“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”-- Stephen King

These quips of wisdom are nothing that most of us don’t already fully realize.

It’s just useful to be reminded every now and then so that we can consider whether or not we are running our lives according to this wisdom.

So yes talent is important but without hard work it means little.

But there is a vital third component that they don’t even bother to teach you in art school.  It is not only vital to an artist’s success, it is vital to an artist’s very survival. What’s that?  A market.  It’s talent, hard work, and a market.

Art schools argue that they are not business schools and so at best they glance or skip over this subject.

At worst, condescending art professors degrade the very notion that an artist even needs a market and label pursuing one as “selling out.”  Whatever the heck that means!

This leaves the majority of art students completely disoriented and later disillusioned.

Here’s what’s real.  It’s incredibly expensive to attend the top rated art schools.  My alma mater, The Cleveland Institute of Art, is currently charging over $50,000 a year. Yet only 20% of experienced professional artists will be lucky to make $20,000 from their art.

The admissions application should disclose that somewhere around seven years after graduation 90% of fine art majors aren’t even making any art anymore, never mind selling it.

So even though artists just spent a serious fat wad of money on tuition, or their hopeful parents did, and they may have tremendous student loan debt that they’ll never escape, 9 times out of 10 their art career is totally screwed within 7 years of graduation.

I can hear it now.  But I don’t know how to define a market for my art work.  I know! I didn’t either but I learned and that’s why I started Artists Who THRIVE.

Because not only did I get tired of hearing artist’s frustrations about establishing a market, I frankly tired of the general perception that artists can’t possibly wrap their pretty little heads around all this business mumbo jumbo.  F that!  Yes you can!

And guess what, you should.  Why?  Because people are still buying art.  Yes.  I know.  It’s a fact that we are just grasping for air from a major economic recession and all categories of luxury have declined significantly.

Except one.  Which one?  You guessed it. Fine art.  The “market” for fine art sales actually increased during the recent recession.

So wipe your tears and get crackin’.   Take charge.  Learn everything you can.  Gather positive and intelligent influences around you and drop the rest.  You can’t afford to be around nay sayers.

Apply yourself to the business of art as you did to mastering painting or drawing.

Reality TV shows like American Idol or Scouted about models gaining instant fame, feed an unrealistic fantasy that an artist’s success could be offered in one instant.

In fact, we all know that success will be earned over time with as many opportunities as you can cultivate and satisfy.

When I coach or consult with creatives I always tell them, “No one is coming to save you, no one is going to discover you. So get very clear on your SMART goal and then build and maintain an Action Plan to get there.”

I know.  I’ve been featured in the national media.  And although it can give one some street cred it doesn’t necessarily result in a wind fall of sales.

I also know how to get things done, that have not been done before, within a certain time frame.

My last straight job, seven years ago, was as a project management consultant.

This is one transferable skill that comes in very handy from my years dwelling in a corporate cubicle.

A SMART goal may be, “I’m so happy that in 2012 my art sales exceeded $80,000.”

What is required of successful artists is the faith and the fortitude to claim and then create what they want by taking constant action.

However big or small it may seem, stretch and heed the Greek sage Epictetus “First say to yourself what you would be; then do what you have to do.”

Fame comes from a lot of  media exposure.  And Public Relations is an important marketing strategy for all small businesses, but you really can’t control it.  You can only control planned and measured efforts towards a SMART goal.

Epictetus taught us that suffering arises from trying to control what is uncontrollable, or from neglecting what is within our power.  So what I can control, what is within my power, is keeping a list of potential media opportunities and contacting so many every week.  My SMART goal is to, have 3 or more favorable national press spots in 2012.

By striving consistently, it eventually pays off.  This is the key lesson.  Success is incremental.

“No one is coming to save you, no one is going to discover you.”

You are chasing an aimless target if you are trying to appeal to the masses.  Successful artists appeal to a specific target.

There are no musicians famous for both their classical and country performances.

You know, the bull’s eye in the middle of the target.  Try to hit the whole thing and you’ll hit nothing.

Successful artists create a consistent body of work, and have a unique voice that offers a value to a target market.  Once they have gained a reputation in a specific space they can broaden their efforts.  This is marketing 101.

I first established a reputation as the “Wine Country It Girl” by creating strategic partnerships with prominent wineries.  I created several series of vineyard paintings.

