So you want to know how to actually make a living as an artist?  You're in the right place! For the last 25 years, I've made my living using my creative expression and I'm going to share with you the top things I've learned so you can begin actually making a living from your art.

You Can't Have Business Dreams with Hobby Habits
A lot of artists "dream" of making a living from their art but few are actually willing to do what it takes. What does it take, you might ask?  Things like:

• Making time to create great work every day
• Purposefully developing and enhancing your artistic skill
• Cultivating ongoing inspiration
• Stewarding the ideas you get so you can come back to them at the right time
• Creating your business entity and bank account to treat your art as a business
• Developing connection with your ideal client through marketing
• Being found online where clients are looking (website, social, blogs, podcasts, editorials, online storefronts, etc.)
• Connecting with other artists on the same journey for support and encouragement
• Having a mentor who can lead you in areas you're not proficient in yet including art, marketing, business and your spiritual life.

​Over the years as I've grown my own very successful art business (I'm a woven sculpture artist) and mentored literally thousands of Christian artists, I've found for an artist to really thrive, they have to cultivate 5 specific areas of their life: heart & mind, art, brand, business and life. Unless you are working on all these areas simultaneously, it's unlikely you'll be able to make a living as an artist.

See, making work that is masterfully created and unique is simply the starting point. That's a given. It's ground zero. Once you're making work that's uniquely beautiful you've got to go about cultivating an authentic connection with your potential audience.

For more on this subject, check out The Thriving Christian Artist Podcast. It's free and filled with hundreds of free episodes that will empower you on your creative journey toward actually making a living as an artist.

Need some more help starting to cultivate those 5 hey areas? Take my "Start Thriving Now" ecourse. It's free and will be a big encouragement to you.

One of the frequent questions I get goes something like, "Matt, I'm on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok. So, is it even a necessity to have a website?  

I get it. Websites can seem so last decade. But an effective website can be the best marketing tool an emerging artist can use to grow their business and expand their influence. So, I want to give you a new perspective on websites while highlighting what I see are the four primary purposes of every artist's website.

All Roads Lead to Your Website

So, I'm a big fan of Social Media. I'm currently on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, while at the same time, my podcasts are being distributed across a dozen different platforms. I've been interviewed on radio, tv, podcasts, and in magazines, books, and blogs. The common thread that holds this all together is my website.

I like to think of an artist's website as the central place or the hub of your artistic world. Your website should be the place that all roads from the social jungle point back to.  Your social pages should link to it, your blog should live on it, and when you're interviewed online, on-air, or in print, you should mention it. 

Why? You ask. It's simple. Your website is where your Artist Statement lives.  It's the place where all the images of you working in the studio, of the trajectory of your work, and the history of your creative process are displayed. Your site is where you showcase your current work, share your event calendar, and talk about your journey as an artist. 

Now, the whole point of having a website, though, is not just to have a website.  The whole point of having a website is to move people through a process where they can do four things. 

Learn About You
As you are designing your website, you want to speak about what you do in a way that connects with what your site visitors are looking for.  If you go to my website, www.MattTommey.com, you can see how I speak to people that are looking for unique, nature-inspired woven sculpture.  

I am speaking not only about myself, my art, and my creative process, but I am intentionally sharing what I do in terms of what my potential clients are looking for.  In marketing, we call that the WIIFM – "What's In It For Me?" When you ask this question, you have to think about it from the client's perspective since that is who you want to be able to connect with.

Have Their Needs Met
I remember walking through a store one day when U2's "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" began playing in the background.  I had a chuckle because it was true for me that day, but it also brings up a great point.

Your website needs to persuade visitors that the solutions you offer, the art you sell, the classes you teach, or the book you wrote is something that they need. The language you use, the pictures you share, and the stories you tell on your page need to connect with these potential clients in a way that makes them want to take advantage of the opportunity you're offering based on their values, their desires, and what they are looking for.

Take Action
Number three, your website has got to have a clear invitation.  You want to have an opportunity to invite visitors to get involved in your world. It can be as simple as an invite to a show, an offer to take a class, or even an opportunity to purchase a piece of work. 

