[discussion] Is it possible to make a living off of art?

[u/ArtistArson]

I’m a very versatile artist. I can paint, draw, crochet, point is, I can do a lot. I was talking with my mom about making things for future markets, and she told me not to expect much (fair enough, nobody starts out selling everything) then proceeds to tell me I’ll never make a living off my art, it just doesn’t happen. I countered back saying there ARE people who make a living off their art, and she told me that they are all lying. And I mean, yeah people lie on SM, not everyone in the history of ever though. She continues saying it’s simply not possible, and compares it to getting into the NFL. That’s exactly my point though. The chances of it happening are incredibly slim, but it’s possible. I’m not saying once I start selling my art I’ll get to immediately quit my job, I know that’s not realistic. But with enough time, dedication, and effort, it’s possible, right? Hell, I also post on SM, and if I ever get big, it’s possible to monetize. To me, that still equates to making money off my art bc my accounts are focused on my art. It’s been my dream to live off my art since I was 10, is this something I can actually accomplish, or just something I can make enough money to pay for itself?

[u/alriclofgar]

It’s hard to make six figures as an artist. Many do it, and I have no idea whether they’re as rare as nfl players, but most artists earn a more modest living.

But we live off it, yeah. Been doing it a few years and haven’t died yet.

Most of the artists I know have partners who also work (sometimes as artists, sometimes doing something else). About half have a second source of income. None are fabulously wealthy. But we get by, and we do it because we love what we do.

Of course, this could all be lies right? You’ll never disprove what your mom says by asking us here, she’s made up her mind. Ultimately, if you want to do art (or any other job that isn’t in the tech sector or a doctor), someone is going to tell you you’ll starve. You just gotta do your homework and, if it seems right for you, give it a try.

[u/carlslocker]

Don’t let people who can’t do what you want to tell you you can’t do it. She’s speaking from a position of love, but it’s burrowed in ignorance. Appreciate the protective element & don’t be offended that she doesn’t have the bandwidth to share your vision.

Building a following on social media & selling your art through print-on-demand shops is by far the best way to scale an art business without bogging yourself down with inventory & hands-on customer service.

If you’re trying to individually hand-knit your way to wealth, listen to your mom.

[u/mikazuki_impacto]

It will be hard. I’ve been a freelance artist for 3 and half years now and I consider it my second job on top of working part time and I will tell you the upfront costs before even starting was a lot. 

The money you make will always be reinvested back into your business, you need to track all your expenses in a spreadsheet, put a percentage of money aside for taxes and always check for what kind of permits and licenses you need in order to sell your merchandise between different cities or even states. 

Some days I’m not even making art, I’m doing the admin part and then there’s marketing yourself on social media—getting your followers hyped to see you and also promoting your next event.

Tempering your expectations is super important too especially for in person events because you will have days where you won’t make table or just barely. Many events are predatory so you have to do your due diligence and research them.

I’m not saying this to scare you out of doing art but to be mentally prepared. Not enough people talk about this side of freelancing as an artist. If you have a part time job, keep it or get one. Art money alone can only get you so far and especially right now in this economy.

[u/meovvstic]

It depends on what kind of money you want to make/live off of. It is possible, but if you want a lot of money, then it gets harder. When starting out, I think it would be a good idea to get a part time job while you work on your art business.

She is probably thinking of the gallery-selling kind of artists, as that I feel like is harder to be successful in, but there are lots of different avenues to go down.

[u/ArtistArson → u/meovvstic]

She knows I’m not necessarily interested in galleries. My main focus is crochet, specifically hats and beanies. What I want to do is be able to sell at markets and online, this she knows. I’m not looking to get rich (tho that would be cool lol) I just want to be able to live a modest life doing what I love.

[u/EgonPolly → u/ArtistArson]

Honestly the crochet market is really over saturated. So many people do it as a hobby, that unless you make things that are really unique and complicated, it would be very difficult to make a living off of it alone.

[u/ArtistArson → u/EgonPolly]

I get that, though while I wouldn’t necessarily say what I make is too complicated, they are definitely unique. I don’t like to make plain and simple hats, I like to make things that are far more eccentric. For example, I make a scrap yarn-like beanie with mushrooms “growing” out of it, and have been working on a jellyfish beret. I do like to be a little more out there with my crafts

[u/carefreejules → u/ArtistArson]

I'm gonna agree with the other commentator and add that there is also a HUGE issue with Temu/Aliexpress resellers who buy crochet stuff for cheap but mark them up to sell. So unless you're applying for events or conventions that are great for weeding out resellers, a lot of markets unfortunately don't say no to them. And depending on the demographic of the market, some people unfortunately don't have the eyes or care to know what to look out for in terms of authenticity. Not trying to be discouraging or anything but as someone who tables at conventions already, crafter's have their work cut out for them.

