Flip the Script: Build Demand Before the Work Exists

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Most artists create the work first, then hope the right audience finds it. It’s a beautiful gamble — but for many, it’s also why their launches land with silence. In the new art economy, the most successful creators don’t start with the finished piece at all. They start with something far more powerful: resonance.

Part one of our Artist Masterplan pulls back the curtain on a strategy used by top artists, musicians, and even tech founders to sell out work before it exists. It’s about flipping the script, building demand before the first stroke, and creating the kind of anticipation that makes your audience feel like they’re part of something bigger.

This is the framework that members can turn a quiet studio practice into a movement — and it begins long before the paint dries.

Value Before the Art Exists

You know, one of the things I think artists really need to understand is this idea of providing value before the artwork even exists. Let me give you an example.

Let’s say you’re planning to launch a new body of work — a new series of paintings, a digital collection, a book of poems, whatever it is. And let’s say your point of difference is, maybe, your work is themed around healing, or sexuality, or cultural identity — whatever the thread is, it’s powerful. Now, instead of just making the art, hoping it resonates, and hoping it sells, what if you flipped it?

Let’s say you're planning to release this collection through local galleries or online platforms. The real customer — especially early on — might not even be the art collector or fan; it might be the gallerist, the curator, the brand partner, the person who gives your work a platform. So, what would you do?

You say: “We’ve got a new collection coming. It’s all about sensuality and creative energy, and it’s tied to this deeper concept I’ve been researching. What I want to do is present the story, the research, the concept — I want to show you the branding, the vibe, the message behind the work, and also, I want to run a community needs analysis. I want to collect data from your audience — from your collectors, your network — to see how people would respond to the work, whether they’d buy a piece, what price point would feel accessible or premium. We’ll run that campaign, cover the costs, maybe through a little waitlist page or a digital preview. We’ll even offer early access to those who engage.”

Now — and this is key — at this point, you might not have a single piece made. Not one canvas painted. Not a single sculpture carved. But the truth is, curators and collectors move slowly. Even if you did have the work, they wouldn’t hang it tomorrow. What they want is a sense of context, story, connection — and if you give them that, you’re already adding value, before the paint hits the canvas.

Testing the Work Before You Make It

One thing I don’t think I’ve said enough is that, as artists, we can test everything before we commit years of our life to it.

If you’re thinking about writing a book, don’t just write the whole thing and hope it lands. Take the concept and run 20 different book titles as Instagram stories or Facebook ads. Track what people click, what people respond to. Set up a “Coming Soon” waitlist. When people click and sign up, you ask them a few questions: “What part of this book would most interest you?” “What would you hope to get from this?” “What would make this feel essential?”

When I tested my own book titles — and some of you might’ve seen these in your feed — I ran 70 different variations. I found one that got 15% of people clicking and joining the waitlist. The worst-performing one? 0.3%. I could’ve spent two years writing the 0.3% book. And the difference between 0.3% and 15%? That’s a 5,000% difference in resonance. All for £200 worth of ad spend. And we’re artists — we’re literally in the resonance business.

You can do this with anything. A collection. A print drop. A workshop. A solo show.

Set up 10 different landing pages — different names, different vibes, different themes. Run tiny bits of traffic to each. You’re not even trying to sell yet. You’re just listening. Seeing which story cuts through. Which color palette makes people feel. Which idea pulls them in. Then — once you know — you go all in on the one with weight.

The Situational Model

And here’s where it gets really fun. When they join the waitlist, ask deeper questions. This is where we move into what I call the situational model. This is how you get real insight — and real emotion — from your future collectors, your future fans.

You ask them:

• Where are you now, emotionally or creatively?
• What kind of work speaks to you lately — what themes, what tones?
• What’s stopping you from owning art you love right now?
• What are you looking for in a piece that you’d invest in?

And maybe you ask:

• What feels like a fair price for a piece that speaks to your soul?
• What price would feel too cheap to trust?
• What price would be out of reach?

You’re not just collecting emails — you’re building intimacy. You’re creating a mirror for your audience to see themselves through your work, even before the first piece exists.

From Waitlist to Intimacy

So we don’t just want names on a waitlist. We want to understand why someone would show up for this work — emotionally, spiritually, personally. That’s the art. That’s the edge.

And here's something that doesn’t get said enough: most of the time, what kills an artist’s momentum isn’t lack of talent — it’s lack of data, lack of direction. We make the work in a vacuum, we post it online, and we wait for the algorithm to tell us if we matter. That’s a dangerous way to live creatively.

