Why don't artists want to market themselves, and what's the consequence of avoiding it?

Artists universally despise marketing and will do almost anything to avoid it. They create busy-work that tricks their minds into thinking they’re productive while avoiding the one activity that actually moves the needle. The consequence is that the business remains a hobby, doesn’t grow year after year, and they constantly chase shiny objects instead of doing the real work. The hard truth is that marketing is non-negotiable for business growth. You can hate it, but you still have to do it. There’s no shortcut—you must suffer through the learning curve. However, it does get easier every single day, and when things start clicking, the business transforms. The key is accepting this reality early so you can build marketing skills over time rather than regretting not starting decades earlier.

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Asked by synthesized from teaching · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-08-26