Since then I’ve branched out and painted the aspens in snow, private gardens, and ranches.  With each of these new series my artistic approach remains the same, it’s only the demographic market profile that has changed.

Before I made these shifts into other markets, I first had to establish a reputation and gain recognition in one space.  This was a deliberate and targeted effort.

So if you think your art must appeal to the masses, think again.  And ask yourself, on what authority did your receive this information?  Who are the “masses?”

The good news is that you should first please yourself.  Then you are much more likely to please a few others.

You can’t and you don’t want to please everyone.  Be true to thyself, create with passion, heart, and authenticity.  This will increase your chance of success.

Remember, the work of copycats is dead on arrival.  Even if a copycat artist’s work is superb it will first compared to the more creative artist’s previous success.

To quote Comedian Bill Cosby “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”

1.   Your creative talent
2.   artistic ability
3.   and prolific creative output will only get you so far

And by the way you’ll need all three to be a successful artist.

1.   Artistic mastery of a certain technical standard is expected, just like a singer must hit all of the notes. If, for example, you are a glass blower, you had better know how to grind and polish the bottom of your vessel to perfection.  If you are an illustrator of architect you had must have mastered three-point perspective.

2.   Creative talent, your unique voice, must be clear enough so that work is recognizable as your own and can not be mistaken for another artist’s.  Then it must inspire, make people feel.

3.   Once you have creative talent and artistic ability down, are you ready to sell?  Maybe, if you can produce consistently.  Why?  Just like there is no use in opening a store if you are going to run out of inventory, you must produce, you must be prolific.  If you don’t, you’ll only disappoint and confuse potential collectors and your disappointment will become frustration.

And now for the big question.  Do you have a unique value proposition and a target market?  This is basic requirement for any business to thrive, creative or otherwise.

For example, what was Andy Warhol’s unique value proposition and target market? Warhol’s unique value proposition was that he celebrated the consumption of fame.

His primary target market? Distinguished intellectuals. Hollywood celebrities and wealthy patrons. He was a master of PR and networking.

So let’s get real.  The odds are very slim that anyone will make a living through their creative endeavors.

But if you have creative talent, artistic ability, and you are prolific you are half way towards success.

Whose Rules are You Playing By?  And when did you agree to them?

I find it ironic that so many creatives assume that they must compete in the marketplace based on the same competitive factors, finding representation and critical acclaim.

Why?  Because this does not equal getting paid.

The rules of the traditional art market are completely permission and scarcity based.  I for one don’t want any part of it.

Why?  I enjoy freedom, financial and creative.  And lets face it, these freedoms walk hand in hand.

No money, no art supplies.  No money, no time to create.

So what do you do?  Question the rules.  Isn’t this what artists do best?!

What is your measure of success?  Gallery representation?  Okay.  If that’s working for you and you’re making money hand over fist, go for it.

But if that is not working? Then you, like any other person peddling their wares in an overcrowded market, must find a target market and compel them to buy from you by offering them unique value.  That, my friends, is the Blue Ocean Strategy.

The first business profiled in the book the Blue Ocean Strategy, Cirque du Soleil, ironically, is a theater company.  Cirque du Soleil reexamined the competitive factors of their industry.

Then they looked at what they could subtract and what they could add to a circus.  They asked themselves, “Do we really need animals?  They are messy and animal rights activists are on our case.”  So they subtracted the animals.

Then they looked at the multiple performances.  Then they added an elevated quality to the performance and got rid of the three-ring circus, adding focus.

What can you subtract?  What value can you add?  Are you looking for approval or for a market that will support your creativity and your financial well-being?  That is the business of art.  And that is the best business I know of.

Should artists pay for advertising?  Generally my answer is no.

Why?  Because most artists don’t have the budget and there are more effective ways that are either free of relatively low cost.

Most of my business comes from the following sources and generally in this order:

1.   Referrals
2. Ecommerce site
3.   Events
4.   Press

With the exception of relatively low overhead for my Ecommerce site, each of the marketing mechanisms listed above are free and I would venture to say they are more credible.

Then how do get referrals you ask.  Well… you simply ask. How?

Here’s an example:

“I’m so glad that you like my work.  You know, I don’t advertise.  Most of my business comes by way of referrals from people just like you.  Can you think of one or two people to introduce me to who would also enjoy my work?”  Then stop talking.  This is key.  Don’t be nervous and keep talking.  Just let them say yes or no.

