The 8020 Rule is an old mathematical formula created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. At the time, Pareto stated this rule was based on the principal that 20% of the population owned 80% of the wealth. In later years this rule has been used in many different ways and you have probably heard a few of them too, such as 20% of the salespeople produce 80% of a company’s sales. Or 20% of the employees produce 80% of the companies’ profits. Another is that 20% of the population pays 80% of the countries’ income taxes! My rule is that an artists should be spending 20% of their time creating art and 80% of their time marketing and administering to their art business in order to be a successful artist.

Today, for most artists it is the other way around. Unfortunately most artists will spend 80% of their time creating art and only 20% of their time administering, marketing and promoting their art. How can any artist expect to be successful if no one knows about or is exposed to their art It is a dilemma that all artists must face, in that they are doing what they love, which is producing art. Rather than being in the business of selling art. » Read more: Follow the 80-20 Rule to Succeed in the Art Business