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When Selling Your Artwork Feels Yucky
Most artists I know feel that selling your artwork feels yucky. The idea of being a professional artist has long been romanticized. The image of the lone artist tucked away in the basement creating brilliant artworks couldn’t be farther from the truth…as far as successful artists go anyway.
Why not?
Well, being a successful artist requires that you wear a number of different hats. These are hats we as artists don’t like to wear. Marketer, manager, accountant, shipping clerk, and these days…social media guru.
There are two main reasons why we dread putting ourselves in those positions.
First of all, nearly all the artists that I know feel completely uncomfortable when selling their work. Selling your artwork has been likened to everything sleazy, from used car salesman to prostitution. I’ve heard some say they’d feel like a sellout. I never understood that last one. Personally, I didn’t mind if someone saw my work and wanted to pay for it. I just didn’t like putting a price on the work. But the active role of marketing? No thank you.
Secondly, every single one of those hats mentioned above requires time. Actually selling your artwork requires time away from the easel, drawing board, computer, etc. Even so, each one of those…
