So {you would like to|you need to|you wish to} {understand how to|learn how to} make money {being an} artist…
If you’re an artist or have {several} creative-type friends, {you almost certainly} know {a person who|somebody who} embraces {the thought of} the “starving artist.”
This {kind of} artist is someone who’s holding themselves back from actually {earning money} and achieving their dreams {due to a} preconceived notion of what an artist “should” be.
You can spot a self-made starving artist {if they} say {things such as}:
- “I don’t {desire to} sell out.”
- “If my art is good, it’ll market itself.”
- “{I simply} {need to get} {right into a} gallery.” (While making no attempts {to take action} whatsoever.)
You don’t {need to} “starve” {to create} money {during your} art.
Instead {you can begin} a side hustle that leverages your artistic talents and {can help you} {earn money from} your creative work.
BONUS: {Need to know|Wish to know} {steps to make} {just as much} money as {you need} and {exist} {on your own} terms? Download my The Savvy Painter {and contains} worked both {being an} art director for {a significant} {gaming} company {so when} {a specialist} artist who has sold {a huge selection of} paintings.
“[Starving artist syndrome] is {an extremely} ingrained {part of} the art world,” Antrese explains. “Some artists think it’s sleazy if someone even considers marketing themselves or {selling} their art.”
And it’s incredibly hypocritical.
From Antrese:
“Artists {have become} conflicted {because of it}. We’re being told through the artistic community and culture that selling your art is dirty. {Yet}, {simultaneously}, what artists want most {is usually to be} recognized. {They need} {visitors to} see their work and ‘get it.’ {The only method} {that occurs} though is when people {can|have the ability to|can easily} buy it.
It’s frustrating {to listen to} sometimes. {You may spend} {all your} time complaining {about how exactly} nobody {really wants to} {purchase your} work {yet} {simultaneously} you’re {discussing} selling {your projects} {as though} it’s {probably the most} debasing, horrible {part of} {the planet}.”
You {have to} understand you’re {creating a} business. And like {any} business, {most of the} work you {placed into} it won’t be sexy {also it} won’t be romantic.
She continues, “{Which includes} marketing yourself, putting yourself {on the market}, and generally doing {all of the} boring {items that} doesn’t happen magically. It’s not dirty. And it’s not beneath you.”
How {can you} {begin} putting yourself {on the market} and {earning money}?
First, {you need to} choose your path…
How {to create} money {being an} artist
If {you would like to|you need to|you wish to} {learn to|figure out how to|discover ways to} make money {being an} artist, {you can find} two paths {it is possible to} {decrease}:
- Commercial art. {That is} art used primarily for {things such as} advertisements, media, or entertainment.“A commercial artist is {a person who|somebody who} works for hire,” Antrese explains. “{That may} mean anybody from {individuals who} provide storyboards for the entertainment industry to {individuals who} do illustrations for magazines or books, to {individuals who} design t-shirts {for instance}.”
- Fine art. {Artwork} is what {involves} mind {for most} when someone says {they} “{are} an artist.”“The fine artists are artists {that are} more in {the blissful luxury} business, {as they say},” Antrese explains. “They {attempt to} create paintings, sculptures, {along with other} {artwork} for patrons, and typically {use} galleries and {desire to} {maintain} museums.”{That is} art for {the principal} {reason for} appreciation and aesthetic rather than commercial utility. Think Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Michelangelo’s David, or {some of} my designers’ photoshopped pictures of me.
Pictured: Fine art
“{You have to|You should} remember you’re playing the long game, there’s no shortcut to making and selling good art,” she explains.
So no, you don’t {have to get} your MFA in painting.
And no, you don’t {have to be} {such as this} guy.
All {you will need} {will be the} right systems.
Though {you can find} differences in {the method that you|the way you} approach {the machine} {based on} which path you take, the framework {may be the} same.
Bonus: {Desire to} {home based}, control your schedule, and {earn more income}? Download my {the very best} {web business} to start.
But {for the present time}, {here are a few} great freelance commercial artist jobs with {a lot of} gigs {on the market}:
- Illustrator. This entails taking ideas and concepts from managers and turning them into fleshed out illustrated images.
- Graphic designer. This role {has a} {selection of} roles including website and {company logo}, {presentation}, and brand production.
- Photographer. Freelance photogs {will get} work snapping shots for magazines, media organizations, companies, {as well as} weddings.
- Video editor. With platforms {such as for example} Vimeo and YouTube, many companies are {starting to} embrace video {as a way} {to obtain} across their message. {They want} {you to definitely} shoot, edit, and produce those videos. Could that be you?
