Why No One Likes Your Art - 26 Reasons

Why No One Likes Your Art: 26 Reasons -
http://www.redlemonclub.com/why-no-one-likes-your-art-26-reasons/
Why No One Likes Your Art: 26

Reasons
FEBRUARY 16, 2013 BY ALEX MATHERS 83 COMMENTS
Ready to make
an impact?
Enter your email to receive
updates, our free ebook on
running your creative
business, and more free
material, for life.
I'M READY!
" Red Lemon Club is fast

becoming my
creative/business bible "
You work hard at creating pieces of art, design, writing, music, song and dance. But do
Layton Otene, Sculptor
people truly like what you do? If you want to do well, earn and survive in this industry, its
quite important that at least a few people do.
What follows might come as a reminder of your brilliance but it could also be a reality
adjustment for some of you. The aim here is to reveal some of the things that turn away
C O N N E CT W I T H R LC

people from the art that you create, so that you can start with greater clarity to really make
the most of what you can offer the world.*
*This is not to say that I regard my own work to be great; I still feel I have only just started.
We are all in this together and I too am learning every day.
Some of these reasons are common sense. Some of it might really help you; some might
surprise you and some of it youll see is pretty unfair. This is the nature of the art world, and
it is also dependant on the speciFc industry youre in, with some being a lot more reliant on
trend than others.
Despite all this, it is my aim that you come away from this with a refreshed sense of what
you might be doing wrong, what you are getting right and what you can do to put yourself in
the best possible position.
1 di 11
13/02/16 06.56
Here we go
1. Its not re;ned yet

You simply havent got to a stage where your style and presentation of the work you do is
Make an Impact Doing Your Thing
honed and reFned. This means you reach a point where your work possesses a level of
clarity and is distinctly your own. This takes time and practice, but people will notice when
you get there.
START HERE
ABOUT
BLOG
COURSES
EARN
ARCHIVES
2. Its not targeted

Not having an idea of who the end user or admirer of your creations actually is, will muddy
your decision-making process and affect the clarity and message behind your work.
Art, especially the visual stuff, requires some grasp

of colour, light and layout.
3. Its been done already
Emulating and taking from other artists early on as you develop a style and a voice is
perfectly Fne, in my view. But dont expect people to fall head over heels for your stuff if it
isnt original.
POWERED BY GENESIS
4. You dont understand light/colour balance and

composition
Art, especially the visual stuff, requires some grasp of colour, light and layout. In writing, the
equivalent would be along the lines of pacing and sentence structure. These compositional
rules apply to all other forms of creative work.
Make sure you get these basics before expecting people to like what it is you do.
5. You dont know why you are doing something

Knowing why means having an understanding of how your art will serve the end user. I use
the term user in a broad sense, encompassing admirers and fans, as well as users of a
T O P P O S T S & PA G E S
How Several Creatives Are
Using Social Media to Win
Clients
product. For example, in understanding what message you are putting across to readers of
Why No One Likes Your Art: 26
a magazine to which you are providing illustrations.
Reasons
7 Simple Acts of Daily
2 di 11
13/02/16 06.56
Knowing why in this way creates real clarity of purpose, which will have a direct effect on
Self-Discipline that Will Make
the work you create.
You a Better Artist / Ninja
6. It lacks consistency
Life is About the Destination,

Not the Journey
Having some form of consistency in what you produce is important. People recognise your
11 Easy and EfFcient Ways to
style, it builds credibility as an artist, strengthens your brand, and looks professional.
Build Knowledge, Self Teach,

and Learn Every Day
START HERE
ABOUT
BLOG
COURSES
EARN
ARCHIVES
Staying focused in this regard is therefore important.
7. Youre not making sacri;ces
25 Inspiring Quotes for Creative

People
11 Ways Ive Made Money in the
Its not everyone who has the balls to consistently make truly great work. Some things need
Last 8 Years, From Illustrator to
switching off in order for your own creative spark to ^ourish long enough to ignite into Fre.
Consultant
Strategically saying no to things that obstruct this is very necessary. You very likely know
what these things are.
11 Powerful Ways to Motivate

Yourself Right Now
8. Its not fashionable

This is when it helps to be aware of what kinds of things people are drawn to at any point in
time.
POWERED BY GENESIS
Im not an advocate of shifting your style according to fashions. These come and go, and
the real artist is the one that is leading or bypassing the trends. Just make sure you arent
working to a style that is clearly emulating something that isnt fashionable in your corner
any longer.
Look towards something greater than yourself.

