Your Art Won't Sell Itself

I ran across this post on Threads, and though I agree with this artist’s idea, I don’t believe their approach will turn any viewers into collectors. Goading people into buying out of guilt rarely works for something most people see as unnecessary.

People buy things for many reasons, such as immediate need, pain, desire, nostalgia, or association.

• If I get into a bad car accident, I will need to buy a new car (pain/need).

• My neighbor buys a Porsche, and I really want one, too (desire).

• My grandpa used to drive me around in his old Chevy truck, and now that he’s gone, I want someone to remember him (nostalgia).

• My friend’s mom is selling her classic Mustang, and I’m buying it because she wants it to go to someone she knows will take care of it.

Considering those psychological triggers, our art rarely ticks those boxes. When we remove ourselves from the romanticism of the creative act, it becomes clear that art seldom solves a problem, a desperate need, or satisfies a nostalgic feeling.

Art might be able to fulfill a desire. Still, it isn’t easy to discern that desire in random individuals, and it usually comes after an artist has reached a certain status where people scramble for the chance to buy a piece.

Association, on the other hand, can be a powerful tool to turn random viewers into buyers.

• Someone who paints cats and puppies will have a better chance of selling to pet lovers.

• A creative person who doesn’t take themselves too seriously and isn’t afraid to be fun and silly on camera will bring in more fans than someone who only posts overhead shots with a demure voiceover.

• An artist associated with a popular gallery will likely sell more paintings than one with a lesser reputation.

• The artist who shares their vulnerability by posting about their process and stories behind their work become more relatable to non-artists, gaining trust over time and potentially turning those fans into collectors.

Need, pain, desire, and nostalgia are fleeting moments satisfied with a single purchase. On the other hand, association, reliability, and connection are better ways of attracting buyers who stick around.

Consider your fandom for others. I’m willing to be there. There is someone whose work you love and appreciate so much that you want to see everything they do. Whether that’s an actor, musician, artist, writer, or maker of any sort, you love them so much that you’d buy into anything they sell or promote.

For me, that’s Christopher Nolan, Casey Neistat, and Brandi Carlile. The reasons for each are as unique as the individuals, and though I’ve never met any of them, I feel a connection to each in ways that almost don’t make sense.

Whatever the connection to them, that’s what makes me want to buy into anything they’re sharing or selling.

Back to the point of the artist, I shared at the beginning. Bullying and guilt are not long-term art sales strategies, but their sentiment could be expressed in ways that may create need, desire, or association.

• “The art at Home Goods started with love but was stripped away by the corporate machine, removing the soul of the artist who did the work. If you want art with soul in your home, seek original work that blesses your home and changes the life of the artist you bought it from.

• “When you buy original art directly from an independent artist, you not only contribute to that artist’s livelihood but also add a new level of value and culture to your own lives.”

We need to stop looking to customers as something they need to poke and prod into becoming supporters of the arts and instead help them understand the value of the work.