It's a
67,800,000,000
a year industry,
YES 67.8 Billion
in 2022 with a big FAT....
That is a crazy amount of zeros.
Think about that for a minute. Why should any artist starve???
$27.3 billion-worth of art was sold in the U.S. markets alone in 2015.
The art market has consistently increased 25% each year since it has been tracked.
Artists are:
- Abstract Painters
- Eco-Artists
- Fabric Designers
- Jewelry Designers
- Illustrators
- Live Event Painters
- Mixed Media Artists
- Graffit Artists
- Body Art
- Animation
- Photographers
- Portrait Painters
- Printmakers
- Ceramic Makers
- Sculpture
- Pubic Artists
- Widdler
- Art Buskers
- Street Artists
- Caricature Artists
- Conceptual Artists
- Collage Makers
- Calligraphers
- Street Sketchers
- Outsider Artists
- Installation Artists
- Video Artists
- Digital Artists
- Figure Drawers
- Vanitas Painting
- Screen Printers
- Block Print Makers
- and many more creatives…
(icon before and rotating on cylinder at angle)
Have people trash talked you with one of these gems?
What do you do at your day job?
You have to know just the right people to make it as an artist.
You’d make really good money if you went to school to be a doctor, then you would have plenty of money for your hobby.
Most artists I know are teachers. That’s a good safe job to get and you still get to doodle.
Doing art is a great hobby, not a career goal.
Your parents want you to be successful, that’s why they want you to grow up and get a real job.
Everything has been done in the art world, you have nothing to offer.
It would be impossible to make as good a living as an artist as an engineer.
My friend is a way better artist than you are and he hasn’t made a cent with it.
It´s not impossible to be an artist, but it’s also not the best thing to do…. Especially for your future.
You don’t want to live your life suffering financially, do you?
Who is going to support your art life?
It is amazing that rumors have started over the years that artist starve and That being an artist is just a pipe dream and only the select few can make money at it.
Lets look at the numbers to see just how false these “facts” actually are….
What is the world share of art sales?
At almost 64 billion turnover worldwide there are more than 36 million transactions – these 2016 figures illustrate the global importance of the art market today.
Artist fight to get into galleries, right?
There are about 19,000 galleries worldwide that represent artists with about 16% doing over $1 million in sales annually.
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Bureau of Labor Statistics agree that there are about 225,000 fine artists in the United States.
Art Basel reports an estimated 33,000 high-net-worth Americans spent more than $1 million EACH on art and antiques in the last two years.
The numbers tell us that the competition is not very fierce, Galleries are always looking for new art.
Fine Artist Employment Status from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Princeton University in 2002.
Do most Artists STARVE?
According to the numbers about 4% in the US sadly do. That is far from most. The truth is the majority of artists thrive.
In the US alone, fine artist professionals working either full time or part time make up 9.8% of the workforce, that’s about 2.1 million people. Not Starving.
How about just selling online?
52% of Art Collectors bought art first saw and discovered on the social media like Instagram or Facebook. Now days Social Media is a great way to build your reputation, audience and maximize your chances to be found by Curators & Art Collectors Worldwide.
Online sales has grown from $1.57 billion in 2013, to $2.62 billion in 2014, and jumped an astounding 24% in 2015 to a high of $3.27 billion.
“Online art buyers are likely to return, with 92% saying they would buy the same amount of—or more—work online in the next 12 months.” –Art Insurance Company Hiscox
Even with this trend we are split down the middle with about 46% saying they would purchase art online and another 46% say they prefer purchasing from a gallery or artist in person.
So, Why do some artists do awesome while others eat leftover Ramen while spending their time away from the canvas at their day job.
Maybe....
1. Art is the core of Non-Starving Artists lives.
These artists wake up and go to sleep thinking about art and carve out time in their day to make or market it. In fact for these artists, there is no clear distinction between the creativity of making and marketing. If they hold a full-time job, it’s secondary to art and mostly a means to an end, as their real job is being an artist.
2. Non-Starving Artists understand how business works in the art world.
Successful artists understand the entrepreneurial aspects of making a living as an artist. When they encounter something new or unusual on the business side, they investigate and learn to do it or delegate the task. They know the value of relationships and network in person and through social media.
3. Non-Starving Artists have a strong work ethic.
They manage themselves, their creative energy and their resources. They balance the time it takes to produce art and to market it; they choose a work rhythm and stick to it. Whether these artists enjoy the business tasks or not, they know they must be done and they do them without complaints or bitterness.
4. Non-Starving Artists are resilient.
They know that success doesn’t happen overnight and requires hard work. These artists understand that things don’t always work out the way they expect. When they make mistakes, they focus on solutions, not on regrets. They learn from experiences and experiment to improve on failures and successes.
5. Non-Starving Artists only spend time with people who are 100% supportive of their art career.
They limit their time and emotional involvement with negative people — especially those who disapprove of art as a career choice. Artists who surround themselves with supportive people produce better art. Quite simply, successful artists do not allow unsupportive people to obstruct their plans for success.
6. Non-Starving Artists learn the nuts and bolts of the art business.
Artists who rise to the top don’t just sit around and paint and wait for their creations to sell themselves. They understand the power of presentation, selling their artwork, telling the story of each piece, and the marketing involved in making your brand as an artist a household name.
Are You a Sell Out Because You Sell Art?
Hell Yes you are!!!!
You are a loser. You sell out of art and have to go to the art store to spend money to make more art. Selling out is awesome, not to mention getting to @$&% eat something besides hot dogs chopped up in tap warm ramen soup or ground bologna tacos made with day old bread. Poor poor Non-Starving Artist. I feel really bad for you.
Think about one thing:
Not Starving is Awesome!
Do you need guidance to take the next step?
Find out how to become a Non-Starving Artist with our community Emails and Blog updates as well as learning more about our virtual and live events.
*References and Data from The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) release of the 2022 edition of its annual report and Art Basel/UBS The Art Market 2022 Annual.