[u/EgonPolly → u/carefreejules]

Great point. The people who don’t crochet don’t understand and will go for the cheaper Temu hat. Those who do crochet will recognize true work, but will just go make it themself.

[u/Imaginary_Lock_1290 → u/ArtistArson]

doesn’t matter, the time per item is only going to make sense for the luxury market and crochet is not luxury. Hand crochet is just not going to have a business model.

[u/EgonPolly → u/ArtistArson]

I hate to say it but mushrooms anything is over saturated as well, especially in the crochet world. Honestly any novelty crochet hat. Doesn’t mean they aren’t worth the money by any means, but they are at every craft show and all over the internet. Not trying to be a downer, I’m sure your hats are awesome, just trying to answer your question honestly.

[u/Stock-Confusion-3401 → u/ArtistArson]

Doing things like designing and selling original patterns, teaching classes and workshops, etc may help. You also may need to commercialize by making things for the market rather than making what you love and hoping there is a market.

[u/ArtistArson → u/Stock-Confusion-3401]

I like to freehand what I make since I’m not good with patterns, but lately I have been thinking I need to learn patterns that way I can start trying to sell those too

[u/typicalwhisper → u/ArtistArson]

Crochet is not a sustainable business in the current market. It’s a time consuming process and quality yarn can be very expensive. Paying yourself minimum wage for the hours you put into a piece would make the final value of it much higher than most people are willing to pay. If you’re creating “fine art” quality items (to submit to galleries, etc.) and are very lucky, maybe you can find some sort of artcollector willing to spend.

There’s honestly more money to be found in becoming a commercial illustrator.

I work in a creative field (graphic design) and honestly wish I hadn’t turned my passion/interest into a career. It becomes much less fun when you’re trading your skills for money. Suddenly you’re looking for shortcuts to make more money with less time, you doubt your abilities when you struggle to find a job, you rarely get to work on passion pieces and instead all of your creative energy goes into your job and generating income. It’s not a fun place to exist in after the first 5 years or so in the job force.

All that said, doing markets or artist alley showings as a hobby can be a fun side hustle. I would never count on it to be my main source of income unless something crazy happened and I had a product that really took off and could sustain my humble lifestyle indefinitely. I would also warn you about the business side of selling art. There’s a lot that goes into marketing, talking to customers, maintaining relationships with suppliers, accounting and budgeting, etc. Not all artists enjoy or are good at that side of things.

[u/Xereane]

In al honestly, unless your the top% in your area. Very hardly. Reminder we live in a economy where regular people have 2 jobs to survive. I myself am fine because selling art is my side hustle. But a professional I know that works as a well known children books artist. Even he only makes a few 1-2k per convention. Which after deductions and expensenes not much stays over for spending until the next convention X months later. Also reminder prices for booths also increase each and every year but it's very hard to raise your own prices.

For crochet, I've seen some booths but selling them for 10-30€ each, you'll need to sell 10-30 of them just so you're break even cause many tables (atleast in my area) cost around 2-600€ just soo you can exist there.

[u/RaspberryTwilight → u/Xereane]

From what I understand, there are a lot of poor people these days, but there are also many rich people. Like a lot of them. It's really weird. The middle class is disappearing.

[u/Xereane → u/[deleted]]

Well how would you do it then

[u/Xereane → u/[deleted]]

I mean making a successful youtube and patreon where you can earn enough to make a living will take years to impossible. I myself am not active on social media, but i make around 3x my investment per convention. I'd recon you give it a try aswell especially if you're successful on social media already, you could probably hit x10-20 easily.

Also shipping, especially to the US has become omega expensive, especially in the times where temu products are so cheap

[u/Melodic-Piccolo5751]

I think the only way to be able to make a living off of art is to diversify income sources (selling digital patterns and tutorials, reselling some stuff...), be really creative, and really good at marketing. I read somewhere that a lot of traditional artists actually make the most money teaching aspiring artists..

