Are there any artists here? (letters, employees, profit, jobs)
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If you're an artist (painter, sculptor, writer, musician, actor, etc.), how have you managed to make a living? And are you full-time artists or part-timers?
I write but it isn't my job, I just enjoy it and I am published but I own a different company to make a living.
It takes work, passion and lots of rejection to get established, well it did when I first started.
With all the new technology I'm not sure how things are now.
If you're an artist (painter, sculptor, writer, musician, actor, etc.), how have you managed to make a living? And are you full-time artists or part-timers?
Living in LA you could make good money as a free lance artist if your talented. Thats the thing,
As a successful artist the most constructive thing i can tell you to do is this. If you truly want to be an artist and make money. I would tell you to go buy yourself a $4-$10,000 screen printing machine complete set up.
BUT, and this is a strong BUT, don't spend a penny on your equipment till you know how to use it correctly.
Get a job at a local screen printing shop. Your not going to make any money, and your going to work in some hot dirty sweaty conditions. BUT, the knowledge you will gain as a artist that wants to make a income from their work, can't be bought. You may hate screen printing but work there for 2-6 months is all. The things you see and learn about art, printing, inks, media, that you never had a clue about, will open your mind in away you never could imagine. It will open your mind up to understanding how to make money as a artist. It will teach you just enough about how to get your art onto media in ways you never knew existed that once you have this world of HOW TO GET IT ON WHAT YOU WANT IT PRINTED ON you will then be able to go toward that type of printing. Today art is so easy to do and make money, IF YOUR TALENTED. You just need a understanding of printing is what it sounds like to me. Working at a screen printing shop will get you in a place where you come in contact with all the areas best artist. You'll see printing machines and processes that will blow your mind. Printing art from machines 2inches wide to printers 40 wide. The options are endless you just need to see the different types so you can go toward the style that works for you. Once you find out what type of artist you want to be and start putting your art on a media 1 of 2 things will happen very quickly. You will blossom and go on to create art for a long time or you will fail right away and understand it wasn't meant to be. Its one career that if it going to happen for you, it will happen quickly.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I owned and operated a sign business for 17 years, and most of my employees were students at the art institute. We all did our "fun" art on the side. Most of them are still working in the corporate world, graphic designers, screenprinting and so on, and doing their painting/sculpture to sell on the internet or with exhibits at local restaurants/coffee shops.
I don't do art for financial gain but I have a good freind who designs and builds custom furniture. His stuff gets high prices but even he admits that the only reason he can do this as his career is because his wife has a solid tenured position as a chemistry professor.
I also know a guy who makes a living as a viloninist. He has a secure lifetime position with the Brazilian national orchestra. But he also gives lessons. Very few people can make a actual living selling art.
Related by marriage to one famous artist, MET, MOMA, Whitney and such.
Even though the work goes for insane amounts it can still be hardscrabble at times, there can be decades with a flat art market, you typically need to live/work in very expensive areas to be in contact with the patrons, attend the right events and cocktail parties.
In fact over the years if this particular artist hadn't received loads of financial support from parents and other relatives it simply wouldn't have come together at all.
A lot of the jobs that artists used to get paid for are gone. Now everybody has a camera, computers can generate art (of a sorts) that satisfies the masses.
It used to be that you could do a cute drawing, turn it into note cards and sell them on eBay, but nobody sends letters any more.
I have a cousin who makes living doing traffic circle art for big cities. He does nice stuff, but it is very accessible to the masses, looks pretty, and after his first couple of sales, it is all derivative. The buyers want more of what he has done before.
I make a few dollars writing, but not much. The book publishing industry has been greatly reduced. Fewer people are recreational readers.
I know someone who makes seasonal cash by painting holiday windows for the local stores. I don't know if no artist is doing that any more or if the stores have stopped paying for it, because I see fewer painted holiday windows than I used to see.
If you're an artist (painter, sculptor, writer, musician, actor, etc.), how have you managed to make a living? And are you full-time artists or part-timers?
I'm a musician. In my mid-to-early 20s I was in a band that was going well enough that we thought we might be able to go full time and not have to work day jobs (at least not year-round) but it didn't pan out. I worked as a temp and a legal messenger through much of my 20s, then about eight years ago landed an entry-level job at a large nonprofit. I've recently moved into Admin at the same institution and now I suppose I'm on a bit of a career path.
I love where I work (and the benefits and pay are great) but unlike a lot of the people surrounding me it's not my passion, it's my job. I still play music and with bands and am trying to get more into soundtrack/scoring, but any money this stuff brings in is more than offset by the costs of equipment, maintenance, and so on. It's purely for my own satisfaction. These days I don't entertain goals of making anything more than supplemental income from music, even down the road.
The hardest part is working 40 hours a week and still finding the energy to put enough time into music to get things accomplished. (and still try to have bit f a social life, spend time with my wife, have a bit of downtime) I know things could be plenty harder, though, so I'm not complaining.
Yes, most artists have day jobs. Please read the great book "the business side of creativity" if you are an artist. Very helpful. Many artists are very bad business planners.
My daughter is an artist. She works five days a week at the family business (which her sister runs) and sells her work at flea markets on weekends. Some days she'll make over $100 on her paintings and prints. Her dad is a "picker", selling his finds at his flea market stands, where she displays her art. Her work is dark fantasy - her idol is Tim Burton. Art is what she wants to do with her life - luckily working at the family business gives her the flexibility to make it happen.
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