Instead, we want to co-create. Not in the sense of making what they ask for, but listening for what's already resonating under the surface. You want to create with your audience — or better yet, with your future collectors, your future champions. Before the paint dries, before the clay sets, before the song hits Spotify.

Designing Momentum Like a Startup

You can run a “Coming Soon” campaign just like a tech startup would. You can create a sense of intrigue and energy around your work before it’s even made. That’s how professionals launch things — it’s not about mystery or chaos. It’s about designing momentum.

And from there, there are a few other tools you can use.

Host an intro event. Doesn't have to be big. Could be on Zoom. Invite a few people from your circle — maybe past buyers, maybe people who’ve shown interest before. And you say, “Hey, I’m working on something. It’s early days. I’d love to share what it’s about and hear what it brings up for you.” And you share a little of the research, maybe a few sketches, maybe a poem or a fragment. You have a conversation. You ask what moved them. What stayed with them. What surprised them.

That’s how you build anticipation.

Discussion Groups & Creative Circles

Another beautiful tool? Discussion groups. Honestly, this is one of the most powerful things I’ve seen. Set up a WhatsApp group, a private Facebook group, a Signal thread — and invite people into a space where you can explore the themes of your work before it drops.

Let’s say your new collection is all about sensuality and inner power — call it the “Sexy Art Circle.” You invite people who resonate with that idea, and you say, “This is not a sales space. It’s a space to explore the stories, the symbols, the language of what I’m creating.” What happens next will surprise you.

People open up. They start telling you what they’re longing for. They share personal stories. Suddenly, you’re not just making art — you’re creating a movement. And you can do all of that before anything is listed for sale.

I've seen this work again and again. A photographer who created a group for women healing from divorce — her work gave them strength. A poet who built a Telegram channel for creatives dealing with burnout — her writing became their lifeline. The work was always going to be good. But now, it’s needed.

The Assessment Model

Then there’s the assessment model — and this is where things get really interesting.

This is basically turning your “customer needs analysis” into a beautiful little quiz. Not a boring quiz. A soulful one. One that helps people reflect.

For example:

• “Which of these emotions have you been feeling most this year?”
• “What kind of imagery pulls you in right now?”
• “How do you want your home or your body or your energy to feel?”
• “What type of art do you keep coming back to?”

You’re not just helping them figure out if they want the art — you’re helping them discover that they need it. You’re building clarity in them. And clarity creates connection.

Sell the Moment Before the Work

Smart artists often sell the needs analysis before they sell the artwork. Because that creates alignment. It shows people that this isn't just another print, another canvas, another melody. It's for them. Not in the shallow “custom commission” way, but in the deep, visceral way — like, "This piece mirrors something I couldn't articulate until I saw it."

And that's the other truth: we live in an era of emotional clutter. People aren't starved for inspiration — they're starved for resonance. They have too many podcasts they haven’t listened to, too many books they haven’t read, too many prints rolled up in tubes, never framed. So when they buy now, they only want things that feel personal. Things that matter deeply. Things that cut through the noise.

Your job as an artist is not just to create. It’s to guide. To help people remember themselves. That’s what a great artist does. That’s what a great needs analysis can help reveal.

The Power of Friction

Now let’s talk about friction.

Friction creates value.

It’s counterintuitive, especially in a world that’s obsessed with convenience. But when you add a little tension, a little process — the perceived value rises.

There’s research on this. In one study, a group of people were asked to fill out a quick survey before joining a discussion circle. Another group skipped the survey and went straight in. The result? The ones who had to do the survey found the group more meaningful. More interesting. More valuable. Even though the group itself was intentionally dull.

The only difference was the friction. The little bit of effort they had to make before getting in.

So when people have to go through something to get to your work — when there’s intention, a process, a ritual — it means more. We can resent it intellectually, but spiritually? We respect it.

There’s a reason people line up for hours outside a gallery, or wait six months for a tattoo from a specific artist. The wait, the scarcity, the selection — it deepens the emotional experience. It says, “This isn’t just decoration. This is soul work.”

The danger in today’s digital world is that there’s no natural tension anymore. There are no barriers. No sense of timing. Anyone can see anything at any time. So the artist who knows how to engineer tension — not fake urgency, but sacred pace — they win.

Because the artist who can move between intimacy and distance, between mystery and clarity — they create demand without noise.

Design for the 10%, Not the Masses

So let’s talk demand.

Not everyone in your audience is your buyer. In fact — this is important — the top 10% of your audience holds 60% of the spending potential. The top 1% holds 15% of it alone.

What does that mean?

