What Artists Have to Say About the Value of Selling Their Work
If you've been asking yourself, "Should I sell my art?" and wondering if it's worth all the trouble to figure out how to do it, this blog post will probably help because inside 4 other artists talk about what it means to them to sell their work.
I've written about how to get started selling your art before. I also put together a useful cheatsheet to help which you can download here.
I am convinced selling your art is important. But it occurred to me it might be helpful for you to hear what other artists have to say about why selling their art is important. Here’s what the four artists I asked said.
An Act of Self-Respect
Terrell Lozada, painter, sculptor, and designer said, “Selling my work is, for me, an act of self-respect. I live in a society in which money is given the highest priority and, exchanging art for money is one of the principal ways it is validated.”
A Way to Be Acknowledged
Suzanne Lorenz, professional photographer said, “I want my art to effect change in the world. In exchange for my art I will be fairly compensated in acknowledgments and money.”
Exchanging Currency for Energy
Emily Gonzales, painter, said, “Selling my art is important because it’s a way to exchange currency for my energy. Art is a way for me to communicate with the world and those around me.”
The Art Needs to Find Its Proper Home
Jim Pescott, painter, said, "As an artist, selling my art simply completes the creative circle. When I create a painting, something new exists that needs to find its way. By selling, I’m completing the circle. I’ve watched my paintings literally reach out to someone who needs to have the painting in their home. If I didn’t sell my artwork, my paintings wouldn’t have this opportunity."
Why sell your art?
If you decide to sell your art it will be because it's something people want, not just because you need money to survive. The point of this is to illustrate that setting yourself up to sell your art, rather than trying to talk people into spending money on stuff they don’t need is an important part of the process of making art. It completes the cycle.
Your work matters. If you need help setting yourself up to sell, book a chat with me.