Yearning for Art as a Career: How to Make Money as an Artist

How to make money as an artist

One of the ironies of life is that on the one hand we feel most called to art, and on the other hand we believe our chances of making money as an artist are inestimably small. We are often told that medical school, law school, and business school are safer and more prudent paths to a lucrative career. Many of us have bought into the conception of the “starving artist.” Frankly, this conception is complete garbage.

Our art is our highest expression of ourselves, our reason to exist. Many self-identified artists are under the impression that to be a true artist, there is just one medium in which to do it and just one way to make money from it. If that were the case, Steve Jobs and Apple wouldn’t have existed. Neither would have Elon Musk, Leonardo Da Vinci, Rembrandt, or so many other influential people throughout history. Medium confusion and inflexibility kill more artists than any other human fallacy.

Let’s say you love to make cartoons. You can really make cartoons. When you make them, you are in bliss. Then the so-called “wise people” tell you that your chances of being a rich and famous cartoonist are less than one in a billion and you give up. Instead you become a doctor or lawyer or CEO. You no longer spend time drawing your cartoons. Rather, you spend time reading patient charts or litigation briefs or financial reports. With all of your personal and professional responsibilities and commitments, life seems to be as good as it will get for you.

Yet you still feel a yearning to continue your art. You think about it sometimes. You light up when you talk to others about it. You still want to do it. To show it. To learn and hone it. To teach it.

So why aren’t you spending some time doing exactly that? If you join Konversai, you could be doing exactly that. Konversai is a great new platform where you can engage in “art” with others in the world—talking art, teaching art, learning art, sharing art. Your art. You can always continue to play with your art while being a doctor, lawyer, homemaker, or whatever your “day job” might be.

If you want to go further and pursue a career in art, then there are also plenty of viable options for making a living. As an artist in the widely connected world, it is wise to be present in a variety of venues, physical and digital. You can build your unique presence on social media sites such as Facebook, Konversai, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Etsy, and Pinterest by creating a profile, posting your work, and following other artists.

If you’re interested in freelancing or taking on temporary gigs, you can create an account on websites such as Konversai, Thumbtack, Craigslist, Elance, and Upwork. Invite your friends, family members, and colleagues to endorse you in whatever way you can be endorsed—they can be your best advocates and allies in helping you get the word out about your art.

Or maybe you don’t need the money. Perhaps you want to donate to charity or give your art away for free. You can do that through Konversai as well.

Making it big as an artist is no easy task. Rejection and discouragement are very real aspects of the life of an artist, but they are also part of any calling. Get out of the self-adopted limitation of medium. Passion, perseverance, and a flexible attitude will get you out of the yearning and into being the artist you are, the artist you were born to be. What are you waiting for? Join Konversai today and make money as an artist.

Written by: Sushma Sharma and Pavita Singh

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