If {you would like to|you need to|you wish to} go into {artwork}, you should {curently have} {a concept} of what your medium is, whether it’s painting, sculpting, photography, whatever.
No matter what your hustle idea is, {you have to|you should} remember one important tenet: Do good work.
It {may seem} obvious but people sometimes forget this {if they} jump {right into a} creative pursuit.
“{It appears} so obvious {nevertheless, you} have to {spending some time} developing your craft and creating work that you’re {pleased with},” Antrese says. “{You have to be|You should be} super {pleased with} it. You can’t just put crap out {in to the} world and expect {visitors to} {enjoy it}.”
This {may be the} “{In the event that you} build it, {they’ll} come” {notion of} {developing a} side hustle. {In the event that you} create good, high-quality work, people {should come} {for you}. It doesn’t matter what your artistic medium is. {It is best to} {maintain} the {quest for} doing good work.
“It’s {ideal for} the mind-set too,” she says. “If you’re {carrying out work} you’re {worked up about}, you’re {likely to} be motivated {to help keep} on {carrying it out}.”
Step #2: Find clients
If you’re freelancing, {you can find} many different {methods for you to} approach finding your first client.
You can cold email companies.
You can {check out} places like Craigslist {to get} awesome clients (seriously).
Or {you can examine} out industry-specific job boards. {They are} fantastic for finding clients {searching for} your services.
Here {certainly are a} few {having an} arts and media focus {that will help|which will help} {you obtain} started:
- MediaBistro.com. Awesome job board for finding media-specific jobs.
- 99designs.com. {Best for} finding {graphical design} or illustration work. {The website} has {paid} over $200 million {with their} community of designers.
- Designs.net. {Enables you to} place {your projects} on its marketplace where {clients} {will get} and pay you {for the} work.
- Behance.com. Another great site with {a thorough} job board for {graphic artists} and illustrators.
- DesignerNews.com. {An enormous} community of designers with {a lot of} opportunities {to get} freelance gigs.
No matter {if you opt to} sell you {artwork} or {if you need to|in order to} start freelancing for clients, though, {it’s also advisable to} {commence to} take networking seriously.
Networking, itself, {can be an} {talent}.
And {like the majority of} art forms, {it could be} learned, honed, and mastered. When artists master it, {they are able to} make connections with {free galleries}, collectors, potential mentors, and {an environment of} {others who} {might help} them grow {within their} career.
To {connect to} anyone, {you have to|you should} keep {a very important factor} in mind {once you} meet them: {How do i} help this person?
“{Visit the} shows,” Antrese says. “Show {that person}. Be memorable. Leverage the social skills {you will need} {in virtually any} business {to assist you} network. Find {methods to} stand out {and become} helpful.”
Because nothing will turn someone {faraway from} you faster than dripping with nervous desperation as you {make an effort to} get something {from their website}.
“[Something] you don’t do is that {you won’t ever} EVER {head to} {a skill} opening and {make an effort to} approach the gallery {with your personal} work,” she says. “You’ll just {appear to be} {the largest} jerk on {the facial skin} of {the earth}.”
Afraid of introducing yourself or {being unsure of} {what things to} say? {Here are some|Below are a few} great resources on IWT {to obtain} started building amazing social skills {so that you can} dominate any {possibility to} network.
When {you discover} someone {you would like to|you need to|you wish to} {use}, you’re {likely to} have to {get in touch with} them. Luckily, {I’ve} {an ideal} email script {to work with}.
Bonus: {Desire to} fire your boss {and begin} your dream business? Download my FREE Ultimate Guide to Business.
Step #3: Reach out to {clients} with {an ideal} email
“But Ramit. {An ideal} email script doesn’t exis-”
BOOM.
CLIENT’S NAME,
I saw your post on X and visited {your site}. I {pointed out that} you’ve been {searching for a} video editor.
I’ve been doing video editing for {3 years} and I’d {prefer to} offer {to assist you} edit your videos {and obtain} them optimized for {the net}.
That would {make sure they are} look more professional and load faster, {that is} {very important to} your readers. And you’d {release} time {you could} use {to generate} new content.
We can discuss {the facts}, {needless to say}, but first {I needed} to see if {that is} something {you may be|you could be} {thinking about}.
If so, {would it not} be okay {easily} sent you {some ideas} {on how best to} help?