The secret is you have to ask the visitor to take action, and you've got to be really clear!  In the Marketing world, we call that your Call To Action.  Your CTA is effective when a site guest can clearly understand what they are being asked to do and quickly and easily do it.

Become Connected
Lastly, you want to make it easy for your site visitors to stay connected with you. That's why I tell the artist in my Created to Thrive Artists Mentoring Program to make sure that there is an opt-in page on their websites.

An opt-in page is where somebody can make a purchase, register for a class, or even give you their email address. Again, your website is not of any real use if it is just a brochure out there.  You want to make sure that it's a vehicle to connect, persuade, invite, and enable your clients to communicate with you, do business with you, and refer you to others.

I hope this helps as you take that step of creating or refining your website. If this article has helped, take a moment to share it with a friend, share it on social media, and comment below!

Thanks for reading.

Have you ever wanted to know just what it takes to get into an art gallery? I get asked about this all the time, and in this article, I have three tips, straight from a local gallery director, that will help you get your art ready for submission to a reputable gallery.

As many of you know, I have been transitioning out of my River Arts District studio, where I have been for the last ten years, into a private and not open to the public studio. As a part of this move, I am starting to sell my work through galleries again. 

I was making a delivery the other day, and I had the opportunity to talk to the director and their staff. I shared with them that one of the big questions that I get all the time from the members of my Created to Thrive Artists Mentoring program is, "Matt, how do I get into a really reputable gallery?"  

Of all the things they shared about what to do and what NOT to do when seeking gallery representation, the following three things really stuck out as vital to artists wanting to sell their work through a reputable gallery.

Follow the Procedures

I know that might seem like a "Duh! Everybody follows the procedures!" But not everybody does!  In fact, too many artists just show up at the gallery and ask, "How do you be an artist in this gallery," or another favorite question, "Can you just look at my work on my phone?"  

Listen!  Any reputable gallery has got a process, often found on their website. It will detail when they are looking at work, how to submit it, and the time frame in which they'll get back with you.  If you research a gallery you are interested in and can't find their submission process online, then reach out with a call or email asking how they would like for you to submit work for their consideration.

The critical thing to remember here is that every gallery has procedures, and they all want you to follow them; why, you wonder? It's because if they are a reputable gallery, they are a busy gallery, and following their procedures shows a gallery owner that:

• You respect their time and their status in the local art scene
• You are serious about your art
• You are someone that can be trusted to work with long term

Always remember that a gallery isn't just someone who shows off your artwork from time to time. They are going into business with you. When a gallery accepts your work, they partner with you to distribute your art to the world.  So, it's vital that you follow their procedures at the beginning of what can be a very fruitful relationship.

Be On-Time

This kind of goes without saying, but it was one of the key "what NOT to do" things the gallery staff shared with me.  They told me, "If all of our artists would be like you, Matt!  You are actually on time. You were here when you said you were going to be, and you have your paperwork!"  

Here's a Pro Tip for getting an art gallery director and staff to love you and your work: Make it easy to do business with you.  It starts with things like:

• Fill out your Artist Inventory BEFORE you arrive with your artwork.
• Have your headshots, bio, and artist's statement ready to give the gallery both in printed form and in digital format.
• Show up for your appointments on time with all your gallery submission work complete.

Do this, and they will have a great feeling about you and your work. And when the gallery owner and the gallery staff feel good about you and your work, they are much, much, much more willing to talk to clientele about what you do creatively, both to sell pieces and to refer clients back to you for commissioned work.  

Make Great Artwork

Again, I would hope this would seem obvious, but too many people just don't seem to get this. You've got to be making great work for a gallery to take you seriously.  You may be a great marketer, but if you create sub-standard pieces that are not desirable in the marketplace, then you can't expect the gallery to get excited about what you do.  

While you're out there looking for a reputable venue to represent your work, owners are looking for artwork that will enhance their art gallery's reputation. I share these concepts often, both in this blog and on my Thriving Christian Artist and 5-Minute Mentoring Podcasts, about:
 

• Being both Filled and Skilled as an Artist, 
• Having a Regular Consistent Studio Practice
• Developing of Your Unique Artistic Voice

Investing in yourself and your art is the path towards creating high quality, unique art that will be prized and appreciated in the marketplace. 

