How do people make a living selling art?

Most of us follow the same path.

We make art, we get good at making art, people ask if they can buy it and we start to think about making our art for sale to the general public. We start small and local, working up to larger shows and a more serious art career.

Then we get tired. We think:

All I do is schlep my stuff from one show to another.

I’m tired of smiling even though nobody seems to be buying today and I’m exhausted!

Am I even at the right venue? Everyone else seems to be selling more than I am.

Outdoor shows are a crap shoot- they depend so much on the weather!

Wouldn’t it be easier to be in a gallery?

We think: “Well, I guess I just have to pay my dues, and I’ll have more sales after I make a name for myself.”

That is partly true, but there are ways to help things along, using tried and true marketing techniques applied to art sales. There are ways to take more of your art sales online, where there is no gear schlepping, tent setup or rain!

A Different Way to Think About Selling Your Art

You don’t need:

• a big audience

• a complex marketing plan

• constant promotion

You need:

• a group of people who like your work

• a way to stay in touch with them

• a simple, repeatable rhythm for offering your work for sale

Email provides that foundation.

Not as a tactic.

But as a steady, supportive structure for your art business.

If You Take One Step…

Start here.

Begin building your email list.
And start showing up—simply and regularly.

Two or three times a week.
No pressure.
No performance.

Just you, your work, and the people who want to see it and read your stories about it.

That’s how a sustainable art business begins.

You can’t skip all the steps, but you can skip smarter.