Welcome to Deb Webb Art.

We have been experiencing such a challenging time over the last few months. It has taught us to think differently, work differently and adapt to a ‘new’ normal. For some, the mental challenge has been extreme. It is at this time that I’m extremely grateful for my family as I’m not alone. I really feel for those who live alone and then have had to isolate as well. Very tough.

So, what can we do to help ourselves when facing challenges? As an artist/creator, I’m often facing challenges. Granted, they are not life or death, but can impact mental health in a big way. What challenges does an artist face?

art

Challenges of an artist:

1. Imposter syndrome

It’s when you ask yourself questions like: who am I to think that I’m good enough to sell my work? Why would people buy from me?      Why would people listen to me?

2. I’m not good enough

As you enjoy your time creating, there will often be times that you feel that you are not good enough, especially when you are working in a new medium or trying something new. It’s quite confronting.

3. Why would anyone buy my art?

This is a common one for artists. People in general are most critical of themselves and an artist seems to have that x100.

4. People don’t have money to buy art 

This belief is very common with any creator and it actually stops people from buying from you, in my opinion. It’s like you put out an art work, then you automatically think that no one will buy it because it’s too expensive. Yet those same people will spend $70-$100 on a pair of shoes, why not your art?

5. People love to comment and like your work

But you very rarely get someone who actually says they want to buy it! (also a belief that can be changed)

6. Having a place for people to go to purchase your art

You can put it up on social media but they need to also have a link to click to take them to a place to buy.

These challenges are some that I’ve faced and still face from time to time. How can you face these challenges and still move forward as an artist?

Steps to overcoming the challenges:

1. Imposter syndrome

This is all about self-worth, a massive issue in our society. There is no quick fix for this but working on self-love and self-acceptance is key here.

2. I’m not good enough

Once again, this is about self-worth and self-esteem. This was a huge issue in my own life and it still creeps up now and again. I have worked on myself using positive affirmations and EFT to eliminate this. If you’re determined to believe in yourself, these worked well for me.

3. Why would anyone buy my art? 

So this is two-fold, it’s linked with not feeling good enough and it’s also linked with lack of belief in your work. I’ve also dealt with this a lot and found that I had to come to a point of believing in the power of my work and how it could literally change a room. There is big power in that. So, work on your beliefs to move through this.

3. People don’t have the money to buy art 

In my opinion, if you believe in something without waver; you will make it true for you. A simple solution to this is to use positive affirmations as often as you can to change your belief. An example would be: My art gets seen by people who love to buy art and want to spend money on my art.

4. People love to comment but very rarely buy ( or never buy)

Once again it comes down to belief about you and your art. Work on your confidence, self-worth and your beliefs. It is also important to promote your work, not just once, but several times. Work out your promo system on social media but make sure you intersperse your sales promos with down time photos, or behind the scenes so it doesn’t feel too salesy.

I like to promote but then also have quite a few posts that are just fun. I’m still working on this aspect myself!! My belief in sales is that it must feel real and helpful. I actually love sales, and can totally see why people would benefit from something; I just don’t always see it with my own work!!! So funny.

5. Having a place for people to buy

This is HUGE! What are you doing on social media? Are you just posting pretty pictures or are you giving people a place to go to check them out? There needs to be a CTA (call to action). I have mine in my bio on Instagram and it is linked to different options. You can move these options around if you are promoting something special and so have the current option at the top of the list for ease.

I hope this has shed light on some things you can work on to improve you and your art business. Life is such a journey and self-development is a very big part of it. Good luck and keep arting.

Take care

Deb x

 

Deb Webb – Creator