Birds of a Feather Flock Together: An Essay About Marketing Art

When I taught art to advanced college students invariably conversations about marketing one's art came up as a topic. Time and time again almost everyone had opinions about this word and it’s connotations. Some thought marketing yourself meant selling out, being insincere, lying to make your work appear valuable, becoming grandiose, even becoming a sales person. To do this and to survive with a soul intact, one had to be above it all or below it all. How depressing! Like being in mental quicksand!

I taught art for a long time and did workshops about creativity, art making, and what entailed being an artist in the world. Most of my students were women who felt left out of the art world because they were women. They were told, and told themselves, if they changed their names, their sex, their intelligence and were prettier, smarter, uglier, shorter, taller, or with better connections they would be better able to market and sell their work.

My professional life began in the 1970s when it was a time when women were pretty much excluded from art exhibitions, articles, art books, and the general art world. So I completely understood and empathized with just about all of the feelings and resentments that being left out engenders.

The new women's movement that was bubbling up in New York City and all over America seemed, in my opinion, to lean heavily on male ideals and roles of success. I didn't think too much about this at the time as I was fortunate to be included in many exhibitions and had a museum show. But I could see and feel the great disparity in the sheer numbers of really great women artists who were completely ignored in the early 1970's. My own history was influenced by growing up in a small California town where ranching predominated and women were often considered equal partners. My father also encouraged my sister and I to be self reliant, capable with tools and I was never told I wasn't able to do anything I wanted do. Even though, later on, self examination revealed to me gender disparities that were much more complex. Nonetheless, in the early 70's the art world was definitely a man's world.

Recently, I thought again about the word "marketing" and the trials and angst that women artists and artists in general still have about selling their work and realized that I have a completely different understanding of the word "marketing". I was surprised that my whole concept about the topic had totally changed. In fact, I don't feel the word "marketing" is important or relevant. I surprised myself by realizing what is important is the word "Marketplace."

What do I mean by marketplace?

I found out I am constantly finding that I live in many different marketplaces. These energy centers exist on all levels and forms in the world. Being part of the marketplace means to me that this is a situation where people connect, communicate, exchange ideas, buy art for their lives, their homes, to enjoy higher thoughts and beliefs or to be surrounded by beauty or stimulation.

I challenge myself to think of all of the market places I may not have noticed and add on to the list which includes, public space, plaza, commons, internet, agora, bazaar, piazza, emporium and so on. The list goes on.

Case in point! when I lived in New York I showed my work in galleries with white walls. Arcane, knowledgeable people looked at my art, bought my work and I felt part of an exclusive tribe who could appreciate what I did. I felt part of this world. But did I really? Well, maybe a little true, but it didn't fit all of my expansive self.

Later on I moved back to my hometown in California population 900 souls. Among other places, I show my work in a downtown gift and art store. It is a different marketplace, a different world. But more of my expansive self is addressed and expressed. Sure I sell my art, but the people who buy or see it give me as much as I get. They are art lovers, nature lovers, beauty lovers spiritual people, philosophers, business people. Since I live in a place where over a million people visit a year near the Point Reyes National Seashore, my marketplace is beyond my wildest dreams.

Quite a bit of honesty with myself has been required to tease apart what is really valuable to me. I have had to ask questions such as: Is the problem with selling my work a problem with my ego and grandiosity and not a selling problem? Is hiding behind my fears and negativity about marketing a way to not explore myself and offer my vision to people who want it.

Other issues I have had to look at is having to be perfect, fear of competition, needing to be special, needing to be the best, fear of failure, and needing to isolate. Please note I have said "fear" and not the reality of being those things. Fear, I have found is a great way to wrestle with the ego, who at all costs wants to protect itself. And in this ongoing battle with my fears I surprised myself by ending up with a lot more confidence and self knowledge.

Birds of a Feather Flock Together

Looked at in this matter, I realized the responsibility lay inside of me to grow into an adult who joins into relationship with the world as the culmination of being a mature and fulfilled human being who can offer themselves to the world in a generous way as a full participant. And not as a victim who is trying to sell something, but as someone who has agency and willingness to become their full potential in the marketplace of life.