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11/15/2007: "Artists, Toot Your Horn – Tout de suite" by Barney Davey
Artists are a unique breed in many regards. Whether visual, performing, recording or literary, in order for them to be successful there is an unspoken requirement they learn to talk objectively, passionately and eloquently about their work. Of course, some succeed at these things better than others. But, being able to do effectively is an enormous advantage.
Think about it. Most professionals would cringe at the thought of having to rehash in public, or in the media about their job performance. The vast majority of us work quietly at our jobs with only a few colleagues and even fewer managers having the foggiest notion of what we do, or how well we do it. Imagine if the output or result of your work was to be studied and commented upon by a range of people from those in the profession who might be able to help your career to those with no idea of what you do or how you do it, but who freely comment on whether they like it or not and why. And, that you have to grin and bear it as you hear sometimes dreadful uneducated comments about your work. On the bright side, there are those priceless compliments that balance the negative comments.
Artists either instinctively know or soon realize talking up and about the work is part and parcel of the successful art career. That is, to have one’s work be sold and appreciated, one has to put it in the public eye for display and dissemination. For those who abhor such activity, the Internet offers some respite. With its plethora of sites that offer art for viewing and sale, including Absolute Arts that continues to maintain one of the strongest positions in the dynamic market, the Web provides an additional degree of separation for artists from the vagaries of dealing directly with critics, collectors, galleries and gadfly browsers with short arms and deep trousers. But, making a career by selling online has its own problems.
Internet aside, part of the success quotient for being a known artist comes from the ability to confidently present the work in an accessible and compelling manner. It’s simple, if as an artist you don’t toot your horn, how will anyone everyone ever hear about or come to know you? Artists are for the most part entrepreneurs with at best a small staff to help them manage their business. And, when it comes down to it no one else can really explain an artist’s work the way the artist, the creator, can. Do this as well as you create and the things you measure for your success will improve.
Like most entrepreneurs, especially in the early going, there is too much to do and too little time to get things done. It’s easy to concentrate on the things that come easy at the cost of getting the things done that are equally important in the scheme of gaining awareness and sales. Collectors don’t fall from trees. They are found one at a time through exposure. Artists who understand that a foundation of collectors, galleries and dealers are like a brick wall built one brick at a time usually find success sooner and in greater depth than those who ignore the work necessary to build a solid foundation.
Being able to toot your horn is one of the best things an artist can learn to do. Besides the work, which is paramount, showing poise and confidence and being able to passionately articulate about the work is tremendously helpful. Poise and confidence are extremely attractive attributes. People naturally gravitate to those who exude such qualities. In enough abundance they arguably trump all but raw talent when it comes to forging an artist’s career.
One of the keys to success and confidence is having the ability to get enough things done on time that you are not living under constant stress. Here’s a suggestion for you. It’s a book titled, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen. Amazon rankings change hourly, but when I looked at it just now the book ranked #1 in three separate categories on Amazon.com, which is an amazing feat:
#1 in Business & Investing > Business Life > Health & Stress
#1 in Health, Mind & Body > Self-Help > Self-Esteem
#1 in Health, Mind & Body > Mental Health
Out of more than 3 million books, the book ranks #65, which is nearly as amazing as the fact it has an astounding 359 reader reviews and still maintains a 4.5 out 5 review stars average. This is as much a testament as any you’ll find about one books ability to help people from all walks of life to get a handle on getting things done. Of course, the more you get done, the more confidence you have in your ability to achieve things.
All this passes along in your communication and your vibe with your customers. We are much more highly evolved at sensing things than we sometimes give ourselves credit for. Malcolm Gladwell explains that in his bestseller, Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking; another book that is #1 in three Amazon categories. While Blink is informative and interesting, Allen’s book is transformational. I commend it to you.
One of the things you can do as an artist with some of the time you’ll gain from Allen’s book is to put more effort into Tooting Your Horn. You don’t have to be outrageous and audacious in doing this. It has to come from within and be as natural as you can make it. You’ll find those who seem quiet and unassuming at first blush, but who reveal a surprising strength of will and assertion when it comes to furthering their career. And, you’ll find on the opposite spectrum the bold and brash, take no prisoners personalities who command attention in every situation.
Use some of your new found organizational skills to schedule time to promote your work, to improve and embellish your marketing, to generate more public relations activities and whatever else you can do to become better known. You can find several recent posts on my www.ArtPrintIssues.com blog that offer useful ideas on creative marketing for artists. They are diverse enough that just about any artist can find ideas and inspiration from among them.
Once you figure out what works for you and your personality let us and the world around you hear a beacon call rush forth from your horn, from your passion, from your desire. Toot sweet and loud - tout de suite.
Barney Davey
Scottsdale, Arizona
