Discovering Success by Embracing What Works in Your Art Business

In this blog post we're talking about importance of doing more of what's working in your business. While it may sound obvious, recognizing what truly works can sometimes be challenging. Our preconceived notions can blind us to what's actually working. If we don't take the time to assess our businesses objectively, we may struggle to find success, and it can feel like we're fighting against the current. We may want to go one way while our businesses naturally head in another.

At the end of the day, creating a thriving business means leaning into what's workings and letting go of what doesn't. It's about balancing what you love with what generates income.

My Idea of Selling My Paintings

When I started my business in 2013, I had this grand vision of selling my original acrylic paintings as the core aspect of my business. I imagined selling out collections and people lining up to buy my work.

However, the reality was different.

At the time I was broke and living in a small space. I couldn't invest in supplies to make a ton of painting, especially large ones, and wait for them to sell. The idea of selling art prints came to me early on and it allowed me to continue making money without constantly creating new work, or taking up too much space in my already cramped room.

I started off by selling my art on Etsy, and I quickly made my first sale of a print of an acrylic painting, and not long after more sales followed. Over the next few years I sold some originals, but they never reached the level I hoped for. Influenced by other artists' success with originals, I felt pressured to follow suit, not realizing there were many ways to succeed in art.

Despite my efforts to sell originals, they continued to perform poorly and my print sales continued to climb.

One day I heard another artist say that even if my highest work didn't sell, it was ok because they set the tone and value for everything else. This realization felt bittersweet, as I gazed at my unsold paintings.

A Shift in Perspective

About six or seven years into my business, I felt overwhelmed by the number of unsold paintings. Despite doing well financially, I was fixated on my paintings not selling, easily missing what was working.

By my seventh year, prints of my digital artworks were the most popular and profitable. I enjoyed making them more than my originals, even if I didn't recognize it at the time.

In 2019, I joined Jim Fortin's Transformational Coaching Program, where a coach asked, "How can you allow this to be easy?"

This simple but powerful question prompted me to look at my business objectively.

I realized I was thriving in selling digital prints and passive income. It lead me to a question that had been quietly brewing over the years - "Did I enjoying making acrylic paintings as a business model?"

Finding Balance

I discovered that while I liked making acrylic paintings for fun, I didn't enjoy them as a product to sell. This pressure of selling hindered my creativity. In contrast, my digital artwork flowed more naturally, as I didn't experience the same pressure.

It took some time to come to the decision to let go of the paintings and focus on prints of my digital artwork instead.

Letting go of my original desire to sell paintings wasn't easy. I battled with the idea for a long time. Then I realized that it's true purpose was to serve as a catalyst, as a firestarter, but it wasn't meant to bring me long-term success. Recognizing this helped me find peace and closure.

Finding Your Success

I've since learned not to cling to ideas too tightly. I'm now more flexible and adaptable, always asking, "How can I allow this to be easy?"

I encourage you to do the same.

How can you allow your business to be easy?

Where are you experiencing frustration, resentment, or bitterness?

What is your business telling you about what is working and how has your business grown and in what areas are you thriving?

Where can you make adjustments?

What is your path of least resistance?

It's important to remember that you and your business are separate entities, even though you feel like one and the same. By taking the time to look at your business objectively it can illuminate your unique path to success. Allowing you to lean into what is working, and the more you can do that the easier growing a business will feel.

It can help you find the sweet spot, the balance between what you love and what makes money. Without money, what you have is a hobby, not a business.

Sometimes it's not about letting something go completely, but letting it go for right now. Other times, it's simply about tweaking or adjusting how you do certain things.

So I'll ask again, "How can you allow this process to be easy?"