A question from the heart on an Artist Group Page.

“Quick question? Do any of you ever get the feeling that maybe, you're just following a silly childhood dream of doing art professionally? I ask, not out of insult anyone but because I have reached a point with my art where I wonder if it'll ever amount to anything and if I'm being entirely realistic in trying to do Art professionally?”

If you believe that you are a good Artist and have what it takes to make it in the Art World, then this is not a question you should be asking until you have been painting 20years.

I read so often about Artists who have been painting for a short period of time begin to question if they are in the right profession?

Art is a marathon not a sprint, it will take you at least 10 years to get to a place where you are selling well and making money, this is not a quick process. Unfortunately there are no short cuts.

Firstly, if you are unknown, then you are unknown.

And if you are unknown it does not matter how much you and your Artist friends believe your Art is worth, if the stranger looking at it does not perceive the value in it they will not buy.

I am always asked how do I price my Art?

I read sometimes daily on some Art group site this question being asked.

Artists respond with, price per square inch, some wonderful calculations of materials plus time plus profit, many many wonderful ideas and suggestions and the one I particularly like is “ I would earn more flipping burgers at MacDonalds, than the hourly rate I get painting.”

Friends, the truth is this, it does not matter how wonderful your painting are, how many hours it took to paint, whether it is oil or acrylic, or whatever wonderful calculation you used to calculate how much it is worth, sadly if you are unknown then you need to convince that stranger that you work is good enough to buy from an unknown Artist.

Think about this?

I believe most Artist have it all around the wrong way.

Instead, starting from today you should be saying, "What is it I want to have achieved by 20 years from now?"

Once you know that work your way back to today.

So if you want to have made the “Big Show” by 20 years, how are you going to do that from today, when you are unknown?

Two things you, the unknown Artist has to do.

“Get paintings on strangers walls and get known.”

It can be in either order but these are the two most important things, how much you are selling your paintings for is not part of the equation.

In the early years you will not make much money, say first 5 years, so get ready for the struggle. Your one and only priority is to get strangers, not family and friends and friends of friends but strangers to buy your work and hang it on their walls.

If that means that your prices have to start low, then so be it.

Sell paintings to strangers, nothing else is more important and make those strangers into collectors and friends.

It is no good worrying about how much your paintings are worth if you are not selling anything?

Artist, you are in it for the long haul, as I said it is a marathon not a sprint.

Yes you will not make much money in the early years but if you stick at it and keep selling paintings to strangers and they become collectors then your prices will begin to rise.

Now your collectors want their investment in you to increase in value, so it is their interest to promote you also and after 10 years you will no long have calculate your price as you will just state how much you want. By then you will have learned the Art Business and what the market will tolerate and as long as you are not to greedy you will earn a very good living.

This is a business and like all businesses you struggle for the first few years and as you get known and popular, so your business grows and your prices increase.

The reason so many Artists start out and then after a few years give up is because they perceive that there work is no good because they can not sell it and they leave, stop.

They equate the lack of sales is because of the quality of the work but they truth is you are unknown, no body knows you.

An example, have you seen the video of the World renown Violinist, obviously well paid, who goes out on the street, puts out his hat and starts to busk. He played beautifully but no body on the street knew him and very little money was put in the hat, but if he had was advertised that he would be there playing, hundreds who know him would have come and paid good money to hear him.

If you are unknown, then you are unknown.

Being a selling Artist is not for everyone and if you feel the stress of having to sell and you are loosing your love for painting, then stop trying to be a selling Artist and concentrate on painting purely for the love of painting and give your work to appreciative family and friends.

But if you believe in your heart that you have a career in Art and you are prepared for the struggle, I encourage you to go for it, keep your eyes on your goal then just do it.

Artist, the two most important things you must do are,

One…… Get Known.

Two…… Get your paintings onto the walls of strangers.

Go for it and get known.