Tags
art, art business, art marketing, Artist, artwork, competition, enemies, faabest, frenemies, friends, gratitude, help, loving your enemies, making friends, marketing, marketing art, sharon cummings, the art of business, the business of art, work, work satisfaction
Frenemies is a funny term, but it is one that often best describes online relationships where two people are direct competitors selling a similar product to the same audience. I have been creating, marketing and selling my artwork online for over 10 years. I started on eBay which was a brutal place for a fine artist and from what I hear, it still is. That’s when it all started….where I learned to distinguish friends, enemies and frenemies. Unlike many artists, I am a business person first and an artist second. I have a direct way of communicating online. I am ALL business which ruffles some feathers greatly. The insecure, sensitive and overly emotional types can easily get offended by my style of typing. Regardless of how I have been viewed by others, I have always offered my help. I have spent many hours chatting, emailing and posting in groups so that emerging creatives can learn what I have had to acquire the hard way. I share my secrets to success. I congratulate others when their work is doing well. I relentlessly encourage those that are still struggling to sell their work. I do it because I like people and I enjoy seeing others triumph just as much as I enjoy my own rewards in this field. EVERY sale is a victory for artists because it means that people are buying art. And it they buy someone else’s work it also means they might buy mine. I believe a lot of artists would have more “friends” and feel better about themselves if they learned that it is just as much the art of business as it is the business of art. And if they would realize that the potential for art sales is astronomical….the pie is big enough for ALL of us and that when someone offers you some help….take it with gratitude no matter how it was delivered. I will continue to help others regardless of the enemies and frenemies I acquire along the way…..because I am grateful that I have had the opportunities and successes that allow me to do so.
Learn more about my work here:
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-sharon-cummings.html?tab=artworkgalleries
