Photo by Valeria Ushakova from Pexels
Unlike the glitz and glamor of its closest Californian rival Los Angeles, the city of San Francisco has always maintained a reputation as a haven for artists across all mediums. Poets, painters, and even animators find San Francisco fertile ground for exploring their creativity given its long history of nurturing artistic talents and steadfast community galleries.
It’s the perfect place to develop your creative practice, but don’t expect to catch the limelight right away. In recent years, the local art scene in the city has become more competitive as higher rent rates have forced galleries to pass on the costs to artists.
San Francisco isn’t anything like before and for artists, it would mean working doubly hard to get their names across. However, that shouldn’t cause you to lose heart. If you still think you’re made to thrive in Frisco, check out this guide:
1. Invest in a good network
Regardless of where you are in the country, you’ll have to admit that your success will always depend on the friends and supporters you have. Skills are a defining factor, but it’s your network that helps make your skills visible to the community. Treat it as a part of your creative practice to forge connections with fellow artists, gallery owners, and curators.
If there’s an event like a one-man show or workshop, your participation allows you to find valuable allies who can invite you to exhibitions, promote your practice, or lend space for a temporary studio. Focus on networking and everything else will follow.
2. Always have an alternative income source
Being a full-time artist doesn’t guarantee an instant bag of cash on your first show. It will take some time and a solid reputation before you can secure thousands of dollars in grants. If you do go down that route, make sure you have a side gig to help you pay the bills, cover transportation and materials costs, and sustain you in case your creative practice hits a brick wall.
If a regular job isn’t ideal for you, try working as an online assistant or running a dropshipping business. You can also buy Bitcoin or run a small digital marketing agency. Relying on art-making alone will put your practice to a full-stop unless you find ways to cushion your other financial burdens.
3. Nurture your body of work
Your reputation as an artist relies heavily on the uniqueness of your work. Having a consistent style and taking on specific subject matter is crucial in developing a personal identity in the local art scene. Focus on creating pieces that make up a large body of recognizable and, more importantly, collectible work. People are more inclined to buy paintings from or attend poetry reading sessions of artists with a signature style. Develop a strong work ethic and allocate time to work on a series that will help elevate your name.
4. Don’t forget to document on social media
Word-of-mouth promotions have not yet gone out of style, but they shouldn’t be your only means to become visible in San Francisco’s tightly-knit yet highly competitive art scene. Consider nurturing an online presence by creating a blog and running Facebook and Instagram pages that show your process. Not only will this help you improve your local clout, but it’s also an effective means to attract buyers from across the country and around the world.
Endnote
If you want to make it as an artist in San Francisco, be prepared for challenges, but unless you use the tips above, you won’t go farther than the block you live in.
