Who has the time to run a side business in addition to holding a full-time job, and dedicating ourselves to the art that we love? Making a living as an artist is not an easy task. There are so many things you have to do. From creating a website, to blogging, to handling your finances, to packaging and sending out your work, how do you find the time to do it all?

Business and Marketing

I’ve been on a quest to find out how I can help artists build a business from their art. What I’ve discovered is, if you want to make a full-time living as an artist, you must be a business. Being a business means creating something that allows you to support yourself. While it will be entirely up to you to continue taking steps forward, you will also be working hard to make your own dreams come true instead of working on someone else’s dreams. It means the only limit to how much money you make depends on how much you work you want to put in. Ultimately, being a business will allow you to quit your day job, and dedicate yourself to the creation and sales of your art, full-time.

There are so many misconceptions about being an artist, and I want to do my part in dispelling those myths. I want to help artists succeed in doing what they love.

One of the most prevalent myths about art is that artists should avoid business and marketing. They think being an artist means they don’t need to market their art. They think the art should speak for itself. Instead of learning how to build a business around their art, they only create art. Instead of learning how to market their art, they hope people will discover their work. If your strategy revolves around hope and prayer, you are in for a rough ride.

Another misconception artists have about marketing is you have to be sleazy or scammy. Contrary to popular belief, marketing doesn’t mean you have to be sleazy or scammy. In fact, your business will be much more effective if you aren’t. If you are open and authentic with your audience, you will discover how mutually fulfilling a sale can be when it’s based on a genuine connection with your customer.

Those who have successful businesses understand that marketing is getting the word out about your product. It has nothing to do with shoving your art in front of people begging them to buy it. Marketing is all about identifying the needs of your audience and fulfilling those needs. As artists, marketing your art is about building a connection with those who need it. It’s about connecting with someone on a deep, emotional level.

Self-doubt and Confidence

Another thing artists suffer from is self-doubt. They say “I don’t have much confidence in myself” or “It’s hard to stay motivated when no one buys my art.” If you let these beliefs take hold of you, you will not make it as an artist.

The best way to overcome these doubts is by getting your art in front of the right audience. If you have been creating your art for everyone, you may want to re-think your strategy. The reason people applaud your work but don’t buy it is you are pitching it to the wrong audience. To whom you market and how you do it are critical to selling your art.

Targeting the wrong audience is like chasing after a romantic interest who isn’t interested in you. You can do everything in your power to get them, but in the end, you won’t succeed. However, when you discover the right person, your odds of success increase dramatically.

Your target audience for your art is no different.

Overcoming your self-doubt is not a pie-in-the sky process – it can be broken down systematically, and can lead to a world of new opportunities. By identifying and marketing to your ideal audience, you’ll discover how easy it is to connect with others, and make a sale.

You’ve Made It Easier On Yourself, Now Make it Easier For Them

Have you ever been caught in that frustrating trap of discovering a work of art that you HAVE to have, only to find that there’s no obvious way to buy it? It’s as if that artist doesn’t even want your money. If you want to sell your art online and don’t have an easy way for people to buy it, you are in for some major disappointment. Once you identify the right potential buyers, you need to make it easy for them to buy your art.

I’m Here to Help

If any of these pains resonate with you, don’t worry – you’re not alone! Many artists suffer from the same things you do. After all, they may teach you how to create great art in school, but they don’t teach you how to sell it.

The good news is, you don’t have to go at it alone.

I am considering creating a course for a small group of dedicated artists who want to overcome their fears and doubts. In this course, you will learn:

• How to find your ideal audience
• How to connect with that audience
• How to build a website that sells
• How to market your art once you’ve built your website
• How to market your art the right way!

If you have been struggling with the business and marketing side of your art, or you want to save time learning how to do it all on your own, this course is for you.

I’m ready to invest in you and your success. Are you ready to invest in yourself? Are you willing to take the necessary steps towards building your art business full-time?

If you’re interested in being part of this first group of pioneers, sign up for the waiting list below.

Thanks for considering yourself, and here’s to your success!

– Kevin Chung