Day 39: 10 Ways to Position Yourself as an Artist | Jenn Terrell, Photographer
Uplift Blog Series: I wanted to help be a part of online positivity in the wake of the coronavirus and social distancing measures. I have had the honor of working with some amazing people who have such interesting and uplifting stories. ❤️I think now is the perfect time to share some of those. Education is also great to share during times like these so there will be educational posts occasionally. At first, I was going to put everything into one post but I think each person and topic deserves their own post and it will give me something to look forward to sharing with the world each day.
Day 39: 10 Ways to Position Yourself as an Artist
Being a professional artist takes work and that is why it is so important you are passionate about what you do. There will be lots of room for failure and for giving up but your passion and love for what you do is what will keep you going through everything. Look through these tips to make sure you are on the right path to positioning yourself to be an artist and an authority in your industry.
Creative photograph featured in my first solo exhibition.
1. Get your mind right and put yourself out there.
For others to see you as an artist or a professional, you have to see yourself that way first. I see lots of people trying to get their start in art or a photography business and they don’t have confidence that others will take them seriously. Who cares if others don’t see you as an artist, you can be or do whatever you want. The more consistently you show up (website, social media, do work, create, etc.) the more they will not be able to see you as anything else. Plus, who actually determines how much of an artist or professional you are? Truly it can only be you. Some people might never take you seriously and they might be really close to you. That is why it has to start with you. Start pounding it into your brain that this is what you are and this is what you are working towards.
Once I made the decision to make photography my life, I never looked back. I still have goals I want to hit and things I want to achieve but I am both an artist and a professional and I work hard to maintain that everyday. If you aren’t sure how to shift your mindset, here is a virtual workshop put on by some of my favorite business educators.
2. Be ready to work. A LOTTTTT
You know how people say being an entrepreneur is hard work? They ain’t lyin.’ My work consumes me everyday. I remember a few days ago saying I was going to “take a day off.” I still ended up doing a couple of hours of work. I know not everyone is like that. Work/Life balance is different for everyone but to make money doing what you love there has to be work and lots of it. Much of that work won’t even be about creating that art that you love.
I was talking to professional artist, Hubert Neal, Jr. He has been a full-time professional artist for more than a decade. I asked him what percentage of time he spends creating and what percentage of time he spends doing administrative work, marketing, etc. He said he creates probably 40% of the time. That means the majority of his work is business work usually behind a computer screen. Again, this is where passion will push you through. If you really love creating in whatever capacity, you will do the behind-the-scenes work to help create the stability in your business to carry you through the years.
Painter, Hubert Neal, Jr., works in his studio in Bentonville, Arkansas.
3. Be ready to learn. Always.
People do this in many different ways. Not many people are born business people. It takes practice and education to be able to run a business well. To keep creating you have to have a business to position yourself. When I first started doing photography, I read countless articles online, watched several youtube videos, etc. A few years ago I went to a photography conference that was about the creative and business aspects of photography. It felt so amazing to be around people who speak my language. I geeked out over camera specs, editing techniques, etc. It was an amazing experience! Then last year I went to a Hustle and Flow workshop and it was AMAZING! I learned so much! They teach artists and entrepreneurs how to do the business part of their work. They are offering online workshops right now that are gold. Click here to check them out. There are lots of business classes out there. Just get online and start educating yourself. There is always room to learn no matter what stage of your career you are in.
4. Join groups on social media with your peers.
There is so much free info out there in groups and room for friendships and connections. People like community and these groups provide that plus more! I learned so much about business early on from joining groups on Facebook and just reading. So whenever I scroll on Facebook my feed is full of info from groups with professional photographers asking questions, sharing info and getting me ready for potential conflicts that could happen to me.
For example, I have seen so many scenarios where photographers ask groups for advice on how to proceed with a certain issue. Lots of people respond and now moving forward you have an idea of how to solve a problem before it even arises for you. This allows you to be super proactive and armed with knowledge so when these situations happen to you, you don’t freak out because you already know how to best serve your client.
5. Submit your work and be prepared for rejection
The best way to get yourself out there is to have people see your work. You should submit to publications or exhibitions that match the genre and maybe even style of your work. For example, a lot of my personal work is about social activism so I submitted my work to an art exhibition called “Art + Activisim: Art of the Issues 2020.” One of my photos made it in! I am also a wedding photographer so I am constantly submitting photos from weddings and creative photoshoots to publications. Here is one of my favorite ones in The Outside Bride. The more your work gets published or seen the more you will get opportunities and grow your business. It is a slow process and you never know when it will pay off, but if you keep doing the hard work you will get somewhere eventually.
