Art and Creativity Journal: Maybe "Relentlessness" is the Answer?
There's a fellow artist and friend whom I admire, and who — about 18 months ago — made the decision to be a full-time artist and attempt to "make a living" exclusively from her art.
That's a bold, brave and scary move... particularly in view of the fact that only maybe 1% of artists actually make a living from their art. For most of us, this is a part-time gig.
Whereas she is still having somewhat of a hard time of it, one of the things I have really come to admire about her is her relentlessness in always talking about her art, always posting to social media, and constantly putting herself "out there," regardless of whether it was a really good week, or nothing has sold in 10 days.
In other words, she doesn't let "how she's feeling about things" interfere with her relentless full-saturation marketing style.
Anyway, it also reminded me of an artist I knew many years ago — she made rather beautiful and mystical jewelry — and I signed up for her email list... and boy, did I get a lot of email! She had some new offer, or some new announcement or story, virtually every day.
Personally, I found it somewhat annoying and had to unsubscribe after a while... but her jewelry business did end up becoming quite successful. Again, she was quite relentless with her marketing of her work.
Which, then, brings me to the potential realization that using my own response to art marketing is perhaps not what I should be doing to help build business. Moreover, what if people like myself who'll unsubscribe if there's too much marketing are actually not representative of the art BUYING public, just of the art appreciating public?
I am definitely not an impulsive shopper, and I am also not someone who's likely to randomly shell out $25, $100 or more just because "That's cool, gotta have it!"
The potential danger here is that it can be a mistake to market our art "as we would market it to ourselves," because we are actually poor representatives of our potential buyer base.
Sometimes asking "What would I do in this situation?" is not actually the right question! Which might also explain why artists are often not very good at marketing and selling their work.
But if I decide that this relentlessness is a good working strategy, there's still the question of whether or not I have the discipline to follow through with it.
Thank You!
If you enjoy painted rocks, do check out The Hive Rocks Project and help spread the word about Hive, while also being creative!
Because I am trying to make some semblance of income — a part time living, even — I now add this footer to all my posts, in the hope that someone, somewhere, might decide to take a further look at my work, and perhaps consider supporting independent art.
Thank you, in advance, for your consideration and support!
My Alchemy Stones Patreon appeal
Alchemy Stones web site and blog
Regardless, your upvotes and comments are always appreciated!
Thank you for supporting independent art & creativity!
2025.07.01 AS-TXT-332/302
😍🙏
!discovery 30
!PIZZA
This post was shared and voted inside the discord by the curators team of discovery-it
Join our Community and follow our Curation Trail
Discovery-it is also a Witness, vote for us here
Delegate to us for passive income. Check our 80% fee-back Program
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@jlinaresp(15/15) tipped @alchemystones
Come get MOONed!
Oh, what a timely post. I have a piece of work in the gallery (I'm a photographer) and the only reason I hope it sells is that I don't want to put another hole in my wall to hang yet another picture :P I'm lazy, you see.
I think a lot of artists and image / artefact makers do it because it satisfies some sort of internal desire to create stuff. Not necessarily to make money. There's also the archetype of the starving artist which... I personally like to project upon myself, because if my work was the only way to obtain calories, I'd be dead.
I'm not dead, and my work is certainly not the source of my current financial position.
Nonetheless, your comments on the relentless marketing is across every industry, and I do not, and cannot understand how it is acceptable for a company or individual to have something new to sell to you every day, or an offer for you everyday.
I am far less likely to buy from a company that sends an email every single day. I unsubscribe from every such "newsletter" and it is so frustrating when that "ubsubscription" lapses because the next time you buy something from them, you're automatically subscribed all over again.
Like, I do not need to buy cat food or cat litter every single day, or speciality wall hooks... or whatever other product a store is peddling.
"Join our Cat Litter of the Month Club!"
I have a feeling the entire world has become deeply enmeshed in the "Eternal Growth Paradigm," as a result of which we see ever stranger promotional pushes to get us to acquire things.
Sorry, but by cats have three buttholes, and only three buttholes, and I do not need to buy more litter than needed for three buttholes, no matter what trickery you (and the "private equity" firm that spawned you) you might serve up.
Sometimes the appeal of being "off grid" is great, but not for the conventional self-reliance reasons!
I do enjoy sharing my work with others, because I can see that they "get" something from it that transcends financial stuff.
And I don't need any more paperweights in the house!
It is just sodium beninoite. The clay. Honestly, if it could be purchased without cute pictures of cats, it'd be much cheaper.
I feel.as though some things don't need to be marketed, they just need to be. Electricity. Fuel. Cat litter. Art.
You either need it, or you don't.
Cats make excellent paperweights.