Did you go to art school? How do you make money? I am currently a pre-med Biology student and am successful at it but feel trapped and my real dream is to be a travel artist. Do you have any advice?
Hello! I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling trapped. Every artist’s path is remarkably different, but here’s the road I took:
I went to Carnegie Mellon’s College of Fine Art, but divided my education with the humanities, so I wasn’t 100% art student. My official degree is a Bachelor of Humanities and Arts, Concentration in Painting and Material & Visual Culture.
After graduation I sought an arts administration job in New York City. A routine 9-5 offered nice stability, benefits, and time in the evenings to paint. I could have kept this balance going, but ended up leaving my job for a Fulbright Research Fellowship in Turkey, for which I was provided a grant for nine months. At its conclusion, I used this opportunity as a springboard into other art fellowships, residency programs, and grants, which supported my travel for the next two years. Grants and residencies aren’t a lucrative or sustainable form of income, but by this time I was securing commissions and sales through gallery representation. I filled in the gaps with part-time retail work here and there.
Currently, art is my primary source of income, although it’s still lean living. My income is cobbled together through contracted illustration, private art sales and commissions, my Etsy print shop, and teaching workshops both in-person and online with Creativebug. To account for any fluctuations in my income (and to stay social outside the studio), I still keep a small part-time job.
Art residencies, grants, and fellowships are very competitive. At first, I was winning less than 10% of the opportunities I applied for. Now it’s about 50%. The rejection is disheartening, but remember that the more you apply for, the better chance you have getting something. When I started down this road, I aimed for 1 acceptance in 50 applications.
While you’re still in school, I recommend taking a small business course, professional writing course, or a grant writing course. My successful applications only devote 2-3 sentences to my artistic vision and philosophy. The rest describes how their program will effect my art/career’s trajectory, how my project will benefit their community, how my goals will be met, and the resources at my disposal to ensure the success of my project. These programs offer money and/or a service, so they understandably want results. I try to present myself as an investment, not as a charitable cause. I didn’t learn to write like this from any art class– but instead a mini course I took about being a creative entrepreneur.
As a (traveling) artist, half my time is devoted to running a business. After I make my art, I have to photograph it, market it, promote it, price it, sell it, and authenticate it, all while sending out a constant stream of applications, and keeping in touch with business contacts in a thoughtful way. The leg work behind the scenes is not romantic, but very necessary, and can be enjoyable when it facilitates the dream: traveling and painting. The only two things I’ve ever wanted to do!
I hope this advice isn’t discouraging or intimidating– I just want to show the other side of the process that is seldom shared on my social media. I wish you the best of luck on your path!
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