Over the past 30 years, I’ve come across an awful lot of myths about artists that creative people have to deal with. Not only I was confronted with them on my way, but also the artists I was allowed to accompany within the last 10 years in artist management and marketing.
These myths and statements sometimes push me to my limits as a mentor, because they have become so ingrained in people’s minds and are incredibly persistent. So it seems to be more important to address them and point out that they are simply wrong!
7 artist-myths I encounter most often
Myth 1: “Unfortunately, not very many people are interested in art.”
► Oops…? This is wrong. More people are interested in art than you might think. We find art on our walls, on our shelves, in our bookcases, on the radio, on television, in the theater, in concert, at parties, on trips, as a hobby, as an investment, in therapy…. I could go on with my lists, but that would go beyond the scope of this blog entry.
Myth 2: “To be successful as an artist, you just need a lot of luck”.
► Oh no… Wrong! Any artist can be successful today, no matter what art form you are involved with! You don’t need luck! You need a goal, a plan and a strategy.
Myth 3: “Pursuing art as a primary activity is a bread-and-butter endeavor.”
► False. If an artist is not making enough income, it is due to their lack of visibility, lack of knowledge of their art target audience, presentation, selling themselves or their art. An artist can change that at any time!
Myth 4: “As an artist, all you need is agents, galleries or publishers, and success will run by itself.
► That is nonsense. It is true that agencies, an artist management, a gallery or a publisher can support the placement of an artist. But if you don’t do your marketing homework as an artist, on the one hand you won’t find any of these supporters, and on the other hand none of these organizations can and will easily fulfill the artist’s tasks.
Myth 5: “An artist never sells his art himself, it’s unprofessional.”
► That’s nonsense to the power of 10! – Of course, artists may sell her art or your art products. It is even the duty of every artist to sell his art with his message. An agency can only support. Go out and shout your art from the rooftops. No one will ever knock on your door on their own!
Myth 6: “If my art is good, people will find me. As an artist, I don’t need marketing.”
► What a nonsense! – Neither an art mediation, an art production, nor an art sale is possible without visibility of the protagonists & the marketing of their work! A well-structured online & offline marketing is the be-all and end-all for artists!
Myth 7: “An artist is not an entrepreneur.”
► What? – Of course, artists, no matter what field they work in, are also first and foremost entrepreneurs. Their creative activity does not exclude them from it. They work on and with their art, offer it and expect an exchange for it.
What artist myths have you encountered yet?
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Give your art a face!