It means you create free, rich, resonant value for the 90%. The ones who engage, who listen, who might never buy — but who carry your work to the others. They drive discovery. They build your community. They’re essential.

But you only monetize the 10%.

Special editions. One-of-one pieces. Collector’s boxes. Intimate workshops. Commissions with stories woven into them. Offerings that are crafted for people who want to go deep — and who have the budget and intention to do so.

You’re not making for the masses. You’re making for meaning.

And the 90% help spread that meaning.

Reverse-Engineer Your Capacity

And here’s the part that most artists miss: you get to choose the rules of your own game.

When we work with artists, we ask them a simple question — how many collectors, clients, or supporters would make this year feel beautiful, meaningful, sustainable? For one artist, that might be 50 collectors. For another, maybe it’s 300 print buyers. For another, maybe it’s 12 people commissioning work across the year.

That’s your official capacity. That’s your version of “sold out.”

From there, reverse engineer your audience. If one out of every 40 people who deeply engage with you becomes a buyer, and you want 50 buyers this year — you don’t need millions of followers. You need 2,000 people deeply engaging with your work. That’s it.

When you know that number, everything shifts.

You don’t panic about going viral. You don’t get seduced by follower counts. You show up for the right people, with the right energy, in the right tone.

And you create a system — a rhythm — for discovery. For resonance. For conversion.

For example: maybe you build an email list of 2,000 people. Maybe you do one beautiful campaign a quarter, showcasing what you’re working on. Maybe you invite people into a studio tour, or behind-the-scenes story series on Instagram. Maybe you create a quiz that helps people discover what archetype your work speaks to in them — The Dreamer, The Healer, The Architect. And then based on their result, you show them pieces that connect.

That’s not manipulative. That’s meaningful. That’s curation. That’s artistry.

The Micro-Niche Era

We’re no longer in the era of mass art production. We’re in the era of micro-niche resonance. Tiny edges of the internet, tiny circles of souls, saying: “That. That speaks to me.”

And here’s the part no one tells you: your weird is your leverage. The more specific you are, the more universal you become.

Because the people who will love you the most aren’t looking for another artist. They’re looking for themselves — in your work.

So you’re not just painting. You’re not just drawing. You’re not just sculpting or performing or storytelling. You’re mirroring someone’s inner world. And when you do that well, they don’t compare you. They don’t price-shop you. They don’t hesitate.

They say: finally. That’s what I’ve been looking for.

Build in the New World

And then, we talk about: what industry would you build in, if you were an artist starting today, with limited resources?

The answer is the same, every time. You build in the emerging world, not the old one.

The traditional art world — gallery representation, gatekeepers, waiting to be picked — that’s the old game. It’s not that it doesn’t exist, but it’s built for a very specific type of artist, and it’s slow, it's rigid, and it's not where new energy lives.

The new economy for artists is digital-first. It’s community-driven. It’s global.

Right now, 70% of the world has fast internet. That means your work — your very specific, heartfelt, niche voice — can reach people in New York, Tokyo, Lagos, and São Paulo — from your kitchen table.

And the best part is, you don’t need to wait for anyone to validate you. You can build your own ecosystem. You can sell directly to your collectors. You can start a movement, a style, a series — and grow it in real time with your audience.

And you know what the most underrated opportunity in the art world is?

Helping other people see.

Helping people access their inner world, their story, their archetype. Helping them slow down and feel something they didn’t have language for.

And you, as an artist, get to offer that.

That’s leverage. That’s emotional leverage.

And if you're worried that you're too late, or that AI is going to replace artists — you're not. It won’t. Because this new wave of tools — AI, digital distribution, platforms — they're not here to replace your soul. They're here to multiply your soul.

You can use AI to help with your packaging, your stories, your website, your audience discovery, even generate ideas when you feel stuck — but the why, the truth, the texture — that still has to come from you.

And people feel that. They’re craving that. They want real. They want personal. They want to feel like their art collection says something about them — not just what’s trending.

So again: this is the best time in history to be an artist.

The internet is your gallery. Your audience is global. And your weird is your superpower.

Start Before You’re Ready

And I want to zoom in on this idea of starting without a finished product.

You might not have a full collection yet. You might still be developing your voice. But you can still offer something of value — and you can still start.

Let’s say you’re working on a new series — maybe it’s a deeply personal body of work about your childhood, or grief, or mythology. Instead of hiding it until it’s perfect, what if you invited your community into the process?

You could say: “Hey, I’m creating a new body of work — it’s about healing through color. I want to share the research, the early sketches, and the stories behind each piece. I’ll be running a few intro sessions over Zoom where I walk through my process, ask for your reactions, and maybe even show you a few test pieces.”

