There’s More Than One Way to Be a Working Artist
There was a time when my work was about dealing with art as a commodity. I sold millions of dollars worth of it. I understood the market, the buyers, the system, the values.
But today, my work is about something entirely different. It’s about artists. It’s about the creative spark.
Because here’s what I know now — we all have it. That creative spark. Every single one of us. And the real question isn’t whether you’re talented. It’s what you choose to do with that spark. Whether you choose to invest in it — or not.
There is more than one version of success
A lot of artists tell me: “If I can’t be rich or famous, what’s the point?” But let’s step outside the art world for a second. Think about an aspiring athlete. Not everyone makes it to the major leagues. Not everyone signs a million-dollar contract. But that’s not the only path. There are coaches, trainers, specialists, commentators, brand builders, entrepreneurs — people who build entire careers around the thing they love. They stay in the game. They find their position.
Art is no different.
The problem is that most artists only see one version of success — gallery representation, recognition, sales. And if that doesn’t happen quickly, they stall. Or worse, they stop. Not because they aren’t capable. But because they don’t know what their version of a working life in art actually looks like.
Start here: three questions
If you already have a body of work — or at least a direction — I want you to think about three things.
1. What does your work actually do?
Not how you make it. Not what it looks like. But what it does in the world. This is where you begin: “My work exists to…”
2. Where does your work live right now?
Is it sitting on your phone? On your website? In exhibitions? In conversations? Because work that isn’t seen doesn’t have a job yet.
3. How are people meant to engage with it?
Do they buy it? Follow it? Collect it? Experience it? Commission it? If that’s unclear, your audience will feel that.
This is the gap I see over and over again. Not a lack of talent. A lack of translation.
Finding your place within it
What I’m very good at — what I’ve built my entire career on — is seeing that spark in other people. And helping you understand what to do with it. Not just creatively, but practically. How to shape it. How to position it. How to communicate it. How to build a life around it. Not someone else’s version of success — yours.
Because being a working artist isn’t about fitting into the art world. It’s about finding your place within it. And building something that actually works for you.
So if you’re feeling stuck, or unsure how your work fits, or like you have something but you can’t quite articulate it — start there. Not with more content. Not with more posting. Not with more noise. But by answering those three questions honestly.
If you want help doing that, I created a free assessment for artists. It will show you where you are right now, what’s working, and what might be missing.
Written by Crista Cloutier, artist mentor + founder of The Working Artist. (learn more about Crista here)