A letter for artists asking what next, what now?

Published: Mon, 02/01/21


But we must. There is a deeper purpose to our presence, here, now.

As artists we are conduits of light. 

We are the manifestation of hope. 

We know this in our hearts. And we do need to hear it spoken. 

Especially in a time where many of us artists are questioning our “value” in the world. 

“I woke today feeling frivolous and needed this message, this morning.”

That’s something a reader wrote to me in response to an email. I’ve been thinking about it.

Maybe the antidote for feeling frivolous is trust?

I choose to trust that I am not a failure.

I choose to trust that I am not here without purpose, now, with this gift of expression.

As an artist, I feel it is my responsibility to bring beauty and calmness as we enter a period of continuing uprise in cases of the virus. 

We as artists have always banded together to bring our message of hope to the public in times of darkness, for centuries. Today, it will be the same. 

Releasing our art to the world, as a form of inspiration and hope during this uncertain time... 

It makes me feel proud that I am an artist and author working with other artists.

The other thing that has been on my mind, also related to this, is the reality of our responsibility to our families.

From an artist on this list: “We have 4 kids to support, and my husband has a coffee business that is on the verge of falling apart. My dad is 90 and living alone and I can’t visit him. We are all so scared.”

For some of us, the primary breadwinner cannot go to work, and we feel helpless because we cannot step in and contribute to the family’s finances.

And for some of us who are full-time artists, we ARE the breadwinner of the family, but we can no longer sell art through our studio or gallery. 

Museums are closed. Art shows and exhibitions are cancelling. Physical studio visits are an impossibility in the midst of a lockdown.

The reality now is that you MUST have an online sales and recognition strategy.

If you are a full-time artist, this is no longer optional. This is no longer a luxury that you can experiment with, maybe you get it to work, maybe you don’t.

The thing is… that’s easier said than done.

What makes the switch difficult is that your art is not a product like any other. It requires a different type of presentation. 

If you need help with the transition, or want to use a faster strategy, come join me next week. I’m teaching a free workshop on Selling Art Online.

I will show you exactly what it takes to make a sale and how some of the top artists are doing it today, so that you can start generating sales online and build a base of collectors in the next 12 months.

The workshop will take place on Monday the 8th of February from 1pm to 2pm EST

>>> You can sign up here (just click the link and you will be signed up, no opt in required) <<<

I hope you will join us, and I hope I can be of service to you in building your strategy to gain more recognition and selling your art online.

Best,

Brainard


PS: The workshop will be recorded for those that register, so click the link above even if you can’t make it to the live session.