I create my art but it doesn't sell—should I only make what I want to make or listen to what people want to buy?

If you want to build a viable business and not just create as a hobby, you need to balance both: make art you love AND listen to what people actually want to buy. Being a good listener is crucial—pay attention to commission requests, what people ask about, what gets engagement, and what actually sells. This doesn’t mean abandoning your artistic vision, but rather finding the intersection between what you want to create and what resonates with buyers. You can do both. The market will tell you what works if you’re willing to listen and adapt. View yourself as both an artist and a businessperson if your goal is to monetize your work and eventually make it your full-time career.

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Asked by an artist struggling to make sales · Answered by Karen Payton (sharing philosophy) · art-marketing-podcast · 2025-08-29