Ep 183: So Your Teen Wants to Be an Artist…

Magnus Resch, author of How to Become a Successful Artist,
reveals the key to succeeding in the art world, and explains how
your teen can get a head start on making all the right
connections.


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Full show notes


There’s nothing we want more than to see our teens to grow up
happy and successful….with stable careers! So when they mention
they might want to pursue acting or painting or playing the
trombone, we can start to get a little nervous. While we love
that they have a creative side, we know that a life in the arts
is anything but consistent. If they could only see the benefits
of a degree in engineering or business, they’d understand that
the artistic struggle might not be as fulfilling as they think.





But alas, they won’t listen! Teens are stubborn, and will likely
maintain that they are destined for the artist lifestyle. So what
can we do to help them find the success they’ll need to stay
afloat? Is a fancy degree from a prestigious art program their
ticket to the top? Or is there some kind of magic secret that all
the iconic superstar artists are in on? 





This week, we’re tackling these questions and more with Magnus
Resch, author of How to Become a Successful Artist. Magnus is an
art market economist who studied at Harvard and the London School
of Economics. He’s a successful entrepreneur, as well as the
bestselling author of six books about the art market–plus, a
professor of art management, teaching at Yale and Columbia! After
conducting research on half a million contemporary working
artists, Magnus has discovered the secret to a successful art
career, and he’s here today to share it with us!





In our interview, we’re discussing just how essential the
networking process is for young artists making a name for
themselves. We’re also covering why teens need to create a strong
artist’s statement, and what a career in the arts might
realistically look like for teens dreaming of glory.





Why Networking is Absolutely Necessary





When Magnus was researching the key to artistic success, he paid
particular attention to which galleries were associated with the
most prestigious artists. He found that to garner acclaim in the
art world, artists had to be able to get into a small,
concentrated group of popular galleries. If not, they aren’t
likely to reach the level of recognition it takes to have lasting
financial and critical success–meaning they end up becoming art
teachers or settle for doing art in their free time  while
having a different full time job.





In order to gain entry to this exclusive world of popular
galleries, Magnus emphasized the absolutely critical nature of
networking. If teens can get to know people on the inside, they
might just be able to break in and carve out a place for
themselves amongst these thriving artists. Magus and I talk a lot
in the episode about how teens can use tools like Instagram to
reach out to gallery owners, curators, buyers and museum
directors. Teens can create an impressive portfolio of their work
on their social media accounts–that way, when they reach out to
others, their artwork is readily available!





This networking is the difference between those who prosper in
the art world, and those who falter. Once you can get into these
galleries, you’ll be successful for life…but if you don’t find
yourself exhibited at these places early in your career, you’re
likely to flop. And although Magnus talks about physical art like
painting or sculpting, the same principles can apply to music,
filmmaking, or the literary world. Without the right connections
and early success, it can be pretty difficult to curate a career
in the arts!





In our interview, Magnus describes the career trajectory of
multiple acclaimed young artists and how they used social media
to propel themselves into a prosperous career. One thing that can
help is having a succinct, powerful artist’s statement.





Creating a Strong Artist's Statement


For teens networking online or creating social media portfolios,
a lot can be gained by creating a mission statement. A detailed
but easy-to-read description of their influences, inspirations,
aesthetics and goals can be helpful for anyone scrolling through
who wants to learn more about who the artist is! In our
interview, Magnus shells out some helpful tips for crafting a
statement that not only captures the artist’s essence, but hooks
the reader’s interest.


Magnus explains that this statement is like a resume, but one or
two descriptive paragraphs. It describes the artist's passion,
their experiences, and ambitions! It’s your teen’s chance to tell
the world what drives them to take on the challenge of becoming a
successful artist, says Magnus. He suggests that teens explain
the emotional side of their work, and give it detailed context.
That’s what buyers, curators and other arts professionals
remember and what makes them excited to work with young artists!





Although it’s tempting to sound fancy in this statement, Magnus
recommends straying away from words that are too complicated or
confusing. Keeping things simple makes the mission statement
accessible to anyone who might be reading. The mission statement
serves as an elevator pitch–and the last thing teens want is to
alienate people who could potentially put their career on track!
In our interview, Magnus and I talk more about how these
statements can work seamlessly with a well-curated social media
profile.





Even when we’ve imprinted the value of networking and
self-promotion into teens’ brains, it can still be nerve-wracking
to watch them dive into a career in the arts with no safety net!
To help us understand what their future might look like, Magnus
is mapping out what kind of experiences teens can expect to have
as they make their way in the art world.



A Timeline for Creative Teens


So your teen has decided to go to art school. They walk across
the stage and get that diploma, with a portfolio of work now in
their back pocket…but what next? Magnus outlines potential phases
for budding artists. The first is the “shopping” phase. This is
when teens are fresh out of school, talking to different
galleries, figuring out their place in the professional world.
Magnus explains that this is when that networking is going to be
essential. In our interview, we discuss how many of the skills
needed during this period aren’t actually taught in art school!





When young artists have been in the scene for five or ten years,
Magnus explains that they reach a critical juncture that defines
whether or not they’ll be able to find further success. If
they’re being exhibited by the most prestigious galleries or
performing at well-known venues, they’re likely to continue being
successful and financially stable. If not, this is when artists
begin phasing out of a professional art career, instead finding
work teaching or bartending and doing their own artwork on the
side.





Even if artists are exhibiting their work on a regular basis, it
usually has to be within the most exclusive and pretentious
places and communities–or it won’t really make a difference.
Smaller, less acclaimed galleries or agents represent so many
clients that young artists can rarely make their own footprint
and ga...