As such you can never find a simple formula to building confidence in your artwork. You can be aware of being too careful in your approach. Watch how you draw, watch how you apply paint, watch how you choose whatever material it is that you’re working with and how you then go about working with those materials.
In this post, I’m addressing the (lack of) issue that many artists and aspiring artists have about self-confidence. For without a certain amount of self-confidence you won’t have the required ability to put your self out by marketing your art.
If you have never written out a marketing plan, the task most likely sounds daunting. A sound marketing plan however, is a great way to increase the success of your business and helps you to make informed decisions around purchases, networking, events, and promotions throughout the year.
You’ve run the numbers, and hopefully removed any lingering fog around your money. Now it’s time to decide if you’re making enough of it. If you think your bank account could use a boost, set aside a few hours to ask yourself some serious questions.
No business operates well without a budget. Your budget should be a realistic set of spending parameters. The more control over and security around your finances, the freer you’ll feel when it’s time to be creative.
Part I: Funding your practice.
Supporting your practice can produce emotional fits. Money is a delicate subject no matter what field you are in.
If you’re organising your own show (in an alternative space, rental gallery, student gallery, etc.), then you’ll probably be on your own to design and print your postcards. They are great for advertising shows, but also to put into your promotional material that you send to galleries. To create an effective postcard, start with a great photograph of your work.
As an artist, you are your brand. You should treat your approach to business development just like any other organisation that works to strengthen its brand over time, testing it in the marketplace and discovering what works.
In addition to sending press releases, the media’s attention is also grabbed by a strong, concise, convincing pitch in their inbox on or their voice-mail. The pitch is a two-three-sentence idea for a story that you are feeding to one editor at a time.
