Making a career changing
isn't always easy. You get complacent and sometimes refuse to think beyond the
comfort zone. But your true calling can be very different to your current 9 to
5 routine career. You may have chosen. Not every artist begins their career in
arts, people, you may have pursued a different career earlier in life for
various reasons, whether being offered a different job or for more material gain.
There is no stigma attached with making a career change, but you need to prepare
for the transition.
Accepting that you have a
knack for design or art, can be quite incredible. Even though the uncertainties
loom, you should not let your doubts or fears keep you from turning a hobby into a full time career. What you need is a solid foundation and an action plan, and
we believe the following tips will help you!
The art market is competitive,
so it is very important to have realistic expectations. It is always better to
do some research, be open to receiving some insight and counsel. Question
yourself, what do you want out of this? Do you want to sell your work? How do
you identify yourself? Take a course if
needed, be present with other artists and network. It is fun to be an artist
and work in a studio, but there is more to it, pursuing a sale requires more
work in addition to creating art. So, set reasonable goals and be practical in
your plan to establishing yourself in the market.
There are many artists who
work part time or have full time jobs while juggling to establish themselves in
the art world. If you are one of them, you already know how difficult it can
be. This may lead you to consider shifting completely to a career in art. But,
before that, you need to ask a few questions from yourself. Why do you want to
make a career out of art? Do you think your work will benefit from more time?
Is your passion for art so strong that you can no longer see yourself doing
anything else? Are you tired of doing a 9 to 5 job? Think clearly and write all
the answers so that you can reflect upon your decision.
Despite the passion,
transitioning into a full time art career requires a lot more than just
creating art. You will need to take on a fair amount of responsibility and be
serious about it as this will be your sole income. You will be a business owner
and you need to be ready to handle the pressure. If you are not ready, it is
better to be honest with yourself rather than going through all the stress. If
you currently have a full time job, then think of scaling down to a part time
job or picking up freelance projects as you slowly transition will provide the
financial stability needed to take risks, invest in material etc.
When you first start out, you
may not see the need to create a business plan for your art career. Often, creating pieces of art takes priority.
But, by taking time to carefully plan out your business, you will easily be
able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your business. You will need
to think about pricing and business expenses, and make sure you can support
yourself before venturing out. Note down, expenses - cost of materials,
marketing tools, an amount allocated for yourself. Once you have these laid
out, you will understand how many and how you need to price your work to make a
profit.
Gallery representations and
selling art at fairs are often the first thoughts which come to mind when
considering promoting your art. But there are other ways to explore as well.
Licensing your work is a
great way to make an additional income and to get your work seen by many
people. Look at options to sell your art online. With the growth of the online
art market, publishing your work on an online platform is a great way to promote
your work and the business.
Developing a brand for yourself will be one of the most important things you can do when transitioning into a full time art career. This can be somewhat difficult for many artists. It requires self-reflection - to understand how you want people to recognize and relate to your business. Take time to think about what kind of artist you are and what message you want to send out there.
Manesha Pieris