Alan Bamberger

Great ways to get discouraged as an artist: Make art you think will sell well instead of art you are inspired to make. Make all kinds of art to find out which ones other people like and stop making it if you don't get an immediate positive response. Ask other people what kinds of art they think you should make and try making those. Make art that looks like art by successful artists. Whatever you make, never make enough to figure out whether you really love making it and want to keep making more.

Art market slowdowns always offer opportunities to reflect on how things got to where they did. Like being too exclusive or making it difficult for people to buy what they like. For example, "qualifying" them before they can buy (making sure they're worthy), refusing to sell to certain buyers, requiring them to buy art they don't want in order to buy what they do want. These practices may work in good times, but times change. You know what doesn't change? Buyer memories of how they were treated.

In art school, you learn to talk with art people about your art. Once you graduate, think about learning to talk with the rest of us as well. We don't have degrees. Formal art terms make no sense. We weren't trained in how to communicate with them. We never sat through all the classes you did where you studied how to use them professionally. The upshot? Either we understand you or we don't. Take your art beyond the classroom. Get us involved. Speak our language. We want to be part of your story.

Mixing sold and available art on a website or storefront is not a good idea. Why? Imagine walking into a store, seeing something you want to buy, taking it to the counter and being told, "Sorry, it's sold. You'll have to find a different one." While seeing sold art may impress viewers with your ability to sell, they may also get the impression that the best work is gone and all they have to choose from are the leftovers. Everything should be for sale. You can post sold art, but keep it separate.

Making art in a range of sizes has advantages, especially if you're starting out, but anytime is good. Why? More sizes give more people more options to choose from, you've got work available at more price points, and have art to show at a greater range of galleries. You already know which sizes you're best at. Experiment with others. Whatever you try, make enough to get a good sense of what works and what doesn't. Fixating on certain sizes at the expense of the rest can limit your opportunities.

For artists who use investment as a reason to buy art, guess what? All kinds of companies are now doing it too. They've figured it out. Luxury brands, sneakers, comics, sports, handbags, toys, fashion, etc. The competition for discretionary dollars is huge and everyone wants in on the action. As artists, you may have to modify your presentation, especially if you've been hawking your work as investment. Art is far more than just another way to make money; figure out how to get that point across.

For artists who use investment as a reason to buy art, guess what? All kinds of companies are now doing it too. They've figured it out. Luxury brands, sneakers, comics, sports, handbags, toys, fashion, etc. The competition for discretionary dollars is huge and everyone wants in on the action. As artists, you may have to modify your presentation, especially if you've been hawking your work as investment. Art is far more than just another way to make money; figure out how to get that point across.

Appreciating the vastness of artland is essential to having a healthy outlook on what art is, respecting fellow artists, and getting a sense of how and where you fit. You'd be amazed at the scope of the creative landscape and range of talents who populate it. It's always good to step out of your comfort zone and take some time to look. See what's happening, what's showing, who's making it, what it's about. Art is not a competition. We're all in this together doing what we feel called upon to do.

Sometimes artists need to be honest with themselves about their art and the challenges they're facing in finding anyone to show it. Especially if exhibiting at galleries is high on your to-do list, but they're showing no interest. If this is you, maybe take a critical look at your work, how you're presenting it, and see what could be holding you back. Possible reasons? Too high expectations, the art itself, the galleries you're contacting, etc. Whatever it is, be open to modifying your approach.

In few professions are fame, fortune, and success looked down on more than with art. This compulsion some artists have to malign those at the top with rationalizations like, "If you're famous, you must be doing something wrong." Accusing them of selling out, going commercial, abandoning their visions, compromising their integrity, diluting their work, playing to the masses, making bad art, making nothing new, etc. Appreciating exceptional accomplishments makes more sense. Maybe try that instead.

Your art is your argument. You make that argument to yourself as well as to others. To yourself, you know what you want, make what you want, create on your terms. As for everyone else, some may need convincing. How? By creating new work relentlessly and with conviction. Stick with that program and sooner or later they'll get it. This process may take every last bit of your artistic will. But if you believe in yourself and your work, and want others to believe as well, this is the only way to go.

There is so much noise around how art is presented these days both online and in person. Soundtracks, influencers, reveals, opulent interiors, extravagant blather, etc. But here's the deal: If you're buying, you don't get to take any of that home. It'll be just you and the art, face to face, in silence, forever. So you better be sure you like it before you buy. How? Ask the seller how you and the art can spend some serious time alone with ZERO outside interference. That's the best way to decide.

Let's say a gallery likes your art. That doesn't automatically mean they give you a show. Criteria galleries also consider? Whether your prices leave enough room for them to make a profit while staying within ranges that their buyers are willing to pay. How you are to work with. How professional you are in terms of meeting whatever obligations you may have during a show. How well you understand working relationships between artists and galleries as well as how gallery businesses operate overall.

Divisive terms like true artist, playing the game, the system, authentic art, selling out, etc. should be struck from the lexicon of how we talk about art. Why? They're not quantifiable. They're matters of opinion, personal taste, nothing more. And certainly not fact. Who uses them? Mainly artists who need to validate their art at the expense of the art of others, the lowest way to go. Better idea? Focus on the merits of your art and why we should care. Make it about you and stop blaming others.

Suppose you decide to make prints of your art. You're not obligated to tell owners of the originals or ask their permission. You own the rights and can do what you want. But telling them is actually a good idea. Why? Artists usually make prints of their best work. Which means that owners of those originals own one the best; others own the rest. Best examples of any artist's art tend to sell for more than their other art. Prints are also like provenance because they show who made the originals.

Posting updates like upcoming shows, news, or mentions of your art only on SM is not enough. Too many artists and galleries think that's all they need because everyone who cares already follows them. Not true. Even if it was, they can't possibly all visit your page every day. Most follow loads of other accounts. And how about those who don't know you exist but would love your art if only they could see it? So get the word out wherever you can in newsletters, email updates, events calendars, etc.

It's not how much it sells for. It's how much of it sells. Especially when you're starting out. Why? People are more impressed with numbers of sales than singles, even if a single is at a higher price. The more art you sell, the more interested everyone becomes in checking it out, seeing what's up and whether they should get in on the action. It's the crowd mentality, FOMO as they say. How to know you've arrived? When no matter what it sells for, you're able to do it again. And again. And again.

To all artists who worry about selling their art "too cheap", too cheap compared to what? Worrying about pricing too low is the same as worrying you're not pricing high enough, that it needs to be more expensive, and how much more you can charge. For any artist who wants to sell more art than they are selling now, this kind of approach is about as counterproductive as you can get. Best to forget the comparisons and try this instead: You make a profit and make buyers happy at the exact same time.

Jerry Saltz on 60 Minutes: "How long you spend with a work of art is not a sign of success (of the art) so much as your willingness to get quiet within yourself, go to uncomfortable places, become comfortable in those places, asking yourself questions. In front of a Refik Adanol, you sit down, go into a stupor, and you don't have to think much." People go into stupors instead of getting quiet within themselves and thinking more? They're not thinking enough? Viewers deserve more credit than that.

A major difference between selling to friends and family, and selling to strangers? Friends and family know, love, believe in, and want to support everything you do, including buying your art. In other words, you come first and the art comes second. Sales to strangers are the other way around. The art comes first and you come second. They discover you through your art, really like what they see, and decide to make it a part of their lives. They may not even know you. Your art is what sells them.