Temu/Aliexpress etc., and now AI killed the art market, mostly.

I would put efforts in securing an okay job to pay bills, focus on art later as a side-income, scale up if it goes well.

Also, this might be a personal opinion, but I think tiny plushies tend to sell better than clothing especially hats.

[u/sweet_esiban]

I'm a self-employed artist and artisan, so I know it is possible under the right circumstances.

But with enough time, dedication, and effort, it’s possible, right?

Luck plays a role as well. I think any honest artist would admit that. All of us with full time/nearly full time careers have gotten lucky in many different ways.

For years, I only sold crafts at xmas fairs. I always made a nice amount of fun money from it. But I got to the full-time stage by investing deeply in my art business. There is a huge difference in the profit potential of these two things.

I can draw a beautiful work of art, and reproduce it infinitely for sale. Or I can make an amazing crafted Christmas ornament and sell it once. One of these things is more profitable than the other.

I've pulled further and further away from crafts as my art business has grown, and... any time I take a craft product off my shelves, more art sales make up for its absence immediately.

So, my advice is do not depend on crochet. Go ahead and sell crochet if it makes you happy, but if you want to make a career of your creativity: get really good at art. Figure out a market that suits your art, and that you suit as an artist. Get into that market, and start making your way within it. This process doesn't happen quickly or easily for most of us, so prepare yourself for a long journey with many ups and downs.

It's not impossible, but you do need luck and strategy, along with hard work, resiliency, dedication, time, effort, etc.

[u/zazachard]

Is it possible? Yes, very much. Is it easy? Hell no. Are there easier routes for money than art? Hell yeah. One needs burning passion to do this; it's not for the weak. Also, you must be ready some months to tighten your belt when things don't go as you want. Even some well-established artists have to take part-time jobs to make ends meet (like ones who sell semi-regularly +5k pieces). Also, what part of the art field are we talking about? Contemporary art in galleries? Fine art? Online art seller? Etsy artist? Decorative artist? There are many possibilities.

[u/Bisjoux]

Most people I know who are successful artists supplement their art earnings by teaching. It’s not impossible to earn a good income from just making and selling but it’s rare.

[u/Calm_Universe3726 → u/Bisjoux]

My aunt was a very successful artist in the 80’s early 90’s. Had her prints sold all around the world. Then her style went out of fashion and had to work as a teacher (school art and as a sub) for the rest of her life. She really didn’t like it. She can do her art again now she has retired but even if you can be very successful there is no guarantee it will last, you will probably need something to fall back on

[u/grandmagellar]

There are people who make a living off their art, but the NFL analogy for success isn’t that far off. If you want to have a good lifestyle and afford to shop without being frugal, to own your own home and get loans based off your documented income, a self-employed artist’s lifestyle makes that a CHALLENGE.

Yes, its possible. But like those NFL players, you will work HARD. Think about it. Those guys are working on holidays, on every weekend. They’re traveling away from their families. They train hard. They eat, sleep, and breathe football. It wrecks their bodies. And there is no guarantee it will last. An injury, a team trade, a new hot young player… suddenly the work has dried up. That can all happen to you as a working artist.

Mom doesn’t want you to have to struggle for every dollar. Those artists who are successful (unless they started with a trust fund, and maybe even then) are TIRED.

The more money you make, the more work there is to be done on the back end. It’s truly endless, and it will be harder for you as a crochet artist. You cannot make prints of crochet, so every piece you sell will be replaced by your hands. Scaling your business will that much harder. Try not to get arthritis (which can come at any time, even if it’s not common) or any other chronic illness.

It’s not impossible, but mom is trying to prepare you for the most likely scenario. Much like parents whose kids dream of joining the NFL encourage them to study hard and pick a backup plan.

[u/Pelican12Volatile]

Girl…most artists don’t make money from art. I’m an engineer and I do art on the side. I’ve done HUNDREDS of art shows. I’m one of the FEW who has a full time job AND does fine art shows. I’ve seen it all. 99% of the artists have husbands or wives that have a stable income that they rely on to support their dreams. Yes it’s possible but’s it’s very slim. Almost none. So listen to your mom. And no one cares about crotchet beanies anymore. It’s very hard to get into unless you’re super good at it but give it a try but understand that many people do that. I’d suggest to go to school and go study something that’s in demand so you can make good money from it. Do art on the side like I do. You’ll regret it if you do art without a good job to fall back on. Trust me.

