Thoughts on Art, Marketability, and Making It Work
There’s a strange duality that comes with being a creator today. On one hand, we live in a time when artists are more visible, more connected, and more celebrated than ever. On the other hand…they’re also expected to be full-time marketers, content creators, small business owners, and accountants, all while trying to keep the creative spark alive.
Marketability, for me, is a mix of sales, engagement, connection, and the ability to see your work live many lives, maybe on someone’s wall, or maybe on the side of a coffee mug. I love when people are able to recognize someone’s signature artistic style, but I also get excited thinking about the ways art can break out of traditional forms and surprise the audience on a backpack, a cereal box, or a sneaker.
Selling Without Selling Out?
Sometimes the push to make work “sellable” feels like it comes with compromises. Do you make something because it feels good? Or because it fits in that popular aesthetic you know will move product at the next craft fair?
Authenticity is a long game. What resonates most with people is honesty, and it’s okay to think about what sells…but it’s better to trust that your voice and vision will eventually bring in the audience meant for you. People connect to people, not just products.
Modern Patronage (or, Please Just Pay Artists)
Historically, patronage was all about wealthy nobles paying artists to make great work. Was it flawed? Sure. But sometimes I do wish we could bring back the vibe of “get paid to be eccentric and paint mania-induced visions for a decade.”
These days, patronage can mean a lot of things: commissions, crowdfunding, or online marketplaces. None of it is perfect. Most of it is necessary. Sometimes artists have to hustle – sometimes, the hustle is how art survives and thrives.
What Could Be
Whenever I walk through a maker’s market or scroll through online storefronts, I’m in awe of the incredible creativity on display. But recently, I have found myself wondering: What else could exist? What haven’t we seen yet? What’s sitting in someone’s sketchbook or floating in a daydream, just waiting for the right opportunity to take shape?
This isn’t about lack, by the way…it’s about pure potential. It’s about the wide open space of what art can be. What makes you stop and smile? What’s the thing you didn’t even know you were looking for until you saw it? Just a few weeks ago, I went to a craft fair and chatted with a potter who was selling handmade travel coffee tumblers, complete with a lid! I don’t know why I was so obsessed with them, but up until that moment, I had only considered the possibility of handmade coffee mugs or cups. The artist told me that they were the latest trend, so they had recently made a larger collection in preparation for the increase in sales they were seeing.
I want MoreMor to be a place where these kinds of questions and conversations can live. So I’m asking you: What kind of art lights you up? What do you want to see more of? What would you hang in your home, pin on your jacket, or carry in your bag?
Let’s imagine together and dream up what’s coming next…