Should I create art about political or controversial causes?

Only if it’s truly in your heart and you’re fully committed to it. When you create work around controversial topics—whether it’s a social justice movement, political figure, or polarizing cause—you will alienate roughly half your potential audience. That’s fine if the cause is something you eat, sleep, and breathe, something stamped into your heart that you’re genuinely living and will stick with long-term. Then go all in. But if it’s just a phase or you’re doing it opportunistically because it’s trending, don’t do it. You’ll anger potential collectors who would have otherwise connected with your work, and then a year and a half later when you’ve moved on, you’ve permanently damaged those relationships for something that wasn’t core to who you are. The upside of going all-in on a genuine cause is that it can make marketing easier—you have a tightly defined, passionate tribe, and you know exactly which organizations and events to connect with.

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Asked by an artist who does protest paintings · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-08-03