When you look at things in perspective, not everyone has the same background; but all artists have the same story. There is a reason I combined these two thoughts together.
I digress; having a background in the cutthroat Advertising Industry helped me. I grew a thick skin really quick. After a year, I had to push the button on my custom “Super Hero Force Field.” I especially think this is relevant if you start out as a production artist or graphic designer. Once again, your perception skews your thought process. We all start young and ignorant. Your ego tells you that you are the best designer on the planet. Unfortunately, with that train of thought you will never succeed and will be a production artist the rest of your life.
As an artist, it is a whole new ball game. You create art because you LOVE it and you have PASSION. There is a personal attachment to every piece because it IS yours and YOU created it from a part of your soul.
As you are waiting for the “Dear John” or “Golden Ticket” letters, it is nerve wracking. If you are lucky, you will get one acceptance letter in your first year. If not, in my case, my thick skin went down the drain. I cried. I started to question my art, my priorities and myself. Did I really want to do this? Is this life really for me? Is my art that bad or worthless?
After I got my head on straight, I decided to prospect and KNOW THY COMPETITION. I bought every ticket to every juried art show in Central Indiana. This act was probably one of the best things I ever did!
The difference between the advertising world and art world is that artists are just down right GOOD people. We all have the VH1 Then and Now story, no matter what medium. We are a proud and humble group of people.
After I started going to shows and seeing the work, booth displays, pricing and culture, I gained a whole new perspective. First, no one is you! Second, there is ALWAYS someone you will think is “better” and more experienced. (I use this term loosely, because art is a subjective matter).
What I did take from going to these shows and art festivals, is I really got a sense of which pot of gold I wanted to go for. If you have to buy a ticket to get into an art show, people are there to look at and buy art. If you don’t have to pay to get in, you have a “fun family outing” for the day.
Look at the number in the artists in the show. The general public only has so much expendable income to spend on art. If there are 200+ artists in a show, you better do your marketing research, there is too much spread. The percentages are less likely in your favor that you will sell a piece of work.
Price points are a key factor! You may think your art is worth a million dollars. Wake up call, not to the average person. I think that is why I did so well at small shows with COMMANDMENT #5: THY ARTIST, IT IS THE LITTLE THINGS. I saw COMMANDMENT #5 artists doing really well. I was able to learn from artists, patrons and understand what the lifestyle was like. If a show was slow, I just sat down and got to know the artists. As an artist and “specialty store,” you have to be good to your customer, have affordable price points and have them coming back for more.
I saw the “Bodies of Work” mystery and had the ability to process the concept. Most importantly, it was the booth space design. The artists that were selling had open spaces, straight lines, good tents, decorations and floor designs. I asked myself “Is there a school for that?” (Yes, there actually is a course in a Retail Curriculum in college, Floor Design 101).
A booth space is a small mini gallery. You have to present yourself professionally, personally, and have a great floor design. That means spend money on a sturdier tent, good quality wall set-ups, add welcoming décor and seat yourself where you are available. (This means don’t sit behind one of your wall panels).
I looked at other watercolor artists, textile and jewelry artists. When I say “Know Thy Competition,” it may not be in relation to your medium at all. It is in relation to who is raking in the bucks, knowing your target audience and realistically understanding booth space plays a big factor.
*Special note; my son was 14 months at the time, so I grabbed the stroller and went from show to show. It ended up being our time together and a break from my professional daily job. As my son got older and I made it into bigger shows, he became my perfect little salesman. It was hilarious! He was my trigger object to get customers into my booth. He handed out candy to the children and would point at my booth and shout, “Come See My Mom’s Booth!” For some reason people could not deny his charm. He loved going to shows with me. (Trust me, I do know child labor laws. He was paid fully in ice cream)! I never MADE him do it, he just liked to. Plus, he got to strut his stuff. I know it had nothing to do with my art.
The moral to COMMANDMENT #8: THY ARTIST, DON’T GET DISCOURAGED AND KNOW THY COMPETITION, is I was able to put on my “Super Hero Force Field”, set goals and work really hard to ready yourself for the next round of boxing!
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