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Making Sense. Part One.

© Jo Murphy

Do you find the business side of art stressful? If so, what makes selling your art stressful for you? Many artists write to me asking about pricing and contracts. It is difficult, it seems, to set a fair price for art. Sensitive artists feel insecure about asking high prices and yet their work is professional, personal and original. Buyers often don't realise the amount of work involved in producing such profound, spiritual insight. Buyers often seem to want, and indeed expect, freebies and gifts. Artists are the ones who can least afford to provide these kinds of incentives and giveaways.

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Many artists try to avoid business like the plague. They hope that someone else will handle the more difficult side of running their enterprise. We often engage agents to do the nitty gritty work of selling our art. Can someone else represent you as an artist as well as you can? I think not.

Marketing is a never-ending task. For most artists it is an energy sap that takes time away from the more serious and spiritual aspect of creating the art itself. It can become an emotional drain. Clients and fans will often relate deeply to the artwork. Engaging with clients on this deeper level requires unusually perceptive styles of communication. Selling art is not and should not be like dealing other goods or services. There will often be feelings of discomfort for the artist because the selling process can be (or be seen to be)

• Pushy. The situation is sensitive in nature - closing a sale in the traditional manner can seem inappropriate.
• Emotionally Risky. Putting oneself out there can mean rejection. Rejection faced too often can eventually weaken the artist's resolve. It can become a deterrent to what could have otherwise been a promising artistic career. Sometimes artists walk away to do other forms of work rather than find themselves dragged down by the art they loved so much. They seek out something that is less taxing emotionally and less risky financially.
• Financially Draining. Marketing Art can require a huge outlay in funds with no return expected for a long period of time. Framing, printing, gallery fees and living expenses all have to be paid for up front. The artist may have to wait a long time for a sale.
• Loss of Self Esteem.The business of self-representation can require high levels of resilience. Artists may be pushed into the position of cold calling galleries. They find it necessary to talk about their work in front of an audience. You may have to 'talk the style up' continually until your approach is accepted and takes hold. If you can 'hang in there' the work will eventually be accepted. You as an artist will become 'known.' Often times talented people pull out well before they have had the chance to make a success of it. This is because the glamour and prestige brings with it a stressful lifestyle.

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