by Carolyn Edlund
Your artwork may be excellent, but you could still be sending signals that tell others you’re not ready to be considered a professional.
I see this frequently when working with artists as a business consultant. The artwork itself may be excellent, but the business surrounding it tells a different story. An inconsistent portfolio, poor photography, confusing prices, outdated marketing materials or a neglected online presence can suggest that the artist simply isn’t operating at a professional level yet.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the art is amateurish. It means the business surrounding the art looks amateurish. That is an important distinction, and it’s totally fixable.
What impression are you creating?
People make judgments based on what you present to them. A gallery owner, juror, art consultant, designer or art licensee isn’t only considering whether they like your work. They typically ask themselves whether you’re someone they can do business with confidently.
Do you respond promptly to correspondence? When requested, do you have professional images ready to send? Are your prices consistent and dependable? Can you deliver what you promise and meet your deadlines?
Showing signs of disorganization or inexperience can introduce doubt into the equation. And when someone has many other artists to choose from, doubt gives them an easy reason to move on.
Amateur signals can cost you sales
Commercial opportunities aren’t the only things at stake. Private collectors want to buy from professionals too. They need to feel confident about the artist, know that the price is fair, and trust their buying decision. If your art business says you are an amateur, they are less likely to take you seriously, and less likely to make a purchase.
Let’s consider pricing. If similar works are priced at wildly different levels without an apparent reason, a potential buyer may wonder how those prices were determined. That can undermine confidence in the value of the work.
Outstanding photography is another essential sign of professionalism. If your images are dark, poorly cropped, distorted or photographed against distracting backgrounds, the problem goes beyond presentation. Badly photographed images make good art look less valuable. If you have this as a weakness, learn how to photograph your artwork professionally.
Sometimes artists don’t know the reasons why they lost the sale. The collector simply leaves, and the sale never happens at all.
What does your business presence say?
Amateur signals are cumulative. Perhaps your website hasn’t been updated in years. Your blog is still prominently displayed, but the last post is dated 2021. Social icons lead to accounts you abandoned long ago. Your portfolio contains everything you have ever made, rather than a thoughtfully selected body of work that makes sense. None of these things individually proves that you aren’t serious. But taken together, they create an impression that makes art buyers cautious.
If you no longer blog, remove it from your website, or at least your site menu. If you’ve stopped using a social platform, close your account and remove links to that page. A smaller, current professional presence is better than leaving a trail of abandoned marketing efforts behind you.
Take a critical look at the work you present. Self-curating your portfolio can make a significant difference in how others perceive your work and your direction as an artist. Your professional presentation should reinforce the quality of the artwork you create, and inspire trust and excitement in prospective collectors.
Are you ready when someone says yes?
Professionalism also becomes apparent in what happens after someone shows interest. A gallery asks for your CV. Is it current and ready to send? A designer needs high-resolution images. Can you provide them today? A prospective buyer sends an inquiry. Do you respond promptly and follow up?
You don’t need elaborate marketing collateral for every conceivable situation. But you should have the basic materials you regularly need organized and available. If your CV needs attention, use this guide to write or update your artist CV.
Preparation sends its own message: I am ready to do business.
Listen to the way you describe yourself
Artists sometimes undermine their professional image with their own words. They may say, “I’m an aspiring artist” or confess, “I’m really not very good at selling.” I’ve even heard artists state “I have no idea what I should charge” in front of customers themselves!
There is nothing wrong with being new to the business. Even beginners can pay attention to the impression they are making. An emerging artist with a short CV and limited sales history can still present themselves very professionally.
If you are making art, you are an artist. You don’t have to apologize for your experience level or announce your lack of confidence. Doing so can instruct other people not to take you seriously before they have even made up their own minds. Sometimes, the artist actually fears being successful. If that is holding you back, you have to understand the problem and commit to getting out of your own way.
Professionalism doesn’t mean exaggerating your accomplishments or pretending to be more successful than you are. It means presenting yourself and your work confidently and appropriately at the level you have reached.
Are you ready for success?
When I jury an exhibition, I look for artists who are right for the opportunity. But obvious signs of amateurism make me hesitate. If an artist appears unprepared at the application stage, I have to wonder what working with that person will be like afterward. Collectors, galleries and other art professionals can have similar concerns.
Before pursuing your next sale, exhibition, gallery relationship or other opportunity, look at your art business through someone else’s eyes. Does everything they see support the quality and value of your work? Or do they have a reason to walk away?
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