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| What's a tripod got to do with making a living? Read on! |
Several years ago, a student asked if I'd teach a workshop on the business of painting. I declined. At the time, I felt that I'm no expert. I still feel this way. On the other hand, I've been running my art business successfully for 20 years now. I thought it might be time to write a few posts on how I do things. But as they say, "Your mileage may vary." What works for me may not work for you.
In this post, let's talk about making a living from painting. It's hard. It's very hard. Despite all the helpful coaching seminars, videos and newsletters, you'll not be successful unless you have the drive and the creativity. Drive consists of primal need and persistence. You were hungry then, are hungry now, and will always be hungry. The thought foremost in your mind, from sunrise to sundown, is to remedy that. And that's where creativity helps. Yes, you'll study the usual methods for hunting and trapping game and farming, but survival depends on your being able to invent a solution when a plague or blight comes along that's not addressed in the manual.
Did I mention talent or skill? No. Looking at many of the paintings that sell today, I'm not sure if these are relevant. Did I mention a deep-set yearning to paint? No. Some desire helps, but it's not that important. When I was a bartender, my goal in life certainly wasn't to make the perfect banana daiquiri, yet despite that, I got tips and a paycheck.
I am a hard worker. I answer e-mail at 4 in the morning. I draft a magazine article while the coffee is percolating. I add a few remedial touches to whatever's on the easel before breakfast. The rest of the day is more of the same, with longer sessions at the easel or computer, plus frequent breaks that include tea with Trina and walks with Raku.
But I don't just paint for a living. I also write and teach. Although my painting sales each year are respectable, they wouldn't feed me all year. Also, I don't think it is smart to depend on just painting sales. The Dow goes up, the Dow goes down, recession hits. I like to have two other means of making a living. Neither writing nor teaching by themselves would allow me to buy my pricey organic vegetables. But together, these three things make the legs of a very stable tripod. They make a living.
In my next business post, I'll share how I keep track of my paintings.
