Why do most artists struggle to get beyond selling just a few pieces per year?

Artists excel at in-person conversations about their art and behave like normal humans in real-world settings. However, when moving to the digital world, everything goes wrong. Instead of having conversations like they would in a gallery, artists run what can be called an ‘art gatling gun’—posting non-stop about their art, their studio, their process, more art, constantly. This is the equivalent of only showing commercials with no programming. Nobody wants to be sold to constantly. You need to treat your online marketing like a conversation, just as you would in a real gallery opening—getting to know people, letting them get to know you, with your art being part of that conversation rather than the only thing you talk about.

---

Asked by general teaching point · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-08-10