Feeling very ART PLUNGEY today and wanted to vent some ART stuff. What is it like being a freelance artist? Just in case you had some fancy notion its all selling art online immediately after you create it and then "living your best life"...let me laugh in your face and pull out my balloon popping needle...
1. PEOPLE WILL LOVE YOUR STUFF. They will tell you so. And in the same breath in a very long run on sentence say "someday I hope to collect your work BUT...". You will then see said people fly to Europe, Hawaii, Japan and drink 100 flowery cocktails all year. You may have even discounted your work very low for said people only to see they did indeed have money...just not money for YOU. They LOVE YOUR ART but they do not buy it. Period. Ask almost any artist and this is their story too. Alcohol yes...Art no.
2. Chances are you are having to hustle A LOT. Create a LOT of things for a LOT of people. Be a lot of artists in one body- pleasing this sector and that. Galleries want one thing- frown on these other things.... Designers want something else... Personal collectors want something else...
Can we have an identity crisis for a moment? Juggling personal fine art, commercial work to pay the bills and friends requests for "whatever" is HARD. Freelancing doesn't mean you have no boss. It means you have MANY. I'm even doing payroll work for a courier service to try to afford my cats insulin. You do ALL THINGS.
3. So you do work no one seems to be able to afford and they are hoping to collect you one day (when you're dead maybe) so you make AFFORDABLE PRINTS...that-they-asked-if-you-were-making-so-you-made-them- only to have a choir of crickets CHIRP back at you when you announce you got the prints they asked about. No sale. Ching ching? Dust in your cash register. You're out money on printing, matting supplies and shipping stuff. Are we having fun yet? Are you starting to see how people are?
4. "YOU'RE DOING SO WELL!". Nope. Let me wash the lies from your eyes. What you see online is that I'M BUSY HUSTLING. Hustling is struggling but doing everything you can. Being busy doesnt necessarily mean youre getting paid. I've done projects and given my time to things that disappear and I don't see a cent on it. I have to wait for people to decide to cut me checks whenever they feel like it-not a worry to them because they aren't poor. I've been discounted and used. I let this happen out of necessity and desperation. There are people in this industry that FEED OFF THIS. Galleries that take your work and don't even TRY to sell it and overhype their pet artists while work you could be selling yourself remains a hostage with them. No hype about you- but they're taking 50% even if YOUR collectors bought it.
5. Other artists want to pick your brain constantly and never help you out. This field is uber competitive. I'm constantly asked "where did you make prints? Where to order this supply? How did you get that show? Who should I talk to about...." Endless questions and I've happily helped everyone. Even though I never hear from them again. Not a sharing of work or dropping my name with people who might like my work. Artists can be super selfish and this is my "peer" group. I did the hard work firsthand and they can just take my helpful info and dance out with it. 👍
6. I've never bought any of your art or even follow your art page... but you're an artist and I need donated artwork. So give me said artwork and after the event you aren't invited to you will never hear from me again. Until I need more free art.
Yes, Artists are FREE ART fairies! We so magical! (PS WE ARE THE CHARITY CASES NO ONE HAS ART AUCTIONS AND FUNDRAISERS FOR UNTIL WE'RE DYING)
7. I could go ON AND ON but I have to get back to hustling, "DOING SO WELL" and being TOO UNAFFORDABLE with my $18 prints. 😂 So let me wrap this up...
If you thought you were going to sit at home raking it in on Etsy (way oversaturated now), Facebook (which took you out of the newsfeed of all your fanbase so you're forced to pay ADVERTISING fees) or Instagram (see FACEBOOK)...good luck with all that! My last free advice is: hustle like your panties are on fire and don't discount your work anymore. Keep your dayjob if you can. *And always be kind!*
And if it's not working for you- CHANGE IT.
This blog is the cold hard truth about a field people seem to have big misconceptions about.
Let me know when living my best life costs zero dollars...THAT I have in spades.
Join my mailing list! You might win something! http://tigerbeearts.com/contact_us
Need an ART PRINT that costs less than a flowery cocktail and you get to keep it forever and not pee it down the toilet? https://tigerbee-arts.myshopify.com/collections/all
Keepin it real 100%. ❤ Be good to each other out there! (PS that painting posted up there is only $100 and there's a 10% off discount code because Im too nice) 😊
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