9. Your portfolio is poor
Cut out the stuff that is subtracting from the quality and excellence of your portfolio
collection. Dont include crap work and keep work of different mediums, or entirely different
styles within separate portfolios.
Overlapping painting and photography within a single collection, for example, will only serve
to detract from the clarity that you are aiming to achieve as a creative pro.
3 di 11
13/02/16 06.56
10. You lack a purpose

Know why it is you do what you do at a level beyond the end user experience.
Look towards something greater than yourself. Take pictures professionally to contribute to
START HERE
ABOUT
BLOG
COURSES
EARN
ARCHIVES
society, over solely making you look good. A solid purpose in this way will motivate you,
thus leading to better work, and work that people are drawn to who also share your purpose.
11. You arent well known

Whether you like it or not, there is a lot of power rooted in people knowing you and talking
about you. Your work literally will appear more appealing to people if they know other people
talk positively about it, well beyond someones rational response to a piece of art.
This is helped through building up credibility and exposure over time through the work you
create, putting up testimonials, the way in which you promote yourself, meeting people, and
just getting your name out there.
12. Youre just creating

There is a difference between simply creating something new, and creating something new
that builds on your previous work or experiences. What made Picasso fascinating was not
POWERED BY GENESIS
simply a single painting of his. His whole body of work was interesting to so many because
of the progression hed show in what he was creating.
Ernest Hemingway drew a huge amount out of his personal experiences during wartime
and from his time in Africa. These were things that added great depth to his writing, even
though he apparently wrote a lot of poor stuff before getting highly skilled over time. Think
about how this applies to you.
Red Lemon
7,331 likes
Dont expect to be brilliant in a short space of time.

13. You dont present it well
Take care over the presentation surrounding all of your work. This means a well designed
Like Page
Be the first of your friends to

like this
website and a portfolio that demonstrates real care and pride has gone into it. Good
presentation is half the battle.
14. You havent given it enough time and practice

4 di 11
13/02/16 06.56
Dont expect to be brilliant in a short space of time. Theres no side-stepping around

improvement through putting in the hours and minutes, and practice in honing a style and a
skill. It takes time. Know this, and enjoy the journey.
15. You dont understand cool

Ive talked about the importance of grasping the concept of cool and incorporating it into
your art and the presentation of your art. I talked about cool as the fascinating quality that
START HERE
ABOUT
BLOG
COURSES
EARN
ARCHIVES
encapsulates an up to date awareness of what really interests people, and being original,
honest and authentic as you go about delivering it.
This awareness is not something anyone is simply born with. Put in the research; learn
about what your people like; and you can generate cool work.
Different audiences are matched to different forms of cool, which is why it pays to know
what type of person reacts well to your work and tailor what you do towards them, instead
of trying to reach everyone.
When a few people react to your work with an: oh, thats so cool! response, you know
youve cracked it.
POWERED BY GENESIS
When you achieve skill in something,you switch

from observer toowner.
16. It lacks emotion
This means your art either fails to transmit any of your own emotion conveyed through the
work, or it fails to kindle any emotional response in the person experiencing your art. Both
are important.
17. It lacks skill

This ties in with practicing over time, but deserves to be mentioned on its own. Skill is
something that, by its very nature, requires ongoing, repetitive practice. After some time, you
get to a certain level at which the way you work could be considered skillful. Prior to this,
you are an observer and a student.
When you achieve skill in something, you switch from observer to owner, and your
creations take on a whole new form.
5 di 11
13/02/16 06.56
18. The work itself lacks care

Ok, so there is such a thing as creative licence, and this plays a role in dimming the line
between interesting and experimental work and poor skill, but if you are genuinely not
putting everything you have into taking care over your creations, this will cheapen them.
The result? Work that isnt made to its full potential, and unhappy customers and/or
disinterested viewers.
START HERE
ABOUT
BLOG
COURSES
EARN
ARCHIVES
Understand your user too.Understand them really

well.
19. You arent generating exposure
Youve heard it before. If you dont put in the effort to get eyeballs in front of your work (and
the right kinds of eyeballs at that), no matter how masterful the work is, you wont get very
far in terms of gaining a positive response from people, let alone any response.
This applies to all your best work, because if you promote one piece well, but no one
knows your other work, and have therefore not grown in approval of you (including through
social proof), that piece may not generate the response it deserves.
POWERED BY GENESIS
People are funny creatures, and react with some distrust towards things they are unfamiliar
with. People respond better to things they trust; and this leads to good previous exposure
of your art.
20. You are too interested in yourself

