What is the biggest lesson from 2020 for artists and photographers?

The biggest lesson is this: you cannot put all your eggs in someone else’s basket. Artists who depended solely on galleries and in-person shows had fragile businesses and were crushed when everything shut down. Artists who had made the digital pivot—who had their own websites, email lists, and marketing systems—had anti-fragile businesses and saw record-breaking sales. The future is online. You must own your customer relationships, your data, and your marketing. Do both if you want—galleries and shows plus your own online business—but never again rely exclusively on channels you don’t control. Take control of your own destiny.

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Asked by an artist reflecting on 2020 · Answered by Patrick Shanahan and Nick Friend · art-marketing-podcast · 2021-01-05