Tag: art business tips

You’ve just opened your inbox to find that message every artist secretly hopes for. A brand wants to collaborate. Maybe it’s a local clothing label that loves your paintings, or a lifestyle company that wants your designs on their next campaign. Your heart skips a beat, your mind races ahead to all the visibility, the validation, maybe even the paycheck. But somewhere between the excitement and the reply button, a quiet question starts to creep in ,  what exactly am I agreeing to? For most artists, brand collaborations sound like the…

At some point in your art journey, your work finally leaves the studio. Maybe it’s wrapped up for a show, maybe it’s headed to a collector who found you online, or maybe it’s just your first sale ever. It feels good, right? But here’s the part most artists don’t really think about ,  that sale is just the beginning of your artwork’s story. What happens next, who resells it, and how its price changes over time, that’s where the art world starts to get interesting. There are basically two worlds your…

At small shows, you can always spot the collectors. They move slowly, eyes lingering, heads tilting just slightly. They’re not rushing toward a sale, they’re trying to understand. They’ll glance from the painting to the artist, then back again, as if looking for a quiet match between what’s seen and what’s felt. Before they buy anything, they want to sense that the person behind the work is real, steady, and creating from somewhere honest. For women artists still finding their place, that kind of presence matters more than people realize. Collectors…

You ever notice how some artists seem to get seen everywhere ,  not because they’re rich or famous, but because their work somehow travels? It pops up in group shows, zines, someone’s Pinterest board, even in a random café post. And then there’s you, scrolling, wondering how your work that feels just as good, maybe even better, seems to vanish into thin air after you hit upload. Here’s the truth no one admits: being seen isn’t about being lucky, or loud, or backed by cash. It’s about being findable. And findable…

Ever scroll through your feed, see an artist you admire with thousands of followers, and think, “That’ll never be me”? But what if that following didn’t appear overnight? What if, bit by bit, step by step, those “fans” were built one morning post, one story, one comment at a time? That’s exactly how many artists go from feeling invisible to having their work noticed, shared, and even loved. The thing is, growing an online audience isn’t magic, it’s patience + consistency. It’s sharing the tiny wins: a sketch that catches someone’s…

let’s talk about something nobody really wants to admit: pricing your own art is weirdly stressful. Like, you’ve poured hours, sweat, and maybe a few tears into a piece, and now you have to slap a number on it? Suddenly, it’s not just your art, it’s money, math, and all the anxiety that comes with being a human who needs to eat. And the guilt. Oh, the guilt is real. You want to charge enough to feel like your work matters, but not so much that people think you’re greedy. And…

Ever catch yourself thinking, “Maybe my ideas are too loud for the gallery?” If so, welcome to the club, but here’s the twist: your bold ideas are exactly why you belong. For women artists, the art world can feel like a room full of invisible “Do’s and Don’ts,” mostly written by someone else. But those rules? They don’t apply to your voice. Finding your voice isn’t about matching someone else’s idea of success. It’s about noticing the patterns in your thoughts, the sparks that make you uncomfortable and excited at the…

If you have ever sat staring at a blank invoice, second-guessing every number you typed, you are not alone. Pricing your art feels scary because it forces you to put a number on something deeply personal. Unlike selling a shirt or a coffee mug, your art carries your time, your ideas, and a piece of your identity. That makes the process of deciding “what it’s worth” feel almost like deciding “what you’re worth.” It is a heavy emotional lift, which is why many artists either avoid it or undercut themselves. But…

Why Every Portfolio Isn’t for Everyone Let’s start with a truth many artists overlook: your portfolio isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. It’s tempting to create a single file with your favorite works and use it for every opportunity, but here’s the problem: what appeals to a gallery may not speak to a school admissions panel, and what collectors love might not be the same as what a curator is looking for. Different audiences have different needs, priorities, and expectations. Understanding who will view your portfolio can drastically change how your work is…