The little-known secrets that Artists use to get paying work.
Hey Y’all! Taylor Payton of Power Painters here.
I want to tell you a quick story about me.
Not too long ago, I was one of those “starving artists.”
No joke. I had a lot of ambition, but no money. I was in the “grace period” for my student loans, eating cheap food, and practicing as much as I could hoping someone would notice my art and pay me for it.
The trouble is– no one ever did.
Other artists liked my stuff, but when it came to getting paid for it, my inbox was empty.
That’s when I decided I needed to do something different. I had to formulate a strategy for getting my art noticed and finding people who would pay me to make art for them.
Plus, if I had to eat another cup of instant ramen I probably would have jumped out the window.
Well, I spent a good month emailing other artists, asking them questions, sometimes sending them fan-art or something of the like to encourage a response.
I must have sent about 20 emails in the first week.
I waited and waited, and then….
I finally got a reply!
An artist who I greatly admire ( We’ll call her “K”) liked the drawing I sent, and was happy to answer my little list of questions.
She told me she started out on forums, messaging people and showcasing her art to them–much like I had emailed her.
It’s all about WHO you’re sending your work to, and if you have a nice layout to present that work.
A.K.A. an online portfolio.
I took K’s advice to heart, and immediately began searching for forum after forum. I even went to a few job-posting boards.
I quickly devised a “copy and paste” method for syndicating my work around these various communities.
I was always sure to obey the rules though– no one likes to get the ban-hammer.
Finally, after about two weeks of employing and tweaking this method, replies began to come in. I was enthralled! I felt like I finally had the hidden secret to making money by creating art.
It’s been about 2 years since then, and I’ve grown my income (and my skills) every year.
Now I vow to help other artists figure out how they can make money too.
There’s a little course I created some time ago called Art Commission Doctor– it’s basically a step-by-step guide showcasing tips and tactics to help you get work.
Even if you’ve tried and failed in the past, that was then, and this is now. You have a fresh start.
You get Art Commission Doctor for free when you sign up for the Power Painters Mailing list.
Seriously, I’ll email it right to your inbox.
We’re almost done, but before I end this little post I’ve got a few more tips for you below:
All you need to get paying work is 3 things:
• A demographic of people who want your work (they’re out there)
• The ability to provide that work
• No resistance to making money as an artist (let’s face it— some people sabotage their efforts because they think they’re “selling out”)
Almost any artist of reasonable skill has the ability to make money with their art— the problem then becomes “where to start?”
I created Art Commission Doctor to solve that problem and many others, such as:
• Where to find paying work
• Putting together a portfolio
• How to deal with revisions
So what’s stopping you? Invest in yourself. Learn new skills that will quite possibly last you a life time.
Plus, when you sign up for the Power Painters Mailing list, you also get a few other tutorials sent right to you.
So there you have it, Power Painters. You can achieve whatever it is you want to achieve, so long as you’re smart in how you go about it and learn from the mistakes you make.
It always helps to have a little guidance as well.
Happy Painting,
-Taylor