Is Your Art Broken?

Art is broken. There is no easy, nice, sugarcoated way to phrase it. I've looked at a couple thousand art blogs over the last three years, and most of them were broken.  Most likely, the way you produce and sell your art are outdated and ineffective. If your art is not selling well, as seems to be the case with most artists, then your art is broken, or your marketing is broken, or more likely both are broken. It's not that you're not hardworking enough, or not talented enough, or not smart enough, you just need to find more effective ways to create and market your work. We're here to help you.

 
Surely you're not talking about me? How can I tell if my art is broken?
 
Are you creating artwork with a unique and compelling vision, that is totally unlike everybody else's art? And, are you consistently selling most of your work, at prices that make you proud?

If not, then your art and your marketing are probably broken. It's not the economy, or the art market - that's only a small part of your problem. The real problem is that your creative and marketing processes are not effective
 
Who broke my art? I used to be able to sell a bit here and there. People like my art. Are you really sure it's broken?
 
It's not your fault. Just a few years ago, the world was a much different place. The ways that we shopped and found information, or sold products, were vastly different. And, our competitive landscape was mostly limited to our local markets.
 
Now, art lovers can search through millions of paintings online within seconds. Anything from traditional landscapes, still lifes, and figures, to abstracts, fantasy worlds, and everything in between. From somebody in your town or somebody halfway around the world. Originals and reproductions, in any media, size, and style, and any price range - from $1 to $100,000.   Chances are, somebody out there is making artwork that is similar to yours, better than yours, or both. Any true art lover, or even casual art shopper, has been exposed to some very impressive works, and an extremely wide selection of subjects, styles, and prices.
 
As an individual artist, with limited time and resources, you simply cannot compete within this new landscape without changing your methods. You cannot make the same paintings as everybody else, in the same styles, with the same generic stories, and sell them through the same venues, and expect to achieve success. You don't need to try to appeal to everybody.  You need to build a razor sharp artistic vision and marketing focus to cut through all the noise and stand out.
 
Just like every other industry - music, newspapers, automobiles, finance -  the art business is changing. Those who learn the new rules, or define even better rules, will succeed. Those who don't will fail.
 
How can I fix it then? Is there a reliable process that any artist can follow to improve their odds of success?
 
The good news is that yes, there is hope for artists. The solution is deceptively simple. It will take a lot of hard work, but there is a relatively easy formula and process you can follow. This is not just an artistic process, it's a process that has been forged and refined by some of the world's top business and creative thinkers, and you can make it work for you. And, all of the tools that you need to do this are already available to you, and mostly free.
 
You need to find a way to express your unique artistic  vision while also providing an end product that meets your customers' needs. You can greatly increase your odds of success by following a structured plan instead of trying new ideas in a hit and miss fashion. Here's the plan:
 
1) First, you need a vision for your artwork. Not just a cursory glance at the world around you, or a quick sketch of the ideas in your mind, or an imitation of somebody else's work. You need to create an artistic vision that dives deep into the heart of something you care about in the world - something with some substance and creativity. This is your chance to speak your mind - comment on the world, or even invent your own world. You need to explore the ideas and assumptions behind your subjects and compositions, and use the elements of art to express this vision in a way that's uniquely yours. Keep pulling, pushing, twisting, and reworking your ideas until you arrive at a unique vision that expresses your views and feelings on your subject. It can be profound or subtle, but you have to say something with your art. And, make sure that this vision is something that you can produce - of course you should learn and expand your skills, but also be practical and emphasize your current strengths.
 
2) Second, you need a blog. Not just an ordinary blog - there are too many of those. You need to talk, in some depth, about your vision and your art, in a way that makes me care about what you have to say. Tell me something worth hearing. Enlighten, entertain, inform. Make me happy, angry, intrigued, or inspired. Write about whatever you want, just make it uniquely you and don't leave me bored and uninterested. Express yourself and show your passion. Leave me wanting more, eagerly awaiting your next post. Your art may "stand on it's own" as some artists like to say, but with a good story behind it, your art will stand even stronger.
 