An ego-driven creative process can be great, if you make good use of emotional energy and
express it through the work. But be careful about how self-interest can harm the experience
other people have of what you do.
Perhaps you are making things that are of interest to you, but will it interest others?
Understand your user too. Understand them really well.
21. You lack passion for your work

The passion, obsession or interest you have for what you do is undoubtedly felt by others
through what you create. If you have none, it will show, so Fnd something to get passionate,
6 di 11
13/02/16 06.56
ideally obsessed, about. It makes actually getting work done easier too.
22. You dont do much else interesting

The art you make is almost, if not as important, as the stuff you do that forms the context
around it. Do fun, unusual, weird, exciting things with your life outside of the work you do,
and make people aware of it too. It will make a difference as to how people perceive you,
and also your art.
START HERE
Remain focused on making more with less.

ABOUT
BLOG
COURSES
EARN
ARCHIVES
23. You are seeking approval

There is a Fne line between creating with an understanding of what makes people tick, and
creating with the speciFc intention of impressing people. When you are seeking approval,
you are only focused on outcome, and you are trying to do something speciFc based on a
preconceived idea of what you think people like, instead of letting the work ^ow naturally
from you.
The danger lies in diverting your attention away from the process of creating. The perfect
balance lies in knowing why youre creating (to spread joy? To make people think? To
inspire? To inform?) whilst maintaining a solid presence with the work.

POWERED BY GENESIS
Granted, Fnding this balance is one of the more complicated aspects of creating good and
meaningful work, where feedback over time can be the best guide.
Approval will come after you quit trying, and simply do.
24. You spread yourself too thinly

The best art springs out of a determination to remain focused on making more with less.
Taking on too much will inevitably result in less concerted effort placed on more stuff, and
your work will suffer as a result.
Get really good at one thing. Excel at one thing, before moving on to the next if you must. All
else is distraction.
25. You arent aware of the world around you
7 di 11
13/02/16 06.56
Maintaining a healthy interest in the world around us and the knowledge accrued through
doing so will add a depth to your art and the service you provide for the better. I wrote in
another post that eradicating ignorance is one of the biggest hurdles to progress of any
kind. It will likely bene;t your creativity too.
26. You take it too seriously

This is easier said than done if you care a great deal for your craft. However, often the thing
START HERE
ABOUT
BLOG
COURSES
EARN
ARCHIVES
you need most in improving the quality of your work is to shift your mindset. Make a
conscious decision to enjoy your process, your business, your customers.
Calming down and seeing the joy in what you do will have a profound effect on your
output.
I could probably write much more on this topic, but Ill stop here for now. These points
demonstrate that creating likeable, loved art is not restricted to the gifted few, but available
to anyone who makes conscientious steps in making it happen.

An awareness of what works and what impedes your progress can make all the difference
in how others respond to your creative contribution to the world.
POWERED BY GENESIS
As always, Im interested in seeing your feedback and your thoughts, which you can add to
the comments area below. Do sign up to the tips newsletter and share this post via social
media too. I will be very grateful.
If you are an illustrator or graphic artist wanting more, and better clients, read our new
guide.
.
3
FILED UNDER: BRAND YOU, MOTIVATION, PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT, PROMOTION, REMARKABILITY
TAGGED WITH: ART, ARTIST, BRAND YOU, CAREER, CLARITY, CRAFT, CREATIVE, CREATIVITY,
FASHION, FREELANCER, FREELANCING, IMPROVEMENT, INDEPENDENCE, LIFE, LIKEABILITY,
PORTFOLIO, PRACTICE, PROGRESS, PROMOTION, PURPOSE, STANDING OUT, SUCCESS, TRAINING,
TREND
8 di 11
13/02/16 06.56

Why No One Likes Your Art - 26 Reasons

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Why No One Likes Your Art - 26 Reasons

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Why No One Likes Your Art: 26 Reasons -