The Fastest Way to Sell Art
During World War 2, telegraph operators were the key agents of war communication. Naturally, all the messages were encoded, but the opposing army code breakers learned they could recognize an operator simply by HOW she delivered the code. (Not using “she” just for inclusion here, WWII morse operators were often women.)
Even if they couldn’t decode the actual meaning, they could tell who was delivering the message because of distinctive characteristics in the execution. They called this personal style a ”fist”.
It seems to defy logic—morse is essentially just a system of clicking buttons. Yet somehow the expert telegraph operators developed their own timing, rhythm, style and delivery completely distinct from other operators.
I am always reminded about the morse code fist when I teach watercolor workshops.
I give everyone an identical template and identical instruction. Lo and behold, every single one of these novice painters would approach the project completely differently. Even if the assignment was a super simple exercise of painting red hexagons, without a lot of creative freedom, it was easy to see unique features and style between each artist. Often, someone would innovate in a way that I had never seen before. Many of these artists were complete beginners, and yet their unique style would be revealed in their very first painting.
Mature artists have a very developed “fist”.
There will be recurring colors, subjects, forms, textures, and messages. For example, you can always recognize a Van Gogh painting (or one made in his style).
The more defined the fist, the clearer their communication will be. It’s often the case that the artist’s career will develop successfully alongside their fist. In fact, I would propose that the more unique and sophisticated the “fist”, the more recognition and sales the artist will receive.
It’s a bit of a paradox. Being broad and general, or trying to appeal to everyone, will not help you to sell art or get noticed. The more specific and personal an artist gets as they develop their skill, the more fully they will connect with their audience.
For most people, this development takes a long time, because there’s much experimentation that happens in the creative process. But you can radically increase the development time by picking a lane, creating guidelines and parameters, and working inside narrow rules. I know, I know, artists hate rules, but rules are a necessary part of a mature artist’s practice.
Speaking of practice…
In order to develop your fist, you have to practice.
The good news is that when you are pursuing your creative path for own, intrinsic reasons, you will naturally find flow, that enjoyable, immersive state. Because flow is so rewarding, you will want to keep doing the thing, and thus you will naturally get better at it.
When you do something, anything, habitually, you will get very good at how YOU do it. Like a river finding it’s course, you will find a unique path to your own expression. This is a highly satisfying journey. However, no water: no beautiful river gorge. You need to turn on your tap by practicing to get the flow.
This is why artists sometimes refer to their creative process as a “studio practice”. When you first turn on the spout in your creative adventure, your water will be running across a flat plane with no distinct quality or identity, picking up mud and debris until all you have is a hot mess. This can be frustrating, but this is normal. The only way to clean it up and start to create an adorable little trickle that turns into a creek that turns into a brook that turns into a river is to persist. KEEP MAKING.
The pleasure of flow is one reason that artists develop their fist, but if you need more motivation, here it is: the more developed your fist, the more art you will sell.
You can call it a fist, a niche, a genre, a series, a personal style, a message, a specialization, your voice, your culture. What matters is that your audience knows who you are and what you stand for.
Collectors want to buy into the story of the artist.
They want to believe in your love of the subject, your consistent commitment to your craft. Whether it’s the Redwoods or royal portraiture or blue-on-blue abstraction, they are investing in your passion and your persistence. A serious, committed artist is intriguing for a collector. It’s hard to communicate excellence and commitment if your message is scattered across too many styles or ideas.
Artists often resist this idea. Freedom is a core value of creatives. The idea of making up rules for your art can feel like selling out, or worse, giving up your soul. It’s easy to get stuck in the fear of being boxed in, of choosing the “wrong” thing, or of getting bored. There’s also the not incidental fear of wasting time or money chasing a dead end.
But here’s the truth: You don’t niche for yourself. You niche for your collectors. It’s not about limiting what you’re allowed to create. It’s about communicating clearly and consistently so that the right people find you and stick around.
If you’re struggling to figure out how to actually do that—how to communicate clearly and attract buyers—I’ve got a free secret podcast called Marketing Your Art Made Easy that breaks it down step by step. Sign up for it here!
Repetition creates excellence.
It’s how you build both skill and recognition. If you pick one category and go deep, you will grow faster, sell more, and build a stronger reputation.
Here’s how to niche and find your fist without being sad about missing out:
First, banish perfectionism. If you have 15 different ideas and don’t know which to pursue, pick the one you’re excited enough about and start there. You can’t choose wrong, because the act of practicing will teach you how to refine and evolve the idea. If you stick with it, it will become the right choice because you’ll get really good at it.
It’s super helpful to get some outside insight during this process, and this is something we talk about all the time inside Art Revenue Coaching. In art school they call it a critique, which is just a fancy way of saying coaching for artists. Hearing from an informed observer who can assess your art as you progress is really helpful because someone on the outside will see stuff you can’t quite see.
Second, know that a niche isn’t a jail. It’s just the tone you’re using in your communication for a while. Over time, your work will naturally evolve. Just like careers move from one role to another in a linear progression, your art can shift without starting from zero. If you stay in the same general domain, your momentum compounds. Better to move from pet portraits to whimsical animal illustrations to wildlife landscapes than to bounce from pet portraits to political collage to handmade jewelry and back again.
Each switch to a totally different domain resets your progress. If you want to make fast progress, don’t switch your domain!
Third, understand that even a very narrow idea will explode with richness if you stick with it. There are worlds within worlds. I promise, you won’t get bored, you’ll go deeper. And depth is what builds mastery, personal satisfaction, and an unforgettable brand.
Yes, it’s true that saying yes to one path means saying no to many others. That’s hard. But the upside is tremendous. Because when you specialize, you develop real excellence. And when you develop excellence, people start to notice. They want to follow, to collect, and to cheer you on.
Give yourself permission to focus.
Put some back-burner ideas on the shelf while you simmer the one soup you’re currently cooking. You won’t lose your creative freedom—you’ll actually gain traction.
And traction is what leads to sales, recognition, and artistic growth. The fist isn’t a limitation. It’s your megaphone.
Here’s what to remember:
Collectors connect with clarity and commitment—they want to buy into your artistic world.
Repetition builds skill, trust, and a recognizable style.
You don’t niche for yourself; you niche to communicate effectively.
Choosing a direction isn’t forever—it’s the start of momentum.
The more developed your fist, the more art you’ll sell.
