Not a believer in picking an art niche? Read this.

When we moved to the country, I didn't quite understand the responsibility of living on many acres. Being a city girl most of my life, I assumed wild-ish areas just took care of themselves.

I was very wrong.

To be a responsible landowner (or land renter in our case), you must find ways to make money off the property to maintain it.

So, several years back, I partnered with the owners to start breeding the most adorable pigs. They were becoming very popular, there was a good market for them, and we had plenty of space for these grass-grazing pigs.

We had several successful litters, I created a website for them (which I SEO'd, of course), and we started selling pigs.

I wish the story ended there.

After a while, the piglets started to get respiratory illnesses. We tried everything - keeping the stalls spotless, having vets out, retiring mommas - but it continued happening.

Eventually, we concluded the culprit was a wild disease that had killed off many of the small rabbits, voles, and chipmunks in our area over the past several years.

The pigs had to move on. It was the only responsible thing to do.

Although they should have been a perfect fit for us, in the end, they cost us time, money, energy, and emotional heart-ache.

When you're marketing your art, sometimes, matches that seem like a good idea on paper are costing you too much.

Maybe it seems like local interior designers should be a perfect fit for you, but those in your area are only interested in different types of work.

Or perhaps the opposite is true for you - you know anyone could love your work, and you have no idea how to decide who to market to - so you find yourself unable to narrow it down and completely scattered.

Finding your ideal art buyer is an art and a science, but it needn't be hard.

The trick is to look for the people that energize you. The ones you could talk to for hours. The ones you can form a give and take relationship with.

When they're right, it's easy.

If a type seems like a perfect fit, try them out and see how you feel.

If you continue to feel like "this should be a good fit, why is it hard?" you're on the wrong track. The word should is a good indicator they're most likely wrong for you. Drop the shoulds.

The people who light you up are your people. They'll be the ones who make this art business of yours a reality and help you finally love marketing your art!

If you're interested in getting some help to identify your Ideal Art Buyer, check out Consistent Income

This new year, this new quarter... you have the chance to release whatever is not serving you. That may be a niche you've chosen that's not working, or the belief that making a choice will hurt you.

Let whatever is not serving you go, then breathe in the newfound freedom to make a different choice, so you can finally find your flow.

Choosing to let go of things that don't serve you is one of the fastest ways to clear out the mental space you need.

Remember my story about the pigs and how they cost time, money, and mental exhaustion?

That was a practical example and also a (seemingly) easy decision to make.

But sometimes, choosing to let go of something that doesn't serve you isn't as straightforward.

Instead of letting go of a physical object, or bad habit, perhaps you need to let go of the inability to make a decision.

Continually wrestling with choices can take up just as much space as something you need to release... causing stress, mental chaos, and shiny object syndrome.

... Like identifying your target audience.

You know you should make a decision, but it just rolls over and over in your head. And every time you make headway, an opposing idea pops up, taking you back two steps.

I'm not going to quote to you all the typical reasons that choosing a niche will benefit your business.

You've heard them, and you're over them.

And while those reasons are relevant, these three benefits of narrowing down who you are marketing to are what made me a life-time believer:

1. Choosing an Ideal Art Buyer eases decision fatigue.

I cannot emphasize how much simpler your life and business become if you can do this one thing.

You know that constant mental wrestling and decision fatigue you have when you're trying to figure out who you're talking to, what to say, where to look for your people...?

Having a solid idea in mind of who your Ideal Art Buyer is eases alllll that and more.

This foundational piece of your marketing comes into play every time you need to write something or decide where to spend your time.

If you're overwhelmed with decisions, this one act can knock dozens of decisions off your plate every single week.

:: Big sigh of relief:: Ready, go.

2. Choosing an Ideal Art Buyer exercises your ability to make a decision and follow through.

This ability is a MUST if you want to become the type of person who sells art consistently.

I call this type a CEO or business owner. You might call it a consistent income stream for your family, but it's all the same.

Making a decision and following through is not something you can willpower your way into... it's something that requires consistent practice. And what better place to start?

Your Ideal Art Buyer isn't only a one-time decision. You choose to remain faithful to that choice every day, stop questioning yourself, and let in the ease of having that decision made so you can solve a different problem.

Working this muscle will benefit you in every area of your life - from where the kid's toys go to what's for dinner.

3. Done the Anchored Artist way, choosing your Ideal Art Buyer/niche/target audience/brand is the key to loving the selling as much as the creating.

You know that feeling when you're in a room with a bunch of people you feel uncomfortable around? Most people approach marketing like they're trying to be someone for someone else.

Now picture the opposite feeling... you're with people it's easy to be around, conversation flows, you feed off each other's energy, and you want to be around them all the time.

What if your marketing was like that??

It can be, if that is the choice you make: easy, fun, life-giving.

So I urge you...

Get that choice over and done.

Let easy and empowered be your early 2021 present to yourself.

"I want to sell more art. I have 2000+ followers, and my art is in several online galleries. I know how to make a plan and follow through. I have a great start; I'm putting myself out there... I just don't want to talk about what I'm doing with anyone I know."

When I had this conversation a while back, I had difficulty putting into words why that last phrase would make their journey so much longer and so much harder.

I'm going to try to explain it to you today because this isn't the first time I've heard this, nor will it be the last.

And if this is where you're at, I'd love to share some insider information with you:

Marketing your art and selling your art is not the same thing.

Yes, the two overlap and co-mingle. Each has a definite impact on the other.

But if all you are doing is marketing your art, you will have a tough time selling anything consistently.

Marketing is often sold as a means to turn art into money -- without getting too close to the situation. No rejection or emotions required.

I can 100% see the appeal to this. It's one of the original reasons I was drawn to marketing.

But now, I'm calling B.S.

It will never work as well as you want it to or be worth the energy sinkhole.

And while many artists are scared of the word "selling", I'm here to tell you (after coming out the other side), it is a beautiful act.

Selling is about outreach, community, generosity, and helpfulness.

It's about connection.

And growing into yourself. And love.

Selling is not a piece of the puzzle you want to leave out.

Once you learn how to do it, it's the part that makes this art business of yours a non-negotiable in your life because of the fulfillment it brings - both in profits and feel-goodness.

That fulfillment is a part of the reason I say I can help you love selling your art as much as creating it.

Fear not: if all you want to learn is marketing, it's out there. Many teachers will gladly show you what you want to know.

But I'm here to help you make your art business part of your lifestyle - and yes - that includes selling with heart.

Step one of loving selling? Love who you are selling to!

In Consistent Income, I'll teach you how define your Ideal Art Buyer (aka the people who light you up!) so you can start to gain visibility, make real and true connections, and rely on your art for regular income.