I originally wrote these rants with arts and crafts professionals in mind. This was a period when I was educating these folks on how to run their studios as the small businesses they in fact are. Bear that in mind as you read about craft widgets and retail shows. The principles, however, are the same as with any small business, and apply whether dealing with the manufacture of art or industrial widgets or service businesses selling time and expertise instead of goods. These are practical tools to help any businessperson manage a business better.
Socrates said that the purpose of art is to charge the object with speculation. That’s a good enough definition for me. The business of art, on the other hand, is to charge the consumer enough to keep the creative process going AND your family fed, clothed and sheltered. How well you do this determines your level of success. (more…)
