Many artists and writers depend on having a day job, particularly if they want to create the art they want. If you’re creating art by the order of someone else—yes, that might pay a bit more just because someone else is calling the shots.
It’s difficult to make enough money at art and writing. You have to work hard to build skills, then build a market, and build a business. Most of that is NOT making the art, unfortunately. But it IS possible. Just a lot of doing stuff that’s not art —and often not so fun. ☹️
Those who are good at the business side do have a big advantage.
Thank you! The painting was a bit ambitious but it came out OK in the end.
I am so bad at business! You are 100% right! So much of making art for a living is NOT actually making art! Gah! I feel like I at least- got hooked on the concept of the gallery artist in NYC who just makes art in a studio and then sells at galleries and have the luxury of just making art all the time and if it ever existed it probably peaked when I was a child way back when.
There is a local printer I could MAYBE get cards of my art made?? I'm thinking about it??
Sadly, even the gallery artists need to hustle! They need to go find galleries to handle their work. And then people need to come and buy it—which helps if you already have built up a bit of a following. And you need to keep doing that. One show once in a while is not enough to survive on. (I know you can guess that from the shows you enter.).
Making prints can be done—but you need to have a good place to sell them. Maybe try a few and see, but it involves building up a business—that part is hard to avoid.
Ugh! No kidding! I feel like there is this enduring fantasy that you can just "get discovered" and then you're fine for the rest of your life. I'm going to look into a local printer and see if they can make cards that I HOPE the art supply store will put on their shelves.
The dog and cat painting is adorable!
I also love seeing the square foot pieces.
Many artists and writers depend on having a day job, particularly if they want to create the art they want. If you’re creating art by the order of someone else—yes, that might pay a bit more just because someone else is calling the shots.
It’s difficult to make enough money at art and writing. You have to work hard to build skills, then build a market, and build a business. Most of that is NOT making the art, unfortunately. But it IS possible. Just a lot of doing stuff that’s not art —and often not so fun. ☹️
Those who are good at the business side do have a big advantage.
Thank you! The painting was a bit ambitious but it came out OK in the end.
I am so bad at business! You are 100% right! So much of making art for a living is NOT actually making art! Gah! I feel like I at least- got hooked on the concept of the gallery artist in NYC who just makes art in a studio and then sells at galleries and have the luxury of just making art all the time and if it ever existed it probably peaked when I was a child way back when.
There is a local printer I could MAYBE get cards of my art made?? I'm thinking about it??
Sadly, even the gallery artists need to hustle! They need to go find galleries to handle their work. And then people need to come and buy it—which helps if you already have built up a bit of a following. And you need to keep doing that. One show once in a while is not enough to survive on. (I know you can guess that from the shows you enter.).
Making prints can be done—but you need to have a good place to sell them. Maybe try a few and see, but it involves building up a business—that part is hard to avoid.
Ugh! No kidding! I feel like there is this enduring fantasy that you can just "get discovered" and then you're fine for the rest of your life. I'm going to look into a local printer and see if they can make cards that I HOPE the art supply store will put on their shelves.