When they mention a name, say something like.  “What would be the best way for us to meet?”  They might say, “They’ll be at my party on Friday.  Why don’t you come?”  Or “I’ll introduce you via email.”

Your objective is to get to meet that referral in person.  Not sell them.  Just meet them.

To review.

1.   Ask for one or two referrals
2.   Ask how and when the introductions can best be made
3.   Follow up and get some face time with the referral

Asking is free. And it’s simple.  Just follow 1,2,3.

"Pacific Ocean Deep", Ann Rea, oil on canvas

Most artists are trained in art school to swim with the sharks in an ocean of blood unconsciously competing for the scarce kill. But only a few will ever feed.

The alternative is to swim in a blue ocean far away from the kill zone, making the competition irrelevant.  How?  By creating a Blue Ocean Strategy.

What’s this?  It’s when a business creates unique value to serve a target, making the competition irrelevant

When I’m working with artists to help define their Blue Ocean Strategies we have to first get to what’s unique.

The only place to start is the artist’s life purpose, passions, interests, and values so that we know who they are as an artist and a person.

This is not life coaching this is the beginning of defining truly unique value.

Take a jeweler I’ve been coaching for example.  This creative, like many, had to work a long while before we arrived at her new Blue Ocean Strategy.

The first thing that she had to learn was that she had to get out of the business of selling jewelry, a Red Ocean, and get into the business of celebrating friendships.

What? Are you scratching your head?

After much exploration she realized that one of the most important aspects to her life is her long-standing and close relationships with her best friend and other women in her life.

They all have stories and a history that they have shared over the years. And they have been her main collectors.

Her Blue Ocean Strategy?  To create a line of unique charms that mark the most meaningful milestones in a women’s life.

What’s different?  You can collect the charms, customize the bracelet or necklace, and an individual story is beautifully packaged with each charm.

You then give a bracelet or necklace to yourself and one to your friend, or friends, to celebrate the history of your friendships.

Rather than one sale she has built in two or more immediate sales and ongoing charm sales as new milestones are celebrated.

Notice we didn’t start with how to build in multiple sales. We started with the artist’s unique value.  The unique value is a reflection of this artist’s very personal purpose, interests, and values.

This Blue Ocean Strategy is something she’s passionate about and her excitement is giving her the energy to execute on this strategy.

It took time, effort, and patience to arrive at this Blue Ocean Strategy.

She’s had to work through some key frustrations that had limited her thinking. But she stuck with it until she was open to exploring marketing solutions in non-convention ways.

What happens if artists come sniffing around her waters to copy her?  We’ll create more unique value and they’ll will sink to the bottom of the ocean because they won’t be able to match her energy.

“Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else.” – Judy Garland

Many artists are desperate to arrive at an answer. So they put the cart before the horse. If an artist is not open, patient, and trusting in the process, or they are clinging desperately to the traditional scarcity and permission based model, I just can’t help them.  I can’t get past that negativity.

It takes trust to surrender the fight for the kill when you’re hungry.

But in order to sustain your drive to be an artist and to build a business you must first know your purpose, passions, interests, and values.

You must “know thyself” so that you can know what unique value you can offer the world.

Note. Your compensation will be in direct proportion to the value you offer.

Perception is reality so make sure that the perception others have of you and your art is not distorted.

I have written about this before but I just cannot emphasize it enough because there is such a common and unnecessary disconnect.

Selling art is serious business, requiring more marketing savvy than most businesses.  If you want it to run a profitable art business then understanding that “perception is reality” is even more critical.

Just like framing a painting, you want to frame your professional image.  You want a frame that that doesn’t look cheap. You want a frame that’s simple so that the focus is on your the work. And you want a frame that is carefully considered so that it elevates the art that it protects.

This means that you need to manage every touch point that patrons and prospects have with your business so that you convey a positive and professional image.

Some of the ways that you can convey your professionalism are:

• Answering the phone professionally.  For example, “Hi, Jane Smith’s studio.  This is Jane.  How can I help you?”

• Your recorded phone message.

• Your website, actually your eCommerce site.  It should read visually like an art gallery or museum.  Too many artist’s sites are over- and ill- designed.  Don’t distract from your art, elevate it.  Hire a professional.  You and your business is worth it and you’ll sell more work online.

