How to Become a Paid Artist
If you have a natural talent for creating art then you may think that earning a living from it is out of reach, you may think that it only serves to pass the time as a hobby or make the odd buck here and there but the truth is that you can, and should, pursue a career doing the art which you love. The key is to ensure that you are dedicating enough time to creating your pieces, regardless of whether you are a painter, a sculptor or a digital artist, ensure that you are setting aside enough time to design and create your work as well as grow as an artist.
There are many levels of success, you could be the next Warhol, Rembrandt or Emin or you could become a gallery regular like Chicago’s Jonathan Bunge. To reach this kind of success and forge a career as an artist, here are some steps which you can take.
Online Store
The power of the internet means that it has never been easier to sell your stuff online, you can create an online shop with ease and start pitching your pieces for the World to see. The best plan here is to have your own website which presents your bigger and more valuable offerings, this will serve as a shop and a gallery. You should also look at sites like Etsy, eBay and Amazon where you can set up shops and sell your smaller pieces to keep the money rolling in. Make sure that you network well online, give great customer service and provide people with unique and beautiful creations.
Contacts Are Key
If you aspire to one day being included in an art exhibition or a magazine then you are going to not only need to be a great artist but also be able to create a strong network of people and contacts. You will need to be persistent if you want to achieve success and calling gallery owners, presenting your work in public, making friends in public studios and befriending other artists is how you will grow your network and ultimately have the chance to present your pieces.
Live the Life
If you are pursuing a career as an artist then you will be best served if you are living in a city or town with a buzzing art scene. Places like this will give you more exposure for your work, you will have far more probability of your work being exhibited and you will also find it far easier to make friends within the industry. The other aspect of living in a artist hub like Berlin for example is the inspiration it will give you as an artist, this is something that every artist needs in order to stay relevant and moving your life to a city or town which holds art dear will be one of the best decisions that you could make for your future career in the world of art.
Author: Anwar Hossain