Kinda felt like throwing this out there.
Artists without a stable living situation or income should probably not be making art. And by that I mean as a primary income source.
I've seen too many situations where artists are just barely squeaking by. Always broke. Always struggling. I know two artists right now that are stuck in a commission queue pile up. Dozens of commissions waiting. Forced to keep taking more and making the pile bigger just to have enough income to keep surviving.
I hate to see it. I feel shitty whenever I learn someone's tablet just died or harddrive just failed when they're already barely making enough. An artist from Italy's fanbox AND paypal both got banned recently and now they're likely going to have to quit art all together because they won't be able to make enough income off art anymore for it to support them.
I don't want any good artists to leave, but for their own wellbeing I think this needs to be said. I wouldn't be surprised if any artists stick around for a while, make some amazing stuff, put their mark on this tiny corner of the internet, then one day misfortune comes knocking that makes their life crash and burn with no way to recover (Like getting your paypal banned). Or perhaps problems just keep piling up over time until they can no longer handle the weight of it. They have to quit and get a job with little or no education or skills to their name and no way to forge a path to a better future.
Is what you're doing now going to provide you a good future?
What will you do when you get old?
Will you save up enough to retire one day or slow down and take it easy?
Will your income keep you afloat when unexpected injuries or costs come along?
Do you have a way to continue to make a living if something forces you to quit art?
Edit: I think ultimately what I'm saying is, if it's not too late for you, consider if pursuing a career of art commissions is right you. If you can make it work, go for it. I just want people to make smart decisions so they don't make life hard for them.
On a side note, I think EVERY career artist should have a patreon, fanbox, or subscribestar. That is mostly stable monthly income. You need stability. You can't rely on commissions alone. The only people that hate paywalls are people with no jobs that aren't contributing to society.
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10 months, 3 weeks ago
19 Feb 2024 00:56 CET
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