Photo by Rachel Sareli
It comes as no surprise that the art of creation extends far beyond paint on canvas. While the tasks of marketing oneself, sharing ideas, and communicating creativity have never been more accessible thanks to an increase in social media usage and collaborations, managing the intersection between art and entrepreneurship is no easy feat. The artists of today are redefining cultural boundaries and trailblazing their own paths as makers and, luckily, they’ve left us a sketch so we might follow along their journeys. Among them is Claire Buckley, a Brooklyn-based creative who shared with me how she transformed her art into an entrepreneurial vision.
The Art in Entrepreneurship
In recent years, the art world has opened its doors to all kinds of artists from every background imaginable. This pattern of inclusivity has allowed for a rising convergence between the art world and the more general world of innovation. As explained in an article by Adrienne Callander, Professor and Head of Entrepreneurship in the School of Art at the University of Arkansas, creative and entrepreneurial spaces have significant overlap due to the concept of “productive defiance.” Both artists and entrepreneurs think and act in ways that promote freedom, “rule breaking,” creativity, dissent, and transformative discourse. By creating something new and initiating transformations of materials into variable products, both artists and entrepreneurs must push the boundaries of what is already known or established in the world. Once that creativity takes shape into a viable outcome, it is up to the artist or entrepreneur to share their creation and initiate new conversation surrounding their innovation. Without conversation, art loses its impact; without art, what would we talk about? According to the U.S. Small Business Profiles by Statista in 2022, there were over 147,000 small businesses in the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector, illustrating the scale and creative impact of the industry. Additionally, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that the overall arts economy in 2021 represented 4.4 percent of GDP, over $1.0 trillion. The extent of this industry demonstrates the endless possibilities for aspiring artists and entrepreneurs alike, an opportunity which is continuously evolving as artists are beginning to integrate strategic business skills and thinking into their artistic practices.
Behind the Artist
Buckley, a Brooklyn-based artist focusing on bringing light and color to her paintings, kindly shared a bit of her art world with me. Buckley started out by working in the corporate fashion industry, working on the social media teams of brands like Alice and Olivia. Her job was cross functional as it allowed her to learn valuable lessons about business operations, social media management, and to be mentored by powerful female entrepreneurs and CEOs. When she began to experience a feeling of burnout from the corporate world, she started painting as a release. Buckley mentioned to me that she prefers to make works first and finds meaning behind the art afterwards, honoring her intuition and intrinsic creativity. What started out as a side hobby quickly transformed into a whole new future for Buckley, one which she continues to paint her way through today.
A New Stage: Social Media
When followers started reaching out to Buckley on her personal Instagram, she knew it was time to start pursuing her own independent business. With her social media background, Buckley has built somewhat of an empire for her brand Claire Buckley Art with over 76,000 followers on Instagram and 37,000 followers on TikTok. She marketed herself as an artist utilizing the uncommon path: social media and pop ups instead of galleries. Buckley explained that her socials are her “most important tool,” and are how she reaches about 98% of her collectors. She is proud to be a part of the surge of artists using social media for a nontraditional, self-presentation of artistic work. A large part of how she markets herself consists of being real in a sense where she shows the beauty of imperfection. When I asked about this philosophy, Buckley remarked, “It’s important to share the behind the scenes, share the unfinished, [and] share the messy. I think people connect with that now way more than perfectionism. If you’re always waiting for everything to be perfect, you might not just start.” While starting is the first step, a business owner must establish a balance between the demands for their time to ensure a successful continuation of their brand. When I asked Buckley about how she balances creativity and business operations, she explained that she pushes herself to always find time to explore and experiment with her art. She is both an artist and an innovator, one who is constantly generating and sharing new ideas while being true to her artistic visions.
Artist Collaborations
The clear path for the growth and expanded outreach of Buckley’s brand was to reach as many people as possible with her work. When brands started reaching out hoping to collaborate with Buckley, she was thrilled about the opportunity to work with visionaries whose values aligned with her own. Each collaboration was based on variable structures. Some brands offered Buckley a percentage of profits while others split both costs and profits evenly. Navigating these different deals involved extensive behind-the-scenes detail coordination, demonstrating how artists running their own brands often have many more tasks than simply creating. Her collaborations below are a product of that fundamental drive to share creation and one of her favorite parts of her job. Here are some recent ones:
- Tyler Mcgillivary
- Clothing brand that did a photoshoot with Buckley as a model in her studio to promote their summer line
- Nissa New York
- Clothing brand that designed a dress utilizing Buckley’s colorful rainbows
- Slow Down Self Care x Claire Buckely
- Candle featuring artwork label by Buckley
- Haricot Vert
- Jewelry brand that scaled down Buckley’s painting to create handmade charms
The Bright Future
Buckley’s biggest piece of advice for aspiring artisans and entrepreneurs alike was, “Don’t wait for perfection – just do it.” One can come from either background and succeed in the thriving world of art, innovation, and creativity. Buckley might not have always known her future would involve running her own art business, but like all artists and entrepreneurs, she trusted her intuition and her drive to lead her to a place of creativity. She shared with me that success doesn’t have to be planned out five years in advance but can be achieved when one simply starts. Getting your work and your vision out into the world will pave the way toward a new beginning and, if you’re lucky, it might be one as colorful and beautiful as Buckley’s.
