Why It’s Not OK to Say “It Doesn’t Matter If Your Paintings Don’t Sell”

There’s a common refrain offered to artists—often with good intentions but little understanding: “It doesn’t matter if your paintings don’t sell.” It’s meant to comfort, to reassure  the creative soul. Yes creativity in all its forms has intrinsic value but for those of us putting our hearts, time, and resources into our work, this sentiment is dismissive and completely misses the mark.

Here’s why.

1. Art is Work—and Work Deserves Compensation

Creating art isn’t a whimsical hobby for most practicing artists—it’s a job. It demands time, skill, emotional labour, material costs, and years (often decades) of refinement. Saying “it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t sell” ignores the fact that artists, like anyone else, need to pay their mortgage/rent, buy groceries, and keep the lights on. Dismissing the commercial aspect of art-making is a way of denying the artist’s right to be paid for their hard work.

2. Sales Validate That Art Has a Place in the World

When a painting sells, it doesn’t just mean money—it means someone connected with it deeply enough to invest in it. When someone buys a piece, it’s not just a financial exchange. It’s a moment of resonance—proof that the work speaks to someone else’s soul. To say sales don’t matter is to undercut the artist’s desire for that connection, for their work to mean something to others. It’s not about ego; it’s about engagement.

3. Would You Say That to Any Other Professional?

Imagine saying to a chef, “It doesn’t matter if no one eats your food.” Or to an accountant, “It doesn’t matter if no one pays you as you enjoy figures.” Or to a lawyer, “It doesn’t matter if no one pays you as you like drafting documents and winning arguments”.  You can imagine the response you would get from an electrician or a plumber if you suggested they shouldn’t be paid for their work! 

It's only artists who are asked to separate their passion from their livelihood.  This needs to stop.

4. It Reinforces the “Starving Artist” Stereotype

The romantic myth of the starving artist is one of the most toxic ideas still circulating in creative culture. It suggests that suffering somehow sanctifies creativity—and that financial success taints it. This mindset keeps artists undervalued and underpaid, and makes it easier for institutions and individuals to justify not supporting them financially. Art can be soulful and commercial. These are not mutually exclusive.

5. Artists Deserve Ambition

Telling artists not to worry about sales also implies that it’s somehow superficial to care about making a living from one’s art. It also assumes that they must have some form of private income and that is simply not the case for most of us.

Ambition is not a crime. Artists should feel empowered to want both critical and commercial success, to dream of thriving, not just surviving.

In Conclusion

Yes, art has intrinsic value. Yes, creativity matters regardless of whether it hangs in a gallery or sells at auction. But telling an artist “it doesn’t matter if your paintings don’t sell” denies the economic and emotional reality of their craft.

Instead, let’s shift the narrative “Your work deserves to be seen, supported, and purchased. You deserve to thrive.”

Because creating art is meaningful. But so is living well as an artist.