How can I figure out what art will sell before I even create it?

Adopt the approach of stand-up comedians: test your material extensively before committing to a full body of work. Comedians like Chris Rock do 40-60 unannounced sets to find their ‘lightning bolt’ lines—the material that kills. Similarly, you should constantly test different subjects, stories, and approaches on social media and through email to see what resonates. Track engagement metrics like saves, shares, comments, and direct messages. The pieces that generate the most response and connection are your indicators of what will sell. You need to take hundreds or thousands of ‘shots on goal’ to discover your hits. Only by shipping content at an alarming rate and reading the feedback can you identify what your audience truly wants.

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Asked by synthesized from teaching · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2026-02-19