9. Art that Connects? What sells is art that connects. There is an exception: When art gets to the level of auction houses (like Christies or Sotheby), it then has more to do with ego-of-ownership rather than the art making a connection. My doctor spent $70,000 to buy a Nicolai Fechin. It's not one of his best, but my doctor can say he owns a Fechin.
Artist's whose art is not selling is simply not producing a product that connects. If you want to do your own thing, then keep your day job and fill your garage with your creations. One day your family will have the unhappy task of burning those masterpieces.
On the other hand, if you would like to enjoy some of the fruits of your labor while you are living, then you need to pay particular attention to what I am saying in this paragraph. Those who do not make art that connects with people will not earn a living with their craft. At an outdoor show I once saw a man who made a "chicken call" out of a paper cup and a rubber band. He had people lined up to buy his creation. I recall a couple drilling a hole in a big rock, sticking in some flowers and selling out the first day of their show. Their stuff connected. When we send a painting to one of our galleries and it does not immediately sell, we know we did not make one that connected to the buyers. The reason people buy art is because they feel linked to the piece. It may just be one color in a painting or the feel of the alabaster in the sculpture, but there is a correlation. Make art that connects or fail...this is the reality of our business.
10. Failure to produce. This sounds on the surface like something you would not have to tell artists. Yet, their failure is never having artwork to sell. Isn't this amazing? As we say in Texas, "You cannot sell out of an empty wagon." Failures suffer from an ailment known as "I'm going to." This is not like cramming for a history exam the night before. Artists must produce constantly if they plan to earn any semblance of a living from their craft. Of the two eBay artists I'm helping, one makes a dozen paintings a week and the other two or three. Guess which one will earn $40,000 this year.
11. No fun. Fun is one of the keys to success. If you cannot have fun, then art is not where you need to be. Great work comes from great joy. Leave the angst for the movies; do art that's fun. Your life is not a dress rehearsal. We only pass through one time. Select art you enjoy making. If you love what you are doing, there is a good chance others will feel your happiness and attach with what you are producing.
We purchased a clay pot from an artist at a craft festival because she was telling everyone who entered her booth how much joy she got feeling the clay. We later gave the art piece to an admirer who commented how warm inside the little pot made them feel. The clay artist was able to project her joy into the clay and it remained locked in the hardened dirt so strongly that the joy was still present when our friends saw the piece.
12. Artistic Suicide. I'm not talking about putting a rope around your neck and jumping off the balcony as my dear friend and master artist, A. D. Greer did. Nor am I referring to leaping off the Golden Gate Bridge. I am talking about things like this: Mikki and I were freely helping direct a young artist's career and seeing some nice results. I sent a blast email to friends, including him. This was early in our computer days when we didn't know about Bcc. The young artist took our mailing list and began an aggressive marketing program. What he failed to realize, two parties on our list were dying of cancer. As a result, he lost a free marketing coach because he committed "artistic suicide." Never cheat anyone, especially friends.
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