Are you a young artist? Here’s how to get noticed
by Euella Jackson
Are you a young artist, struggling to get your artwork noticed? Are you pouring your blood, sweat, tears and a whole heap of energy into your craft – to no avail? Are people failing to take you seriously as an ‘artiste’? Same lol. Trust us, we’ve all been there. Having spent a weekend immersed in the world of art and artists at Spike Open Studios it seemed like a good time to give the subject some focus. So, to ensure you don’t go through the same struggle that so many artists do, we’ve got seven tips to get you and your work the recognition you deserve. Let’s make the stereotype of the ‘struggling artist’ a thing of the past shall we?
1. NETWORK ONLINE AND OFFLINE
It’s true that ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ and part of getting noticed is putting yourself out there by networking with people who are in (or are trying to get into) the creative industries. Yeah, we know that the thought of going out into a sea of people and selling yourself can be a bit daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Networking doesn’t have to be you diving blindly into a crowd of creatives, armed with nothing but your business cards and an awkward smile (although, that’s not such a bad idea). Networking can be done on a small, more intimate scale as well – so have no fear! Successful networking is about having meaningful interactions – whether that means meeting up with someone for a coffee or choosing a few people in that sea of people to speak to. It’s all about baby steps.
All you need is yourself, your business cards and your elevator pitch at the ready. Who are you and what do you do? What’s going to make them remember you? Remember to make yourself memorable to make you stand out from the crowd.
Don’t network for networking sake, put those contacts you make to good use. Follow up by creating a community or network of creative young people who compliment your craft. You know what they say, strength in numbers, so use your new network to organise meet ups, collaborative content and to update each other regularly about what you’re all up to. With the help of sites such as Facebook, it has never been easier to connect with creatives from all over the city and beyond. Use these spaces to promote your work, share ideas and opportunities too!
2. PROMOTE YOURSELF ONLINE
In this day and age, it’s hard to get anywhere without using the internet. In many ways, it’s a blessing and curse. The internet can be a great place to showcase your work, connect with other artists and keep your (potential) followers up to date with what you’re up to – but it can be hard work to keep on top of it all. Making a social media strategy or plan can help make sure that you’re consistent and uploading content that will help push your work.
Have an online portfolio or a place where you can share your work that is accessible and easy to find. Use it to signpost potential followers, clients or people you have networked with to the breadth of your work. If you have met someone at a networking event or given them your card, your portfolio is usually the first place they will look – so make sure that you keep it up to date with your latest projects. Prospective followers like to see that you are being active and are more likely to come back if they see that content is being uploaded regularly.
Although having an online portfolio is great, if nobody knows about it, it’s unlikely that it will help get your work noticed and build your following. This is where social media comes in. Use social media strategically to share your work with the world and to let your followers know about new content that you’ve published. Make sure that you are using the right social media site that best reaches your targeted audience. For example, Instagram is great for sharing images and short videos, whereas Twitter could be more useful for developing a relationship with your following and allowing your followers to connect with you through mentions and retweets.
If you are using social media already, there is always more than you can be doing to further boost your engagement. Is your content as engaging as it can be? Are you using pictures, videos and hashtags to grab your audience’s attention? Are you being consistent with your uploads? Are you interacting with other artists and fans on your social media? Great, do more of that. Use the internet to put your work out into the universe and get yourself noticed.
3. GET YOUR WORK OUT THERE
Posting your work online isn’t the only way to get it seen by the masses – it can be just as important to promote your work IRL as well. The great thing about art is that it works everywhere. Think about easy, creative ways that you can get your work seen by large numbers of people. For example, jazz up your boring business cards by adding your designs on the back or if you want something a little less disposable, put your designs on items that are guaranteed to get used like notebooks or coasters. Not only is it a creative way of giving potential funders and clients gifts, its also a means of showing off your best work – win, win.
For those who are a bit more fashion-minded and you want to go the extra mile, how about creating wearable merchandise with your designs on them like hats, tote bags or T-shirts – a tidy way to make some extra cash and some smart promo. Just imagine how many people would see your work every time somebody wore one of your T-shirts… a lot. This is particularly great for those of you whose work is unique, eye-grabbing and distinctive.
4. GIVE YOUR WORK/ TIME AWAY
Some people refer to this as an ‘artistic tithe’ – a means of offering yourself or your work to others in exchange for exposure or networking opportunities. If you’re not already, think about donating some of your time or work to a charity or event each month. This form of volunteering is not only a great way of giving back but also a really nice way of getting your work noticed. It’s about getting into spaces where your presence is going to have the most impact and recognition – for example, offering to photograph a charity event can provide networking opportunities and help you gain more work through word of mouth. You may gain extra followers as a result of directing people to your website to retrieve event photos or by connecting with people at the event. Alternatively, looking out for in-house exhibition opportunities or donating some of your work to an independent restaurant or cafe may be a good way to get people interested in your work – free advertisement.
We advise giving away only 10% of your services. As young artists, it is important that you be paid for your time, #payyoungartists, so volunteer your work/time only if you believe your craft will be valued and if you can afford to.
5. ENTER COMPETITIONS
Entering your work into competitions can have multiple benefits and is a rewarding way of putting your work on the map. Winning competitions can lead to recognition from industry professionals and can open doors to future opportunities. However, winning isn’t everything folks. Being a finalist or runner- up can be just as good as it’ll get your name in the right networks – in this game, everyone’s a winner. Many competitions have requirements or briefs that you need to meet in order to enter. Making original work to meet a competition brief can give you experience of working to a brief and also give you a push to challenge yourself creatively. Here are just a few examples…
http://encounters-festival.org.uk/submit-your-film-2018
https://artbattle.com/
https://www.artrabbit.com/artist-opportunities
Photo cred: @shamphat - www.shamphat.co.uk
6. GET YOURSELF AN AGENT
Get yourself an agent darling! Agents aren’t just for celebrities you know and getting yourself one could be just what you need to take your artistic career to the next level. A reputable art agent will be able to connect you to opportunities, help you get paid commissions and support you in promoting your work. We strongly believe that young artists should be paid and given the freedom to create their best work so that’s what we do here at Rising. We will support you throughout your early career via mentoring and training opportunities, paid commissions, and by putting you in touch with a network of cool creatives. We’re fearless, we take risks and we support great work. We host Featured Artists on our website, group-shows, opportunities for you to receive constructive criticism from your peers (CritChat) and give you the power to shape the future of the agency. We’re taking over galleries, Twitter feeds and city-wide conversations to get our artists the recognition they deserve. We are always on the look out for fresh, young artists to take on. Click here to join Bristol’s coolest art army.
7. WORD OF MOUTH
One of the oldest forms of promotion is word of mouth – and unsurprisingly, it is still one of the most effective. You know what they say, good news travels fast – so make you’re on top form. One of the first things that people remember about you is your passion – if you are passionate about what you do, this will show through your work, your face to face interactions and your online presence – making people want to see what more you have to offer. Be friendly, approachable and interesting.
It is important for you to wow clients and fans with great service and great content. Ensure you have clear communication skills, follow up any networking encounter with an email, with a brief reintroduction and maybe an invitation to meet for coffee. Make sure you are an active listener and attentive to how your work can add value to the lives and businesses of other. Get a reputation for being professional, easy to work with and talented and work will find its way to you.
Best of luck,
Make sure you remember us when you hit the big time!
Euella, and the Rising Family.