When we hear advice about building an art career, it’s usually about “thinking big”—dreaming of solo shows, museum collections, and national recognition. Those goals are important, but the reality is more grounded: it’s the small, ordinary actions, done consistently, that quietly create those outcomes over time.
The truth is, small steps compound. Sending one more email, carving out one more studio session, or posting one more photo of your work may not feel like much today, but the repetition is what builds a sustainable career. The artist you will be ten years from now depends on the small commitments you make right now.
The Case for Thinking Small
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by everything an artist “should” do—maintain a website, grow an audience, keep up with social media, pitch to galleries, all while producing new work. Looking at the big picture can be paralyzing.
But small thinking changes that. Instead of trying to master everything at once, you focus on the next step. One finished piece. One newsletter. One new contact. The power is in consistency. A tree planted today won’t offer shade tomorrow, but in time it becomes part of a forest.
Habits That Matter
A regular newsletter may not lead to an instant sale, but it keeps your work present in the minds of those who already care about it. The act of collecting one more email address—sometimes in the most unexpected places—becomes the seed of a future relationship. Protecting a block of studio time each week ensures you have finished work to share, which in turn gives people a reason to follow your journey. Even on social media, simple, unpolished posts from the studio can be more effective than waiting for the perfect, polished content.
Perfectionism is one of the greatest threats to momentum. An imperfect newsletter is better than none. A basic website that you own is more valuable than the ideal one that never launches. Waiting until “everything is ready” usually means not moving at all.
The Identity Shift
Small actions grow out of identity. The words you use to describe yourself shape the way you show up. When you say, “I am an artist. I am consistent. I build relationships,” you’re more likely to behave in ways that support that reality. Identity comes first; the habits follow.
Building Resilience
There will always be challenges: time constraints, technical frustrations, discouragement. The way through is persistence—scheduling time, celebrating progress, and leaning on tools or help when obstacles arise. Even five minutes spent on a task is better than waiting for an uninterrupted afternoon that never comes.
The beauty of thinking small is that it doesn’t stay small. Every email, every finished piece, every conversation adds up. Over time, those steady efforts grow roots deep enough to support the larger dreams.
Action Prompt: Start Small Today
What small step can you take this week that will matter a year from now?
Here are some ideas to get you started:
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Write and send one short newsletter, even if your list is tiny.
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Ask one new person if they’d like to hear from you about your art.
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Block out two hours in your calendar for uninterrupted studio work.
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Post a short, casual video from your studio instead of waiting for polished content.
Choose just one of these—or create your own. The goal isn’t to do everything. It’s to take the next small step, and then repeat it.
“Write and send one short newsletter, even if your list is tiny.”
This is probably one of the most common pieces of advice I see everywhere. And I don’t disagree. All the data seem to point toward direct email being one of the most effective ways to get sales.
The problem is I don’t even have a tiny list. Like nada. Maybe I’m doing the whole website thing wrong? How do I get even a tiny list? I’d love to share my favorite image of the month but right now I don’t even have a single signup for my photos list. All my contacts and followers on social media are fellow photogs.
So post your favorite image of the month on FB or Instagram! And write a few lines about how you came to make it, why it’s your favorite, whatever. If someone on social media gave you a tip or an idea that got you to the image that’s your favorite, acknowledge and tag them.
Trust me I already do these things.
I am so interested on the reply myself. I have put a subscribe button on every page of my website, but I don’t get any email to start on a newsletter and I have no clue on how to improve that particular part
Glad to see I am not alone
It’s not easy to get email subscribers these days, but I think a couple of things you could do are:
* Find a way to put the form at the top of your website rather than the bottom where people might miss it.
* Include a description of what people might expect to receive, and how often, if they sign up. Without that, most people won’t be willing to sign up.
All the best!
I only have 17 people on mine. Some of them are there because I asked them if they’d like to be. Others have joined because I commented on their blogs and they followed the link to my landing page and joined.
I also got some cheap personal cards (as opposed to business cards) made with a nice design and my newsletter address on them to give people, leave in cafes, and pin to noticeboards. It’s not going to get me a tonne of subscribers, but it’s a fun, analogue way to draw people’s interest.
I think, to begin with, it’s worth just asking as many people as you can (friends, family, colleagues, and social followers) who might be interested or just want to support you. That way, you have a handful of people to start writing to. Then you’re off to the races—even if it’s a very slow race. 😊
All the best!
Start with friends and relatives. If people are interested in when you went to the store on Facebook, they’ll certainly be interested if you are creating something. If someone buys something from you, they come on your list. You do need to make sure you are following the law, wherever your based concerning email marketing. You must have a way for people to opt out. On the other hand, have something easy for people to subscribe. Do you have an IG or other social media account? Will people looking at them know you have a newsletter or website?
A few things I noticed, too:
* Your portfolio site, which I assume is your home page (the root domain, tonalphoto.com, seems to be broken), doesn’t have a signup form on it. I have to click through to your blog to find that. That’s a missed opportunity, especially if you want to send a more personal newsletter with favourite images in it.
