What Business Are You In?

If you're like many I know you strive to quit your job and become a full time artist. Perhaps you've already done it.

Many artists have shared their frustrations with me. "Eric, I wanted to be a full time artist yet the business aspects are taking me away from what I love, which is creating art. What should I do?"

Most people I know never anticipated that they were opening a business enterprise. They just wanted to paint or sculpt or create. 

Suddenly the responsibility of bringing home the bacon is dependent on your ability to create art that others want to buy, establishing your name, selling your product, and managing the business aspects like taxes, paperwork, framing, shipping, etc. So can you get away from it?

Unless you have a solid helper... a spouse, friend, partner you're probably on your own. Its always helpful to have someone to help if you can find someone to volunteer (even a couple hours a week) or someone to work for you. The clutter of doing business can impact your artwork and your rhythm.

I've watched too many people give up and return to life working for someone else. We don't want that to happen to you.

My belief is that your best bet is to find a great art gallery. They can boost your career, manage your promotion, and hopefully bring you consistent revenue. Take the marketing off your lap unless you absolutely love it and are good at it. Then you can focus on better quality artwork, which should result in higher prices eventually.

Secondly ask yourself what you can farm out to others. They don't have to be employees (you don't want to do payroll taxes, benefits, etc.) Break your roles into different pieces. Can someone do the framing for you and then box and ship for you? It might be worth a higher price for your frames if you can drop off the works to a framer to handle this aspect. A good small business accountant can keep your books, manage your accounts, watch your revenues, and do your taxes for not a lot of money. Probably a couple hours a month for not much invested. Often art students will work for little or nothing to be able to observe you. Can you put them to work doing prepping of canvas, varnishing and so on?

Anything you can do to stay focused on artwork will make you a better artist, happier, and less encumbered.