How To Make Money As An Artist?

I have written more extensively on techniques or making money with art. As an artist it is easy to focus on this aspect. Allow me to recap more dedicated articles to this question you will have interest in.

Among the most critical aspects is knowing how to build public relations as an artist. Add to this knowing the best places to sell art is important. These two elements can vary from location to location depending upon where you live.

Learning how to find commissions as an artist or use social media are secondary. These elements should come as a result of continuing the fore mentioned fundamentals across time.

Having an online art gallery is a must no matter where you are in the process. Nevertheless this is a vehicle which grows over an extended period of time, and can transform to fit your business model as needed.

An artist must understand the difference between artwork and product. Representing oneself requires more than selling on Etsy. Also be aware of the dangers social media poses to the professional artist.

The above short summary will link you to key places of interest where much more detail is given to the topic. Where I wish to go next is more true to the original title of this article.

Vain Metrics Never Makes Money In Art

If you depend upon likes, shares, or the appearance of followers you will ultimately fail. While these tools do have their place, these are not the proper focus.

Vain metrics never pay serve only the moment in feeling good. It requires too much energy to be spent in the wrong direction which does not yield real benefits.

Making money in art requires the artist have real growth and a growing artist portfolio. This growth extends beyond a business model and into their work flow.

Who you are will also grow in time. Learning how to compete against corporate brands is not easy.

A focus on vain metrics will only lead to stagnation and decline. An appearance of success does not help the bottom line.

Education Helps Maintain A Passion For Art

Artists should focus more on education and less on aspects such as social media. Learning new art drawing programs for example will allow for new ideas to be created.

It is too easy to get stuck within the wrong cycles if we are focused in the wrong way. We need to continually check and adjust so that our passion continues to fuel our growth.

Should The Artist Focus On Making Art For Money?

I am diving into the mental and emotional development of the artist. This is critically important for it will directly impact your business model.

There is a psychology to how this works. The question becomes, why do you create art? To get this answer, look at your present model.

If your social media or other content is purely geared for promotion or obtaining vain metrics, it is a problem. The focus is on making money rather than creating art.

In this creation cycle critical aspects are lost. Artistic expression and also the meaning of art is lost. What is the purpose of art? How successful an artist becomes depends upon these meanings.

In the end you must realize if you are creating a product, or if you are creating art. These are two different things.

Finding Balance In The Art Creation Cycle For Money And Expression

There must be balance within your creation cycle. Clearly for an artist to support themselves they must create for others. At times this can come in forms that are outside of what we wish to create.

To this end we can at times create products instead of art, or provide services to this end. Here enters a pivotal point.

Each artist must create for themselves. Inspiration can come from many places. Nevertheless how this inspiration is applied to our work can only come from experimentation, exploration, and creative expression.

Without these the artist will stagnate and cease to grow. Their work will forever exist within the niche box they attempt to survive within.

It is for these reasons that artists who are successful will often have multiple lines of their work. Each area of their work can or will be for different purposes.

I have written about artists who see each other as competition. Competing with other artists never allows one to see the truth of the matter. When you begin to see how complex the artistic life can be, realization comes that we do not have time for unprofessional things.

How The Artists Creation Cycle Creates Art Income

Making money with art ultimately comes as a result of some kind of creation cycle. A cycle which is founded in expression and experimentation allows for growth.

Artistic development of this nature gives new avenues of opportunity. Expansion into new items, art, and ultimately networking.

Expansion also requires thee destruction of old models. As the artist grows they will leave the older vehicles which supported them behind.

In truth it is a destructive and creative cycle within art. It requires failure to seed success. This is a process that when continued will lead to making money in art.

Where Most Artists Fail In Making Money

Where most artists will fail can be found in their commitment to their cause. Paired with this is a lack of patience.

If you are expecting an A to Z article on how to make money with art, it does not exist. If you find one online I would advise you to not listen to it.

An additional failure is commonly found within adaptation. The artist becomes stuck within a trend and adopts a product mindset. This cannot be allowed to happen.

Disappointment and failure is a part of the process. Learning from these events is required rather than surrendering to them.

Do Clients Buy The Art Or The Artist?

It has long been said that clients will buy the artist more so than the art. In other words much will depend upon the art marketing. This does hold a lot of truth.

Despite this it should be recognized that clients will purchase art which speaks to them. My point here today is the artist must be able to capture both of these elements.

No matter how powerful your art is, if no one sees your art platform then you will never make money. Likewise if all you have are widgets and products your work will not go far for it has little meaning.

Your goal is to have a measure of success within both of these worlds. It does not require an expert. However it does require that you learn, adapt, and keep going in order to achieve this.

Making money in art has never been easy. Our modern era holds more vehicles than ever to help an artist achieve this goal. The potential directions one can follow are nearly endless.

Find where you fit within your world and adopt a plan. Be flexible, grow, and adapt as you need.