How do you make your art marketing genuine, authentic, and uplifting?

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Hello, artist, let's talk about art sales and marketing, but not in the way you might think. I am not talking the financial side of things, but I want to share with you how you can market your art and connect with your audience.

Listen, friend, Art is such a personal thing, but you have to sell your art to make a business out of it. Do you know what makes people pull out their wallets? 

As an artist, you aim to bridge the gap between your audience and your art. And the most effective way to sell your art is through building connection.

You are probably wondering: How do you connect with potential clients with your art so you can beat out your competition? Or; How do you make them fall in love with your art so they'll pull out their credit card? These are all valid questions. And the way to do this is by making them feel like an integral part of your work.

Well, friend, this is where art narrations come in and this is how you make that compelling connection that makes people pull out their wallets. 

Just think, every person in this world wants to feel heard and understood. We naturally seek to find friends with similar beliefs and interests. When your art stories speak to them, you naturally got them in the heart. 

​Storytelling is essential because it provides context. Sharing stories that explore transformation and intrigue your audience's minds are the two best ways to reach potential clients' hearts. By sharing stories of your work, you add a layer of meaning to your work. Your customers start to see your art in the light of your journey, giving the art more sense; it is like a glimpse into your soul.

When you are ready to share that part of yourself, you elevate your art to a different level because your art becomes more than an object. It became a story and an experience. 

In my over two decades of experience, here are the five key reasons why people buy art. It is more subjective than you think.

• A visual response to an artwork
• Resonate with the art messaging​
• Feel an emotional connection with the art
• People buy art because they desire to beautify their homes with positivity
• And lastly, people buy art because they view it as an investment

As you can see, the last factor is the only objective that people buy art that is NOT an emotional response. But the rest of the reasons point to emotional desires. Consider writing compelling stories into these emotional desires. 

Since my work is a journal, I naturally use heartfelt message to share my journey and connect with my audience. I also use colors to depict the emotions that I want to express and visual cues to strengthen communication. Please see below one of my top selling image, called Courage and the story that goes with it. As you can see, both the image and the words are aligned. 

Courage
This piece is part of Ting Yuen's Artist Diary Series

In this painting, the girl is gaining energy and courage from the moon while surrounded by a kaleidoscope of 
dragonflies which symbolize change. Courage was inspired by a customer of mine, who wrote me recently expressing how some of my works have inspired her to make the adjustments that she needed in her life. ​

She explained to me with much sensitivity how her old lifestyle wasn’t serving her well anymore and she knew she had to make some drastic changes. So she picked up her courage, gathered her energy, abandoned her familiarities and forged into the unknown with fearlessness and determination. Her strength has prevailed and now she has made the transformation into self contentment and happiness, hence Courage was painted. 
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All images and content © Ting Yuen​

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The above image, Courage, is a powerful example of the transformative potential of storytelling in art sales. The prints continue to generate thousands of dollars every year, even after the original was sold. This is a testament to the fact that selling art based on emotional desires is both a science and an art. By learning to tell stories with our art, you can tap into our audience's hearts and transform our sales potential, leading to tremendous success. .  

Selling art is not just a transaction but about the meaning your art can foster. Our art should create an ambiance and open conversations, fostering a deep connection with your audience. Invite them into your world because art is not just an aesthetic benefit. It is an emotional, subjective, healing, motivational, and inspiring experience. It's about sharing a part of yourself through your work. The story differentiates you from other artists; it makes you a cut above them in marketing. 

Now, before I sign off, I challenge you to consider how you can weave stories into your interactions, work, and life to create meaningful connections. Storytelling is a powerful tool; the more you embrace it, the more engaged and connected your audience will be.

And the easiest way to do this effectively is to tell stories with your art. 

With Joy,
Ting


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