When you do these three things, I promise that you will make friends and influence gallery owners quickly. You'll be set apart from so many other artists in the Marketplace who may be great at what they do, but they aren't making it easy for a gallery to do business with them. 

I hope this has been a big encouragement to you. If this article has been a blessing to you, take a moment to share it with a friend, share on social media and comment below!

Thanks for reading. 

​

Do you ever struggle with a lack of time and feel like you just can’t get everything done?  Do you ever wonder how you are supposed to be the artist that God has called you to be, yet don’t seem to have enough hours in the day?  Well, if that’s you, then keep reading because I’ve got some practical strategies for finding more time for the things that really matter.

One of the five roadblocks I’ve seen hold artists back over the years is this whole concept of overwhelm and the lack of time.  You might be nodding your head right now, thinking, Matt, I know what you mean.  A lot of artists struggle with this, but here is the thing that I have learned about overwhelm and lack of time.  How you spend your time is simply a reflection of a few things in your life:

• What you value
• What you believe about yourself
• What you believe about your calling as an artist
•  What you believe is possible in your life and your art

And all of this can be summed up into one word: Vision.

How you spend your time is directly related to vision. It’s the Bible that tells in Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish,” or as another version reads, “the people cast off restraint,” and one of my favorite translations says that without vision that “people run wild.” So how does all this relate to time and time management?

Vision from God about your life and art allows you to have a standard by which you choose how to use and prioritize your time. It helps you to know who you are and what you are called or meant to do in your life and with your art. Without that in place, then it's too easy to let circumstances and other people determine what your priorities are in life. Then before you know it, your time, your money, your energy, and your focus have been hijacked by someone else’s agenda. 

I had to get to this place in my own life. The place where I fully embraced God’s call and plan for my life as a husband, a dad, an artist, and as a father to Artists. Understanding who God created me to be and knowing what He has called me to do guides how I choose to invest my time. This vision for my life helps me to prioritize what I say yes to and what I say no to in my day.

What’s Eating Up YOUR Day? 
So, I am going to give you a little assignment that you can do right now to start taking control of your time.  For the next seven days, grab your journal, a legal pad, or even a piece of paper and write down everything that you are doing in 15-minute increments.  Now, I know that you are probably saying, “OMG!  That is a lot of detail.”  Yeah, it is, and that’s the point. 
 
This time assessment is a commitment, but it’s really going to reveal where you are spending your time.  Yes, I want you to include the random scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, the daydreaming, and anytime you spend unfocused.   Be sure to include doing things for your family and friends, even the things you do out of guilt or obligation.

Time for YOUR Aha Moment
And then at the end of the week, what I want you to do is this:  Go back through that assessment and look at the areas where you choose to spend your time.  Ask yourself the following questions:

• How did the time I spent this week…
• Help me fulfill my God-given call as an artist in the Kingdom? 
•  Help me focus on and to me grow my art business? 
•  Help me in growing my art skills?
•  Help me in connecting my ideal clients?

The point of this exercise is not to feel shame for what you didn’t do but to help you see what you can do.  Most people who do this week-long time assessment end up having a complete light bulb moment of realization: “OOOohhhhh!  My Goodness!  I’ve wasted a whole lot of time on a whole bunch of nothing.” The important thing is to take that Aha moment and use it as a call to action.

Ask Yourself This
Once you’ve completed this exercise and find yourself staring in the depth of this Aha moment, this is what I want you to ask yourself.  “What am I willing to give up or change in my life right now in order to live the life that I believe that God has designed me to live as an artist?”  I know that it's a tough question, and not one to be answered lightly. But I’m also convinced that every artist who answers this question is ready to step into the fullness of what God has for them.

I hope this has been a big encouragement to you. If this article has been a blessing to you, take a moment to share it with a friend, share on social media and comment below!
Thanks for reading. 

