Last week was a good introduction to the idea of surviving as an artist, especially the idea that you need to take control. But you need to do more than just take control and think of the business side of things. You need to think in terms of multiple streams of income and how you can make enough money to survive. Not very many people can make a lot of money from selling their art in galleries, but almost anyone can make a little bit of money that way. Not very many people can make a lot of money from selling their art online, but almost anyone can make a little bit of money that way. Think in terms of all of the ways that you can make even a little bit of money. There are a lot of them, are there not? Now if you add them all up, you can probably make enough to survive as an artist.
Let’s look at a few:
- Sell online
- Use Adsense to make money from your art blog
- Teach
- Do online classes and coaching
- Sell at galleries and shows
- Sell cards and prints
- Sell to businesses/offices
- Have your own show
- Add your art to other people’s projects and create joint ventures
- Create information products (articles, books, audio, video… )
- Create a community-based project that garners media attention
- Promote your own line of products
- License your work
- Take people on art tours (locally, nationally, or internationally)
- Live simply
These are just some of the multiple streams of income that you can create and use. Some of them may take some time up front, but most of them can be automated so that you have time to actually work on your art.
Next week I will start to look at some of these multiple streams and go more in-depth on a few of them.
Thanks for stopping by!
Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com
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Here is some information about art education:
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15 comments ↓
Another great article Chris. Thanks for all the great advice.
Wonderful article, Chris. Your list is pretty complete. I’ve been working my way through doing this, and I have to say it’s fun to have money coming in from several different places.
Great post. I have been doing almost all of these things for a few years now, and it does work. Small money adds up…you just have to be on top of new oppourtunities when they come up, don’t say yes to every little thing and remember that no one can ever sell your art like you can. Have a story to tell about the works, be charming and invite conversation with people, even if they don’t buy your work, and always be ready to give them a biz card! Thanks for putting it out there Chris!
@Gale: Thanks, I appreciate your comments, it means a lot.
@Kris: Thank you. I know there are even more… can you think of other methods you have used?
@Heather: What has been most and least successful for you?
Hi Chris, I have a little something for you at my blog. Please stop by and pick it up.
In answer to your question, I send out an email newsletter monthly. I believe I sent you the January one. My business always gets a boost when I send one out. I love this method of promoting myself.
I am starting a newsletter too Kris, glad to know that it’s not a waste of time for you, great…now where did I put that newsletter templete again…HHhmmmmm.:) I love your work BTW.
Chris: By far living simply has saved my bacon many a time. As far as the list above goes, my blog and line of products is my most valuable tool I have right now. Co-creating with people has also been rewarding and lead me to have the chance to meet, learn from and form friendships with people in and out of the art world, I would have never had the chance to meet. Working in my community, doing murals with the local school or teaching small classes of older adults has opened many a door too. I think by far…just being willing to put yourself out there, try new things and tell everyone you meet what you do. You gotta hussle, shake that money tree and see what comes down, but it can and does work. It’s faith and work, work and faith.
@Kris: First, thank you for award, you are awesome! Second, why does the newsletter bring in more business?
Here’s my problem. I used to be a chemical engineer and then I taught high school science for several years. I HAVE to think orderly! So I like to look at how and why certain things work and then figure out how they can be applied to other methods and techniques. Fortunately (depending on how you look at it), art marketing is not a hard science and I can only approximate this process. It still takes a lot of intuition, guesswork, and trial.
So back to the newsletter… some of the reasons why it might work are:
1. You pop up in a different space in people’s lives, thus connecting in a new way and reminding them that you are out there.
2. Your content is engaging in a different way than your blog or any other contact they have with you. The more layers of contact the better. Imagine us now driving down the road in our home town and seeing your face and a painting on a big billboard. “Holy cow, I KNOW that person!” Okay, that’s a little extreme, but imagine if we start seeing you on other people’s blogs (which we do). One more layer. Now what if we receive a postcard in the mail… yet another layer.
Just some early morning thoughts…
@Heather: Thank you for your well thought out response, I love this conversation. I already live a pretty simple life, but if I were planning to live solely off of my art and were also single, I would probably live in a van until things got off the ground!
I would love to hear more about everything you are doing. I am in the planning stages of a podcast.. would you be interested in doing an interview down the road about your successes and failures selling your art?
Chris for sure, I’d be interested. I get on average about three emails a month from other artists asking these questions. What do I do next? how do I find my market? What did you do?
I answer each one, because some one along the (many times) way gave me a hint or gave me a minute, that changed things. So, I love the conversation too…because I am always looking to learn something new. The teacher gets to learn twice.
Your comment about the layers of contact…yeah I had not thought of it like that, in layers. I am going to think on that and see what happens. Thanks! Creating those layers with as few steps in between is what I am trying for now, simple and direct and effective….that’s the ticket. I gotta keep the brain going on the creation end, and marketing has to be considered a part of, but in all, it’s the creating that brings it all together. Synergy. This is my 10th year being a full time artist, I’m excited to take it to the next level. Thanks for this post!
Hi Chris,
Looking as a psychic, here’s why the newsletter brings in more business: it clears energy. The amount of pressure I handle the day or two before I send it out is awesome. Then, once I hit the “Send” button and it goes, energy begins to release. Some of the pressure is resistance, which all of us know so well about.
Your answer about being seen in many layers, and in different spaces in people’s lives is right on.
@Heather: Thank you for sharing these thoughts. I’ll be in touch about the interview… it might take me a couple of months! I’m working on a couple of different podcasts right now.
@Kris: Thank you for adding this about the energy. I think that it is an important piece that most people don’t get or see. I think the energy we feel when we’re writing our blog posts and emails comes through loud and clear when they are read. I don’t think “The Secret” is the end all and be all, but I do think there are a lot of truths in it.
Here’s my secret: I’ve never read “The Secret”. Don’t intend to. However, I like that it’s popular because it means more people are paying attention to energy. That’s really what people to people communication is about, and it’s lovely!
This is a fascinating discussion. Thank you!
@Kris: I watched the video of “The Secret” and was both glad to see some of these things being talked about and disheartened to see the emphasis on gaining material possessions. There is nothing wrong with material possessions, but spending your life and your energy just in the pursuit of them is an empty and non-rewarding task.
Thanks for letting me know. I agree with you, and I also see that survival sometimes drives people to learn something they might not have tried. I knew there was a reason I wasn’t attracted “The Secret”.
Hi Chris, Kris and Heather,
Fascinating discussion! I need to go read that layers part again … and make sure I get that piece.
I sure juggle a lot of balls in the air. I also need to make sure that I am not so stretched in too many directions … but I love having some different focuses … and that surely is where my money comes from.
~ Diane Clancy
http://www.dianeclancy.com/blog
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