The Myth Of The Starving Artist, And How Not To Subscribe To It

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It’s undeniable. There is something truly romantic about the idea of the tortured, starving artist that gives up everything for their work. It’s a theme that is played over and over again in literature and the movies. However, in the real world, it’s actually not the way any of us want to live. We want to make money from our creativity. Enough to pay the bills, to live well, and not have to struggle week to week. This is something that can actually be done if you use the following advice Read on to find out more.

Never stop promoting

Promotion is everything in the creative industry. Luckily, we have a wealth of accessible platforms now on the internet. That means long gone are the days when you had to have an arrangement with a gallery, or tour arts and crafts fairs to make a living. In fact, these days all of this can be done from the comfort of your front room.

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To achieve this be sure to combine listings on sales platforms like Art Lovers Australia and State Of The Art Gallery. Along with samples of your work on places like Deviantart and Pinterest to get good coverage. Remember it’s often images seen on the non-sales sites that lead people back to your store. That is why it’s essential to keep putting your work out there sharing and collaborating wherever possible.

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Be savvy about the business side

Another area you will need to pay attention to if you want to stay out of the starving artist category is the business side of things. Successful creative businesses are not solely based on talent. They also depend on knowing about how to run a business, balance the cash flow and charge the right prices to be competitive on the market. As well as make a profit.

In particular, you will need to devote time to dealing with your accounts, so you know where you are and have good tax records. As well as making sure that you are on the ball about service like bcashflow finance that can help you release money from your sales quickly. So you can meet your outgoing bills. Remember, business isn’t only about selling your work. It’s also about ensuring that the incomings and outgoings function properly. As if you don’t get this right, you will definitely be straying into starving artist territory.  

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Be prepared to be flexible

Lastly, in the creative world to ensure a steady income, you need to be flexible and innovative. This is because trends come and go quickly, and there is money to be made by applying these fashions to your work.

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Of course, there is always the spectre of authenticity and making work that has value in itself rather than for a commercial audience. However, if you want to keep yourself out of the poor house, at least some of your items for sale will need a commercial appeal. So you will have to flexible with this to be successful.

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To your success,

Vinh Van Lam & Stuart Horrex

Your Coaches ArtSHINE industries

 

 

Vinh Van Lam
the authorVinh Van Lam
Vinh Van Lam, co-founder of ArtSHINE, is a visionary art coach and entrepreneur with a passion for fostering creativity. With a diverse background in art and business, he brings a unique perspective to empower emerging artists, enabling them to thrive in the dynamic art industry through the innovative platform of ArtSHINE.

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