Labelling himself as a "creative whore," artist Chris Tyrell says pushing creativity is an art in itself. Driven to boredom from the long, arduous waits in his doctor's office, Tyrell strategically approached doctors, pointing out the worst part of the wait was the bad art in their lobbies. He ended up selling them his art instead.
A professional development instructor at Emily Carr University and author of two books on making a living as an artist, Tyrell delivered a candid and often humorous presentation at Quest University on Saturday (March 3).
Hosted by Visuals, the Squamish Valley Artists Society, and entitled "An Introduction to the Business of Art," Tyrell shared some sobering facts before launching into a discussion on ways to be successful as an artist.
You are living and working in a highly competitive market, he said to the group of approximately 40 people.
Vancouver, Victoria and North Vancouver have the highest concentration of artists in Canada, he noted, adding that according to recent reports, this is linked to a high concentration of Baby Boomers turning to art as a way to make income in their later life.
Yet, he says, it's not all bad news.
The key to success is about understanding the market and learning the language of customers. Tyrell advised everyone to understand their purpose as an artist as a way to define success.
"I derive satisfaction from pushing people I am coaching to define what they want to make," he said, meaning finding an exact monetary figure they would like to earn in a year from their artwork.
This financial goal can be broken down into a specific number of prints, shows and workshops, which is a way to make it achievable, he explained.
Tyrell's personal journey as an artist started in the 1970s, when he finally reached a point where, "I had a creeping awareness of the lack of pension and security in my work."
The conviction he held - of being able to make money from art - led him to where he is today, which is writing books, blogging and teaching others about business skills related to the art world.
Some of those skills include time management - timing how long it takes to produce a work of art to calculate one's hourly wage and setting a yearly calendar to determine one's work projects.
A 2008 survey by myartclub.com revealed that artists in this market sell to people with whom they have a relationship, said Tyrell.
That led to a discussion about being involved in various communities of people, whether it is charities, professional or faith communities. "I want to stand out in each of these communities," he said, noting that volunteering his artistic skills is a way to become known.
Tyrell also sends out handwritten letters and handmade print cards to potential clients.
"I want them to be overwhelmed that my sweat, blood and fingerprints are on it," he said with a grin, adding that people notice that extra effort that's been put into reaching them.
Tyrell emphasized the importance of having business skills as an artist.
"Talent is fantastic," he said, "but it isn't a determinant of success. You have to match talent and technique in art to a talent and technique in business. One is not enough."
Artist Zoe Evamy organized Tyrell's visit to Squamish and said she was inspired after reading his books.
"He makes no bones about how difficult it is, but he gives you a lot of tools," she said.
"On the big picture, I thought it would be brilliant to get him in to talk to not only the artists in town, but small businesses. I think there is a certain collaboration that is happening or could happen to a greater extent, with the small businesses in town and creative people.
"How I visualized it, we get all these people together who are invested in making Squamish a destination, and we do have so many creative people in town that it could be a catalyst for people to meet each other and brainstorm."
Evamy said reading Tyrell's writings "gave me confidence to choose my own path."
Learn more about Tyrell's artist survival skills by visiting his website: www.christyrell.ca.