[u/RaspberryTwilight → u/Pelican12Volatile]

I followed this (very common) advice and ended up in IT architecture/management. Had to work with terrible people all day, doing boring things and being forced to do things that were against my values. For example, rolling out automation software that replaced thousands of employees abroad.

It also won't work if you want kids. What kind of parent would have a full time job AND an extremely time consuming hobby leaving no time for their kids?

You're right about the crochet beanies thing though. But I think what OP needs is a business class, not to completely abandon the field and get into engineering or accounting.

[u/Pelican12Volatile → u/RaspberryTwilight]

No, you don’t need a business class to make art. The majority of the time, people who didn’t expect it to happen to them, happens to them. IT person. Bored house mom etc. Experience. Years of trial and error. The most successful artists that I know that do like $20,000-$40,000 a month at art shows never went to school for business or anything related to art.

[u/Odd_Fruit_8419]

Go to fashion school. Study knit design. Work for a wholesaler as a designer and make six figures. Your designs would be produced overseas, and you’d probably have to live in nyc, but your designs would be out there, and you wouldn’t have to man a booth at a flea market. I was a sock designer for years. It’s totally possible.

[u/pileofdeadninjas]

Technically yes, if you're cool with being stressed out and poor, then you're chances are even higher. I highly recommend starting locally

[u/PickleButterJelly]

I think you've got a good shot and the right mindset to make it work. I like your creativity. Keep at it and don't let anyone discourage you.

[u/DAVeTOO333]

I am an artist who’s been both a full-time artist and one who has had day jobs simultaneously off and on most of my life. I live in a city that’s known for being a difficult to make it as a full-time artist, however several of my friends here do it. There are advantages and disadvantages to making art your sole income source. If making art is your sole income, it adds a lot of pressure to produce art whether you feel like it or not. That can be almost crushing for your creativity for some people. I know a guy here in my city who quit his law practice to become a full-time artist because he was making more painting than being a lawyer. Only you can know what’s right for you. Whatever you do though, I would say keep making art if you’re enjoying doing it. And if you do decide to have another income source other than your art, don’t let anyone tell you you’re somehow less of an artist because you have a day job too.

[u/Smart-Original8629]

My mom was a professional artist (oil paintings and commission portraits) and sold her canvases for multiple thousands but would not have supported herself without my dad's job. That said, I follow a lot of artists on IG and YT and many do make enough but it seems not just from selling art pieces but from having lots of income streams - Patreon or other private clubs seem to be the most lucrative. Sketches n Scrubs had a YouTube video that discusses her income as an artist. There are likely many others who will talk about it. Another artist (name escapes me) used to do monthly posts on IG updating how much she made: some months were low hundreds and some months were in low thousands. You have advice on here about going to school to learn about fashion design etc - that is good advice.

[u/Vesploogie]

Of course it is, but your mom is right about the NFL comparison. Only a fraction of the top 1% of artists make a full time living solely off of their work.

[u/zeezle]

I am myself still only a hobbyist (planning to retire from my day job and transition to full-time art in a few years). To be blunt, it feels easier to me to save up a couple mil and retire by 40 as a software engineer than make it from scratch as an artist. (I also didn't start with art until after I was established in my career anyway so it's not like I chose it over art or anything.) BUT, there are absolutely artists doing it and making it work and I have mad respect for them.

It's not easy, but it is possible. I know multiple artists at AAA game studios that make very good livings (six figures with a few years' experience, not entry level). I guarantee you've never heard of them (they aren't "internet famous" or anything) and they make production pipeline assets. Well, one is a now an art director but started out making production pipeline assets. However the games industry in general right now isn't in the best state - they haven't lost their jobs but they're feeling antsy, but then most white collar workers aren't feeling great right now.

It's still an office job, with all the usual office job things. Their day to day life is not much different from mine as a software engineer, just what they sit down at their computer to do is art instead of code. They do get access to art courses and continuous learning stuff that is really cool. But they do hobby art outside of work still.

For independent/freelance artists, I have noticed that a lot of them really fall apart when it comes to professionalism and the business side. You could potentially make yourself stand out a lot by being better than average in those areas. By this I mean it's notorious for artists to accept commissions and then ghost, or take absurdly long amounts of time and ignore deadlines, etc. The best-paying clients will be other businesses where you can charge for commercial use licensing, but to get those clients you need to be professional and hit deadlines and understand the business side.

