How to start a passion-led art business fearlessly and never look back.

Hi, [FIRST NAME GOES HERE], Making a living with your art is a commitment; it takes strategic planning and a strong mindset. But when you find the right formula, and you stay persistent, watch out; your desired lifestyle will manifest!

I know one thing about you: you love making art and wish you could be in your studio all day long. You love the joy it provides you, and when you are creating, you feel destined that this is the one true calling you have. You want to become a working artist, make money from your craft, and design your dream life.

I know your situation well because I was in the same position.
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Here is my story, I was managing a well-established restaurant in Vancouver, one of those that celebrities frequented, and reservations were mandatory. Although it sounds prestigious, I was working for a tyrant of a boss.​​

I was on the brink of a nervous breakdown because the intensity was immense, and the long hours were brutal and unfulfilling.

Eventually, I had enough of the 4-year torture, so my husband and I moved to the Cayman Islands.

I took an easy waitress job and started dabbling in my art. By now, I no longer have the stress of working with a nightmare, but my job bored me to death, it was a futureless stepping stone, and I needed to make my decision.

Since painting provided unmeasurable joy, and my 600 square footage apartment was filling up with artwork it was an easy decision to make. I leaped faith, applied for a juried local show, and got accepted. I entered the show with 20 works and sold five of them within a week, and that is when I knew my destiny was to be an artist.

And that is when I stopped questioning and started doing, and now over 20 years later, and four galleries under my belt, I never looked back; I never once worried about being fired or laid off because I became in charge of my life and destiny. And that my friend, is the most powerful feeling ever!

After the inception of my galleries and I figured out a formula that works, I have had a consistent 85-90% sold-out success rate in my yearly art collection. And I'm not talking about 10 artworks, I'm talking about 30 paintings or more every year. Now, that's a lot of paintings sold.

If my story inspires you and this is what you want, then you need to take your first step to commit, and if you are not ready to do it full-time, start by being part-time.
Get your feet wet by committing to 2 to 3 hours weekly to work on your craft and marketing. Just start, don’t overthink it. Allow yourself because every step will bring you to the next.

Whether you are hoping to get your art into reputable galleries or self-represent, your art collection is your number one priority to becoming a successful artist.
I have a mini course coming up that teaches you how to create a sellable, robust, and swoon-worthy art collection that gets galleries and art collectors pounding at your door.
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Until then, dream a little, and honor the season you are in right now, which is the dreaming stage but don’t stay there for too long because your dream has to become a reality, not at an aimless standstill.

With Creative Joy,
Ting Yuen