The Survival of the Artists

Current times have not been easy on those of us attempting to earn an honest living.  But it may not be all bad.  We’ve all considered what we could have done with our lives, especially now that our current career is hanging in the balance and the threat of a layoff is ever-present.  We take time to concentrate on what life is really about; our friends, our families, our goals, our interests, our happiness.  For most of us, our art will not pay our mortgages or allow us expensive luxuries, but it can be a fulfilling path that may, with a little time and energy, offer a little residual income.  And who couldn’t use a little more gas money?  I can’t necessarily offer solutions, but I can offer hope, encouragement and motivation for those who have considered the art path and never had the opportunity to pursue it until now.

If you’re considering creating an art-related business, a successful artist needs to think a certain way.  Artists look at things more closely than other people.  We see beauty in ordinary things, we invent and reinvent ways of doing things, and we consider the possibilities of what something could be, not just what it is.  Artists are always considering new ideas and new connections between ideas.  We look at things from different perspectives and aren’t afraid to step outside the boundaries of conventional ways of thinking.  We dream about things and we use old ideas to come up with new ideas.  Artists are able to concentrate their attention and effort on things for long periods of time and are prepared to spend as much time as needed on a piece.  We also accept that not all works of art will ever be finished in our eyes.  Perhaps most importantly, artists take risks and knowingly expose themselves to failure.  In addition, artists create their art simply because it’s enjoyable and presents a personal challenge.

When all of these concepts are understood, anything is possible.  Of course, it takes more than positive thinking to create a successful business.  I’ve attempted to put the process into steps, though nothing is ever as simple as “Step 1, Step 2, etc.”  You may be able to skip a step, or it may not apply to you at all.  But for simplification purposes, I’ve organized it so that it’s easy to follow and can apply to most people ready to pursue the art-business world.