Multiple streams of income for artists

They say you should never put all of your eggs in one basket. If you’re an artist, I recommend that you take that advice to heart.

There are so many ways to monetize your art, yet most artists focus on just one. Here’s a quick guide to some alternative ways to generate income as a creator.

Let’s find out which are Multiple streams of income for artists?

It can be hard being a full-time artist.

But, it is possible.

With a little extra effort and planning, you can actually make money doing what you love by developing multiple streams of income.

This guide will explain the benefits of having multiple sources of income and how to get started developing them. It’s important to have a plan for your money so that you don’t have to work as much and have more time for art!

Sell your art piece by piece

If you’re a visual artist, one way to earn extra money is to sell your artwork piece by piece. You can sell your art on eBay, Etsy or other online venues. If you have a website, you can also upload your images and sell them directly through your website.

You could also set up shop at local art markets and craft fairs as well as selling through local galleries.

Turning your art into products

If you have a talent for illustration or design, you can turn your art into products that people can buy.

You should look into putting your art on shirts, mugs, pillows and other items. You could also create stickers or put it on bags.

Go digital by creating digital reproductions of your work and selling copies of it online.

You can create digital reproductions of your work and sell them on social media, through your own website or on online marketplaces.

Selling digital copies of your artwork can be done in many formats.
You can sell digital files to print at home.
You can sell digital files for use in a project.
You can sell digital files as a gift.
You can sell digital files to be used as a coloring book.
You can sell digital files as screensavers, or even wallpaper for phones and computers.
Sell your NFT

Online courses

If you are like most creative people, you love to teach and share your craft. E-courses can be an effective way of doing so.

They can be geared toward a wide variety of topics, from art and photography to sewing, knitting, and digital design.

And best of all? As long as there is interest in what you have to teach, many e-courses can be self-paced (meaning the learner controls how fast or slow they move through the material) which allows your course to sell itself without any additional effort from you after it’s been created.

Creating an online course is a great way to earn extra income while doing what you love—teaching!

You may not realize it, but if you already offer lessons or workshops in person or online, chances are that many of those materials could easily be turned into an online course. Your existing materials likely contain much of the content needed for a solid foundation on which to build your course.

Rent your art. Some galleries will do this for you, or you can try an online rental service or individual rental agreements.

Some galleries will rent your work for you and manage the logistics.
You can try an online rental service like Artify, which will do the same thing (as well as sell your art) with a 25% commission.
You can also rent directly to individuals or companies using an individual rental agreement.

Donations

Donations are a great way to sustain your art-making. If you’re feeling insecure about asking for money, just remember that no one got rich off of donations.

There’s not much pressure with this income stream, it is what it is, so don’t feel guilty about asking for money, and don’t expect to get rich off of donations. It’s all about a healthy balance between working hard, saving money, and having fun. If you can have some extra cash lying around after you pay your expenses and have fun, then by all means accept donations!

It also helps to give back when possible. Donate to artists whose work touches you or makes an impact in your life. No gift is ever too small!

Merchandise

Many artists are already familiar with this concept. You can make merchandise featuring your art and sell it online!

There are services that do all the hard work for you like Redbubble or Zazzle, or you could set up a shop on your own website if you’re feeling ambitious (which I recommend…it’s great to have full control over your sales and be able to talk with customers directly).

This stream of income is best for artists who already have art that people like. A strong social media presence will help, too.

If you don’t happen to have a large audience, but do have art that people would want on their walls or wearing on a t-shirt, reach out to bloggers and writers who might be interested in promoting your work!

Become an art teacher

Become an art teacher by teaching classes at a community center or gallery, doing workshops at schools or teaching private students in your own studio.

You can teach kids any age in a school setting, even homeschooled children and teens. Teaching your own classes will also generate more income for you if you go through the proper licensing channels to run a business.

Teaching is a great way to keep yourself creative while being able to earn money by sharing what you know with others.

Public Speaking

The first thing to know is that public speaking is a skill that can be learned with practice. Plus, if you’re already an expert on your art, then you’ve got half the battle won.

And don’t let any self-consciousness hold you back: it’s very likely that the audience will be filled with fans of your work and people who are as excited about your art as you are.

In my Utopia course, I only touched upon this topic briefly because it was one lecture in a big course. I could have easily spent an entire evening (at least) talking on this subject alone!

There are so many things to consider when preparing for a speaking engagement; too much to cover in its entirety here.

But in part two of this series, we’ll dive deeper into how to prepare for public speaking engagements and how they can help grow your business and income.

Artists need more than one way to earn income. As the music industry continues to evolve, so must the business strategies of artists – especially since they’re trying to fund their art in ways that were not available when they first started producing music. So just Start 🚀