As an artist, I have been thinking about the current state of the world of the independent artists and how these artists are pressured to make a living. I understand that I am just delving into making my living as an independent artist, and that my view on this subject will be limited and from my exposure to those artist making their journey available on social media. Here goes my rant:
I see that many artists who are visibly successful in supporting themselves are producing artworks as, at best, a secondary income. Sometimes producing artworks is just a hook for what they are really producing. What they are producing is commentary and art instruction. One landscape photographer on his YouTube channel, states that selling prints is the smallest part of his income. The largest being instructional videos.
Another thing that these artists are producing is the mystique of being an artist. The bohemian life of an artist. Living free and carefree at the fringes of society. To me it seems that selling the mystique of being an artist has overtaken the actuality of being an artist. By paying to watch these instructional videos, folks are trying to buy legitimacy for their own artistic creations. Unfortunately, this is the case from private tuition to an art school degree.
Unfortunately, this is somewhat pie in the sky. I have art degrees and they have garnered me next to nothing. It is social media that rules. Shiny happy "artists" selling the artist's mythos on Instagram and other social media outlets. I understand that artists have to self-promoters, but the media seems to demand that they have to pander to the social masses.
I understand that my disdain of having to sell myself to sell my art is one of my biggest hurdles to my own success, and out of financial necessity, I strive to change my own viewpoint. I, like many other independent artist, am plugging away on social media to try to cultivate a following who will buy my artworks. Doing so does not mean that I have to enjoy the process.
Maybe my disdain of the system will help me think of a different approach to the art of selling my artworks. I don't hold out much hope of doing so. Patronage, impressing those with money, has been the biggest part of the art world since an artist scraped together enough for a chicken dinner.
If you know of any solutions that I am unaware, let me know. I will be glad for the knowledge. Also, please visit my social media at:
