have defeated the purpose. They are just not ready for "it" yet. Nothing wrong with that...we are all just moving at different paces (some to be at a snails pace ;) ). That's what makes the world interesting. Let your buyers determine what it means to them. Those that connect will, and those that oppose your views probably won't buy it anyway. Be true to yourself first and the sales will follow.

I hope that helps somewhat :)

Best wishes,

Steve
The Thriving Artist

How Do You Determine What Art Will Sell and What Won't?

"What Sells??!!" Great question!

The answer to this is simple...RESEARCH! Now what does that mean? I suggest you do your homework when approaching a new venue for the first time, whether it be an outdoor art show or a gallery. This is really easy to do.

If it is a gallery, go inside and find out what they are displaying on their walls. Talk to the people working in the gallery...find out what they see as being successful and what has been sitting around for awhile. If you are planning to approach that gallery with your work in the near future, have a friend or family member do this research for you. That way you won't be approaching the gallery owner or manager with work that they are not interested in.

With art shows, the same thing goes. If you are planning to exhibit at an art show coming up, do some investigation on how the show was in prior years. There are many publications on the market such as "Where the Shows Are" and "Sunshine Artist" as well as online sites such as www.festivals.net which will give you this information. Look at what previous attending artists said about the show.

This can provide a valuable insight to help you evaluate whether the show will be to your liking. Some shows draw different types of buying crowds. Some are low priced point shows and others draw serious collectors. Bringing the wrong style or priced pieces will only work against you.

You can also call the show promoter and introduce yourself. Find out what type of artists have done well in their prior shows. Ask for some artists that you can talk to. I have done this before and it gave me a wealth of information on what to create. For example, an artist could tell you what they liked or didn't like about the show and what they noticed was selling at theirs and other booths. Some artists may not share this information readily so establish rapport first before diving in with the questions.

The easiest way to evaluate what is going to sell at a particular show is to visit it yourself. Now keep in mind this is if you have plenty of lead time. Many shows are held on an annual basis, but my feeling is that I can always show next year. There are plenty of art shows looking for artists. Visit a few shows in a specific demographic area before committing to one show. Look how people are dressed, if they are browsing around or spending money. Just look if they are carrying artwork with them to their cars.

Most importantly when you are scouting out an art show...talk to the artists that are there. Don't interrupt them during the "heat" of the show nor when they are breaking down for the day or weekend. Typically first thing in the morning is when they are the "freshest" and most willing to engage in conversation. A small token of appreciation to get the conversation rolling in the morning goes a long way...for instance offer to buy them a cup of coffee or a juice. They probably will say no but it breaks the ice so to speak.

Finding out what sells well at art shows and other venues is not hard to do but it takes the one thing most of us hate to do...Homework! As I write this, I am battling with my kids to do it...I guess somethings just don't change :)

Also, please keep in mind that my advance course on "How to Sell Your Art Without Selling Out" goes over many different strategies you can easily use to help you sell everything you make. You may want to really take a look at it. I really don't make much money selling it, I invest the money back into getting the word out to other artists around the world about the course :) You can check it out if you like at: www.thethrivingartist.com/vip

Best wishes,

Steve
The Thriving Artist