Best,
Ramit Sethi
This {is an excellent|is a good|is a superb} {welcome email} script because it’s simple, direct, and sells {the customers} on the benefits of {dealing with} you.
Of course, you’re {likely to} {desire to} mold it {for the} specific hustle.
And for {a far more} comprehensive summary of how {you can begin} {an effective} freelance hustle, {make sure to} check out {both of these} articles on {this issue}:
Step #4: Use brutal honesty to price yourself
I don’t care if you’re a freelance programmer or if you’re selling your paintings {privately}: everyone gets confused at pricing their products {if they} {begin}.
“{I believe} artists {that are} just {getting started} and aren’t {acquainted with} {the marketplace} yet {have a tendency to} either price their pieces too low or {too much},” Antrese says.
And {when you} can arbitrarily price {your projects} {and soon you} hit on {a thing that} sticks, Antrese {includes a} good framework {that will help|which will help} any beginner out: Brutal honesty.
“{The easiest way} to do {it really is} to be brutally honest with yourself and evaluate {your personal} work,” she says. “{For me personally}, {I understand} who paints like {I really do}, who {includes a} similar {expertise}, where they’re showing, {what type of|what sort of} galleries they’re in, {and} you go {and appearance} where they’re showing their work and {just how much} they’re selling it for.”
This {method of} pricing {can be} {referred to as} the “Do what {another} guy does” technique. By {considering} yourself {among others} in {an identical} situation as you, and seeing how they price their products, {it is possible to} {develop} {an informed} guess {concerning} how you {ought to be} pricing {your projects}.
HOWEVER, it’s {not only} your talent level. {You have to|You should} {bear in mind|remember} {another} person’s experience and {just how much} attention {they will have} gotten {when it comes to|with regards to} patronage and shows.
“If your {expertise} is {near} {see your face} but they’re in {the very best} gallery in {NY} and they’ve had six solo shows {and you also} haven’t, you can’t price {your projects} {exactly like} theirs,” Antrese explains.
BONUS: {Need to know|Wish to know} {steps to make} {just as much} money as {you need} and {exist} {on your own} terms? Download my FREE Ultimate Guide to Making Money
Step #5: Don’t quit {your entire day} job (yet)
While {it may be} tempting to march into your boss’s office and {devote} your two weeks’ {spot the} day {once you} sell your first painting or {enter} a gallery, {you need to be|you ought to be|you have to be} judicious {initially}.
From Antrese:
“{If they} start selling their work, {it really is} tempting {to give up}. They think ‘If {I could} sell X with {a complete} time job, {I possibly could} 10X {that when} {I simply} had {additional time} to paint. {I have to} quit my job.’ Sounds logical enough.
What they don’t understand is {what goes on} {within their} heads {if they} {no more} have {a reliable} paycheck. {Even though} {these were} smart and put cushion money aside, the mindset inevitably shifts from ‘I’ll create {the very best} painting {I could}, if it doesn’t sell {immediately}, it doesn’t really matter’ to ‘I worked hard for that savings and {each day} I don’t sell, I’m {each day} {nearer to} losing {everything}. This painting {Must} sell.’
That’s {lots of|plenty of} pressure and {an ideal} environment for creative paralysis.
Instead, Antrese suggests you resist temptation and keep {your task} – {at the very least}, {and soon you} can feasibly sustain yourself {on your own} craft.
“Keep {your task},” she says. “{Have a} ‘pay cut’ and live only off {the gains} {from your own} art. {Is it possible to} pay {all of your} bills? {Are you currently} comfortable? {For the time being}, set your regular paycheck to automatic deposit {right into a} {checking account}. 100% of it. {When you’re able to} live off the sales {of one’s} art for {90 days} without dipping into that {checking account}, {it is possible to} quit {your task}. And congratulations, you have {a supplementary} {90 days} of savings!”
Earn {additional money} ({even though} you’re “starving”)
Both {artwork} and commercial art {are excellent} ways to {make money}. It just {depends upon} how you {desire to} {earn money from} your art.
And if you’re {prepared to} put in {the task} into {learning to be a} successful artist and earning {additional money}, {I’ve} something {for you personally}:
In it, I’ve included my best {ways of}:
- Create multiple income streams {and that means you|which means you} always have {a frequent} {way to obtain} revenue.
- Start {your personal} business and escape the 9-to-5 {once and for all}.
- Increase your income by {thousands} {per year} through side hustles.
Download {a free of charge} copy of {the best} Guide today by entering your name and email below – {and begin} blowing up your net worth today.