Do you want to make a living as an artist? Follow These 3 Important Rules

Like many artists, Matthew Cortellesi had a problem: He was good at making art – but bad at selling it.

Then he made three fundamental changes to his business, and sales boomed. “I got a lot of orders,” Cortellesi said recently.

What has changed? It’s a simple formula that any artist can follow: First, create a headquarters. Next, package your work. And finally, build relationships.

In this article, you’ll see what each part of Cortellesi’s business formula is – and how it can affect you.

Meet the coach who helped Cortellesi

A businessman we had an idea: What if we choose one talented artist who is struggling to make a living from his art, and combine him with a coach who focuses on turning artists into entrepreneurs?

Cortellesi fits the bill: He is a New York-based photographer who has been working for 30 years, capturing unique images of the urban landscape (like the one above in this article). When we connected, he had an active Instagram account but almost no marketing strategy. People would DM him to ask about buying prints, and he would sell about 40 a year for $375 each.

A businessman paired with Carolyn Edlund, founder of Artsy Shark. He teaches online courses and works directly with artists, to help them make a living from their art.

Cortellesi and Edlund met for two training sessions. You can hear their full conversation unfold For entrepreneurs The Problem Solvers podcast, by clicking here or by listening to the player below.

Below, we’ll reveal three key lessons Edlund taught Cortellesi — and how they can help your art business.

Rule 1: Build headquarters

Cortellesi had about 10,000 followers on Instagram, which Edlund said was great — but also problematic:

“Instagram’s algorithm blocks your work from being seen by the very fans who follow you,” he told Cortellesi.

Many artists rely on Instagram or other social media, because it is a good way to show their work. Edlund agrees that it can be valuable — but artists should remember that they don’t own their social media presence. They don’t have a way to communicate directly with all of their followers, and each post they make will be seen by a small portion of users.

That’s why, according to Edlund, all artists need a “headquarters” – an Internet center to which they drive all their visitors. Cortellesi had a website, but it wasn’t working properly.

“Your website is your headquarters,” he told her, “and I would encourage you to make that the place you want people to go.”

Then he asked her: “How many newsletter subscribers?”

“I don’t know,” he replied.

It is time to prioritize this book, he said. Newsletters are a direct way to reach your customers, because unlike Instagram, there is no algorithm between you and your subscribers.

Edlund recommends a funnel: Cortellesi should use his Instagram feed to drive newsletter subscribers, then use a regular newsletter to drive people to an updated version of his website.

And what would be on that website? That is the second lesson.

Photo credit: Photo by Matthew Cortellesi

Rule #2: Package your work

Cortellesi is an avid photographer. He is always shooting new things and posting them on his Instagram.

That’s good for his creative process, Edlund said — but that growth was reflected in his sales. When people asked to buy his photos on Instagram, they saw a huge range of offers: so many photos, and so many ways to print them.

“If you have 495 images and they all come on 13 different substrates with 12 different plots and 15 different frames, people will get analysis paralysis, and they’ll just stop and walk away,” he told her.

Instead, Edlund recommended that he reduce his contributions. Instagram can be a showcase where he posts everything, but his website should have a direct and balanced shopping experience.

“Choose what you feel is the best you can offer, and offer it in maybe three sizes,” she said. “So they get about nine picks.”

When an artist does this, it makes life easier for the customer. It’s as if the artist is saying, “Here’s the best job you can do.”

Cortellesi said this is a challenge – how do you reduce the work of the years? Then he realized that Instagram could be his friend: By looking at which photos were driving the most likes and comments, he had a sense of which photos would sell the most.

Rule #3: Build relationships

Why do people buy art?

“People don’t just buy art,” says Edlund. “They buy the story, and they buy the artist.”

He says musicians often forget this. They are so focused on their art that they forget to sell themselves again. He encouraged Cortellesi to share the stories behind his photos, and to be open about his story as an artist.

Then, he says, find all possible ways to share those ideas, and build a personal connection with his audience.

He offered several ways to do this:

Live events: He could show his work in galleries, art festivals, or any other place where people are present. “If someone sees your work in person, they will remember your experience in person,” he said.

Special deals: Artists should provide ways to support and fund their work, such as GoFundMe. Then, Edlund says, the artist can develop relationships with their supporters through ongoing deals and giveaways. “Maybe you give them a 25% discount,” he said – and include a handwritten note to thank them for their support.

Online messaging: Personal interaction is important, both online and in person, and sometimes a simple DM can turn an onlooker into a customer. For example, he says, Cortellesi should DM people who leave a comment under his post and say, “Hey, I just launched a new site and I have a special offer going on. I’d like you to see my work.” If you offer people a special deal, you can turn regular followers into paying customers.

What Cortelles he did the following

After speaking with Edlund, Cortellesi spent months building a new website. Just as Edlund recommends, it offers a limited number of his photos – and explains the story behind each photo.

He also created a logo, then printed cards with his logo and website address. He will start going to restaurants, cafes, and wherever art is displayed, to talk to the owners and ask about hanging his pictures along the way.

In short, he said he feels brave – because he finally realizes that his art will not sell. He he should be the one selling it.

“You’re ready,” said Edlund, “and you’ll be selling forever. You don’t have everything at once, and that’s okay. Do one thing at a time, learn from your mistakes, and you’ll see what to avoid in the future. You’re destined for success.”

It’s simple, really: Musicians thrive when they think like entrepreneurs. And marketing is its own art form.