One More Thing…
As a reminder, we are in the middle of one of my favorite times of the year, which is our artists Rise Up Master Class. This is a FREE Masterclass that we do twice a year with thousands of artists that participate from all over the world. This Masterclass & Art Challenge ends Sunday, October 4th, and I would love for you to join me. Click Here To Learn More about the Artists Rise Up Masterclass going on now! Click Here to Learn More about Artists Rise Up Masterclass going on now!.

Have you ever dreamed about starting your own art business but got stuck knowing when and how to begin laying the foundation?   

I see this frustration show up all the time in artists who have emerged past the hobbyist phase with their art. Maybe they have been selling a little bit of art from time to time, and now they are starting to see the reality where art can grow from being a lucrative side hustle into their full-time vocation.

This is when the questions I get from these artists start to change.  I start getting asked things like…

•  “Matt, when do I need to start thinking about the things that you are teaching?”
•  “You know, marketing, developing a brand, and starting to do Facebook lives?”
•  “When do I need a website?”
• “What does it mean to really thrive in the Kingdom?” 
•  “What do I need to understand mindset-wise to really get what God has for me?” 

I hear all this and more, and I always tell people this; It is never ever too early to lay a solid foundation for your art and your art business. And every time I share this bit of wisdom, the very next thing I hear is, “well, Matt, what do I do next?”  Here are the top three things I always share.

Accelerate Your Confidence
As you start working intentionally on your art business and while continuing to develop both spiritually and artistically, you begin to gain confidence in an accelerated way.  It never ceases to amaze me that once you start to get some success under your belt and people start responding favorably to what you are creating, all of the old fears and hesitations seem to melt away.

Fear of failure, fear of technology, and even the fear of not being good begin to be replaced by confidence as you take that leap of faith to get out there and start doing stuff. And to be clear, this isn’t something that can be bought or even something that God is just going to download to you supernaturally.

This release of confidence comes with the territory.  As you step out, God is there to release grace and confidence in your life equal to the task that you are pursuing.  So, gaining confidence is a huge reason why it is never too early to lay a solid foundation.

You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Runway
Building a successful art business is a lot like building a long, beautiful runway.  A lot of people think that they are going to build this great “plane” of an art business, then all at once, their art career will begin to take off and soar.  While I would love that that to be true, here is the deal:  your “plane” will never get off of the ground without a runway. The truth is, you have got to have a runway to begin to build up speed and accelerate in order to take off and be who God has called you to be.  

Laying a foundation for this “runway” starts in your spiritual life. You begin by aligning your mindset, your heart, and your mindset with the truth of how the Kingdom works, how money flows, and how to connect with the broader move of what God is doing in the earth and raising up this army of artists. With this started, then begin to focus on all of the marketing, business, and art stuff that it takes to really thrive as an artist.

As you are faithful to do this little by little each day, you’ll be laying a firm foundation for that “runway.” Then when the day comes and you are ready to push the accelerator on your creative life, you will shoot down the runway, take off, and soar as an artist.

Start Healthy, Stay Healthy
Laying a healthy foundation early on avoids do-overs later in life.  I don’t know if you are like me, but when I get something that has to be assembled,  a curtain rod, a bookshelf, a piece of lawn equipment, whatever it is, I never look at the instructions.  I always jump in and start doing it. Maybe this is a guy thing, but I don’t think it is.  

Inevitably, I get to a point where the thing I’m building doesn’t look like the picture on the box.  Maybe it’s because I’ve put “Part F” backward into “Slot A” while using “Screw I” instead of “Bolt L” to hold it together.  Then I have to take the whole thing apart and redo it. This entire process wastes time, makes me frustrated, and always leaves me wondering “Why didn’t I just read the directions?” 

Laying a solid foundation in your spiritual, art, and business life is a guaranteed way to avoid a bunch of unnecessary do-overs in your journey.  Otherwise, you are forever trying to figure things out on your own, and having to come back weeks, months, and even years later to undo negative patterns of thinking and ways of doing things.  Seeking the advice of someone who has traveled this journey before you, a mentor, can be one of the best first steps you can take in laying a firm, healthy, do-over free foundation in life and art.