• Your business cards.  These should be professionally designed, including the logo. Don’t skimp.

• Your promotional photo.  This should also be professionally shot.  And no sunglasses or berets, unless you really are French.

• Your personal style/dress.  I’m not suggesting that you purchase business suits, simply that you look and feel your best.

• Your email address. For example, what’s more professional?  jane@aol.com or jane@janesmith.com?

• Your email signature.  This should include a link to your website, social networking links, and all of your contact numbers.

• Your Facebook fan page.  This is a huge and free marketing tool.  Link to it from your eCommerce site.

• Your LinkedIn profile.  Take the time to complete this.  And follow the rules. Only ask people to join your network if you actually know them.  Take the time to write a request for others to join your network.  Don’t use the default message.  It reads.  “Here, join my network.  I’m too lazy or I don’t care enough to actually write you a simple message.”  It’s not a contest to get to “500+” contacts.

The bottom line is this.  When you’re selling art you’re asking patrons to part with their money.  So give them reasons to feel confident with each transaction.  Professionalism is not an area that you have creative license.

When I’m coaching my artist clients we do what is called a blue sky session.   We think of different art marketing strategies to help them sell their art.  Not to be confused with a blue ocean strategy, our ultimate goal.

During this creative session there is one very simple rule. Record every idea and negate none.  Simple?  You’d be surprised.

When artists get out of their own way and pause their self-limited thinking, the sky is the limit, pardon the pun.

We can hatch big ideas during these blue-sky sessions.  Or it can be a time when even seemingly positive artists kill opportunities before they are even born. “That won’t work.” “I hate this or that.” My constant response.  “Just focus on the exercise, pretend, have fun. There’s no right or wrong.”   Self-doubt and lack of confidence become very evident.  Sometimes they play along during the session and then their attitude kills the ideas later.

Artists who really engage in this creative process, kind of like you do when you make art, win.  Because the blue sky strategy is simple and it works.

This is a creative exercise that many marketing strategists use.  The good news is that artists are in a particularly good position to come up with creative and new marketing strategies.  But they have to stop thinking about themselves and think about what value they can create for a target market.  Why?  Because your compensation is in direct proportion to the value you offer.

Most artists have been told to craft artist statements to explain their work as a way to sell it.  These statements are all about them and their process.  Unfortunately I have rarely read an artist’s statement where I didn’t cringe and say “Oh, please.”

If you want to sell your art, ultimately it’s not about you. It has to be about the unique value you offer to a specific target market.

The other good news is that you are free to create this value and assert it any which way you please, kind of like you do when you make art.

Marketing is a creative process like making art.  And that’s why I love it too.

I have a coaching client whose expertise is watercolor.  In fact she’s earned several awards and she loves it.  But her sales declined in recent years and she thought that she should change her medium to oils.  This is a medium that she has little experience with and that she struggles with.

It’s a bit like a piano player, who’s not getting any gigs, thinking that it would be better to switch to guitar because some rock and roll guitar players make big money.  Or a fashion designer thinking that they should covert their summer line of dresses from linen to silk, because they think that they could charge more for silk dresses.

Scarcity can spur some skewed thinking.  The value art does not come from the medium it comes from the unique value to a specific market.

What’s the “unique value” of this artist’s expression?  She is a 70-year-old woman who has survived many challenges in life, including managing Lupus on a daily basis.  She has many stories to tell that could inspire and teach life lessons.  “I’m 70 years old!” she said regretfully.  “Great! Flip it.”  I replied.  “Your  age is an asset that could offer wisdom and perspective.  You have stories to tell and a depth of human experience to express through your art.”

A marketing strategy that could benefit her is forming strategic alliances with the community which serves the cause of Lupus.  Cause marketing is an effective way to penetrate the luxury market.  What if portions of the sales proceeds supported a Lupus organization? What if she shared information and inspiration online each day about how she is overcoming Lupus?  Do you think she’d build a platform?  Yes!  And this strategy could benefit her business and actually her own health.

I encouraged her to embrace her medium and her wisdom so that she can lead and inspire by sharing her unique stories and watercolors. Then her paintings are not just more watercolors in a saturated market, no pun intended, but objects of inspiration.

Successful artists don’t follow the herd.  They express their remarkable and unique selves and they lead.