What does it mean to 'build your business on rock' instead of 'sand' as an artist?

Building on rock means owning your own distribution and customer relationships so that no external force—pandemic, platform algorithm change, gallery decision—can shut you down. Concretely, that means you have your own website, your own email list, and you’re driving traffic and sales directly. You’re not dependent on any single gallery, marketplace, or social platform. Even if one channel disappears, you can pivot your audience to the next platform because you own the relationship. This kind of business is durable: you can retire on it, even pass it to your kids. Building on sand means depending on third parties who can pull the rug out at any time. The pandemic lockdowns exposed everyone who built on sand; learn that lesson and shift to direct ownership of your audience and sales.

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Asked by general teaching point · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2020-06-13