There's too Much Art in The World!

-“There’s too Much Art so You Should Just Stop Creating”-

Hello guys! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend creating amazing pieces of art!! Today, I wanted to talk to you guys about something that was brought to my attention last week that really got me thinking. To be honest, I got me a little upset at first but I knew I needed to give it some thought before I started a conversation about it with you.

It has come to my attention that some people think that there is just too much art in the world. Artists are making art at an amazing rate, not to mention the ease of that art being able to get out into the world via the various social media sites on the Internet.

To tackle this problem, I think we will have to break this up into a few different talking points:

·      Who is making the art

·      Is it really art/worth selling

·      How much does the art cost/worth

·      The public’s knowledge about art

First, lets talk about who is making the art. I encourage you to ask yourself these same questions as I have done. You can learn a lot about yourself and your art if you ask why you do something. Is it a person that just learned how to paint or draw and is just throwing stuff around on a canvas or piece of paper and calling it art? Does this person have any training as an artist? Does this person know the rules of art and why and when to break these said rules? Do they have any knowledge or talent based on what they are doing or do they just have a “it looks cool’ mentality?

Second and Third, we can talk about is it really art and what’s it worth. The dictionary defines art as – the quality, productions, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more then ordinary significance. Based on this and the questions above, we can decide if what we are doing really is art. Now, everyone has his/her own interpretation of what art is and can be but that should not dilute the true meaning of art. Why you do something is just as important, if not more important, than what you do. This can help answer the next question, “What’s it worth?” What’s it worth to you? What would you pay for it if you saw it at an art show and knew how it was created? (Be realistic!! This can only help you become a better artist.) Look at the materials used and how they are used. Does it look like it could hold the test of time? In 10 or 20 years will it still look the same or be relevant or will it fall apart in 5 years? Art collectors don’t want something that is going to fall apart in 5-15 years. Not only do people buy art because of the connection they have with it but also because of the value it will acquire years to come. Ask yourself, “Will this piece of art gain value in 5 years?” Why or why not? If why not, maybe you should consider not selling it or try to make it better before putting it on the market.

Last, but I think most important, is the public’s knowledge about art. Most people have no idea about art. They just like the way something looks or how it makes them feel (which is awesome in most cases). As an artist you have to make sure that you are not taking advantage of people like this. A contractor can sell a house that looks awesome on the outside but has a bad foundation, bad wiring, structure damage and bad plumbing. The people that buy this house will think they got a great deal and something worth a lot more than what it really is. If that’s how you sell your artwork, how do you sleep at night? Knowing something is not what you say it is and lying just to make some money is down right wrong! Your art is a representation of you. If you cut corners and produce badly made art you are only telling the people you sold it to that you don’t care about them and you just want their money. All you need to do is to care. Would you be upset if the shoe was on the other foot and someone sold you a piece of art like the ones you make? If not, great!! If so, then maybe you should think about why you are doing art in the first place.

Most art is for the artist. A very small amount of art is for the public. Just remember, art is about the creation of, not how much you can get from it.

Lets talk!! How do you feel about so much art in the world by so many artists? How do you decide what to sell and for how much? Do you have any thoughts about what we talked about today or any questions? Please share in the comment section. Lets start helping people understand that what we do is for a purpose.