When I switched careers from coaching to being an artist, I was already familiar with the idea of multiple streams of income.
Still, just because I knew what that could look like for a coach did NOT mean I knew what it meant for an artist, or why it was important. Luckily, in the past five and a half years I have developed many streams of income and have ideas for many more. Here’s how you can do it, too.
First of all, I’m going to assume you’re at least somewhat developed in your business. If you are just starting out, pick one of these streams and run with it until things are going smoothly. If you’re still in the beginning of your career, you may not feel confident enough to use some of these ideas (like teaching classes). Your aesthetic may also still be developing, so give that time.
Now, if you’re already making art, putting it out there and selling it, you’re probably ready to develop multiple streams of income.
What Does Multiple Streams of Income For An Artist Mean?
Multiple streams of income just means you’re making money from many different sources. You’re not only selling paintings at one gallery and that’s it (no online sales, no work up at a local coffee shop, etc.) You absolutely need to diversify if you ever want to make any money (which you do!).
It’s that whole “putting all your eggs in one basket” thing. If you only sell paintings, and only sell them at once place, you better be a really well known artist who sells paintings for thousands of dollars. Not you? Yeah, me neither. That’s why you’ve got to find many different ways to bring in the moolah.
Okay, So What Are The Streams?
There are many, many ways to make money, but here are some of the most popular and easily accessible. As an artist, you need to choose which of the multiple streams of income appeal to you.
Sell your original work in person
This is probably the way most people think of to sell their art, and even within this one stream of income, there are many, many ways to sell your work in person. A gallery, a local restaurant, a doctor’s office, a coffee shop, at a craft fair or booth. Even if you’re already selling your work in person in one place, seek out other places, too. There more places your work is, the more chances it has to sell!
Sell your original work online
This is actually how I started out. Selling artwork in person was way too scary for me, so I set up a shop on Etsy. These days I have my own shop hosted on my website, but having some sort of shop online is essential. In addition to a formal shop, people reach out to me via Instagram and Facebook and ask about purchasing paintings, and this is a form of selling work online as well.
Make products out of your art (prints, cards, journals, planners) and sell them in person and online
This category alone could be split into several, but I’ll give you an overview here. Once you have some art you’re proud of, you can photograph or scan it and have it turned into cards, prints, or upload it to a company and have it put on journals or mousepads or T-shirts. Once you have that product, you can sell it online or in person.
I sell cards, journals, and prints. These fit with my aesthetic and make sense for my brand. I sell them in my shop, but also sell journals and cards in my space at the Woolworth Walk Gallery.
Sell on Redbubble or Society6
If you don’t want the overhead of creating these products yourself and hoping they’ll sell, a print on demand site can be a good option. These sites allow you to put your artwork on more items than you could even imagine, like clocks and shower curtains. The downside of these sites is that you only get a teeny, tiny percentage of what the product sells for, and your work can get lost in the crowd. If you do go this route, be sure to heavily market your work to your followers so they know where to get it.
Teach classes
I’ve been an artist since I was a kid and picked the paintbrush back up five and a half years ago, but it took me until now to think I was worthy of teaching a class. If you have a following or an email list, you can let them know you’re teaching a class and get signups directly. You can teach in person or over Zoom (that’s what I did). You can host painting parties virtually or in person. People want creative endeavors and don’t know where to start; you have more skills than you know.
Teach on a platform like Skillshare
If you don’t have much of a following, you can always record a class and upload it to Skillshare. I’ve taken many great classes on there and some teachers are really, really popular! The downside is that you’re competing with a ton of known teachers, so make sure your class stands out and to tell your social media following (and everyone else!) exactly what and where your class is, so they can sign up.
Teach private lessons
Another option is teaching one on one, or even coaching aspiring artists. Remember how much you didn’t know when you started? You may take it for granted that you know how to mix that perfect shade of green, or how to properly mount a painting, but other people don’t know that stuff. Leverage your knowledge.
Final Thoughts on Multiple Streams of Income For Artists
It takes time and dedication to make money as an artist, but it’s absolutely possible. There are more ways to make money than listed here, like licensing your work and painting murals, and ways I haven’t even thought of yet!
Give it a chance. Pick a path and start walking down it, then add new streams of revenue to it. You can do this! Multiple streams of income for an artist are completely doable.
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