The most important thing an Artist must do to grow their income

Block the NOiSE and Make More Art.

Welcome to Follow Your Gut, a newsletter about the artist life and business based on my POV from a soon decade long independent artist career, being a published author and adding 2 children to the ride. Come join?

Hi there,

I’m currently reading, among other things, NOISE: a manifesto modernising motherhood by

Danusia Malina-Derben

, and it inevitably makes me ponder on the NOiSE surrounding artistry too.

It’s as if the day you dare to utter the word “artist” you open the tap of unwanted well-meaning advice as to why you shouldn’t pursue it.

After 8 years of full time independent artistry, I’d like to argue for the opposite. That to be an artist is a superpower in business.

To be an artist is an ADVANTAGE, not the opposite as the noise of the starving artist stereotype wants you to believe.

Your artistic mind (if nurtured well) will allow you to unblock the barriers set by the traditionally trained business folks, and build a business that supports you, not the other way around.

A large part of my job in the early days (still now) was to translate savvy business advise to the artistic profession.

For example, what does branding mean for a visual artist? That I have to restrict myself to use only a certain colour palette in my work?

Or content creation? Is it something separate from the artworks I’m already making?

You see… I think (and this is wildly unpopular advice in the business niche), that the best strategy of them all is to cut out the noise and just make your art.

In other words, much online business advice (in my opinion, and I don’t intend to offend anyone) is unnecessary for the vast majority.

As artists we already have vivid imaginations enough to paint an entire narrative around ONE anecdote, so let’s not get started on a list of Ten things you need to do to make money on Substack (this latter example is taken out of thin air by the way, just to illustrate the point).

Before we get started on all the ins and outs of optimization, the perfect logo, the ideal newsletter schedule, aesthetically pleasing social feeds… we must master the basics.

Ok Elin, so what is it?

Just. Make. Your. Art. (Or writing).

AND share it with the world in whatever way and form that comes natural to you (the latter, is true optimisation if you ask me….)

Do your best to ignore the noise, don’t listen to what your audience wants from you, or even worse, what the algorithms or TREND wants from you or you’ll deplete yourself in the process.

Disclaimer; this may read as contradictory to an early essay I wrote about the writer not being the main character… the reader is. Really, it’s not contradictory at all. Because to “dance along someone else’s pipe” or attract the audience (reader/art-lover/whoever) that loves what you’re ALREADY making, are two very different things.

I suppose one could say, they’re two opposite sides of the same coin.

One side will make you steer off into the void of like-ability, “please-ability”, and eventually a questioning of why you’re doing what you’re doing (and who you are?!). Whereas the other side will just get you going, steadily down the road of things that excites YOU. And when positioned in a way that others will want to tag along, you’ll reach momentum and financial stability sooner than you think.

I have 500k+ across social media platforms (Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube combined), and I can tell you - the more you try to follow the crowd as opposed to going about your own thing and letting them come to you, the less you’re likely to succeed.

The worst thing an artist can do, is to follow the business advice of riding the trend.

Why?

Because a non-artistic business can start and end without it having much impact on the owner (relative of course!)… they went from “having a business” to “not having a business”, and chances are great the at they’ll start another business in another more lucrative niche before you know it.

An art-business, on the other hand, doesn’t have a start or an end date. There’s no “other niche” to potentially venture into, because your art is part of your soul. You can’t just take it out and change it... The business side of things may (?), but not you. You are an artist. And you make art.

It’s not like you stop being an artist just because you currently don’t make sales. You’re still an artist, as much as you were an artist before you made your first sale too.

To be an artist is an identity, which can never be reduced to a brand alone.

Just think of any of the known artists you love… do they have a brand? Are they the brand? Or are they “just themselves”, and if so, is that enough?

You may think “personal brand”, meaning that we as public individuals show up as a persona that can be categorized as a brand with various brand characteristics.

Sure.

I’ve definitely spoken about being a personal brand, and considered some parts of my art business as being represented by “a personal brand”.

The entire brand-story of my first art business circulated around how I met my husband in Paris and we set out on the route of independent artistry travelling around Europe and documenting our travels through art.

But that’s a facade (even if it’s a true and authentic story). The real essence of an artist life, and lucrative art-business, is to never lose the basics:

Just make your art, and share it with the world consistently in whatever way that comes natural to you.

Don’t overthink it.

Don’t make a content calendar (but still stay consistent… by making sure to always make more art).

Don’t try to put business-structures in place that will do nothing but turn your precious artistry into a job you hate.

The ironic thing is, that the less I officially strategise (and I’ve spoken about this before), the less I try to optimise and the more I simply lean into what comes and feels natural, the higher Roi.

Both in terms of money AND connections, experiences, opportunities; all the things that are equally important in an ever growing, ever-changing world where the only constant may be… your identity as an artist?!

So, how is all this an advantage?

Being something, that is also the same as what you do (ART), shortens the path to success massively compared to the non-artsy entrepreneur who needs to:

1. Build up a persona/identity around themselves that seems “fitting” with their business (if they’re the face of it, will say)

2. Create the brand identity, characteristics, story

3. Design products and services that fit the brand (and the ideal buyer avatar they’re trying to reach….)

As an artist, you make your art, show up as yourself, stay consistent in making your art and the right people will resonate (which can be anyone, from anywhere, at any age)

For example buyers of my embroidery art and classes cover the entire spectrum of demographics with the common denominator being a love for embroidery art…

Here’s the deal:

• The more you make your art, the more things naturally fall into place (pure statistics).

• The more you make your art, the more everything makes sense (the neglected, most beautifully irrational side of artistry that works without anyone knowing why).

• The more you share your art, the more you’ll discover ways you enjoy to share it.

• The more you share your art, the more cool people you’ll attract and connect with.

• The more you make your art, the more confident you can be in going for opportunities when you see them, because you know you can make the art needed to make it happen

• The more you make your art, the better you get at your craft.

• The more you make your art, the more “content” you have to share, which naturally increases your chances of being seen more, which in turn will naturally lead to more potential clients without ever having to question whether you’re “on brand” or not….

Do you see the pattern?

If nothing else, I hope this spontaneous (as always) reflection inspires and encourages you to make more of your art and to see it as an advantage, NOT the other way around.

Your art is literally your golden ticket to the life you always dream of.

Have a wonderful evening and I invite you to like, comment and share this essay if you found it to tickle deeper reflection.
Elin, xx

Ps. I’m currently full for 1:1 mentoring, but you’re warmly invited to sign up for the waitlist right here. I only announce open spots to the waitlist, so if you think I can help you get from where you’re at to where you want to be, come join the waitlist 💗.

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Pps. I’m currently in the preparation stage for launching my next book: Travel The World Through The Eye Of A Needle, a pocket-size art book for creative travel enthusiasts. It will be independently published on Kickstarter, and I’d love (if you connect with the concept) if you’d head over and hit the “notify me about the launch” button via this link.

I will document the entire launch process, including all the marketing I do around it, so that we can have a juicy analysis about it here in Follow Your Gut later on…

If there’s anything I know for certain, it’s that the more you just go for your ideas, the more interesting it is for YOURSELF and YOUR READERS to follow along.

Who doesn’t love to follow someone who makes shit happen? I do! And so, I always try to strive to be that person myself, thereby diving head first into an independent physical publishing journey through Kickstarter even though I’ve never done it before, nor do I think I technically have the time… But I’ll do it anyway!

Below is a photo of me with my very impromptu, scotched together first mockup experiment of a pocket-size artbook… THIS WAS FUN!

And here’s that Kickstarter link again, you know, just in case.