You know the saying, "Don’t put all your eggs in one basket"? That rings true for your art business as well. As an artist-entrepreneur, to grow your business, you have to include additional revenue streams. The same reason as to why big retailers, such as Amazon or Nordstrom do not sell only one type of product. They need to diversify so that they can reach a bigger pool of people. To create additional revenue streams you need to explore different ways to make money with your artistic talent. As an artist, if you combine your talent with appropriate marketing skills, you will make money from your art for as long as you want. Allow yourself to think bigger, diversify and grow. You can do this by teaching workshop to owning your own gallery. The options are vast, and here are a few ideas. If you want a sustainable art business, I suggest adding a few of the below options to your repertoire. Start adding just one and once you are comfortable with that, continue to add another one that suits your personality and skill set. Here is a list of 10 ways on how you can make money from your artistic ability. 1. Sell your original paintings via gallery and self-representation.
Here is the given, you create original art to sell. There are two options; you can either be a self or gallery-representation artist. If you chose to be a self-representation artist, selling through art events and co-op galleries are good choices. You can also open an art gallery and represent yourself. But if you dislike business dealings such as sales and marketing, then gallery representation may be best for you. You can apply for galleries and work with gallerists and curators, which will eliminate daily business operations for you. Check out my blog on the Pros and Cons of Gallery Versus Self Representation. 2. Selling art online. Create a website for your art and brand yourself. Once you have created your website, you can also sell your work on other online art marketplaces for additional exposure. And to get more eyes on your art, create social media channels to actively promote your work. 3. License your art through licensing companies. If your art has a commercial appeal licensing your art can be a lucrative addition to your business. Here is a suggestion, approach these companies with a sales pitch that explains your vision. Show them which gift items are most appropriate for your art. The more specific you are, the chance of getting accepted is greater. 4. Create prints with your art. I create a lucrative business on selling prints. With digital printing made available for all artists, the era of screen printing and lithography printing is now almost obsolete. Digital printing offers you an array of quality for every budget. You can purchase a commercial printer to print your art, or you can work with your local printer. Selling prints is somewhat passive, creating a work "smarter not harder" philosophy. Since it is not labor-intensive, adding reproductions to your repertoire is a great addition. When the original painting that you laboriously worked on gets sold, you are still making money from that image for years to come by selling reproductions. You can also do wholesale and retail sales with your prints making it a double Win. 5. Teach workshops and share your skills, online and offline. You can share your art skills by teaching workshops online and offline. When you teach workshops face to face, the interaction with your students is an experience. And when you teach workshops online, you can reach more people without stepping out of your studio. Online courses take longer to plan out and produce, but once it is done, you have an asset that will last you many years to come. 6. Art Business Coach. You can coach artists, marketing, and business skills. This option is for artists with a tried and true business marketing strategy in place and can get results for their students. To create an art coaching business, you can offer digital courses or in person workshops . But if you prefer a more personal touch, one-on-one or group coaching may suit you better. 7. Cooperate with other art business owners through affiliate sales. This option is for artists that have established online courses. You can always cooperate with other artist course creators. Together you can cross-promote each other's business and earn commissions. 8. Create a Youtube channel and monetize it. Open a Youtube channel and share your art skills and monetize it. If you have 1000 subscribers and 4000 watch hours, you can apply for their partner programs that allow an artist to monetize their channel via advertisement, subscriptions, and channel membership. 9. Create a smashing art blog and monetize it. If you create amazing blog contents and have many readers, you can also monetize your blog by affiliate marketing, sell ad space, or make your blog into a paid membership site. 10. Commission artwork. This is perfect for artists that enjoy working under customers' direction, it can be a lucrative additional income for you. Some artists make excellent steady revenue streams by accepting commission work. This option is perfect for artists that enjoy working under the direction of their customers. So here you have it! 10 ways you can make money from your talent. Pick one to start with and grow from there. Creating an additional revenue stream into your business is a lot of work but if you do it well, it will bring your business sustainable success. If you need help with your art business, come and join my newly created Fb Group: Creating a Profitable Art Business and learn art marketing skills with like minded creatives like you. The important thing is to do what you love, and you will have no regrets. With Creative Joy, Ting
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Ting YuenI am an artist and art marketing strategist that is passionate about creating meaningful art and courses that inspire your life, business and home. Archives
February 2025
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