90% of Art Career Advice Is Wrong (Here’s Why)

Hello dear readers and subscribers. There is one very important reason that so many people forget and why in most cases 90% of the advice out there is not right for you. And that is that when people provide advice, whether it's here on YouTube, whether it's even through book publications by renowned publishers or some books that I've even recommended here on the channel, is that there is not a one-size-fits-all career path for artists. If I hear advice it's very often this is working right now, this is the strategy for 2026, this is what you need to do to become a successful artist, this is what you need to do to earn a living. However the most important thing before you find advice is understand first what your art is, for whose it's for, and also what your personal strengths are. And depending on those two things you need to look for advice and not the other way around. If I have a look at some of the main books I've recommended here on the channel terrific book but it's also very a singular approach preparing yourself, getting a gallery and you're off. But if you are for instance a performance artist or an installation artist or perhaps you are creating academically trained landscapes, well then this career path is not going to work for you. The same goes with the many many online advisors here that are advising you to sell digital products, to sell your work online with an e-commerce webshop. If your art is not beautiful in a decorative sense or if it is more complicated than can be explained in a 10-second ad then this might not be the path for you. Or perhaps if your goals are predominantly to foster critical discussion then it makes no sense to use those strategies. Or if you are really into the contemporary art world and you love the art fairs, you love the biennials and then very often people say well yeah as long as you're not represented you can do this. No, it's wrong. It's a counterproductive career strategy, those online sales, if that is your goal. So the same can also be said the other way around. Very often and maybe sometimes myself even on this channel can be judgmental to alternative career paths. But if that is what works for your art and for your personality for instance, not everyone is interested in the contemporary art world, then of course go for an alternative career path with I think at this moment an e-commerce webshop is your best option if you want to earn a living. Or if there is a particular aspect in your process as an artist, think of the many viral videos we have on social media where there is one particular aspect of the artwork that in a couple of seconds the entire artwork is being created. If your process has such an aspect to it that is very suitable for it to go viral, for it to gain visibility and exposure, then of course create videos about that aspect. So very often I see that people are too convinced that their career path or their advice is the right advice for everyone and that is simply false. I think from this perspective one of the most important articles and videos that I have written and created as a starting point for artists is How to Find Your Place in the Art World, where I discuss the different realms of the art world, kind of explain the difference between fine art, decorative art and contemporary art. And I have also provided a table which career paths that include and also what the main drawbacks and benefits are. When we talk about the art world, people only focus on galleries, art fairs and the art world is so so much bigger than that. That's one realm of the art world, the commercial art world or the art market. We have also numerous institutions, non-profit spaces, places where forms of less collectible art have a place. If your work is not painting, not works on paper, not printmaking, not photography and not sculpture, but for instance audiovisual arts, immersive arts, digital arts, installation arts, performance arts, then your work is more likely to be more appreciated and more at home and also for you more lucrative in the setting of the institutional art world. I will also link to an article about the art world explained where we map this entire art world and its different segments. To conclude I also want to mention that I am currently working on a more holistic approach that does not in the form of a course and a book that will not impose a one-size-fits-all career path, but that will actually try to provide all the different options that for any artist in any situation this course will bring you to the right strategies, the right course of action. So if you want to stay informed about this please go to our newsletter. I will also link to our newsletter subscription form in the pinned comment and in the description of this video and please subscribe to our mailing list where I will be notifying all of you whenever the course is ready because I will do a special launch for those who really really need it. I will do an extra effort for those to make it as affordable as possible which is always the goal here. Thank you so much for tuning in today. As mentioned feel free to watch our video on how to find your place in the art world next. Support us on Patreon and please consider subscribing to stay posted for more contemporary art. Bye!