If you’ve always been told that “you can’t make money as an artist or writer, take heart. It’s just not true, especially today.
While some creators consider their art a hobby and never wish to pursue it for profit, others long to be able to earn money doing what they love. There are many reasons to want to make money from your art.
How to Make Money as a Writer
The focus of this article is primarily visual artists, however, many of these ideas, avenues of pursuit and resources are equally relevant to writers aspiring to make money as a writer. You can earn from writing for others in the short term as a paid freelance writer, while pursuing your own writing as your part time job.
For more specific information dedicated to getting started as a freelance writer, this article on freelance article writing for beginners is most thorough and helpful. You may also enjoy tuning into this podcast with professional writer, Eric Rosenberg, or some of these other professional writers.
If you’re a creative hobbyist, you may not have considered turning pro and becoming a professional artist. Or you may have decided that it’s not for you. As you reflect on the possibility, you might consider some of the many advantages of conscious creation with the goal of building a body of work in the world.
Why Sell Your Art?
- More people get to enjoy it.
- Profits pay for art supplies.
- You get to spend more time doing what you love.
- The more you earn the more you can create and the more exposure to your work.
- Supplemental income helps pay bills and create extra income to invest.
- Extra income brings greater freedom from worry and limitations and greater capacity to do more and serve more.
- Serious creators can earn a living doing what they love.
- When you love your work it never feels like work.
You can join the ranks of the many who are making money as an artist… if you’re serious about your art and treat it as
Yes, artists can — and do make money from their art.
Easy? No. Possible? Absolutely.
Earning a living as an artist of any medium is possible. It’s not easy. It’s a lot of hard work over an extended period of time without guarantees or certainty. But so is working for others doing work you don’t enjoy.
There are artists in the iCreateDaily community who sell their work, both through commissioned work and the selling of original art. Those who stick with it while continually learning and growing in their craft as well as the art of business, are those who succeed at reaching their goals.
And yes, it takes time. Often, a long time before it will sustain you. But you’re spending that time doing work you love… that you would do for free. You’re building your future dwelling.
Of the many businesses of any kind in all industries, there are more who fail than make it. Because being an entrepreneur is hard, and there are no guarantees. But as with any business endeavor, the more you work at it the more the revenue grows, and that’s the only way it grows: through consistent persistence over the long haul.
The good news is that when you love your work it never feels like work! So wouldn’t you rather work the hardest at something you love doing? You’re going to be doing it anyway; creating anyway… working anyway.
To make money as an artist simply begins by creating as you love to while learning and working at the job of business building. One step at a time… one canvas at a time… one page at a time… one song at a time… one shawl at a time.
But what if it takes 10 years?
Or 20?
That time is going to pass anyway. Wouldn’t you rather invest in in yourself doing what you love to do? And consider how much you can learn in a year? If you dedicated just one hour per week learning about growing your craft and business endeavor, that’s the equivalent of a week long course that would help you leap ahead toward your goal.
The Chasm and the Bridge – The Leap of Faith
The bridge from where we are to where we want to go is like that invisible bridge of faith in the Indiana Jones movie, The Last Crusade. We build that bridge through visioning, goal setting, and learning through focused action.
Table of Contents
- Audio Article
- For Artists Serious About Their Work
- One Piece of Art Sold for $91 Million
- The World Needs Your Art
- How to Make Money as an Artist
- Knowledge is Empowering
- 6 Reasons Most Creators Fail
- Creating isn’t Enough
- Best Options for Success
- Why You Must Succeed
- Sell Art Online
- Why You Must Pursue Your Dreams
Audio Article:
For Artists Serious About Their Work
How to make money as an artist? Get serious about your work and commit to it for the long haul.
The fact that there are thousands of successful artists today, earning a full or part-time living from their art is testament to what’s possible. Not only is it possible to make money as an artist and creator, it’s more possible today than ever in the history of the world.
The reason the iCreateDaily slogan began as: For creators serious about their art, is because that’s what it will take for you to make money as an artist, writer, musician, dancer, product developer, ecommerce seller, online and off-line retail.
If you want to create for the sheer joy, relaxation and soul inspiring benefit of creating, that’s awesome!
When it comes to how to make money as an artist and earning enough to make a supplemental or exclusive living with your art, it will require your dedication and determination over time to bring it to fruition.
But isn’t that true for any career?
“If you just follow what’s in your heart, and you’re willing to work hard for it, then nothing is impossible.”
~Michael Flatley, Lord of the Dance director, choreographer, producer
One Piece of Art Sold for $91 Million
Recently, a sculptor’s work sold for $91 million dollars. That’s one sculpture by one artist now listed as the second wealthiest living artist. That one artist, Jeff Koon, who persevered over time, and who kept learning and leveraging skills and opportunities.[1]https://www.wsj.com/articles/jeff-koonss-rabbit-sculpture-sells-for-91-million-11557970798
While the one sculpture made Koon incredibly wealthy, there w