Road to becoming a 'Fed Artist'

I want to end the trope of the Starving Artist.

Being an artist in NYC is a very competitive field. Why wouldn’t it be? It’s a dream job! I used to tell myself that as long as I kept drawing, I would succeed no matter what. This is what family members would tell me, too. I’ve come to realize, that this isn’t true. I learned that being an artist, isn’t JUST being an artist. I have to be a Marketer. I have to be an Entrepeneur, and be able to "sell", or "brand" myself. I’d say that those qualities are more important than being just an artist alone. Without realizing it, I began this journey by creating stickers out of a design I doodled one day in my math notebook.

From there, was when I realized the potential in artwork becoming physical objects. People began to recognize my work through this little monkey sticker I had created, and gave out to people I met. 

This made my work memorable.

I later learned the words “PASSIVE INCOME”, from an Instagram post.

Passive Income, is income you make, by putting in the work first, letting it sit, and having it pay off. I did some digging, and discovered a passive income business, where I could put my art onto merchandise… Taking my work into another competitive market…. the T-shirt bizz.

I took what skills I have in photoshop, and made designs digitally compatible with websites such as TeePublic (http://bit.ly/2L8DaBJ) and Redbubble, who will print my designs on demand onto a variety of products, such as T-shirts and totes. I have to tweak my work and advertise, but they do all the work of printing and shipping, and pay me commission. My work stays up for people to find and purchase.

In such a saturated market such as T-shirts, I had to advertise.

But how can I advertise without an audience? Instagram is a very important platform for Artists. It’s visual, you can gain a following, and update easily. Although, back at this time, my Instagram was a hot mess. I had selfies and food pics, along with my artwork. I realized I had to be CONSISTENT. I deleted the irrelevant posts. No one cares about my salad I had for lunch! I then began to delete old artwork, and doodles I didn’t care for yet posted anyway. Presenting only your best work is important. I then began to improve the quality of my posts. Rather than photographing doodles with odd lighting; I scanned my work, in turn resulting in crisp, copies. I also started to tag the companies of art supplies I use, and they would repost my work, garnering more traffic. I also started hashtagging, and posting more consistently, and interacting with my audience, in turn, leading to a steady, but healthy, growth.

This is a powerful platform, and it’s good for a portfolio.

In order to spread my work, build an audience, and improve, I NEED to put myself out there. Literally.

I began selling my art on the street.

This was inspired by a night out in Washington Square Park. I ran into an artist, who sells his work everyday outside in WSP, much like Basquiat used to do. This artist sells often, and a lot. I muttered to my friend who was traveling with me, “I wish I could do that”.

She then told me something so simple, that changed everything. “Why don’t you now?”

I froze. “I can’t. Not yet.”

“Why? You’re only stopping yourself.”

This stuck with me, always lingering in the back of my mind.

Eventually,  the thought was so prominent, I finally took action.

I ordered Business cards, and glossy prints of my artwork. I gathered my paintings, and lugged a table outside.

From there, I made it a routine.

I’m now recognized by people in my neighborhood, and making money off work I created from passion, and from sales from my tees. I advertise, and have a growing audience, and it’s only the beginning of my journey. I can’t gaurantee that you can make art your career, because it’s not one for me yet either. I don’t make a lot of money, especially since I just started, but I started making more than I ever did just by learning how to handle and market my work.

So, while I’m not making enough to be paying off some sort of rent, I do get something extra for stuff like lunch. No more ‘starving artist’. I want to end the trope of the starving artist

I want every artist to know how to market and grow. Throw out the belief that things will just come to you if you keep your drawings in a closed sketchbook. You have to go out and get what you want, and it will take a lot of time and drive, but it will be more than worth it.

Find your niche

Do you want your art on merchandise? To be collected? To be made into toys? To be on ads? This is something every young artist needs to start thinking about!