Topics We Explored:
- Whether the intent to sell your art corrupts it
- What aspects of an artist’s career path are hidden from most people
- Where art, commerce, business, and being an artist intersect
- What misconceptions people have about artists making money
- How to build longevity in your artistic career
- How technology is impacting art (re)production
“You have no control over who tells your story.” – Cory Huff (Tweet this)
Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- Episode 25: Art, Abundance, and Entrepreneurship with Cory Huff
- Episode 77: How to Capture the Everyday Wow with Cynthia Morris
- Street Artist Blu Destroys 20 Years of His Work in Bologna to Protest an Exhibition
- Abundant Artist Conference
About Cory Huff:
Cory is an actor and storyteller who fell into a career in Internet marketing. In 2004, he discovered search engine marketing and social media. Since then, he has worked on marketing and software programs for some of the world’s biggest companies.
In 2009, he started TheAbundantArtist.com (TAA) as a way of teaching Internet marketing to his artist friends who were asking him for help. Since then, he’s helped dozens of artists go from never-sold-anything to selling pieces monthly or weekly. Some of his artist friends and clients have gone on to sell their work for $20,000 or more. He teaches artists to be empowered to take charge of their own art business, and to not let others dictate to them whether their work is good enough, is commercial enough, or fits some predetermined mold of what an art career should be.
In 2014, Cory packed up and moved to France for 9 months and was still able to grow his online business and advance his epic goal of helping 1,000 artists create a full-time income so they can use their talents to change the world. While overseas, he was offered a book deal.
Cory is now back stateside and lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife Lissie and their two perfect kitties.
Thanks for Listening!
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Thanks so much for this podcast! Such an interesting discussion. I think there may be a future for a new kind of digital art agent versed in social media & SEO to tell the artists’ stories & get their art seen & sold. I know Cory has been teaching artists how to do this, but lots of the outgoing are already using lots of the online tools like custom print, apparel & merchandise companies, Patreon, livestreaming instructional videos, etc. However, there are many artists who simply cannot cope with the promotional side & would be will to offer a commission to a marketing manger who could make them more money with less hassle. Creating art fulltime is a business & artists need to hire help.
Thanks for the comment, Yellowmenace!
I think you’re absolutely right here, and given business dynamics, it’s going to create another catch-22 similar to the ones artists already have: to attract the attention or be able to afford a marketing manager, they’re going to have to sell enough art to make it worth it; but if they can’t cope with the promotional side, they’ll never get to the point where they can hire a manager. There are only so many people a digital art agent can represent well.
So it’s still important for artist to understand how to promote and sell their work, even if they do it only long enough to be able to hire a marketing manager or digital art agent.