Do the art, sell the story

“Selling art is easier than ever“ – at least that’s what you are told in countless art marketing-blogs (like this one) over and over again. So how come, that you still haven’t sold a single piece of your art? If it’s that easy, then why doesn’t it work for me? In my last blogpost I emphasized how important it is, to be interesting to win people for your art. Today, I’ll take this a step further and claim: If you want to sell, your art is secondary. What counts, is the story.

“The story is king” – we all have heard some versions of that, at least a couple of times. But why? In comparison to how artists used to sell their art a few decades ago, some fundamental things changed. What especially transformed is the way how possible buyers are converted into sales. In the past, collectors had to rely on information presented to them by gallerists and curators in a sale-orientated conversation. Today the internet enables them to gather much more information about an artist and his work by researching online and social media, before making a purchase. They do not only search for an art piece that matches their living room, they also want to be amazed by the overall idea and the story behind it.

The central question therefore is: When people are looking for “good art” will they find your work? The only way to ensure that is to tell a compelling story. Ever since, humanity has passed on important information by storytelling. For many centuries, stories have been the primary tool to make knowledge and data memoizable. Our brain is therefore prone to connect impressions with stories in order to be able to recall it easier.

Cory Huff says: “When people buy art, they buy the artist”. They rather buy your story, and your inspiration. Furthermore, the way you create and future projects or ambitions should find their way into your artist statement.

So if you are seeking for people that are excited about your art and are able to remember you once they walk out of the gallery, you should work on telling an interesting story. If you are an artist, you have a vision – you know your story, and you know why you are creating the art you create. Use this to connect with people and to form a relationship between them and your art (and yourself). All you have to do is tell YOUR STORY.

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