Financing Creativity: Making Money as an Artist

Financing Creativity: Making Money as an Artist

For the most part, you will find that artists and money have a history of not mixing very well, as you often have to sacrifice one for the other. Many artists would prefer to hone their craft than to study up on the many different ways to make money, as they tend to assume that the money will come alongside their budding talent. While there have been situations where artists have managed to balance the two, there is a reason why the struggling artist is something of a stereotype.

Fortunately, you do not have to suffer through trial and error to make your mark both creatively and financially in your chosen industry. Here are just a few ways to help steer you in the right direction as you strive to make money as an artist in 2020.

Be aware of which creative ventures make money – you might have to take a detour

While there is no doubt there are plenty of people who make a living off of their creative streak, not everything can make you money right away. It is quite likely that most budding artists will have to make use of a job that pays the bills as they strive toward improving their skills. Fortunately, you can still be creative about how you want to do it, as there are plenty of paths to the same destination.

For example, setting up a personal blog about art and stories based on your works is a great way to get people interested. You could also choose a financial profession close to what you love, such as a curator of arts. You could even work as a concept artist for game companies.

On the topic of advertising

As mentioned above, setting up a blog where you talk about your passions and try to get your message across is an excellent way of building up your potential network. Things have a habit of snowballing when it comes to matters of advertising, which means all everyone ever needs is a push in the right direction.

You can make use of social media to help advertise your works, a tactic that works reasonably well if you have friends and family singing its praises. Keep in mind, however, that plagiarism is a real threat for those who take the path of social media. While things might be somewhat slow at the beginning, your fanbase will slowly but steadily grow as you build your portfolio.

Consistency trumps quality and quantity

Consistency trumps quality and quantity

Some might say that you cannot rush art, but if you take your time to get everything right, there is a chance that there might not be much of a fanbase left to appreciate your work. While patience is undoubtedly a virtue, making money as an artist is as much a business as it is a passion. Consistency with your work is often more crucial than quality or quantity, which means if you can dedicate yourself to a proper working schedule, you vastly increase your chances of making money as an artist.

Working hard is one of the key factors of earning as an artist, but so is working smart. It pays to be efficient, and the tips above are more than enough to aid you in accomplishing your goals.

Photo Attribution:

1st and featured image from https://pixabay.com/photos/brushes-paint-color-painting-4226688/

2nd image from https://www.artworkarchive.com/blog/how-to-price-consistently-for-art-sales-success

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