3 Steps On How To Really Be A Successful Artist

How to feel that confidence, that rewarding sense of fulfilment? Sometimes it can seem so elusive.

It’s not though, it’s so simple.

So incredibly simple.

So ridiculously simple that you may hate me for telling you.

Art becomes successful when you’re aware of the simple concept I`m about to tell you, and you keep this concept in mind to apply in all you do.

You’re taking your 1) UNIQUE ART, and 2) DELIVERING IT with PROPER PRESENTATION, to your 3) EAGER FANS.

It’s that easy. That’s the path which any and every successful artist has taken, whether they realize it or not.

Asking the implied questions in this formula, can keep any art venture on track. For example: Are you a successful artist if you have a boring, non-unique art, but you are delivering it well to an eager crowd? Nope. Are you a successful artist if you do have a unique art, as well as eager people out there waiting, but you let it sit around, with no effort on appropriate delivery? Nuh-uh. Are you a successful artist if you have a unique art, and you serve it up right, but only to the crickets of an uninterested or non-existent audience? No, no, and… no.

So that’s it, a beautifully elegant summary that will point out powerfully where, when, and how you may be falling down in your dream of successful art. I touch more on this in my beyond-valuable upcoming product, Rise Of The Artist Success System, but for now let’s explore a little further.

1. Your unique art is… YOU.

If you’re NOT unique, you’re boring. You blend in with everyone else. No one can recommend you, because they have no ‘ammo’ and no ‘clear benefits’ to share with others as to why you’re ‘for them’.

You’ve lived some life, and had some experiences, learned some lessons, developed some personal interests (or obessesions!), etc. – let me ask you straight up, how many of those passionate interests and life-turning-points are featuring in your art? If the answer isnt ‘as much as is gracefully possible,’ you have some work to do. The trick to creating your own unique art, is embracing yourself, your life, your style, and integrating as much as you can, gracefully, into it. This is done by using the concept of a common thread.

In everything you do, and I mean everything, there is probably a common thread. This is a take-off of Mark Silver’s "Heart’s Jewel" concept, and has been done by others before him. This common thread is usually a particular feeling, abstract concept, or idea that runs through all you do. Some artists always bring edginess to the table, in every conversation, with every hobby, with every breath. Another might bring encouragement; upliftment. A third artist might focus on nature – always the outdoors, animals, life, etc. – look inside yourself, examine your life, and find what you do as naturally as breathing, find what you can’t avoid bringing to the table.

So let’s say you’ve got your unique art developed well-enough to feel good about it, and you want to deliver it, before you choose how to present it, it’s important to know…

2. Who you’re delivering to.

Your tribe. Your fans. Your people. This is talked about everywhere, from entrepreneurs to entertainers, and with good reason. It. Is. Vital.

There’s 6.97 billion people on earth, and currently, you have limited resources, time, money, and energy. How do you find your eager fans? Well, first you narrow it down to something less than "all 6.97 billion human beings." That’s step 1. Step two is: narrow it down some more. Step three is do it some more. Step four, is do it even more. I’m not kidding.

Lady Gaga did NOT target her first album towards "everyone.", it wasn’t targeted towards " seniors, though some love her. It wasn’t targeted towards India, though some love it there. It wasn’t targeted towards rich, wall-street CEOS, though some of them love her music too. Lady Gaga’s target audience is (or at least was initially, just pre-success): young men & women, generally open to the LGBQT community, with some idea of being outcasts or misunderstood. She could have written about anything and to anyone under the sun, but one of the most successful artists in the world, at the age of 21, deliberately selected a very targeted, eager crowd.

Your first crowd is NOT "THE WORLD" or "EVERYONE". Get used to it. Make peace with it. Succeed with a unique, small-scale group of eager fans who match you well… then expand. When you were younger, you didn’t expect your first artwork to dominate the world, don’t expect that for your first audience either.

Your first painting wasn’t 48" x 48". Your first song wasn’t a full-fledged music video. Your first photoshoot wasn’t a globally read magazine.

Now that you know what on earth you’re actually providing (not just "my art"), and you know who you’re delivering to (not just "everyone"), you can choose

3. Art Presentation.

Sometimes I can’t believe how many artists fall flat here; I know I did. Appropriate presentation and delivery is vital to success.

If you’re delivering paintings to the elderly, facebook message and emails probably are not your ticket. Neither are cuss words and slang.

If, on the other hand, you’re delivering rap songs to teenagers, iTunes, cellphones, and social media in this case, are a lock. As are cuss words and slang.

You only have so much time and money to invest in presenting and delivering your art to your eager fans. Make it easy on yourself by choosing the proper medium and speak the language of your people. You could waste years of time trying to reach the right people, with the wrong tools, or even the wrong people with the right tools. Matching your art, their attention, and proper presentation is a simple, 3-ingredient recipe for success in art. Get on it!

I cover all this and so much more in my upcoming Rise Of The Artist package, and if you’re interested you can take a look, or share your ideas in the comments section below!