Art Focus: You’re either an artist or a business woman

On a little break away from home, I found my family sitting around by the fire, drinking horlicks - It was all very picturesque - talking about my little business SillyMooArt/BethanyRogersArt. My Grandad actually said something very insightful to me and everything just seemed to click. "You're either an artist or a business woman, the two very rarely mix." 

For almost three years i've been an artist, to varying degrees of success! But nonetheless, I've been painting, drawing, calligraphing and illustrating my way through the last three years of my life. It can be so easy to get caught up in art that you actually find it hard to promote yourself and make the sales.

I have really been trying to get my head into the idea of social marketing. I love social media and feel like i should try to take advantage of that. I have definitely been successful to a certain degree, as i make the majority of my sales through instagram and feel like i have a great community on it.

However, i know i still have so much to learn. You always have to accept that you are not going to be able to know the best way of doing everything. But i am making progress and i feel like in the near future i should take  a small at home course in marketing/social media marketing.

But i wanted to write this for anty fellow artists out there that are starting out or feel like they're not getting anywhere with sales/promoting. Your art may indeed be beautiful but my advice is make sure you know how to promote yourself, get to know your customers, and always accept commissions - they give you amazing insight into your target market and what people really want.

Keep going and accept that we still have much to learn.

Much love, Beth xxx