* You’ve framed your blog as “Photographer Tech Blog”. If you want people other than photographers to sign up to your newsletter there, you might want to rethink that.
* The way the signup form is framed at the moment, it sounds like you would just get new blog posts by email, nothing else. That also might be part of the problem.
Overall, I’d recommend simplifying and focusing your site, putting a signup form on your home page, and making it clear what people will get when they sign up.
Some great photographs, by the way.
Well, I have the opposite problem – I was excited thinking I’d been getting all these new subscribers to my email list (even tho I have done nothing to acquire them) – literally several hundred in the last maybe 4 months – until I realized they were most likely spam. So I finally added 2-factor authorization to my embedded website form, and I’m guessing I’ll go back to my original barely any new subscribers added. So many things that you have to watch out for.
Yeah, it’s worth using double opt-in to prevent spammy subscribes. I use an email service called Buttondown which also does various other checks on new subscriptions to minimise the chance of spammy subscribers (often bots) getting through. It does mean that I only *very* slowly gain subscribers, but at least the ones I have are real human beings who genuinely want to be there. 🙂
Great content! Very useful information right to the point!
Just right!
Get a list started by attending live art events.
That’s interesting to collect emails.
What kind of live event did you organized ? How did you planed that and make it know for people to sign in ?
100% great article and thanks for sharing. Tonight is an example of small steps. I am an introvert, going to art exhibitions is not my thing. Tonight, I was part of a group show, all the way to the opening reception, I was trying to find excuses not to attend. But deep down inside, I know this one area I need to work on, show up, and be part of the community, which I did. While getting some water, this lady start a conversation with me how good the cookies are. While we are talking etc., she asked me what am doing there. I told her am an artist and pointed out my 2 pieces in the show. Find out she loves them. After I told her the story behind them, etc.., she purchased both paintings. If I didn’t make that small step, to attend the exhibition, I wouldn’t have meet her or made the sale.
That’s awesome, Reginald. Well done!
•For me, this is by far the most valuable and potent blog post from you. And I read every one you send. None of what is said is anything I don’t already know, but I think having this philosophy and mindset articulated in one post is very, very helpful.
•Motivational and inspirational content is like vitamins. You need to consume it daily to get the benefits. I’d just like to say thank you for your blog posts. I’ve learned more from these than any other source…
I’m definitely thinking small at the moment. My studio is a small area in my garage (or the kitchen table during winter). I’ll be selling my art for the first time at a local community market next month. And I have an email list of 17 people who I send something short to every week. 😊 It’s enough to motivate me to keep going.
Thanks for the encouraging and practical message, Jason.
P.S. If anyone wants to join my list, I’d love to have you! You can find it at https://chrislt.nz
The timing of this article seems serendipitous; I am about to write my first newsletter today. Suddenly I find myself in the position of having a number of coinciding exhibits and two upcoming artist talks. I’m also working on a public art piece that needs to be substantially finished by early November. Friends and family have complained that I don’t share information about my events and have asked for emails. One gave me a bit of grief about my lack of a newsletter. I am not expecting to win awards for what I send…just to get the information out to those who keep asking. I have been taking small, more deliberate steps for two years, and I definitely see results! I suggest that even if you only send your newsletter to one person, that you ask that person to share with one more. As Jason reminds us, the seed will not immediately become a shade tree when you plant it. The seed requires consistent nurturing as it begins to grow.
“Friends and family have complained that I don’t share information about my events and have asked for emails. One gave me a bit of grief about my lack of a newsletter.”
So, you’ll have some enthusiastic first subscribers, then! 😄 That’s good motivation to get started!
Excellent advice, Jason! Thank you for your years of advice and caring that artists survive!
Great advice! I responded on Instagram to someone just starting out who felt stuck, just trying to encourage. I told them to just start a newsletter, that it would definitely NOT be perfect but that the important thing was to start and learn along the way…that it would show him to be genuine.
You wouldn’t believe how many people replied to my comment with their own contradictory and belittling comments, after which they (of course) offered their own $5K be-all-end-all program guaranteed to make this guy rich in 3 days without any person-to-person contact.
This is why I love your blog and have followed it for years! It’s genuine real-world common sense advice born of decades of experience. When you do offer a course of any kind, it’s worth the investment. No hoop jumping or sneaky back-alley approaches. Always respectful and edifying.
Jan Dale – Fan for LIFE!
Great advice. I sometimes try to get ahead of the small things and expect something big to happen and of course, it usually doesn’t.
Thanks for taking the time to write these great blog posts. They are always helpful.
Just like physical fitness, regularity is the most important ingredient. Sooner or later, one day you’ll suddenly be able to do something you couldn’t do before. Extrapolated to the art business, sooner or later at the end of a year you’ll mysteriously have more money in your pocket for what seemed like less work.