The Reality of Being an Artist Part 1

Jen Rogers with an Original Work on Paper

"Be an artist," they say. "It's fun and easy!" But they don't tell you about all the pieces involved in the business. As an artist, you struggle. Most artists, I think, struggle with confidence. Even the best painters sometimes look at their work and think, "Is it good enough?"

I work on pieces for months, sometimes even years, when they don't feel quite right. Often, I'll set a canvas aside for weeks or longer, waiting for fresh inspiration to strike before trying a new approach. Abstract art flows entirely from the imagination—unlike realism, I'm not simply observing and recreating what I see. While I draw inspiration from life and tangible objects, my work primarily emerges from a blend of concepts and emotions that find their expression through each artistic creation.

 Sometimes I will completely start over. I'll just paint over an existing painting, because I just don’t love it.  So every day, especially when you're not a world-renowned artist, is a struggle with confidence and putting yourself out there. Once you put your work out to the world, if people don't like it or don't accept it, how do you internalize that? How do you move on? How do you keep creating and producing? That's always a question. 

Some days flow more easily than others. There are mornings when I wake up buzzing with creative energy, genuinely excited about my work. Then there are days when doubt creeps in: "Can I really do this? Will anyone appreciate my art? Am I foolish for even trying?" The honest answer is simply, "I don't know." I have no certainty about how others will receive my work, and that vulnerability can be overwhelming.

In those moments, I remind myself that creating art has been my lifelong dream. I find genuine joy in the creative process, and if others can build careers doing what they love, why not me? Some days this self-reassurance comes naturally—other days, it takes considerably more convincing.

What they don't tell you about is the business side. It's just like any other business where you are selling a product.  With art, it tends to be more personal than some products people sell, because it’s a part of you, but it's a product all the same that has to be marketed and sold.

I wish that it was as easy as creating something you love,  putting it out there, and having it sell immediately, but unfortunately it is not even close to that easy.   

You have to do the marketing. You have to manage the website. You have to do the posting and promotion on social media. You have to handle email marketing. You have to write blogs, do taxes, and cost analysis. It's amazing how much time all that consumes.

You really just have to be a jack of all trades, and it's not easy. In classes you take or books that you read they say, “Just hire people to do the things you’re not good at or that take a lot of your time. ," but if you're struggling to make sales, it's really hard to outsource when you're not making any money. So it's challenging to say the least. 

Just learning how to use SEO and  keywords—if you want to sell on the internet takes a lot of time.  You need to understand keywords and SEO. If you want to sell on Instagram or Facebook, you need to know all about algorithms, the best times to post, what you should post, and how to get engagement.

Then there's photographing your art, which is essential for sales. You need good quality photos in the correct lighting. But you also need to photograph and video your process to share with people. It's a lot of work. Then you need to come up with engaging content and interesting hashtags. It all takes significant effort.

Photography is something I don't love doing. I don't mind setting up a video for an artsy shot, but trying to get realistic, properly-proportioned pictures with correct lighting of my art has definitely been a challenge. It's probably one of my least favorite tasks, which is interesting because I don't mind taking pictures in general. But photographing art for my website is definitely not my favorite. That will eventually be something I outsource to a professional art photographer.

I don't mind creating content or posts, but it takes a considerable amount of time. I wouldn't mind having someone handle some of my social media, because that's time-consuming, but again, that's something I'll have to wait to hire out.

I enjoy painting. 

I love painting…. But how do you get people to see your art …. 

Well you need to be seen at art festivals and have your pieces in galleries and local businesses….

But how do you do that?? 

 Well , research …. I research requirements for gallery submissions and art festival juries. Most good art festivals and galleries require you to submit your work to be judged. For art festivals, most want to see examples of your work and your booth setup. If you haven't set up a booth yet, you have to create a mockup and purchase all the supplies ahead of time.

There are many pieces to put together in an art career, and most people don't realize that. There's a lot of training involved. I personally have an art coach, belong to a peer group and am constantly taking classes on marketing, new art techniques, etc..

As an Artist, you have to expect that your first year will involve working really hard without making much money. The next couple of years will likely be similar—it takes a few years to build up your audience if you are constantly out there. Finding people who appreciate what you do is challenging and takes time, but  it is key to being successful.  Once your people,  you will have supporters who like and appreciate your work. …and that is the goal! 

My art isn't for everyone, just like Van Gogh's or Monet's wasn't for everybody. Not that I'm comparing myself to Van Gogh or Monet at all, but we all have different styles and different things that appeal to us.

I'm not an artist drawn to realism. I love abstract, color, shapes, and texture. I love incorporating hidden meanings in paintings—sometimes not so hidden. I want art to make you feel and think, to bring inspiration and joy. That's why I do it!

Hopefully, I'll be able to continue for years to come, and hopefully, people will enjoy what I create.

If you are interested in following my journey, seeing what I create, getting VIP invitations to events and festivals where I will be showing my work,  and getting the inside scoop, consider joining my email list and following me on Instagram @JenRogers.Art .  

Sign up for Exclusive Insider Updates

Until next time …

XOXO ~

Jen