I recently contributed the following article to the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) Designer Section newsletter and wanted to share it with you. It is an edited version of one post from a 2013 series I did on Create Mixed Media called Pulse Points.
For many, if not most, artists and crafters, creating is just one part of the daily routine. Much of their time is instead filled with the “business side” of things: self-promotion, marketing, social media, branding, sales, networking, etc. To get a better sense of how individual artists deal with this, I asked Mary Beth Shaw, Ronda Palazzari, Marie Otero, and Angela Wales Rockett the following question: “How do you feel about the business side of being an artist?” While some embrace this aspect and others, they all stress that blending the creative side with the business side is clearly a necessary part of being an artist in today’s world.
Ronda recognizes that the business side of things is “an essential part of making my business grow.” Marie adds, “These days if you want to be successful commercially there is no getting away from the fact that you need to be moderately well versed in social media networking, compiling mailing lists, keeping up contact lists, managing spread sheets, sending out newsletters, creating a web presence and so on.” And Angela notes that for her “the biggest part of the business side of art is the never-ending task of getting your work out there, getting it seen, and hopefully selling it.” However, as perfectly stated by Mary Beth, “that doesn’t mean I like it.”
For some, the business side comes naturally. Says Mary Beth, “Coming from my previous life in corporate America, I find the business side somewhat easy.” Having that type of background certainly makes a difference but that is not typical. And in fact, for many other artists, the need to “do business” feels more like an obstacle.
As noted by Ronda “I remember when I was younger thinking I wanted to be an artist. What nobody told me was to get a business degree because you are really going to need it.” How many of you have had the same thought? Marie “thinks that the business side of being an artist is way more challenging than the creative part.” According to Angela “Sometimes it feels very frustrating and can even feel humiliating at times, and I just want to paint and let somebody else deal with all that.” Ronda adds “most of my day isn’t spent creating. It’s spent doing the business side and sometimes I am overwhelmed by it.”
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Each of these individuals has found strategies to better cope with the business end of being an artist and all recommend that you do the same. Mary Beth relies on lists. “I keep separate lists for different functions (deadlines, ideas, computer tasks, etc.)…and yes I have been known to add a task simply to enjoy the pleasure of crossing it off.” Ronda has taken to research and she “has been reading different kinds of business books to gain new perspectives.” Marie recommends being organized by “setting aside some time each week, writing things down and reviewing things.” And Angela talks about the importance of perspective: “I try to be as authentic and true to myself in my marketing practice as I am in my art practice. This approach has allowed me to find a calmer way to truly connect with and honor those who enjoy, exhibit and purchase my work.” And isn’t that the real bottom line?