Artists are Entrepreneurs: Your Art Is Your Business

An artist’s work is more than a whimsical aesthetic implementation to please the eyes of random onlookers. Visual artists spend years, starting from childhood, mastering their skills to present pieces that win our hearts — and make us buy. Artists go to narrowly-focused art colleges to practice for mastery, not leisure. And stereotypes about unfortunate and poor Bohemians are a myth we must erase.

The objective reality shows that artistic products can be the base of an enterprise. And we will highlight that it MUST be like that. Art is business, like any other production direction. And let us see the business paths a visual artist may take, depending on their specialty.

Why Visual Artists Will Never Lose their Jobs

Visuals have been one of the top communication methods since the immemorial era. But humanity has been prioritizing visual information since Medieval times. More precisely, the visual culture started overtaking other informational tools in 1440. That was the year when Johannes Gutenberg revolutionized our perception with his printing press.

The digitization has accelerated information perception greatly. So, nowadays, people need more condensed, concise, and holistic pieces of information. And only artists can attain — and sell — that. And let us now see how business niches need visual artists now and constantly.

5 Art Business Niches and How to Enter Them

1. Technical illustrating

Artists who work as technical illustrators do not make mere pretty images. Their work is to process the relevant message, decode it, and recode it in the form of ONE picture. Furthermore, an artist must do it in hours because information gets outdated fast. Also, the audience will likely pay attention to that image for a few seconds. Yet, the viewer must comprehend 100% of the message in that brief time.

We must admit that such work always means neglecting inspiration’s absence. Thus, artists must see their drawing processes as technical, somewhat mechanical work. But business, unfortunately, never waits for an artist to ponder long for a glimpse of expressiveness.

But it is challenging to find a customer pool. That is why we recommend presenting your art in the informational sphere first. The most practical tools for that are social media. And some of the most beneficial social hubs for artists are:

• Instagram. That social medium focuses on static visuals 99%. There is an opportunity to post video materials too.
• Pinterest. Yet again, a wise choice for static art creators. There can be videos in parallel.
• Twitter. Twitter is more of an opinion hub, but it might be a supplementary tool to your art Insta. It can be wise to broaden your audience when you create art related to popular media products.
• DeviantArt. That is a narrowly-specialized platform that connects art enthusiasts and professionals.
• YouTube or TikTok. Many artists prioritize those platforms because they allow monetization. But also, video format allows showing the full creation process — speedpaints. An artist may also present educational materials showing the techniques they use.
• Art channels in messengers. Many artists neglect this option, but it can still work for you. Moreover, different messengers have different popularity extents depending on the country. For example, WhatsApp is the best choice when you target USA audiences. Telegram, in turn, is more popular in Eastern Europe.

Of course, it would be wise to combine various social channels to attract more audiences. One channel (for instance, Instagram or YouTube) can be the main platform. Other tools (Twitter and Pinterest) can be supplementary. The most important thing is to make sure that the content you write is interesting, useful, and original. Your content should sell your art. If you’re not a writer, there are still ways out – take the help of experts who write essay for money. With their assistance, you’ll be able to create content that will help you sell your art.

2. Mass media and branding

Journalists and publicists have always cherished artists who provide illustrations to the materials. Those pieces could be:

• Caricatures;
• Technical art;
• Photo and video art;
• PR, branding, and advertising pieces (banners);
• Edition design.

That can be a physical media brand or an Internet one. Regardless of the format, the medium will not survive if it lacks a design that stands out of thousands.

That is when artists get a leading role. Layout creation, concept enforcement, and attention grabbing are their work. And remember that audiences usually do not spare a minute to analyze the product — they decide instantly. Henceforth, artists must accumulate all their power to present a design the audience will remember. But again, there must be your art presentation on social media — at least.

3. Non-fungible art pieces (tokens) creation

We understand that many artists do not want an institution to command them on how to create. But an artist may remain a 100% independent business person by providing images that no one can copy. That is when we recall how NFT projects win appreciation every day.

The mentioned business path is risky, but the stakes might be worth it. Taking it means that an artist must:

• Constantly research the audience’s preferences;
• Determine the target audience;
• Learn art consumer’s behavioral patterns;
• Consider the market volatility;
• Work with audiences internationally;
• Comprehend the nature of Internet auctions;
• Remember that an artist sells their creation with the rights for it in a combo;
• And again, sometimes work without waiting for inspiration.

4. Art gallery and museum organization

For artists who prefer traditional business, gallery art presentation is the finest choice. And here, an artist has two paths:

• Starting an art gallery independently. Of course, that will be a small business at first. The gallery an individualistic artist organizes does not have to be big, either. So, it might be a small office or an average-sized hall with good lights. But there are many constituents to consider when thinking about how to start an art gallery.
• Offering your pieces to an existing museum or gallery. Again, research is obligatory. Moreover, there are differences between galleries and museums, and each has unique rules. So, ensure you know all the application processes and demands.

5. Product design

Artists also create designs for objects that are vital in our life. That might be automotive, furniture, or any other design. And here, the artist must be profound at:

• Creating practical objects that people can use systematically;
• Boosting the convenience of a product;
• Making ideation implementable.

There must be a profound comprehension of the niche you participate in. Moreover, a business artist here must be amazing at prototyping and testing. And again, this is a more technical work, even though there is still an artistic approach.

Final Words

Art is business, and it is your business. There are many directions to channel your art and make it the main offer of your enterprise. Of course, it will be a small business first when you start it independently. But constant representation in the media will help you sustain your audience’s attention and grow it.