I worked as a copywriter and marketing strategist for over 17 years.
Looking back at everything that I learned and experienced, it is clear that what I learned in this field applies to any other endeavor, including art.
Here are 3 reasons why any artist should invest time into studying copywriting.
Simplifying your message.
Art is nothing more than a form of communication.
Be it through writing, painting or dancing, you are communicating something. Copywriting teaches you how to communicate so that people understand your message. You also learn how to keep things engaging from the beginning to the end.
Remember: just because the message is clear in your head, it doesn’t mean it is clear for others.
Understanding actual human behavioral psychology.
Most psychology you read about is complete B.S. .
Copywriting, and business in general, forces you to face the truth about human behavior and understand it. And this is extremely useful every time you want to tell real stories with “realistic” characters in them.
Most characters you see in today’s fiction are based on “how the writers would love the world to be” and not on “how the world actually is“.
Learn how to sell your art.
A lot of artists complain because, while objectively more skilled than others, they don’t sell as much.
There’s a reason why books have the “best seller” cockade on them and not the “best written”, and that’s because some authors are better at selling themselves than others (yes yes, most successful writers are ticket takers, but you don’t need to be one if you want to make a living from your art). If your art is as good as you think, there are people out there who’re willing to pay you.
You just need to learn how to sell without sacrificing your integrity.