No matter how creative your work is or how dear it is to your heart, if you're a working artist you've got a product to sell.
And who should be more suited to creating marketing strategies than creative people? Yet this is very often the hardest thing for artists to do.
The problem may lie in how we think about the market. What would happen if artists stopped thinking competitively and began marketing art in ways that are truly creative?
Unlike competitive marketing—which holds that there is a limited number of customers, a limited amount of money, and a limited source of supply—the idea of marketing creatively takes its cues from the creative process itself.
The whole world is your studio
We all practice the creative process every day, whether we realize it or not. It’s how we bring everything into our lives, from hot coffee to a symphony performance. We think about what we want, create a concept, interact with the world, and in the end we have a result. Some things are more complex than others, but the basic process is the same.
As artists, we know it well. It is the creative, not the competitive, mind at work. It doesn’t worry about how many other people are making hot coffee this morning. It cares only for the integrity of the process.
1. Fall in love with an idea. Think about what you want for your art, not what you think you can get. It doesn't matter what anyone else is doing. They are not you. Do not limit your future with false ideas about what the market can provide. Create a vision you can fall in love with, then fall in love with it. It's your very own—make it a good one.
2. Fix this vision in your mind. Just as you become obsessed with an art project, become obsessed with your idea for marketing your work. Clarifying your goal is important; you cannot achieve it until it is clear. Formulate your marketing vision and work toward it with the same intensity you put into your art.
3. Act on your idea with purpose and faith. Know that the moment you conceive your idea, it is being fulfilled. Accept this as fact and don't let stories of failure or defeat affect your intent; they have nothing to do with you. Competitive marketing habits can weasel in and chip away at your resolve. Use your will—the same will that creates your art—to stay on track.
4. Be grateful. All the time, every day. Cultivating gratitude elevates you above the competitive mind. It gives you greater vision and generosity. It keeps you thinking the positive thoughts necessary to attract positive things. It brings you into harmony with your goal, and with the infinite source of all good. It is one of the most powerful forces at your command.
Some more things to keep in your creative mind
· Think organically. As a smart seller, you must take good account of the market, knowing what tends to sell and what doesn’t, to whom and for how much. As you do this, however, don’t lose sight of the organic value of your own work and what it contributes to the marketplace. Balancing both sides will help you build a base from which to market your unique product, and it may open up surprising new avenues of artistic growth.
· Think about what you can give. We tend to think about art as a vehicle for self-expression. But it’s worth asking yourself how you can best use your good work to give customers something of benefit to them as well. This approach encourages a positive upward spiral that nurtures generosity and gratitude, and you may find yourself creating new market niches.
· Think win-win. You cannot ever lose anything that is rightfully yours. Imagine situations that benefit all sides. Win-win does exist. Enormously creative solutions can come from working expansively under challenging circumstances. Be generous in your dealings with the people in your supply chain.
· Always think like the creative person you are. Use your imagination. Visualize. Apply your skill. Picture the whole world as your studio. Remember that before you are a manipulator of your artistic medium, you are a manipulator of thought and energy.
In the end, no one can design your strategy for you. Make sure you give your work the very best marketing plan your creative heart can devise!
No comments:
Post a Comment