Fears you have of being a full-time artist (that aren’t true)

Since becoming a full-time artist in 2021, I hear a lot of other artists project their fears about it onto me. Many of these creatives also want to go full-time, but they’re simply afraid that something bad might happen if they do. Today I’m going to dispel a few of these fears so you can move forward with your art journey and know that it’s possible for you, too.

“I won’t be able to keep up with demand”

This fear is the equivalent to a physical trainer hearing someone say, “I just don’t want to get too bulky in my shoulders.” It assumes that it will be so quick and easy to build muscle that you have to actively prevent it from happening. The truth is, having a consistent demand for your artwork is a dream. And for most, it takes work to get there and work to maintain that flow. You won’t get bulky he-man shoulders overnight.

But even if you do, there are solutions for that.

Many artists who have a high demand for their work hire painting assistants. Muralists are known for this. Large scale work often has a lot of ground to cover that doesn’t take a serious amount of skill – think hiring someone (or finding a volunteer) to help you paint the background on your mural to save you time. Then you come in to do the detail work only you can do. 

To cut down on time for making artwork, you can also consider tools for mass producing. If you don’t make 100% original or custom pieces every time, you can sell the same piece multiple times. Making prints has saved me so much time, energy and effort in my art business. It’s probably the biggest reason I’m able to handle being a full-time artist. 

A lot of people fall in love with the same piece of art. So allow them all to buy the same piece of art! 

Feeling like this would reduce quality or specialness? Remember that even the Greek sculptors used molds to pour their bronze sculptures into. Making the mold is an art form, too.

I make illustrations so prints are ideal, but consider molds if you make sculptures, patterns if you’re sewing, or templates if you’re designing websites. There’s a version of this for most creative processes.

You can also outsource administrative tasks like shipping, accounting, customer service or whatever else you’d like. Tasks around the office take up time. I run a solo business, but it doesn’t have to be that way for you if you have an overflow of work. You’ll be able to take on more clients if you hire help.

Having an overwhelming amount of demand is a high class problem. Embrace it and find high class solutions.

“Artists can’t make enough money” 

You CAN make a great living with art. I’ve seen it firsthand with others. I’m living it myself. Yes, every style and skill level can make a living with artwork.

Not believing it’s possible is a limiting belief – one that’s limiting you and only you. The rest of us are out here increasing our revenue. 

I would suggest journaling about it. Write down, “What made me think artists are destined to be poor?” or ask yourself, “Who is a living artist making great money?” Another great journaling prompt would be, “How can I make money with my art?” and list all the possible ways, even if they’re not your favorite ways. Write a minimum of one page of word vomit following these questions. 

Mindset is extremely important when you’re a full-time artist because you are the one motivating yourself to continue forward – not a boss, not a deadline, not a parent. Your mind directs your life. You can’t be afraid you’ll never make money doing what you love, because then you’ll never take action toward making money doing what you love.

A qualifier with this fear is, how much is enough?

It’s good to lay that expectation out for yourself. To me, enough in the beginning was enough to pay my half of the bills. As my bills increased my number increased. 

Now, my enough is set by other goals. I want enough to invest more in my business. 

Decide what your enough is and know that you can reach it.

When you’re self employed the only income ceiling is the ceiling you set. 

Your income generating capability is far higher than anyone in a well-defined or one-track career. 

The fear around money in this regard can not only be eliminated, but can actually turn into a motivator to become a full-time artist. You can make as much money as you’re willing to work for.

“I won’t love it if I make it a job” 

Why do you think this is true? Do you think you’ll be a bad manager to yourself? Will you work yourself too hard? Force yourself to do projects you hate? 

It’s YOUR choice to do that when you’re a full time artist, and you can simply choose not to do that!

I’m a great manager to myself. I work myself the hours that feel right for me. I only accept projects I love. 

When you are your own boss, you design a lifestyle that fits you and your customers. 

I think a lot of creatives assume that their work life will have to mirror jobs they’ve had in the past, but with art infused into it. But your career as a full-time artist only mirrors jobs you’ve had in the past (and hated) if you build your business like that. 

Watch this video here where I talk about hating art if you make it a job at length. It’s a special topic that deserves special attention. 

Making art your career is not for everyone. But you’re not guaranteed to hate art once you start making money from it. In fact, I’ve never loved my art practice more now that it’s started earning me an income. 

What if you ended up loving art even more?

“The algorithm could sabotage my business” 

A lot of creatives who want to be full-time artists believe they have to rely on the luck of the algorithm gods to become and stay successful. Which is a problem for most of us because it seems impossible to figure out. While social media is an amazing tool for getting seen and it definitely will help, it’s NOT necessary. 