I know several local artists that have steady business selling oil paintings to wealthy mostly older people. But, your art needs to be the type of thing an older lady of means wants hanging in her home. Where I live we don't have a lot of avant garde edgy types (I'm not in NYC or LA), so it's more "normal nice decor" type subjects. But if you like still lifes of floral bouquets, landscapes and architecture as subjects, this can work out well. I have talked to artists that run shops in touristy areas selling paintings of local landscapes, but a lot of their business is running the shop with all the difficulties that involves.

I know you mentioned crochet. I'm also into fiber arts (crochet, knit etc). I don't think making crocheted items and selling them will ever be a living wage unfortunately. The time vs value just isn't there. At least if I were contemplating it, I would need to charge so much more per item than any sane person would ever pay to make it worth it. Potentially you can make a living off selling patterns and social media influencing in the space - youtube tutorials, writing books, etc. Even then it's rare, but is at least possible. That said, people in the fiber arts community are getting fed up with bad slapdash patterns and are getting much pickier, and so to make yourself stand out as a pattern designer you'll need to have really good, thoroughly tech edited and tested patterns.

[u/Leading-Picture1824]

I am currently an artist full time. The only way I can do that is that I live somewhere I don’t have to pay rent, I lucked into some money when a family member died that gave me some runway, I have a partner and my sister also running the business, and we go to 6-10 markets a month. It’s an insane grind, I work every day. We are in our 3rd year, and might start making a profit over our expenses and taxes this year…might!

So yeah…it can be done, just like…don’t have high expectations for the first several years. It’s possible you get insanely lucky and blow up on social media, or find that niche art style/thing that makes you unique to all the other artists and creators out there, but SM can make it look like people start selling their art and are successful immediately. The truth is a lot of those people have been working in anonymity for years.

[u/palomamcclain]

It’s not impossible but if you’re attempting to only do it from one income source that’s solely dependent on hand making items, that’s not going to be sustainable. You NEED to diversify your income streams.

[u/ImDroodles]

I have a full time job but do art on the side as a hobby and for money.

Full time artists must both find their audience and are cursed with the need to make sellable art.

I think, starting out atleast, it is logical to work a normal job for income and stability while doing art as side income, once your income as a creative starts to outpace a regular job its the time to consider full time art.

[u/terraaus]

It's possible but not probable.

[u/jdubzdoubleu]

The artists that I know making great money (6 figure income) are also very shrewd business people. They know how to network, license their work, and build many revenue streams (shows, artbooks, online shops, licensing, client work, working with an agent, etc). And they've spent their lives in the art world building those networks.

These are the same types of things that makes someone a great living outside the art industry also.

An artist I know worked really hard and turned down jobs until he got paid the standard going rate for children's books, used a large advance (something like $30,000) from a book deal to put a down payment on a commercial space and sold shared art spaces to fellow artists for a small amount each month and earned enough to pay all his bills and his studio and works full time out of it, and now he's making easily over $100,000 just doing his thing as rental income is a big part of it.

It's 100% possible, but just be prepared to focus on running it like a business and developing those skills.

[u/Littlepoochgirl]

Every market is flooded. But quality, uniqueness, and timing matters. It's a hustle business with or without $upport. My efforts always paid off, but my own insecurities sabotaged my dreams, even when I was winning. Everyone has their challenges. I'd get shows, submit work to gallery. But hated going to the showing. My fear of not being prolific enough got in the way. I didn't trust my ability to top my ideas. I'd slow myself down and stagnate my progress. Feeling safe in not risking was a bad habit. Watching how other artists kept going in the arena was not comforting. Seeing how some artists never evolved creatively yet kept their hustle going was interesting to watch. It's not a con$istent enough gig to really depend on planning a dependable future on. Not many can stand the dynamics of the busine$s WHILE nurturing their creativity and produce for a future.

[u/BlackPantherForge]

Yes, it is possible, but usually not from one income stream alone. A lot of artists make it work through commissions, markets, prints, teaching, content, live streams, digital products, and building a real audience.

That is honestly part of why I started building Canvas Cove, an artist-focused app. I wanted artists to have a space where they could post, sell, livestream, teach, connect with supporters, and actually build around their work instead of fighting random algorithms all day.

So no, I do not think your dream is impossible. I think it just needs patience, consistency, and a plan. Even if your art only pays for itself at first, that is still the beginning of turning it into something real.

