The Big Secret About Your Art Career That Nobody Is Telling You

I feel like there is this big secret in the art world. It’s about how things work and how to be successful. Everyone but me seems to know what it is.

Ever feel this way?

If I only knew this one thing … this one elusive thing that I have no idea what it is … my art business would be a success. But I don’t even know what questions to ask to find it.

You’re not alone. Many artists are on a quest to find the magic bullet and hoping to uncover it in a new class, blog post, or book.

And, still, the cogs and sprockets (Jetsons, anyone?) that run the art world machine are a mystery to most.

Let’s consider all of the personalities that are part of the drama. You’ve got your artists, gallerists, and collectors. You have critics, curators, and consultants.

Not part of the gallery scene? You’re looking at festival organizers, licensing companies and agents, portrait brokers, and art consultants. Not to mention the people in organizations that oversee public art projects and residencies.

These days you have tech startups that create apps, software, and websites for artists to show their work. So let’s add RedBubble, Etsy, Fine Art America, and Society 6 to the list.

Finally, you have people like me who try to help you navigate the possibilities. Each of us comes from a different background with a unique set of strengths. Who to trust?

No wonder you’re confused!

It would be lovely if someone would hand you a road map to success, right?

First you do this, and then you do this, and then you do this, and then you sit back and watch the opportunities roll in.

Ha! It’s not going to happen because each artist’s path is different.

Besides what fun would that be? A road map would mean that there’s no room for you to be creative with your business.

You have to find your own way, so you might as well roll up your sleeves and get to work. Artists who accept this will have a jump-start on everyone else who is waiting to discover the big secret.

The big secret you need to know is that there is no big secret. Stop looking for it and start taking action.

If you take time to analyze the careers of successful artists, what they have in common is hard work. That’s hardly a secret, but I think many artists are trying to avoid this hard work. Art should be fun, they think. So they keep looking for something that would make their businesses fun and easier.

Well, art can be fun. An art business or art career is about rolling up your sleeves and getting to work. You do it because that’s what’s required.

As I put it in my recent complimentary online training, successful artists must:

• Decide on a goal/dream/vision.
• Commit to making it happen.
• Take action and keep taking action until they reach their goal.

You must have each of these pieces for any successful business.

Decide. Commit. Take action. [Tweet this]

Without the decision, there is no commitment. Without the commitment, you are easily distracted by ideas that don’t support your vision, so you give up too early because you think nothing works.

Without the action, well … you know what happens without action. Zippo! Nada! Not a thing!