And truth be told, if you solely rely on social media as your only marketing outlet, the algorithm COULD sabotage your business. (Or rather, you’d sabotage it by making that poor business decision.)

You should be relying on multiple tools to get your artwork seen by more people.

Social media is a good one. Art shows are better. Festivals are great. Sending out mailers is an idea. Rent a billboard. Buy an ad in the newspaper. Submit your work to magazines. Start a referral program for commission work. Ask your friends to tell their friends. 

If you run your art business like a real business, the algorithm won’t be the death of it. 

You don’t have to be online at all to get seen.

I once worked for another artist as a booth manager for a little over a year. I watched her make $1,000 an hour while she napped upstairs. She made over $100k in two months selling art prints. You know what her social media presence looks like? Trash! No but seriously, she never posts, has like 2,000 followers on Facebook (and no other platform), and her website is plain as could be. 

The algorithm is not an excuse for why you can’t be a full-time artist. 

It’s not a fear worth stalling your dreams for. 

“I’m just bad at selling/marketing” 

Lack of skills around selling and marketing is probably the most valid fear on this list. And that’s because if you don’t sell art, you don’t have an art business. And if you don’t market it, you likely won’t make sales. 

Lucky for us, sales and marketing are skills you can learn for free. 

I teach a lot about sales and marketing for artists here at A Cup of Cloudy on this blog and on my newsletter. 

There are many other entrepreneurs online who teach about it as well. College programs are dedicated to this. You can go out and practice strategies in real time and see if they work. 

It’s a skill that takes practice but can be learned by anyone. Even you 🙂 

Starting to gag thinking about charging money for your art? You might struggle to become a full-time artist. You deserve to receive value for the value you provide. I would prescribe mindset work for anyone hesitant to get paid for their work. If you’re spiritual in any way, I suggest looking deeply into the concept of dharma. 

Thankfully, even with mindset issues around selling, there’s always the option to hire a marketing manager or a sales employee or an artist agent who can do the heavy lifting in exchange for a cut of the profit.

Being bad at something isn’t a reason to give up. You can get better at it or ask for help. 

“What will I do without insurance/retirement?”

I’m not sure why people are so worried about these things, because you can get medical insurance, car insurance, dental, vision, a retirement savings account of many varieties WITHOUT an employer. 

Do you think your employers are going without these? No. They have them as well. So when you become the employer you can also have them.

Do you think you’ll have to pay more without an employer? Truth is, your employer isn’t giving you tons of raises or a great paycheck because they’re spending their money on providing insurance for you. 

You are already paying a lot for retirement and insurance.

Just because you only see a certain percentage taken out of your paycheck doesn’t mean you’re not losing out on more money than that due to these programs. 

Your employer could pay you more if they didn’t have to buy you insurance.

You’re losing out on cash money right now because of insurance.

Insurance costs a lot – whether you are employed by someone else or self employed.

So why waste time worrying about this? 

Personally, I went without health insurance for a while. I had the privilege of choosing that because I’m young and healthy and don’t suffer from any chronic illnesses, which I know not everyone has that luxury. But it is an option. And nothing bad happened because of it. 

I also want to remind you that your earning potential as a full time artist is higher than your earning potential at your current job. There is no income ceiling when you own your own business. So any money you feel like you’re losing by having to purchase your own insurance or retirement account can be recouped by simply earning more money. 

Shopping for your own insurance and retirement plan requires research, but you can handle it.

“I have no consistency and get distracted a lot”

Same! You can be easily distracted and still be a successful full-time artist. The solution is working on multiple projects.

I illustrate, put these illustrations on all kinds of products, sell them at art shows, write this blog, write ebooks, teach an art style class, host a podcast, do my own marketing, pitching, and manage A Cup of Cloudy’s website. Having all these outlets helps me be “consistent.”

When I get bored of working on one thing, I switch to another thing. 

The only thing consistent about it is the common goal of moving my art business forward. 

But there are a ton of different ways to achieve that.

You need to be consistent with branding, art style, and showing up. You don’t have to consistently do the same tasks every day. Being distracted is not a curse, it’s a way of life. Find a rhythm that fits your goals and distractibility level.

It’s better to be a full-time artist with friends

Want artsy friends to discuss your fears with? Surround yourself with other artists who have the same goals and begin improving your mindset around them.

NOW OPEN: Artsy Friends is an artist-only group where you can meet folks who you can actually relate to 🙂 Join for free on Patreon today. You’ll learn the ropes of being a full-time artist — with friends.