You’re not selling the final art yet. You’re building the context for the art. You’re inviting people in. You’re creating a customer needs analysis — not in a corporate, sterile way — but in a deeply human, emotionally attuned way.

And in doing that, you’re collecting the most powerful asset a modern artist can have: insight.

What are people feeling drawn to? What stories resonate? What colors stop them in their tracks? What price points feel exciting and accessible?

That’s data — not in a spreadsheet, but in your bones. You’re building your intuition with your audience, not in isolation.

And maybe you even say: “This work isn’t ready yet. But if you’d like to be first in line when it is — or even commission a custom piece from the same process — join the waitlist.”

Suddenly, you’ve flipped the script. You're not chasing galleries. You're not hoping someone stumbles across your website. You’re running your own experiment. You’re the curator, the gallerist, the storyteller, and the soul behind the work — all at once.

And you’re learning. You’re building momentum.

Not everything needs to be ready for sale on day one.

Now let’s zoom out a little. Because this isn't just about launching one series of work or selling a few pieces. This is about building a life — a creative life — that’s sustainable, expressive, and connected.

Repetition Creates Relationship

One of the most powerful ideas that changed how I saw everything is this: repetition creates relationship.

If someone watches your stories for seven hours, if they’ve seen your face on four different platforms — Instagram, YouTube, your newsletter, maybe even TikTok — and they’ve had 11 different moments where they’ve interacted with you, they feel like they know you.

That’s called a parasocial relationship. It’s a one-way relationship, technically — but it doesn’t feel that way. To them, you’re real. You’re in their head, in their feed, in their life.

And the moment you say, “Hey, I’ve just released three new pieces,” or “I’m opening up commissions again,” or “I’ve got a solo show coming up,” they’re already in. You don’t have to explain who you are or what you do — they already know. They’ve already bought in, emotionally.

But to get there, you have to show up.

You have to be visible. Not perfect. Not polished. Just real.

And this is where most artists hit the wall. Because we’re taught to hide. We’re told to wait until the work is ready. We don’t want to seem self-promotional or needy. But the truth is — this is the game now.

This is the shift.

We’ve gone from gatekeepers to gathering your own audience.

From hoping to be discovered to making it easy for people to discover you.

From waiting for permission to giving yourself the green light.

And I’m telling you — the artists who understand this are going to build careers that feel alive. They’re going to find collectors who actually care. They’re going to attract collaborators, brands, curators, and other creatives who vibe with what they’re doing — because they shared it in the first place.

The Five Things the Brain Doesn’t Delete

Now let’s talk about standing out — because the art world is noisy. The internet is noisy. Every scroll, every swipe, every like... it’s all just this constant blur. And most people? They forget 99% of what they see.

So how do you make sure they remember you?

There are five things that the brain doesn't delete.

First — scary. Anything that causes fear gets remembered. That’s why the news is all doom and gloom. Fear sticks. As an artist, you might not be working with fear directly — but think about tension. Think about confronting hard truths, revealing something raw. That kind of emotional risk? It stays with people.

Second — strange. If you walk down the street and see someone wearing a giant flamingo hat, you remember that person. It’s unexpected. It breaks the pattern. In your art, your voice, your aesthetic — strange is good. It’s the opposite of forgettable.

Third — sexy. Now, this doesn’t mean painting nudes. Sexy just means magnetism. Confidence. Something compelling. It’s presence. Your energy. The way you carry yourself when you speak about your work. You don’t need to be loud — but you do need to own what you do.

Fourth — free. People love free value. A behind-the-scenes look at your process. A raw voice memo about your inspiration. A free screensaver from one of your paintings. Something thoughtful — something people would actually want. Give it away. And do it with intention.

And the last one — familiar. This is the 7–11–4 rule. Seven hours, eleven interactions, four platforms. It’s not a gimmick — it’s a brain thing. People trust what they recognize. People buy from who they know. People support what they feel connected to. So when you're consistently showing up, even if it feels like no one's watching, you're creating familiarity. You're becoming part of their world.

These five things — scary, strange, sexy, free, familiar — they’re your tools for cutting through.

Not by trying to be something you're not.

But by dialing into what you already are... and amplifying it.

© ART Walkway 2025. All Rights Reserved.

→ Back to the Artist Masterplan

→ Part 1: Flip the Script: Build Demand Before the Work Exists

→ Part 2: Test Before You Build: Turn Concepts into Collectors

→ Part 3: Design Your Capacity: The Business of Resonance