3) Third, you need to start finding the right customers. Start with a theory about who really needs art like yours, and why they need it, and then research, network, and refine your theory until you find the right customer base. It may be that the local art show or gallery is just the right place, but it may also be that your vision speaks to an entirely different group of people who don't normally consider themselves art collectors. Go find these people. Network locally, and network online - using your blog, twitter, facebook, and other tools. Once you've found your potential customers, talk to them and test your hypothesis. Do they really understand and relate to your vision and want your product? Does it fit a need in their lives, and align with their interests in some way? If not, keep refining your customer definition until you know who your real customers are. Don't be afraid to dive in and learn new online tools to help you with this process - like facebook, twitter, and others. Once you get past the initial learning curve, these tools are wonderful ways to connect and converse with people you wouldn't otherwise be able to meet.
 
4) Fourth, you need to refine your product vision until you achieve the magic goal known as 'product market fit' - you need to offer a product that expresses your artistic vision while also meeting the needs, desires, practical considerations, and budgets of your prospective customers. Without totally compromising your original artistic vision, you need to learn as much as you can about the wants and needs of your customers - just ask them what they need and want, and what they would pay for, and why. Don't bend in completely diferent directions that you're not comfortable with, but adjust your end product details and pricing and your story until you have found the right product, at the right price, for the right customers. The end result may not be exactly what you first envisioned, but if it fits your needs and your customers' needs, at a price you can both be happy with, then you've succeeded. When people are eagerly buying everything you can produce, and referring their friends, and asking for more, and you're making a reasonable profit then you've found the right fit.
 
5) If you've gotten this far, now you just have to consistently deliver on your vision and your promise, and keep telling your story in better ways. Continue to make great work and tell an interesting story, and continue to listen to your customers.
 
Whenever you're stuck - financially, creatively, or both, or if you want to expand your vision, just go back to step one and start again. You can refine your first vision, expand it new directions, or scrap it and do something totally different. But, every time you will need to go through the same steps to create a sellable artistic product.
 

Is it really that simple and easy?

Not really :-)  
 
Knowing what needs to be done is one thing, but doing it well is an entirely different thing. It will be difficult, and you will have to learn new things and take new risks. But, the reward will be worth it.
 
Most artists need to start at step one - creating a more interesting vision for their artwork. It's not a simple process, but you can start by just asking yourself 'Why?' and 'How?' - over and over again. Why do I paint this subject? Why do I paint it the way I do? Why should anybody care? How could I do it differently? How could I do it better? How could I make it simpler? How could I make it more powerful? Don't rush this process - keep exploring it from different angles until you're truly inspired to do something remarkable. Without this vision, your artwork will not stand out in the sea of competition.
 
Over the next few weeks, we will explore this creative process in more depth, as I think that a unique creative vision is the biggest roadblock, and the biggest opportunity, for most artists. It won't just happen in a flash of inspiration, but with some persistent exploration you will arrive at something wonderful. Once you have a unique creative vision, the rest of the marketing process will be much simpler.
 
Who is ArtIsBroken.com? Why should I listen to you?
 
I am dedicated to a simple goal: I want to see artists succeed in creating better art and building better careers for themselves. I don't have all of the answers, but I do have a plan.
 
For three years, I have operated an online art gallery at DailyPainters.com - we're a small galery full of uniquely talented, dedicated daily painting artists. During this time, I've worked with a couple hundred artists, and I've reviewed a couple thousand more who didn't make it into our gallery. I've been learning and observing what makes successful artists different from all the rest, and there definitely is a difference.
 
Also during the past few years, I've been studying more about modern ways of marketing and building businesses online and offline. I've been watching and listening to some of the most innovative business thinkers, and constantly thinking 'how can we apply this idea to the problem of marketing art'? As with most areas in life, there are some specific methods that the most successful businesses follow - purposely or accidentally - and these processes consistently determine what businesses will ultimately succeed or fail.
 
Would you like a free review of your artwork and your marketing process?
 
We're working on some products and services to help you market yourself better, which we'll be announcing soon. In the meantime, if you'd like a free review of your art and your marketing, and a few tips to point you in the right direction, just fill out our free review form. We'll get back to you within a few days with some ideas to improve your chances for success, and no strings attached.
 
What do You think? Is Art broken? How can we fix it?
 
Don't just listen to me, or any other expert. Do you agree that the art business is broken? Disagree? Have your own ideas for how to fix things? Any other comments or suggestions? Leave a comment below - we'd love to hear from you!