How to make money with your art

How to make money with your art

Is it possible to enjoy financial abundance as an artist? (The word artist is used in its most general sense.) Or is it simply an unrealistic dream?

Obviously it's possible. Many people have already done it. But is it realistic for you? Well ... it depends. The honest answer is: probably not. What it takes to succeed as an artist is not so much a mystery nowadays. The real question is whether or not you want to do what it takes to get there. If you are like most people, this will not be the case. So if you want to succeed as an artist, you must raise your standards well above the level of those who want to give up.

The idle artists are more prevalent and cliche than the artists who roll on gold, but as you will discover in this article, there are very good reasons for this. In short, artistic competence alone is not enough to guarantee financial success.so this guide is for those whose want to earn money online by socializing. 

There are many challenges to financial nirvana when you are an artist, and all these challenges have their solution. Successful artists want to apply these solutions; unsuccessful artists do not fundamentally do it.

Here are some guidelines to move your artistic creation from the hobby to the lucrative profession:

Put some order in your financial beliefs

• Do you have that kind of belief?
• Great art and money do not mix.
• It's noble to be an idle artist.
• Artists who make a lot of money are sold.
• Money corrupts true creative expression.

If your thoughts are infected with this kind of limiting beliefs, even a little bit, think about how this will affect your efforts to make a lot of money with your work. These beliefs are backward from a financial point of view. With such mental baggage, you will miss too many opportunities to generate income with your art. In fact, you may not even notice it. These beliefs will push you to act stupidly.

Consider passing a course to your beliefs so that they look more like this:

• Money can help nurture creative expression.
• Creativity is free; the brushes no.
• Great art has a financial value; the artist certainly deserves a fair compensation.
• Artists who make a lot of money have good business sense.
• Great art deserves great financial support.
• Art is a creative endeavor, but it is also a business.
• The fans are good, but the customers pay the bills.

It's much easier to generate income with your art if you have beliefs that support income generation instead of demonizing it. If you give any meaning to generating income with your art (an event that is largely insignificant from a cosmic point of view), then give it at least meaning to support you on your way instead of creating you imaginary blockages.

Beliefs are contagious, so choose your friends carefully. If you go to people who have negative beliefs about the combination of art and money, they will just stoop. It's nice to see them from time to time, but be careful when you invite them into your inner circle.

Look for people who are already successful

Art is a social field, just like business. The business of art - of any art - is strongly social. It is simpler for those who live from the inside than for those who are strangers, so aim to become an insider. Do not even consider trying this alone.

Artists who are financially successful are generally happy to share the "secrets" of their success, including how to make money from their work. No need to reinvent the wheel. Make every effort to meet these people and attend them. Join clubs or trade associations, join forums, attend conferences, and find other ways to socialize with these successful artists in your field. It's not that difficult, but it requires you to make an effort. You will make networking mistakes along the way, but you will eventually get there.

I suggest you set a certain income goal - something modest - and target people who earn that kind of money. If you do not make money as an artist, it might be difficult to follow the advice of someone who earns 1 million euros a year. It will be easier for you to understand and apply the advice of someone who earns 30 or 50,000 euros a year. Then, when you get to that level, meet people who earn $ 100,000 a year, and see what they do differently. And continue to evolve this way.

If you always spend time with artists who earn as much or less money as you, I hope you enjoy eating at McDonald's.

When you meet successful artists, do not play the fans. It's better not to even say the word fan because it sounds too much like an admirer , and that directs the conversation to putting the artist on a pedestal, which is not really going to help you. Be friendly, interested, and respectfully curious, but leave the fact that you are equal as human beings. Artists are usually very comfortable talking about their work, so a good way to open the conversation is to ask them a specific question about their work. You can ask them a lot of things, but do not knock them out.

Being passive ensures you poor results. Push yourself out and meet people. Take social risks. If you go for an idiot from time to time, it's not the end of the world. You will recover.

During my time in computer games, I once had a coffee with my lawyer on a patio in Century City (a business district near Beverly Hills). Suddenly he turned and called a guy who was walking on the street. "Bill! It turned out to be William Shatner, the actor who notably played the legendary Captain Kirk and who is also a writer. Mr. Shatner was working with my lawyer on the release of a book. He approached us to chat amicably, and since I was a 20-something Star Trek fan, I went for an idiot - not too much, but enough to be aware of it after the fact. I learned to be less nerdy about this kind of people following this.

Successful artists, regardless of their field, usually know each other. They may not spend much time together, but they often meet in person as they move in the same circles. If you want to become a successful artist, it is wise to prepare for that. The key is that it ends up seeming normal to you. If it sounds too much for you, you'll push it away.

Networking with other pros in your field is a good business. Most of the income I earned with my creative work (writing, lectures, video games, etc.) came from professional agreements from my network. Other people brought me these opportunities. This is not unusual. Money flows around these people.

When you're an unknown artist in any field, it's hard to get visibility for your work. But if you have a lot of friends who help you spread the word, it's not so difficult anymore.

Networking gives you the butter and the pie at the same time. You can take advantage of ideas that generate additional revenue, opportunities, and visibility, without needing one to get the other.

Create art that people want

Think about your favorite band. Would you respect them more if they created music that you do not like?

When you pay for art, is it because the artist was super creative, or just because you like what he has created?

Chances are you do not spend so much money on creative work that you do not like. When you take out your wallet, it's because you like it - or at least you expect to like it.

This does not mean that the artist created this work for you (or for people like you), it means that if the artist wants to be paid, he must find at least a partial alignment between his creativity and this for what people are willing to pay.

It is not a problem to create works that no one else will appreciate. Do this from time to time. But do not expect to pay your bills with this kind of approach.

If you want to generate income with your art, then pay attention to what people are buying in your field. What is requested?

You will likely find that you can just as easily create works that match the current demand but also leave a lot of room for your personal expression. These constraints are not fundamentally conflicting. You can choose one and instead of one or.

This article, for example, is an article that I felt inspired to write, and I appreciate the process of its creation, but it's not a simple article written for free in my diary. This is an article I hope will provide some value to some people. It's art, but it's also social.

Sometimes people will want you to express yourself in ways you do not like. You are free to say no. Sometimes you will want to express yourself in ways that do not interest people. You are free to do that too. But when you want to generate income with your work, focus on an area where people want what you want and how you like to express your creativity. Then you will love your job and pay your bills with it.

If you plan to be stubborn on this point, then get ready to see much less talented artists earn more than you.

You might not control the waves of public desire, but you can still surf on it.