Lets be honest, when we are unsure about doing something different, we often come up with more reasons not to do it, than the reasons to do it.
For years I kept telling myself that perusing my art was a waste of time and there was no way anyone would want to buy it. So why bother trying?
It took a string of failed jobs and a global pandemic for me to finally think, 'screw it', and pick up my paint brush again. I didn't start getting sales straight away, but I kept at it because I enjoyed it. I'm so happy I did as I'm currently enjoying watching my little business grow, step by step.
So if you have a passion for art and are struggling to find the 'push' to start you own business, here are 10 reasons you should.
1 : All you have to do is start painting
Pull out your paint brushes, paints, pencils, chalks, pastels ... whatever medium you enjoy the most and just start painting what you love. Whether that be scenic landscapes, crazy abstracts, dilapidated buildings, fast cars or in my case, animals. Also, if your struggling for inspiration, have a good mooch on Pinterest. It's a goldmine if your suffering from artist block.
2: You don't need a lot of money to start
If money is your concern, you honestly don't need a lot of money to get going. At the beginning I found a cheap watercolor set on Amazon for under £20, a brush set from the Range for under £5 and I had some old watercolour pads from back in the days when I was painting in College. You don't need fancy materials to create good art. Nor do you need a top of the range camera, printer scanner or computer. Photograph your art on your phone, edit them with free apps if you need to. Upload them and sell online on a platform, such as Etsy, where you pay a small fee per listing and don't have to spend a large sum on a monthly subscription or a large bulk payment on creating a website. In essence, you don't need to take any big financial risks and can start on the bare minimum.
3: You don't need to have a plan or a knowledge of business
I think the majority of creatives starting a small business don't have a business or marketing degree, and to be honest, you don't need one. I can vouch and say the majority of my knowledge has come from trail and error and the great wealth of information we all access to - the internet. I had no plan whatsoever, I started creating art, sharing it on social media, and uploading it to my online shop. It's only as times gone on I've realised the importance of spreadsheets, tracking spendature, SEO and other creative marketing strategies. Some say (myself included) one of the best parts of owning a small business is the constant learning in order to develop.
4: The sooner you start, the better
Growing a small business takes time, especially as an artist where you are taking a great deal of time to create one piece of work. It also takes a great deal of time to grow your audience and reputation as an artist. Because of this, the sooner you start, the better!
5. You can do it alongside your job or studies
You don't have to give up your day job. Many small business owners successfully run their businesses alongside full or part time jobs. You can choose how much time you spend on your art. If it grows, (hurrah) and your struggling to manage your time, you can always ask friends or family for help or if your financially able, you can always decide to reduce the amount of time your at your day job, or get rid of it entirely!
6: There is an audience for every 'type' of art
If you think your art won't sell, to put it bluntly, you're wrong. Everyone has their own tastes and there will be people who both like and dislike your art. Your goal isn't to get everyone to love your art, but getting it in front of an audience who will love and want it. It's one of the fun challenges of trying to grow a small business and it does take time. So if you have recently set up your small business and you are struggling to get sales, don't be disheartened. It isn't because no one likes your art, its because your customers haven't found you yet.
7: There are so many different avenues you can go down
Having an art business is so much more than just painting - so if you are worried you may quickly get bored and throw in the can - you won't. There are so many different avenues you can take your business down. You don't just have to sell your physical works, you can sell limited edition prints, products with your own designs on them. You could create your own range on kitchen/ homeware or pets accessories ... the list is endless! You don't just have to sell online, you can go to markets, get your work into stores. You're only limited to your imagination.
8: Its a challenge
Hear me out, this isn't a reason NOT to start your art business. It is challenging but it is also extremely rewarding. The feeling you get from starting something from scratch and having it slowly grow with your love and nurturing, is the absolute best. There will be times where it feels sluggish and you wonder if you can really make your dreams of becoming a full time artist a reality, but it takes perseverance. Unfortunately it doesn't happen over night. However, if you're determined, you can do it.
9: If you enjoy it - do it
If you enjoy art and enjoy being creative then why not do it? I've always believed that if you really enjoy doing something and put your full passion behind it, you can make it successful. Plus, who wants to be stuck doing something they really don't enjoy doing - even running your art business part time gives you a nice break from your 'every day' and allows you to make a nice bit of extra money from your hobby.
10. If you don't try, you'll never know
I think this last point is pretty self explanatory so I'm going to stop typing and just let it marinate ...