Hey artist, can you relate to my embarrassing rookie confession?

Okay, I will not lie here; I have a confession. So when my art business was new, I set up an Etsy Shop. I was so excited after I put my artwork there. I waited for people to purchase my work. 

I heard crickets. I thought, "This couldn't be true; it must not have been published, which is why I didn't make a sale." At that time, my first gallery was brand new, and I already did well in my first season, so not having any sales through Etsy blew my mind.

So then, I thought, okay. I may need to advertise and get some traffic to my shop because I need help finding someone. Then I put an ad on, and I was so excited or the prospects.

And that weekend, my husband and I did an out-of-town art show. We had a great show, and I was satisfied with our outstanding sales that weekend.

I was also just as excited about the anticipation of all the sales I needed to fulfill when I got home from my Etsy Shop. 

Seriously, I was so naïve, I thought, that's it. I will work my buns off, send paintings and prints out, and make tons of money with my images.

I got home, signed into my Etsy, and no sales. Again, I thought, “this couldn't be true; my sales record was good in the gallery and at shows, but why didn't that translate on Etsy?”

I was so disappointed; although I didn't give up, I continued working on my Etsy and placed ads, but nothing translated to much sales. I sold a few prints, but it wasn't phenomenal, they paid off my ads, and that's about it.

But here is the thing, artists, first of all, having your website is much better than having an Etsy site. You will inevitably get lost in the sea of noise in a big marketplace. But this is not a newsletter about building your website, although if you want to create one, I have a great guide you should check out.

Selling art is more challenging than you think; it has many moving parts. And if you are new to the game, I'm sure you have many misguided perceptions that make you feel disappointed when your art doesn't sell on social media, Etsy, or your website.

But it is not you or your art. It's your marketing and sales skills; it means your business knowledge needs to be revised or expanded.

Building an art business takes time; it is complex, and your success depends on your marketing and selling skills, and if those need to be added, your business will suffer. But it doesn't have to be that way; marketing and sales are something you can learn.

If you want to know how I can run an art business for over 20 years, then look at my art business course. Seriously, I am nothing special; I just have a formula that works. I have gone through all the trials and errors and have wasted lots of money; eventually, I have taken that knowledge and crafted a successful framework.

As perplexed as I was when I was a newbie, I'm sure you can relate. The inexperience of operating an art business is a real struggle. Most artists wished their talent would be the driving force; unfortunately, that is not the case. 

The first step to committing to owning a successful art business is knowing what you need to turn your dream business into a reality. 

It pays to go with someone that has the experience. Let me help you build the business of your dream. I am here for you. 

"Ting is an incredibly knowledgeable businesswoman and a beautiful artist. She has perfected the art of finding the right audience and how to keep them coming back for more. Ting has helped me clear my self-limiting mindsets, which have freed up my energy for making more art and selling it."  Amy Angheluta.

With Creative Joy,
Ting