Entrepreneurship is Essential in the Arts

Artists often fail because they aren't taught to think and act like entrepreneurs. I could finish this blog with that statement because of how true it is. The reason an artist fails is the same reason every other entrepreneur fails; there's no difference. We don't have any less value than someone starting a restaurant or opening an accounting office.

The things needed to succeed are the same as anyone else: establish your reputation, show value, and share that value widely. Starting from the ground up, there's no shortcut. You must demonstrate that you are a place people want to do business. Just like any other business, you can be the very best at what you do but have no audience due to your lack of effort. Imagine a Michelin-starred restaurant in the middle of the countryside that does no marketing. If they invest heavily in cooking equipment, menus, and great staff but no one goes into nearby villages to tell them about this amazing experience they could have by eating there, they will fail, no matter how much preparation they put in. It's entirely up to us, like any entrepreneur, to take FULL responsibility for our failure and success.

So why is there a lack of an entrepreneurial mindset in the arts? It starts from the very beginning of our lives. Schools and parents are not teaching entrepreneurship. The world we are living in today promotes a conformist model. You are to go to work for a large corporation, conform to societal norms, and surrender your potential to become a consumer of anything and everything. And in all of that, you put yourself in a world where you cannot believe it is possible to succeed in any other model. It’s no wonder artists fear they will fail. The society around them has told them they have no place. No longer are artists encouraged to dream and contribute beauty as they did for centuries to our culture. Whether in churches, public opera houses, museums, galleries, or public squares, the imprint of artists can be felt. These great people were encouraged to be a part of the peacefulness of a culture. The profession of an artist was a valid one and still is today.

Becoming an entrepreneur requires mindset first; then, you add constant action, more training, and setting larger goals. This has been the foundation of all my mentorship and sadly is not taught in any university pumping out art majors each year.? Today artists are being trained to fail and blame their lack of success on their economic status, their history, capitalism, or any number of sad excuses. I could have easily failed based on my status and all the disadvantages I had.? The more I realized it was up to me to take responsibility and try harder, the faster my life changed.? It is up to us to break out of the bubble that the world puts us in. I can remember being asked years ago by one of my daughter’s teachers, “Can you really make a living doing that?” I laughed at him because I knew I was making three times what he was making in his “valid” profession. We all have the potential to make the same money as a doctor or a lawyer or any other profession accepted in our society. The choice is ours. I can’t promise anyone is going to believe you, even if you are like me and have almost 30 years in this business behind you. What I can promise is that if you start to consider yourself an entrepreneur and take full responsibility for your success and failure, you will live a dream you never thought possible. I wake up every single day and I can’t wait to get into my studio. True fulfillment is not a myth. It is yours for the taking.

Artwork, artist training and mentorship options at ericarmusik.com