The other side of this one is to be prepared for rejection. As an artist, you will experience so much rejection. It is part of the job, honestly. You might submit 50 things to different open calls or publications and two might get picked up or accepted. That is just a generalization but honestly to get your work picked up, it has to resonate with someone. I have had a photo rejected by an organization and then two months later I submitted it again to the same organization and they published it. That meant a different person looked at it and it resonated with them so they accepted it. You never know who your work will resonate with so you have to keep trying because it will resonate eventually and it will feel so good to see your work in an exhibition, in print or published online.
Photograph of a Tushy bidet from a commercial photoshoot I did last winter.
6. Look for multiple streams of income to help during slow seasons.
Having multiple streams of income is so important to being a full time artist. I am primarily a wedding and portrait photographer. Doing that plus personal photo projects is my passion. That is what I LOVE to do. I do a few other things to keep my business viable and make sure I have a little cushion in other areas just in case I have a slow month or so. During this pandemic, this has been vital. Since I can’t get other and photograph safely in person, I had to lean on my other avenues of income to push through.
In the past, I have taught a college class about design and photography, sold my prints at exhibitions, did trials on new photo editing software, edited photos for others, worked as a social media assistant, helped small business owners with social media/technology, and more.
I currently do food photography, commercial work, real estate, and more. I sell stock photography. I write content for three magazines. I offer mentorships, photography classes, etc. I am working on a product line and a couple of books. The list goes on! I constantly look for opportunities to expand my work as an artist in various ways like writing, design, teaching, etc.
Look online and see what kind of opportunities match up your skills. Join Facebook groups for freelancers. Look on Craigslist. Update your LinkedIn account. If you look long enough you will find avenues of additional income.
7. Teach your own classes and/or offer mentorships.
Offer up your knowledge to rookies in the field. You can teach creative or business classes in whatever area you feel you have enough knowledge. You can do online webinars, pdfs, in-person classes, one-on-one classes, etc. This is a great way to share your knowledge, keep your mind fresh and earn a little extra income.
8. Find extra inspiration and motivation from others.
Most of us have our slumps where we feel unmotivated or uninspired for a bit. Do whatever you can to stay motivated and stay in-tune creatively. You can do creative workshops to hone in on your craft. You can do online business workshops. Find a Youtube video that is helpful creatively or business wise. You can watch documentaries, read books, etc. about people who are successful in your craft. Recently watching The Last Dance docuseries about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls has really inspired me. Michael Jordan is one of the most successful people of our time and he worked his tail off to get there. That was extremely motivating for me. I also get motivation from Facebook groups, online classes, etc.
9. Pay your taxes.
Being a legal business is very important. You are basically your own CEO, accountant, marketer, etc. Being on top of this stuff from the start will make your life so much easier. Check your city’s small business page and see what you need to do to get legal if you aren’t already. Hire an accountant if you can. You will thank yourself later!
10. Have contracts!
This is an important part of getting legal. Have contracts when you sell an art piece or book photography for a wedding is super important. A contract tells your client exactly what they can expect from you. You can buy contracts online from various sites but the best thing is to get one written up by a lawyer to make sure you are extra protected.
11. Bonus tip which is actually more important than the rest of them. Always be you and keep your integrity.
Being you is so important in everything you do. From every email that you write to making sure your work comes from you it all matters SO MUCH. If you copy someone else’s wording from their website and then copy it and add it to yours, it won’t actually be you. It won’t be written in the way that you speak. People can sense inauthenticity and they will have a weird feeling about you and they may not necessarily know why. Always write and do your work from the heart. It makes a difference and I promise you people will figure it out if it isn’t you. You alone are good enough and once people see the real you, you will attract those that resonate with the real you. I remember when I first started doing photography over 10 years ago, I was afraid to show my activism in my work. Activism and equality are two things I am SO passionate about. I was leaving a part of myself out of my work for fear of rejection. Now I put my activism and fight for equality at the forefront of my work and I am attracting those who love that about me and some people even want to work with me because of it. They fully accept me and want to support what I am doing. There is no greater feeling than that.
Check out my work on all the internet thingzzz :)
Wedding/Portrait Website
Art Website
Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest
