If you don’t like to think of yourself as competing against other artists, I hear ya. I understand where you’re coming from.
But we all have competition.
We know that if someone is looking for art and they don’t buy your work, they’re going to buy it from another artist. If someone doesn’t commission you, they’re going to commission another artist. If someone doesn’t enroll in your art classes, they’re going to enroll in another artist’s. If someone doesn’t read your art blog, their probably reading another artist’s blog.
Gwyn Vermeulen, Abstract Triptych Glass Mosaic. 24 x 22 inches. ©The Artist
Don’t think of competition as a bad thing. Instead, consider it a challenge.
Competition can get you up in the morning and motivated. Competition can drive you to do better work and become more focused on your career and where you want it to go.
[ Competition can also make you sick to your stomach or stop you cold in your tracks. If you’re not motivated by competition, you should find a way to listen to and to trust your inner voice. ]
And remember: Just because you see someone as your competition, doesn’t mean that they view you in the same way. Their actions can motivate you without them even knowing it.
Your competition is probably someone who:
- Works in similar media, genre, sizes, and/or subject matter
- Has comparable pricing
- Has a similar education
- Is at an equivalent stage in his or her career
- Exhibits in similar venues (with a similar audience looking on)
- Offers classes or workshops along the same lines of those you offer
Who is your competition? Are you keeping an eye on them? Or do you prefer to ignore them and trust yourself?