I hope this has been a big encouragement to you. If this article has been a blessing to you, take a moment to share it with a friend. 

Thanks for reading

Joining Me for a Free Masterclass & Art Challenge?

The live Artist Rise Up Masterclass & Art Challenge I’m hosting starts on September 22nd, 2020. God’s used it time and time again in the lives of artists to ignite their hearts and give them vision for all He has for them. I know He wants to do the same thing in your life, too. Won’t you join me?

The Masterclass is free, but you’ll need to register so you can get reminders, downloads, and access to all the course videos inside the private Facebook group.

Click Here to Sign Up for Artists Rise Up

Do you struggle with pricing your artwork? Do you often feel like you're underpricing, or maybe even undervaluing, your artwork? It's an all too common problem for artists. If you can relate, I have some good news and some surprising news for you. The good news is that this doesn't have to be your story. The surprising news is that we're going to have to address a mindset issue that's probably been holding you back.

Over the years, I've learned that if you are struggling with pricing as an artist, it rarely has anything to do with the value of your work, the quality of your work, or what people are willing to pay you.  What I have found to be the case is that 99% of the time, the major roadblock when it comes to pricing is YOU, or more specifically, your MINDSET.  

No matter how talented you may be or what kind of local art market you live in, at the end of the day it all boils down to what you believe about yourself and your artwork.  Don’t worry, I’ll explain more as we keep going, but first I want to start here.

Let me challenge you to take a few minutes and do a little self-assessment. Be honest, even if you don't like your answers. The point of this little exercise is to find the root cause of why pricing your art is such a struggle.

Mini-Assessment 

• Are you struggling with pricing your art?  
• Are you afraid to put the price that you really need to put on your art?  
• Do you settle for less because it feels more comfortable?
• What do you believe is possible, financially speaking, with your art?
• What do you believe about your own value as an artist?
• What do you believe about your artistic abilities?
• Are you able to share your artwork in a way that is meaningful and valuable to others?

Now, take a moment and ask God to show you the common thread that runs through all your answers. What is one thing that is most responsible for the problems you've had pricing your artwork?

I know for me, when I started, it was a struggle to figure out how to price my artwork effectively so that I could make money as an artist. One thing that I did learn over the years was that if you don't value yourself and your art, then that same discounting of yourself and your artistic giftings will be reflected 100% of the time in the price that you put on your artwork.  Take a moment to let that sink in while I share this story.

After I moved to Asheville, North Carolina, and had become a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild (the second oldest and most prestigious fine craft guild in the country), I had an experience at one of my first shows with them that exposed my false thinking and highlighted the need to change my mindset. Being a new artist in a group in such a prestigious group, I decided to push my pricing to where I felt comfortable, to a price point I thought people would pay based on what I would pay.  My mindset at the time was something like, "If I wouldn't pay more than this, then I won't price my work any higher than this." At the time, it made sense to me.

Well, I had a beautiful sculptural piece there with me that weekend.  And as I started working the crowd, and people are coming up and talking to me, this one guy came up and started circling that piece. I tried to hold my excitement back just knowing he was falling in love with the sculpture and that I was about to make a sale.  Everything was going well until he looked at the $200 price I had on the piece. 

The guy finally engaged me and asked, "Well, are you the artist?"  
I said, "Yeah!"  
He said, "Well, this is a really beautiful piece, a really special piece."  
I said, "Well, thank you so much.” 
He said, "You know, people come to this kind of show because they are looking for something that is really, really special."  

Now in the back of my mind, I am thinking the whole time, "This guy is going to totally buy this piece!  He is driving himself into the buyer's lane right now."  

I said, "Yeah!  Yeah!  People do come to this show because it is a beautiful show."  
He said, "Matt, can I be honest with you?"  
I said, "Sure!  Sure!"  
He said, "You have been doing this a lot longer than I have; you have got a lot more experience than I do, but I'll be honest with you.  $200 really doesn't say "special" to me." And then he walked away.

