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spend more time practicing and ex- perimenting. In his book, Outliers: T e Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell explains the "10,000-Hour Rule," which states that in order to become a master at what you do, you must fi rst practice it for 10,000 hours. T at's 20 hours a day for 10 years. Gladwell cites T e Beatles and Bill Gates as 10,000-Hour Rule suc- cess stories; both spent many years (and about 10,000 hours) practicing, experi- menting and learning their individual craſt s before they ever reached the level of talent and success that was their ulti- mate destiny. T ere are exceptions, of course. But
even if you look at the entire body of work of an artistic genius, his or her best work usually occurs aſt er that 10,000 hours of practice has been com- pleted. And most artists who do attain "overnight success" fi nd that it doesn't last; their 15 minutes are a product of industry connections, not refi ned skill. How many hours have you worked
"THIS IS A SUBJECTIVE BUSINESS, SO PERSONAL TASTE PLAYS A LARGE ROLE."
at refi ning your skills as an artist? If the number doesn't come close to 10,000, that might explain why a gallery owner doesn't think that you are ready for primetime. T ere are very few short- cuts, so it's best to start practicing... and then keep practicing. If you've got talent and a work ethic, you'll get there.
2
YOUR ART DOESN'T FIT THE NEEDS OF A GALLERY'S CLIENTELE.
Look around the gallery you've ap-
proached. If you're presenting a maca- bre collection of work to a gallery that seems to vibrate with bright colors and positive energy, they're likely to take a pass. Most galleries want unique and exciting art, but they also want art that fi ts within an already-established style.
3 I DON'T LIKE YOUR ART.
Ouch! Let's face it, gallery own- ers aim for pragmatism, but
their tendency is to fi ll their space with art they like. T is is a subjective busi- ness, so personal taste plays a large role. You might be the greatest at what
While gallery owners meet new cli-
ents and visitors each week, their most important job is cultivating and main- taining their relationships with existing collectors. T ey sell a large percentage of art to the same people again and again, so their goal in presenting new artists is to pique the interest of these longtime collectors, while still main- taining an environment consistent with their past acquisitions. Clashing moods don't accomplish that.
Customers can make themselves comfortable at the Ford Smith Gallery in Roswell, Georgia ARTBUSINESSNEWS.COM 27