An Artist's Rant About Professionalism. Who Not to Do Business With.

Before I rant - This Painting is called Wrong Turn, is 16x20" Acrylic on canvas.

Not all that glitters is gold. There are some opportunities that may come your way that aren't as beneficial as they might appear. Like mirages in a desert. Don't be fooled, even if you don't feel you've had opportunities in a while.

A lot of people are attracted to a life in the arts by more than just a passion for it. They have a recognized set of talents and skills that make them feel like they have a fighting chance. Where a lot of arts careers suffer in when artists believe they can succeed on the quality of their work alone. To find success on skill alone is an incredibly rare wave of fortune, and you may as soon buy a winning lottery ticket.

No, there's so much more. There's the discovery of your market - the people who want to invest in you. You need to network for this. You need to meet people who want to buy or show or market your work for you. You need to be a brand, to stand out.

You also need to be very careful who you work with. We live in a social world. The arts are by their nature a cultural career path, so they exist to engage and represent the social world. Aside from showing your work in a context that may harm your reputation, which is a blog post in itself, you need to be careful not to be naive in the business side.

I'm bringing this up because yesterday, I had a meeting with someone who runs a business somewhere in my neighbourhood. Or, I was supposed to, but he never showed up. He set the time for 2pm, and I was in the building at 1:58 (early is on-time for business meetings. On time is late).

He was nowhere to be found, so, like always, I allowed for benefit of the doubt, and engaged in conversation with other people present in the business. At 2:17, I sent a message asking if he was going to show up. He texted back minutes later saying he had been delayed by the rain. It wasn't raining yet. But I thought, whatever. I can wait a few minutes.

I ended up in a long conversation about why I think the new premier elect is going to be detrimental to us - the folk there disagree - and finally decided to leave at 2:50. He was still not there after almost an hour of waiting, no ETA, no apology. I left. I think I should have left at 2:15, but oh well.

At 3:15, he texted me to say that he was there, and if I could come back. He told me that he was so busy. As politely as I could, I told him that my time was equally valuable, and that he should have scheduled our meeting to a time that he could have met. Then came the apology. I won't hold a grudge, but I'm very disappointed.

Here are a few of the reasons to refuse to work with people who show up late.

A matter of respect. People who schedule to meet with you and don't show up on time are essentially saying that their time is more important than yours. Obviously, there are extenuating circumstances now and again, but barring an accident en route, you know in advance if you can't make it on time. Communicate. Don't leave people wondering if you're going to show. I would rather you reschedule than not communicate at all. It says all the more, that you don't even value my time enough to check in. If you want to work with someone, in this case for me, to use my art in a fashion show, you can't presume any hierarchical advantage over my time. I am the provider of content. Not a beggar of attention. If you can't show me respect for my time, what other ways are you going to disrespect me?

A matter of trust. All we have is our word. If you can't be held accountable for the agreements you make, why should I trust you in regards for anything else? How do I know you're working hard to make this event what you promise it will be, why should I believe you're going to represent me in a favorable light? How can I trust that I'll be compensated? On this matter, at least, I caution everyone to create contracts, regardless of trust. It is always in your best interest to be protected in business.

A matter of organization. As a business person, YOU are an important detail. If you are overlooked, it's a red flag that other important details are also being overlooked. Even in regard to less important things than an actual business partner, you need to beware of logistical nightmares. If you're getting compensation, then when? Will you have access to any paperwork you're going to need come tax season? Are they going to lose or damage your product? Are they going to be able to communicate?

BEWARE people who cop out that they're just so busy. SO ARE YOU. If they don't have the time to govern themselves, they need to delegate. If they can't or don't delegate, you're going to get burned.

Just because someone tells you they love your work and want to display it does not mean you have to accept it. Be cautious. Keep looking for the right fit for your work. It can be a long, disappointing road, but it's even harder a road to walk if you shoot yourself in the foot along the way.

[email protected] for purchase inquiries and commissions.
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RachelSVParry/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/RachelSVParry
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rachelsvparry/