I have a friend that had the same thing happen when she was selling a piece of pottery. She had priced her art at $150, but a prospective customer mistakenly thought that the piece was priced at $1,500 and was eager to take the piece home. As the customer took the piece up to the counter to check out, she was informed that it was only $150. Normally you'd think this would be a good thing, but the customer who was willing and ready to buy a $1500 piece of pottery refused to buy it now that it was only $150. 

Why do you think this happened in both of these cases?  I believe it all boils down to perception. From the artists' point of view, we both priced our pieces based on what we perceived our value and the value of the piece to be. Again, this made perfect sense at the time. But to both potential buyers, their perception of our art, art that they wanted to buy, was damaged by what they perceived to be a cheap price.

For me, this experience was an excellent opportunity to reach out to God and allow Him to challenge and change the mindsets I held around the pricing and valuing my work. As I grew in this area, I began to gain the confidence to start pricing my art in a way that set me apart. 

If this resonates with you, then I challenge you to take your own pricing and value mindsets to the God and ask, "Lord, am I charging for my art based out of fear, or am I charging for my art based on being a business person, being confident in what You have called me to, knowing that I need to make money and make a profit to sell?"   

I hope this has been a big encouragement to you. If this article has been a blessing to you, take a moment to share it with a friend.

Thanks for reading.

You know, a lot of artists have dreams about supplementing their income with their artwork, but few know how to take those first steps towards making this dream a reality. If this is you, please keep reading. I’m going to be sharing some practical things you can start doing now to turn your art hobby into a profitable and productive side-hustle.

Make Space

First of all, be sure you are intentionally making space in your life for both your day job and your art. If you’re like most folks working a full-time job, then Monday through Friday is probably dominated by work, commuting, and living life, and that’s entirely understandable. The challenge, then, is what you do with those other hours in your day, your weekend, and your free time?

Well, if you want to make your art work for you, especially as an income stream, then you have to be serious about making that work for you from a time, energy, and resource perspective.  So, sit down, look at your calendar, make sure you are giving intentional space every week to your art.

Be Realistic

Secondly, you have to be realistic about the time you have to invest in your art, but more importantly, you have to make that time count. Be consistent and faithful in the time you have to be inspired, practice techniques, and create pieces of art. Remember, you’re in this for the long haul.

Also, be realistic about how you are going to get your work out there to potential buyers.  You may want to consider quarterly shows, online sales, or even working with a local gallery that can market your art for you while you are still working a full-time job.  Remember there isn’t a one size fits all approach, the secret is finding what works best for you, your family, and your art during this season. And this brings us to my final point...

Be Clear

Be clear, I mean really, really clear about what you want, what you are willing to give up in order to get that, and where you want to go in this season of your life.  We call that vision, and the Bible is really clear on this topic. Proverbs 29:18 tells us that, “Where there is no vision, the people perish,” and that word perish there actually means to cast off restraint.  It means going here or there with no real direction in life, but VISION allows you to be clear about who you are, what you want, and where you are going in any given season of life.

All of us go through different seasons in life. Right now, my focus is on being a Husband to my wife, a Dad to my son, and a Father to artists. When new opportunities arise in my life, I take a moment to evaluate each open door in the light of the current season that I find myself in. If the option being offered doesn’t line up with the vision God has laid out for me during this season, then I don’t do it. It really is that simple to be clear when you have a vision for your life.

I hope this has been a big encouragement to you. If this article has been a blessing to you, take a moment to share it with a friend.​
​
Thanks for reading.

There’s a fresh wind blowing through the arts right now, all over the world. Many have called it a New Renaissance of sorts and as an artist, that’s exciting!

For many artists, it's brought a new vitality, a resurgence of buyers and the opportunity to significantly grow their businesses through new tools and technology platforms, but is that it? Is that the end game? 

I believe there's much more on God's heart for artists.

More than Marketers
During this current resurgence of the arts, God is highlighting artists, our work and our creative process. It's an exciting time but God's not simply interested in raising up more talented artists and better marketers for our own sake. This move is not just about creating great art and making money as an end in itself (although both of those things can be the fruit of following Gods lead)! He’s actually waking up our hearts, drawing us into wholeness, transforming our minds and raising up an army of creative sons and daughters who know who they are and what they are called to in the Kingdom. 

