Beginning Your Art Biz
If you’re just beginning to sell your work, this is your starting point. These posts and episodes of The Art Biz cover the practical foundations: making your business legal, naming your art business, introducing yourself and your work, and taking your first steps toward sales.
Building a successful art business starts with getting the basics right.
Making a living from your art (266)
Making a living from your art requires more than talent and desire. It demands financial clarity, the right mindset, and a community of artists who pull you forward. It means committing to your studio practice above all else, embracing structure, and showing up for marketing consistently.
If you’re considering taking the leap, here’s what that actually looks like.
Starting your art career (173)
This is for anyone who is serious about building and living the life of an artist.This episode is also for you if other artists ask for your advice about how they can do what you have done.
I cover: Why devotion to the work has to come first, when you can call yourself an artist, why you shouldn’t be devoted to 1 medium, and the first 6 practical business steps.
How to feel like a successful artist (165)
No two artists have the same path to success—or even define success in the same way.
In order to feel successful, break down your success into smaller increments that are achievable, stay tuned in to your life circumstances, embrace failures that allow you to course correct toward a direction that’s more aligned with who you are now, and celebrate—even for a brief moment—your accomplishments, regardless of how big or small.
The first 4 steps toward selling your art
In all the years I’ve been helping artists build their careers, I can say with a good deal of confidence that there are 4 clear steps to kick-start a rewarding art career and business.
Everything starts with devoting yourself to a consistent studio practice. Then you can start the connection and documentation for marketing your art.
How do you know you’re an artist? with James Holmes (88)
At what point do you get to call yourself an artist? What do you need to have achieved in order to earn that title?
It’s not an easy question to answer. James Holmes shares the 3 clear criteria he created before he could call himself an artist, the why behind each of them, and the moment in which he was able to mark them off the list and assume the artist mantle.
Introduce yourself confidently as an artist (65)
it can be difficult to introduce yourself as an artist when you are in the process of becoming. You must summon your courage and present yourself as you want others to see you.
“I’m an artist” doesn’t seem to roll off the tongue easily for some people. And yet it’s critical to be able to say those words with confidence. You must summon your courage and present yourself as you want others to see you.
How to name your art business (56)
One of the first steps an artist makes when turning professional is to decide on an art business name, and many new artists make this more complicated than it should be.
Allow me to bottom line this entire article: If you are a fine artist, your first choice is to always use your given name for marketing your original art.
And yet you might resist this. Read and listen to find out why I’m right.
Make it legal: 4 Steps to an official art business
If you are an artist in the U.S., take these four steps for turning your hobby into a legal art business.
Obtain your identification number.
Register your business with your state.
Apply for sales tax licenses.
Open business accounts.