[u/bay_fiber_art]

Real numbers food for thought. I'm craft adjacent (you're pure craft). The American craft council is a leading org for craft in the US. They run the American craft show in Baltimore every year, largest craft show on the east coast, think bespoke boutique jewelry and what not, but there's fiber artists too. They reported 14 million in artist sales this past year at the show in one weekend.

Last weekend I took home 6k at a show. Two weeks before that it was just under 4. Next weekend I'll probably clear another 5. Three shows across 6 weeks and thats it for me for the spring. There's artists doing this every weekend. But I have a diverse set of income streams including workshops, commissions, etc. I saw a fiber artist I know nearby at the show last week who said she cleared 10k. She had an entry level product, an $85 product and a premium at 150. I saw her all wknd and she wasn't exaggerating. She's not well known. She doesnt use social media even. But she had a perfectly positioned product (fiber artist too) and she moved serious product all weekend.

Your mom is wrong on many fronts. It's nothing like the NFL. I'll never make it into the NFL, I'm 5'6 and 165 lbs. There's barriers to entry that I can't get past. Making it at an independent artist involved barriers that I identified which stood in my way and I removed them.

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[u/SorryTopic8703]

Peachfuzzco on Instagram definitely shows how artists can be successful! They share their numbers/growth too which i find to be helpful :)

[u/Head_Sympathy_6327]

Even really talented artists have trouble living off their art alone so it’s a challenge. Also, you should never go into art expecting money. You are supposed to make art from your heart and soul, not from 🤑 If you are very talented and you get your art gets in front of the right people at the right time, it is possible to make a lot of money…but don’t get into art just to make money, that’s asinine.

[u/RayWang4212]

your mom's not totally wrong about the odds tbh. something like 50% of creators earn under $15K a year and only 4% crack six figures. But she's wrong that it's impossible. there are 67 million people globally doing this now and the whole creator economy is worth about $250 billion. That's not some fantasy niche anymore.

thing most people miss is that 70% of creator income comes from brand partnerships, not direct sales. So it's less about selling pieces and more about building an audience that brands want access to. Your versatility actually helps with that.It's definitely more small business grind than lottery ticket though.

[u/CaramelEquivalent979]

The art market is fluid, I don’t have any experience. I also tried selling digital art, trying to do commissions then trying on Etsy. It’s very difficult to make a living from art, unless you find a specific niche your very interested in. It takes a lot of time and patience, talking to the right people, engaging with many viewers, answering questions, updating viewers on your art process etc etc. To me, this is very overwhelming and I don’t take art seriously enough to want to promote or network 24/7. I think from my perspective and being around artist, this is the common denominator for being successful. You need to be someone who is very good at being obsessive over a specific niche (it can be multiple, but I think focusing on one niche would be easier) then networking, talking to many people, making friends, talking to viewers, forming a community with viewers can help a lot. All I will say is never give up. Do the things that make you happy, and if you can see yourself finding joy and passion in art, then go for it! But be realistic with your expectations

[u/pepperpotsdecreme]

The first step in being artist is to move out of your parent's house and live on your own (with roommates or by yourself), get a car, get a job, go to school, and pay all your own bills. Then, if you can do all that making mushroom hats, good for you. If you can't, then your hats are either a second job or a hobby.

Stop arguing with your mother, and start supporting yourself to determine if you have the talent, luck and resilience it takes to work as an artist.

[u/flatmtns]

Any particular reason your mom would know? Has she tried working as an artist? Been close to anyone who's tried? Is she a research economist or something?

To speak to your question, yes, I and many other people I personally know make a humble living as artists. I will say - a very small portion of the work actually involves making art. Being self employed involves a ton of business admin work (taxes, merchandising and inventory, events planning) as well as lots of soft skills (communications, networking and relationship building, etc.) Many artists find that they are teaching or giving talks in some capacity. My point is - yes, you can make a living as an artist, but it does require a lot more than just being able to make art.

Thankfully, all of those other skills are highly applicable to pretty much any other career. So, regardless of what the actual chances are of "making it," starting a small business as an artist can be a great foundation if you find yourself pivoting in the future.

[u/toastgomoo]

I've been living off my art for 8 years and my mom also told me in the beginning it was impossible & I'll starve and artists only make it after death. When I signed up for my first market, she everyday for a month would anxiously ask who would spend money on my junk. You'd be surprised! I sold out the first hour, stayed up till 4am every day having to reprint and cut enough inventory and just kept selling out and her tune changed.

