Why do so many talented artists struggle to sell their work?

The vast majority of struggling artists who are incredibly talented aren’t failing due to lack of skill or quality — they’re pushing their talent in the wrong direction without feedback. They might be working in subject matter or niches that simply aren’t resonating with any audience, despite their technical excellence. The talent is absolutely there, but it’s being applied to work that the market doesn’t want. If these same artists redirected their considerable talent toward subject matter or approaches that their audience actually wants (which they can discover through commissions and market feedback), they would likely do very well. The problem isn’t the talent; it’s the lack of market feedback guiding where to apply that talent. This is why opening yourself to commissions and letting buyers guide your direction is so powerful — it helps you aim your talent at targets people actually care about.

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Asked by talented artists not making sales · Answered by Nick Friend · art-marketing-podcast · 2024-05-10