What Makes Art Valuable?

5-24-2026 Artist Reflections

A Note From the Studio

I recently had dinner with a friend who has spent far more time than I have working the professional art show circuit. She shared some honest thoughts about what it really takes to sell art professionally and profitably, based on both her experience and conversations with other artists.

My biggest takeaway was that many financially successful artists tend to sell larger work at higher price points. Not necessarily more pieces, but fewer works with greater value attached to them.

I’ve always approached shows a little differently because of what I believe about art. I think art should be for everyone. Some of my own disappointment as an art lover has come from finding beautiful work I connected with, only to realize I could never afford an original piece, or sometimes even a print.

Because of that, I try to create work at a range of price points so more people can bring something home if they connect with it. But I sometimes wonder whether making my work financially accessible makes it seem less valuable.

It’s a hard balance to navigate, creating from the heart while also trying to build something sustainable. What are your thoughts?

On The Board

Little bits and bobs, experiments, false starts, and unfinished pieces scattered everywhere lately. The hard part about talking about the “commercial viability” of art is how quickly it can pull you into believing the only thing that makes art worthwhile is whether it sells. And that mindset crushes creativity.

I’ve been feeling that tug-of-war lately between “art is for joy” and “art needs to be profitable.” That has me working on small little bookmarks that I know i sell way too cheaply but I love making them and sharing them. I’d give them away if I could. I haven’t been able to work on anything big this week.

So I keep circling back to that place, creating for the love of it, for the connection, for the feeling. Still, there’s a lingering question underneath it all: am I being naïve, or am I just not “good enough”? I imagine most artists wrestle with this at some point, but lately it’s been making new work feel a little harder to start.

Northwoods News

The Northwoods are riotous with new life. The temperatures rose (and fell again), the warblers flooded in and some wicked storms ripped through Michigan this week. We had some limbs down but no whole trees so grateful for that. The riot of greens and is absolutely amazing right now, insects are fearsome in the dawn and dusk and the new species we see right here where we live is simply amazing.

We have rattlesnake root popping up along the trail in the back for the first time, the gooseberry that showed up a couple of years ago is twining through a newly created brush pile, and the Jersey Tea shrub that showed up 2 years ago is also starting to spread it’s twigs into a real shrub shape. An American Bittern has made it’s home in the pond on the property behind us and we had no fewer that 4 adult red-breasted grossbeaks on the feeder last week. They might just be passing through but pleased to see them. Pine, Teneessee and Palm Warblers have a lot to say from the treetops, the Great Crested Flycatcher is back. The Wood Anemone are flowering in drifts on east facing slopes.

Every day is a new species, a new wonder or a new unfurling leaf on a treasured plant that shares our little space.

Until Next Time

If you’re reading this, you’re already where I most like to share my work. Thanks for being here in this slower space. I’ll see you next week. Until then, If you’d like to follow me on TikTok, Instagram and/or Facebook, please do, I post regularly.

Warmly,
Laura
NORDmi.com