These 17 Factors Make or Break Your Art Career

As already proven in a study published in the prestigious magazine “Science” in November 2018 in an article entitled Quantifying Reputation and Success in Art, an artist’s career is neither solely dependent on the way of creating art, nor does it happen randomly. In this article, we are presenting an overview of all the decisive factors that significantly influence the success of an artist. Together, they determine your chances of success.

The factors are listed below in order of importance and weighting. The further down the list, the factors are, the less influential they are. Some factors you can influence, others you cannot, and then there are factors that you can only influence with great effort. In the end, the overall score determines how great your chances of a successful career as an artist are, but keep in mind that not all factors are weighted equally. Disadvantages in certain factors can be compensated by other factors.

This article is an excerpt of Everything for Art: How To Be A Successful Artist; an art world introduction and guide for artists to become successful. The publication and this article invite you to check for yourself wether the factors seem favorable or unfavorable for you personally. Go through the list from top to bottom and assess your initial situation using scores.

The grades are:
1 = very good
2 = good
3 = satisfactory
4 = sufficient
5 = poor
6 = insufficient

The lower your final score, the better. Even more, you can go through your individual scores and see which ones could use some work or effort to improve them, and thus improving your chances for success in the art world.

1. Contacts

Contacts are the be-all and end-all for you. Many things function through recommendations. They can get you exhibitions, put you in touch with galleries, and so on. So, who do you know in the art world? If you’re good friends with the curator of the local art museums, that’s classified as satisfactory. But if you are close friends with an international curator such as Hans Ulrich Obrist, then, of course, that is classed as very good.

2. Assets/money

Money is necessary for survival and—used wisely—can compensate for many factors. It can also open a door or two. How much money can you spend each month? If you can cover your living expenses plus a few materials, then that’s classified as sufficient. If your fixed costs are covered and you have $10,000 or more at your disposal every month, then that’s classified as good and very good.

3. Time

Time is, of course, the basis of any activity in life. How much time can you devote to your art career each week? Seventeen hours is just about sufficient; 70 hours or more is very good.

4. Career to date

Many players in the art system today rely heavily on an artist’s resume to evaluate him or her. Where are you studying, or where did you study? What residencies, awards, exhibitions, and so on are included on your resume? And how relevant are they? How well have you optimized your resume?

Discover more on artist resumes and how to improve them by consulting our extensive articles How To Write An Artist’s Resume and 10 Ways Anyone Can Improve Their Blank Resume.

5. Ambition

Ambition drives every career. How ambitious are you? Are you ready to give everything for your art career? Are you satisfied if you have an exhibition at the local branch of a bank? This is classified as insufficient. But if you want to go to MoMA and you’re willing to give it your all, that’s classified as very good.

6. Where you live and work

Not every place of residence and work offers the same optimal conditions for participating in the art system. Are you in a hip metropolis or in a shack somewhere in the boonies? Rome, Madrid, Zürich, and Shanghai are classed as good; Berlin, Paris, Los Angeles, London, and New York are very good.

Discover more about art cities by consulting our complete article on the Top 30 Art Cities.

7. Smartness

As an artist, you need to understand the interrelationships in the art system. Many career decisions require a clear mind and goal-oriented action. How smart are you? How well do you know the art system? How awake is your spirit? How well can you see interrelationships? How good are you with money?

Discover more about the art system by reading our article, Explained: What is the Art World.

8. Perseverance

A successful career as an artist doesn’t happen overnight. You have to develop artistically; you have to build up a network, and so on. All that takes a lot of time and energy. How persevering are you? How quickly do you give up? Can you also overcome dry spells? How well can you manage setbacks?

9. Diligence

Producing art is essential, and the more hard-working you are, the better. However, diligence is not only required in the studio. How hard do you work in the studio, but also on your art career in general? Do you really make the most of every minute you work and tackle your tasks with ambition?

10. Luck

Luck is part of life and must not be left out of your career. Are you someone no one wants to play dice with because you always win? Can you more or less rely on fortune to always be on your side?

11. Age

No one takes you seriously when you’re 20, and after 35, you’re already ready for the scrap heap, assuming you haven’t had a breakthrough yet. If you are 25 years old and have finished your art studies, that’s classed as very good. If you are 45 years old without having made the breakthrough, that is classed as poor.

12. Your artistic work

This is about your artistic work itself. In which medium do you work? Are the contents and statements of your art in demand right now? If you work only with a lot of dedication, but without reference to the art world most of the time, that’s insufficient. However, if your work is contemporary and clearly located in the artistic canon, that’s very good.

13. Demeanor

Artists are not only defined by their art; their demeanor and social interactions also significantly determine how they are perceived in the art system. How charismatic are you? How good are your people skills? Are you convincing as an exciting artistic personality?

14. Environment

The social and professional environment in which you operate is crucial for your mindset. Do you move mainly in the art system? How much time do you spend with people from the professional art system?

15. Family

Your family is the first possible means of support. In the best case, it can support you financially and open doors for you through contacts. But it can also be a hindrance or irrelevant to your career. How much can you benefit from your family in terms of your art career? Through money, education, or reputation?

16. Citizenship and multiculturalism

If you are at home in two or more cultures or countries, you will, in a best-case scenario, have the opportunity to advance your career in more than one place. What’s more, internationality is fashionable these days. How good or bad the connection to the global art system is depends on where you are positioned. Do your multiculturalism and citizenship or your multiple citizenships help you get additional funding or other advantages in the art system? Can you participate in the current trend of multicultural artists where you live and work?

17. Gender, ethnicity, and so on

In fact, even these artist attributes are always subject to trends and current events. For instance, white Christian heterosexual men are not in vogue right now—but they might have access to other beneficial factors from this list.

Last Updated on April 5, 2024