Should I email my friends, family, and coworkers about my art? I feel uncomfortable doing that.
Yes, you should absolutely email friends, family, and coworkers—and you’re allowed to do this worry-free and guilt-free one time per year. Most people don’t know you’re a working artist with creations for sale, even those close to you. Put everyone on BCC and send just one email saying you’re taking your art career seriously this year, you’ll have sales coming up for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and any support would be appreciated. That’s it. Your friends and family like you and love supporting artists—everybody feels called to support the arts. Plus, they have conversations with people you’re not connected to, and you’d be surprised at the serendipity that happens (someone mentions they’re redecorating, moving, need art for a space). You’ll also find many friends respond positively, wanting to catch up or expressing they had no idea you were selling art. This technique works—it’s why major companies train their sales teams to reach out to their personal networks. You’re not being pushy; you’re simply letting people who care about you know what you’re doing, once a year.
Asked by synthesized from teaching · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2025-10-03