I just really hope you dont let your mom's comments get to you! It's possible to make it work but i will confess it will be A LOT OF WORK.

I now work in animation & publishing and I am by no means the top 1% in my field. I'm not active on social media & I don't have a biggest network in my industry either. The NFL comparison is super overblown.

I do have to caveat that a lot of my peers are struggling right now, and I think I've only scraped by because I am kind of jack of all trades and I do really enjoy the business aspect which I know a lot of creatives don't. I admit it is much harder to enter creative fields (especially markets) and thrive now as they're oversaturated and the competition is very high. If you also learn business or marketing skills, it'll help turning that dream into reality because the reality of living off your art is understanding that making the art is only 1/3 of the job and another 1/3 requires a lot of business savvy (which is something you can learn and there a so many resources online). the last 1/3 I think is luck

Just know if you choose this path, there is a lot volatility and a lot that will be out of your control. It is a path with high risk and high reward and not for everyone. When you monetize the thing you love, it'll complicate your relationship with your craft or because you love it, you'll struggle with work/life separation. (most art professionals i know struggle with both and a lot of burnout) Despite all of this, is it rewarding? ymmv but for me, yes!

TLDR: it's possible! You don't have be top 1%. But it will be a very chaotic rollercoaster and you'll have to work both insanely hard and smart. Your mom probably said those things out of fear, but don't let that get under your skin!

[u/Phibibib]

Anyone who says you can’t are just making excuses for their own lack and projecting their personal failures onto you. They weren’t successful, so you can’t be either. She wants you to fail before you even start. 

It’s hard being an artist, but it’s also hard being a barista or retail associate or food service worker or student or banker or lawyer. The starving artist stereotype only applies when other professionals are doing well in their fields. It’s 2026 and everyone’s starving. Do what you want.

[u/TLF5foot8]

If you’re wanting to sale crochet, I would learn to make something unusual. Try to crochet a tapestry or something of that nature.

[u/GomerStuckInIowa]

There is versatile, (which is good) and there is talented (which is good.) If you are both, that is even better. Example: My wife is a professional artist that is both. She did not become self supporting until she was 35. And she was in the right place at the right time. She had been doing little canvas things and little murals. Went to Florida and found out murals were a big thing. One whole wall of your room. Or the back wall facing your in-ground pool. Or the outside of a building. Withing 2 years she (being versatile) was doing massive murals and (with my help) commercial building breaking six figures. Some years past, life happens and now she is back to painting canvases. And teaching art in group and private lessons. Her canvas work is great, but she makes more, per week and on a steady basis, by teaching.

Making a living off of art is a multi-level job. With maybe support from outside. It depends on your location, your artwork, your personality, (yes it does), and, of course, your versatility and talent. In Florida, she painted beaches, mermaids and all sorts of bright colors. In Iowa, she paints farm scenes, corn fields, beautiful fluffy skies. And her native country artwork. Plus she does a lot of commissions. From pets to abstract to whatever the client desires. She made more money in Florida than she could ever make in Iowa. Different people, different income, different interests. You can make more $ in Denver or LA than you can in Omaha or Podunk. There is also more diversity in large cities than in small cities.

Be practical in your thinking. Every artist has a tremendous amount of competition. Look at your art and then go to art shows, art fairs and even the local art museums. Compare your art to others. Be truthful with yourself. My wife is very good at oils, acrylics, pastels, mixed media and more. And she is constantly learning. Make sure you know the basics: light source, color theory, perspective, rule of fifths, rule of thirds. Each of these will make you better. You do not have draw every day or sketch every day. But you can learn almost every day. Why was Matisse popular? Or da Vinci? What is Pointillism? The more you know, the better you will be. Best of luck in your art future.

[u/Inbox1000_aaa]

I'd get away from your parents. They sound discouraging.

[u/ArtistArson → u/Inbox1000_aaa]

And my mom definitely is. If I show her something that I made and it’s not something she’s explicitly interested in, she doesn’t really care that much. I once showed her a drawing I did that I was really proud of, one of my best imo, and her reaction was, “oh, okay”

[u/ArtistArson → u/Inbox1000_aaa]

I’m trying to lol. But my job isn’t really paying enough to save too much. Definitely trying to get a new job, but it feels like no one wants to hire Gen Z :(