by Carolyn Edlund
Do you have to compromise your versatility to meet market demands, or can you stay true to your artistic vision?
An artist recently complained that she couldn’t get any interest from collectors because her work was eclectic and “too versatile.” She went on to say that customers wanted to be able to recognize her work, and that the only way to do that was to be redundant, which did not interest her. This offended her artistic sensibilities. Instead, she chose to work in any style or medium that appealed to her at the time. She felt it was important to keep her creativity alive, and this involved constantly moving.
Unfortunately, this also put her in the position of searching for sales that weren’t materializing. She was frustrated and reaching out for help, and wondered aloud when people would appreciate an artist who worked in many styles.
It’s understandable that some artists take exception to creating for the customer. They want to follow their own muse, make what they find exciting and resist getting stuck in what they consider to be a rut. They might even refer to designing for the customer as “selling out.”
But is it?
Making art and selling art are two different things. As a creative, you can design and make whatever your heart desires. Your artwork is valid because you have created it, and has value whether or not you intend to sell it at all.
Being in business to make sales (of any goods or services) means that you must understand your customer and their needs and wants. That requires compromise for many artists. The perfect scenario would be that whatever you choose to make would appeal to your customers, but that is seldom true.
Many artists who are small businesspeople are happy to design for their customers. They seek out input and feedback from collectors, and build strong collections around bestsellers. They are focused towards building a business that serves their audience and delivers work that sells.
Other times, artists are driven to make what they feel fulfills their passion, whether or not it always strikes a chord with customers. This is where the artist may have to find their target customer through trial and error, and also concentrate on educating the customer to understand their work better. It can be a challenge, but may be a better fit for the artist who resists designing for others.
Ideally, you love what you are making, and your fanbase does too – eagerly awaiting your newest work. That overlap doesn’t always happen, but you can create in a distinct signature style that sells and has a proven audience while moving forward in new directions that inspire you.
Consider these strategies:
- Continue making work that historically sells for you, but set aside regular time to experiment with new directions.
- Carve out time in your schedule to produce work that you make because it purely pleases you, without the stress of having to make sales.
- Incorporate new ideas into the body of work that you are now selling. Typically, makers need to create 30% new designs every year to stay fresh. How far afield you go depends on your plans and what you feel will work well for your business.
Have you felt stuck between creating what makes you happy and what customers want to buy? How did you resolve this challenge?
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