There is an internal tug of war that goes on for many artists who license their designs. We discuss the dilemma in the aisles of tradeshows, on message boards, blogs and more. Maybe you have felt it, too, but couldn’t quite name the feeling…
The struggle is between remaining true to yourself and your art while adapting to market trends. How each artist finds the balance and where they decide to draw the line differs, but the core issues are universal. To me, the Chinese Yin-Yang symbol is a great visual for the balance that is required to stay in business while staying true to your art brand.
I know first hand that I am not the only artist in the industry that ponders this balance, but I can only tell my own story. This is my journey from beginning to balance. Hopefully, it will help you find your own peace and balance as well.
I am an artist who licenses art. Equipped with a business degree and a start in the scrapbooking industry before delving into licensing at large in 2004, I was unsure of where I would fit in this bigger picture. What art would the market embrace and how did I want to be seen? A jack-of-all trades artist who does whatever a potential client asks for – a slave to trends and requests – or an artist with a more deliberate and focused plan and vision right out of the gate? And which is “the right way” to go? These questions kept me up at night!
Now, in 2010, I can tell you how my art evolved and how I maintain a balance between my art and adapting to market trends. The work I do today has evolved since 2004 and has a variety of themes and range of style. The range, from very whimsical to more traditional, causes challenges when it comes to branding myself and every collection I create being obviously recognizable as mine, but at the same time, the range keeps me in business and, equally important, keeps me creatively inspired.
Starting out in licensing, it is easy to get swept away and obsessed with trends. Color trends, theme trends, style trends. Trends can seem like the brass ring to a successful business – but trends can be misleading. If you spend your career chasing trends without building a core style or theme or focus, you may end up feeling like a hamster on a wheel, simply churning out the work dictated by others and not true to you as an artist.
At the same time, completely ignoring trends can lead you to a noticeable lack of licensing deals. Art licensing is commercial. As I am known to say, “The purpose of your art is to help sell a manufacturer’s product. The product does not exist to showcase your art.” So if you completely ignore trends and feedback from manufacturers and the marketplace, telling yourself you are just being true to your art, you may not go far in licensing.
There needs to be a balance and finding that balance has helped me to build my business and my brand. I have a range of styles but I don’t do all styles. It took a few years to see which themes and styles did best for me in licensing and now I strengthen my skills and collections in those areas. I do watch and try to anticipate trends but I always ask myself these questions:
- “How does this trend fit into my art style?”
- “Will my core clients be interested in this trend?” and
- “Does following this trend keep me true to what the market expects from me?”
I believe these three questions can help any artist balance art and trends. Just as stores become known for certain things, so do artists. For example, for people who want coffee, Starbucks will be one of the first places that come to mind. Understanding when you and your art come to mind will help you evaluate whether you should follow a trend or not.If you are known for peaceful, detailed floral designs, you will not help your business by jumping on the skull and graphic-styled trend that is so popular with teens today. It would do nothing but confuse your clients about who you are and what your art brand represents and more than likely, the art won’t be licensed. On the flip side, if you see a trending color palette that would work for florals, it would benefit you and your clients to add it to your offering.
While art licensing is art for commercial purposes, you can’t take the artist out of the art. To build a long-lasting business that keeps you inspired to get to work every day, it is essential to find and maintain balance between your art and reacting to market trends. Wishing you much creative success!