Being a freelance artist I know how hard it is to build the art business, but I also know how amazing it is to earn by doing what you love. Through the years I have realized that there is one single thing that can change everything, that can determine whether you succeed or not as a freelance artist. What is it?

Let me give you an example from my life.

I was at a photography school when one day my schoolmates started complaining to one of the teachers that the school wasn’t helping them to get enough exposure. My best friend answered them:

“Well, but it’s your job. When Aleksandra wanted to be published in fashion magazines, she found them and got what she wanted”.

Our teacher confirmed:

“When I wanted to have my pictures exhibited in galleries, I found them myself. Nobody offered it to me”.

Can you see the pattern? My schoolmates were old-minded, while those who succeed, think differently. They are ACTIVE. They don’t wait, they act.

How to build the art business?

When you build the art business, you have to determine a few things, like what kind of services you are going to offer, your prices, who your clients are, etc. All these things seem obvious, but even having it all done and more you won’t succeed without one thing.

You have to change the way you’re thinking.

What do I mean by that?

At school, we are taught to study, get good grades and later get a good job. Attention! Get a good job = somebody has to give it to us. This is the way of thinking that the education system teaches us and that worked 100 years ago, but that will make it impossible to build the art business of your dreams now.

Why?

Your mental shift is crucial to your success as a freelance artist. You have to understand very clearly the fact that nobody will give anything to you on a golden plate. You can achieve anything you want, but you have to do the work and get it YOURSELF.

So what kind of mental shift is essential to build the art business?

You have to be ACTIVE! Instead of waiting for opportunities, you have to start searching for them. One idea didn’t work, ok, let’s try another. This client rejected your offer, find another. This product or service is not very successful, create another.

Will all the actions bring stellar results?

I wish it would be true! Unfortunately, most of the actions don’t bring many results. Does it mean it should stop you? Absolutely not! From every experience you learn something new: you can learn how things in some industries work, you can get new information that you would never have if you wouldn’t have tried the opportunity that didn’t work. It’s all about trial and error. The fact is: the more active you are, the faster you’re going to build the art business and the more successful it will be. You have to go from: “I have to get the job”=”Somebody has to give me the job” to “I have to get the job” = “I have to find opportunities and actively take action to get the job”.

Please, please, really take seriously this thing: BE ACTIVE!

“But I don’t know how to build the art business”

That’s why I’m here and on my blog and in my books I help you achieve this goal. But you have to do your homework. You have to take some action!

No matter what point you’re at, whether you’re just planning to build the art business or you’ve already started, make a list of possible actions you can take, no matter how crazy they may seem, and start taking them, one by one. The list finished? Create a new one and keep going.

No step is too small.

Actually, big success stories are made of endless micro-steps. You’ll never achieve anything just thinking about it and waiting to be ready. You become ready through your actions. Just try, take a small step, then the next, then the next. That’s how it works.

Just keep searching, be hungry, be restless! This is the only way to succeed! But you have to be active.  How many times have I used this word already in this post? Many. Because it’s that important!

Last few words

Summing up, no matter how experienced or inexperienced you feel, what stage you’re at, whether you just dream about building your art business or you’ve already started, just take the next step. No matter how small it is, the most important thing is to keep going. Imagine climbing the top of the mountain: no matter if you run and clearly know the street, or you walk step by step finding the way as you go. Eventually, you’ll arrive at the top anyway. But what if you stop, because you don’t know the way? You’ll never get there.

So what is the most important step you have to take to build the art business?

Always the next one.

I hope you found this post useful and motivating to build the art business and finally get the life that you want. In the comments write 3 actions you’re going to take next to build the art business. Let’s get the creative juices flowing party started! And if you liked this post, don’t forget to share it with your friends.

PS. If you would like to know more about how to build the art business, check out my e-book “Fast-Track Artist. How to become a full-time artist and start earning from your passion as soon as possible”. There is plenty of information and actionable steps to help you succeed! I put all my heart and soul into this book and I truly hope it’ll help you make your dreams come true.