This is definitely a God-inspired movement - a tidal wave of creativity in our generation - but to simply see it only as a renaissance is to miss the essence of what's going on. This move is very different and if we don’t recognize the differences, we will miss the central focus of what’s Gods really doing in this hour. Here’s why:

3 Philosophies of the Renaissance
During (and as a result of) the Renaissance, three main philosophies emerged that have guided artists for generations since:

• Humanism (man is the center of his universe)
• Patronage (the protection and support of artists by religious / regional institutions and the wealthy)
• Art for arts sake (art as complete in itself, divorced from purpose outside itself).

These three systems formed the basis of how most artists approach their work and business - Christian artists included - even today. It goes like this: pursue my artistic expression (because that’s who I am), make it all about my desires, my talent, my expression and then find others to support me through grants, donations and sales. For some that works, although not long term. For many, it doesn't work, resulting in a starving artist mentality on one side or a success-focused art marketer on the other. 

​The ugly side of patronage during the Renaissance of the past was that the artist became dependent on and was at the mercy of the patron (rather than a healthy identity in the Lord), adding a complicated (to say the least) dynamic to their life and art.  Today, being a slave to the market or latest marketing trend can yield the same frustration.

More than an Arts Renaissance
In this season, God is using this renaissance to lead us to revival and ultimately, thriving in His Kingdom.  He's also raising up an army of artists who operate in three wholly different ways:

• Christ-Centric: Instead of being humanistic, there’s a call to be Christ-centric; realizing that we’ve been given everything we need through the restorative work of Christ. We’ve been healed, restored and as we center our life, desires and creative expression in Him, He is glorified and releases His transformative light and life through us.
• Kingdom Provision: Instead of patronage, there’s a call to embrace Kingdom provision; realizing that God alone is our provider and that through the marketplace (and other means) He reveals where we can harvest our provision in line with our assignment as artists. He brings the clients, the ideas and the divine connections. As we are faithful with little - in our skill, our business and marketing, in our finances - God makes us ruler over much.
• Transformative Art: Instead of “art for arts sake”, artists realize that art and creativity are a vehicle through which God uses both the artist and the work to release His transformative power, drawing people closer to Him.

God is after much more than just a renewal of interest in the arts, growing art businesses and increased influence.  If we miss this (and it's so easy to) we will tend to seek only the results of what God promises (success, transformation, influence) without the relational and transformative process required to get there.

Lasting Success, Grace to Grow
As an artist myself and one who’s had the great privilege of walking with thousands of artists over the years as a mentor, I know this: 

artists who seek the transformative power of God in the context of their life, art and business will always experience more lasting success than those who simply seek after the latest artistic fads and business trends.

Further, artists who center their art and business in their relationship with God also have the grace to grow and mature over the long term, building what Proverbs calls “wealth without sorrow.”

I want revival, not just renaissance. Revival starts in the heart - my heart - and flows out to others by the Spirit of God through my art, my business and my life.

Revival awakens and empowers me from within.

Revival centers my life, work and business in hearing Gods voice and following His lead.

Revival calls me to community and lasting impact, for His glory.

Sure, becoming a better artist and a better marketer is a part of this process for artists but it’s when God shows up that everything changes. That kind of lasting transformation will never happen as the result of my own effort.

When God shows up, transformation is released.

When God shows up, my life and art has meaning.

When God shows up, then the world is changed.

Pray this with me: Oh God, raise up an army of artists - sons and daughters - who know your voice, follow your lead and release the beauty of your Kingdom in the earth! Here I am, use me.

Join Matt Tommey for the 5-Part Artist Rise Up Masterclass + Art Challenge to learn how to thrive spiritually, artistically & in business as an artist in God's Kingdom beginning September 22, 2020. Registration is Open Now.  

Tell me my friend, does this sound familiar? 

You've created a significant body of work and have done your best to let the world know you're open for business, but no matter what you do, you just can't seem to sell your art locally. 

