The Art of Business in the Art World

This has been something I have been thinking about a great deal lately. We are in the final stages of setting up everything in an official way. It amazes me how much work and planning go into creating something that is well conceived, valuable, and interesting for both yourself and the public at large. Art is wonderful, but some of the most important aspects of art have nothing to do with art and more to do with your determination about how much you want to share what you do and what you have with an audience. This is what I have come to realize over the last few years. Art for art's sake is kind of a myth. Take, for example, the following scenario. You create this amazing piece of art. It is truly a masterpiece. You finish it and it is sitting in your living room. You share it with a few friends, but then it just sits, for months and months. What is the true value of it if nobody sees it? Now, I understand that there are some pieces that artists just want to keep for themselves, and that is fine. That is not what I am talking about, however. What I am talking about is if there is art created, but nobody really is able to appreciate it because you did not share it with an audience. Art just to make art is more about a personal journey if you are not sharing it with anyone. What good does our art do for the world or the people around us if we do not share our talent and our products? Not everyone will always like what we do, and that is ok. But many people will greatly appreciate what we do and be so appreciative that we put ourselves out there to share it. 

What, then, does this have anything to do with business? Well, it goes back to the question, "Why do artists go into business? " There are a variety of reasons for this. Some just want to be able to keep making art. Some want to get the message out. Some want to make money. I have come to a conclusion that there is no right or wrong answers, only informed answers and uninformed answers. My informed answer is the following. Art is so much. I want to make somewhat of a living at it, but what drives me is the ability to have my art and my art skills be able to affect people. If people want to value the message, then that is wonderful! If people want to value my creations, that is great too! But, for me, art is about people. All art is a form of service to me, no matter how you do it. The intent will determine your drive, and the effect you and your art can have around you. If I do art with the people in mind, I feel I can't go wrong. I have skills, I have images, I have ideas, and many more things that are of value. It is for this reason that I want to do art as a business. It is a chance to interact with people and make a difference in some small way. It might be through a painting. It could be through a photography session. It could be just sharing ideas. Whatever the case is, it is an opportunity to make a difference in someone's life. Because I work a full time job in addition to making art, I always have the ability offer everything I do and make at such a discounted price that I can make it accessible to nearly everyone who is interested. For me, that is what truly excites me about art. It is about making connections. Art, for most, if not all, of human history, has been the story of people. So, for me, it makes perfect sense to make people the priority when making art. Some people think that if you make art for the masses, your work could become cliche or less valuable. Let's stop and think for a minute. If we could make every person a fan of art, wouldn't that be better for all of us as artists? I think so. Our family and the company we are creating has one main thing we think about before all the other things. "Art for everyone." It is that simple. Whether it is a product, and service, or just a friendly person helping out - art is for everyone. You should not have to pay exorbitant amounts of money every time you want a quality, original piece of art work that is professionally done. 

Making people about your art and your business will only be good for everyone in long run and it will be just good business sense. 

Thanks for reading, as always!! The work at the top is one of my pieces that I have sold previously.

Have a great day and come again soon!

-Jesse Brown, Owner of Brown Artworks, www.brownartworks.com