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What does 'putting in the work' actually mean for an art business?

Putting in the work means consistently doing the things successful artists do: building your email list, posting and engaging on social media, going live regularly, creating new work that resonates, learning marketing skills, merchandising your products, running promotions, and getting closer to your audience. It’s not a straight line up—it’s a series of stumbles and stair-steps. Nobody successful goes straight up into the right. It’s iterating your way there one day at a time, one step at a time. You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be consistent, stay open-minded, learn something new every day, and keep going. That’s how you build a business that compounds over time.


Asked by an artist wondering what success takes · Answered by Nick Friend · art-marketing-podcast · 2021-01-05