“There is no such thing as the mass audience. The mass audience is made up of individuals and art is created by one person for another. When art is aimed at millions, it rarely moves anyone.”

The original wording of this quote is different and written by Fairfax M. Cone in 1852 founder of Foote, Cone & Belding Advertising. However, the underlying message struck home to me as it is relevant to the all artists who face significant challenges finding the right audience to put their work in front of.

Yes I have said this before, but independent artists have to either hire in marketers, web designers and social media / blogging managers in order to get found and establish a “fan base”. For example, this is a summary of what I have done this month as each month when I pull the magazine together I look back at what I have achieved, what photo-art I have created, what photographs I have taken, how many places I have submitted artwork to for exhibitions and what new techniques I have tried. This month I look back to the list key steps that I published in the July magazine, pleasingly I have made good in roads to 3 of the 6, with one being difrered, this the water drops article opposite replacing the portrait photography. I have an Artist Bio that I’m proud of, I have drafted out the key reasons why I create art and I have started a marketing course. In addition, I have been approved from an Amazon Sellers account, click here to visit it, and I have set up a Google shopping account and am now working through the process of making my artwork show up on Google Local. Having said all that though the omly negative is that I have only created one piece of photo-art this month! So being an indiependant artist is not just about createing art

I’m physically and mentally drained but you have to start somewhere and if investing in myself of a hobbyist artist with the goal of focusing on photography and photo-art and ditching the day job is what I really want to do then hey, bring it on.

Never forget that there is much much more to being an artist, no matter the medium, and every single person showcased in this magazine and the previous 40 editions deserve recognition and help finding their “goal” and “fan base”. Maybe just a simple comment or message to them saying how much you like their work will make all the difference. Remember, artwork is made with a purpose for a specific person, the fact that you resonate with the image and the reason it was created may mean that you are that person.

James Hurley
Photo Artist / Magazine Editor