If you find yourself in an extremely rural area, an area that is economically depressed, or an area that doesn't have an established art-buying culture, then it may be time to face facts. Your local area may not be where your ideal clients, the best buyers for your art, are located.  

If this is you, don't worry. This isn't the end of your artistic dreams, but the beginning of a new way of thinking about and approaching your art business. And to help you get started, I want to share three ideas that I've seen work for artists around the globe.

1. Selling Art is Not the Only Way to Make Money as An Artist
When I first moved to Asheville and started to establish myself as an artist, I discovered that teaching art classes was a great way to augment my art sales.  These classes brought in some much-needed income while helping to elevate my status as an artistic professional in my community. 

Over the past few years, online courses have come into their own. Even in our currently socially distanced world, it's never been easier to use what you know artistically to create a great source of income.

2. You Need to Go Where the Fish Are
I grew up in Georgia and learned quite early that if you're trying to catch fish, you've got to go to where the fish are. The same wisdom applies to selling your art.  If your local art market is sluggish or non-existent, then it's time to find out where folks are buying art in your region and your state.

Start with a little online research.  Spend some time looking into shows outside of your local area that are a good fit for your work. Then look into the galleries that are attracting the clientele you're looking to connect with. Once you've narrowed down the list, check out these shows and galleries in person. It may mean taking a road trip and getting a hotel. The goal is to find with the Holy Spirit's guidance, the shows and galleries that are a great fit for your art.  

3.  Selling Your Artwork Online Is a Great Option 
The fundamentals are simple: attract an audience, get their email address, and build a connection over time.  It may be a new concept to you, but over the years, I've learned that Connection is Key when it comes to growing your art sales.  Every successful artist I know cultivates buyers by intentionally and consistently building a connection with their followers.  

Now once you've built that connection, everything else is quite simple. From processing payments online to worldwide shipping, it's never been easier to sell your art to a global audience. 

Looking for A Blueprint for Success?
Over the years as I've developed my own thriving art business and helped thousands of other Christian artists do the same, I've discovered there are some key elements you need to be focused on in order to start or grow your art business. 

They include things like:
✅  Having a simple, clear pathway for your purpose
✅  Knowing where to focus your time, attention and resources to accelerate growth
✅  Understanding what habits make success easier
✅  Clarifying God’s plan for your life and art
✅  Discovering why people aren't buying your art
✅  Transforming lookers into raving clients
✅  How to build a personal brand that attracts buyers both online and offline
✅  Knowing the key elements every artist website should have to start making sales
✅  Feeling confident in creating a simple artist marketing plan 
✅  Knowing how to handle the business side of being an artist without being overwhelmed

These key elements are the beginning of starting or growing your art business to the next level. While the details of each of these items is way too much to go into within this one blog article, I've created a special one-day online workshop called "Jumpstart" where we'll be walking through the details of each of these items (and a whole lot more) in order to give you a simple 30-day plan to get started. Not only that, I'll also be sharing my favorite tech tools for artists so you don't have to wonder about which technology solutions to use as you start out on your journey.

If you want a step-by-step pathway to start or grow your art business so you can start thriving spiritually, artistically and in business, then join me for Jumpstart, August 14, 2020 from 11am - 6pm EDT. It's 100% online and anyone is welcome to attend. 

When you register for this live workshop, you'll also get 3 bonus resources including:
✅  The Thriving Christian Artist Success Blueprint 
A simple blueprint to help you understand the 7 things every artist needs to focus on in their art business to help get started and grow. (a $17 value)
✅  The Thriving Christian Artist Starter Kit 
A 26-page PDF and Walkthrough Video explaining in detail the 7 topics in the Success Blueprint plus my Tech Tools for Artists list and a 30-Day Planning Guide. (a $37 value)
✅  Sell Your Art & Make Money Quick 
Over 60 of my best ideas and strategies you can use right now to start selling your art both online and offline. (a $97 value)

I hope this has been a big encouragement to you. If this article has been a blessing to you, take a moment to share it with a friend.

Thanks for reading. I look forward to seeing you at JumpstART!