The #1 Mindset That Keeps Artists Starving

The #1 Mindset That Keeps Artists Starving

The #1 mindset (mental block) that keeps artists starving is their inability to understand that their "art" is a product that gets traded for money. Art school students are told not to "sell out" and are never, ever taught how to make money as an artist when they leave school. This idea of art for art's sake is art school BS!

If you are a professional artist, you run a business, not a charity. The goal in running a business is to make money. If you are a professional artist then you create a product, which is your art. To make money, you trade that art for money. This is how you keep your business profitable and how you are able to purchase art supplies to keep making your art.

Think about it this way, if you are trying to convey a message with your art and on your social platforms related to your art, then money is a way to continue spreading your message. Without money there is no way to fund the message. To get your art and message into the world there has to be a concrete way to continually fund it. A goal. A plan. Left brain thinking.

A local artist was making 50-100 very small pieces of art, from which we would only receive about $3 per piece when sold. I ask him how his numbers worked with his time to make them vs. his return on investment when sold. His response? "I'm an artist, I make art, that's what I do regardless of how much I make." I'm still laughing about the response!! That was the discussion that sparked this post. To make 50 pieces of art and receive $150 in return is nuts. $150 doesn't even cover an hour of my time. I could not conceive of spending several days, if not weeks making these small pieces without adequate compensation for my time. I'm sure this guy is "starving" because of his mindset.

Don't be like him! I don't want you to starve - I want you to be successful. Think of your art business as a business first, and try everything you can to finance getting your art and message into the world. We need your art and message, and you need to be adequately compensated for your efforts. Use your left brain to make a plan and stick to it. You can do it! I'm here to help you if you need me.

If you would like to learn more about becoming a successful artist or making better art, then please join me for a workshop, join one of my online courses, or get an Individual Art Lesson.