If you have a talent for one of the arts, what could be better than using that talent to earn your living? Spending your days devoted to your creativity, and getting paid for it into the bargain. It sounds like heaven, and for some people the dream can come true. If you want to explore the possibility of getting paid to do what you love, you need to take a practical approach and be aware that there will be a long road to success, on which you may have to endure disappointment, rejection, self-doubt and financial hardships. However, if you’ve got the right stuff then you too could be one of the lucky ones who make their living from their artistic talents.
Getting started
To stand any chance of making a career out of your art, you need to be working as much as possible on improving your output and learning from the experts in your field. If you wanted to be a writer, then you’d need to be reading about the craft every day, getting involved in workshops and writers’ groups, and practising as much as you can. Whichever art form you want to pursue, there will be very helpful online resources to give you a helping hand and advise you on how to succeed. Look for sites that are run by people who can prove they know what they’re talking about, and who offer the right kind of information that will genuinely help you. Some sites are just fluff that is designed to get you to spend money on books and courses, so be critical when deciding who to follow. That’s not to say that books and courses aren’t invaluable, just that they need to be high quality, and not just money spinners for the creator.
Early days
It will take time and effort to get your career started and be earning enough to support yourself, let alone start making serious money. In the meantime, unless you can live off your savings or have a reasonable amount of capital to draw on, you’ll have to work at least part-time to make ends meet. It can be a juggling act working enough hours to pay the bills, but having enough time to work on your art. If you can manage on a part time wage, that’s probably your best option. Have a look at employment websites and see what’s available in your area. Sites such as Job Application Center provide a lot of additional information and links to helpful documents, which saves you time when you want to make a Walmart application online for example. If you can find work related to your field of interest, so much the better; for example an assistant role in an art gallery if you’re an aspiring painter.
As well as practising, learning and creating your work, you need to start marketing it before giving up your day job. You need to get noticed and make a name for yourself if you want to start selling viable numbers of your works, so it’s important to work on the business side of your venture as well as the creative side if you want to have a real chance of making it.
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