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Artists - How do you measure success?
a year ago
ADHD made this a little disjointed but hopefully still coherent. :D
I see lots of people with reasonable anxiety about the future. Of art, of their income from art, of online community spaces, all the things.
A few times now I've made some simple suggestions on how to manage, move forward, or thrive --
keep making the art that YOU want to make
reach out and support other artists by sharing their art OUTSIDE of the platform you found them on
if they're livestreaming watch for a while, if you're busy just do a drive-by hello!
consider switching or adding payment options other than paypal, for the love of god. square, cashapp, paze, zelle, i don't even know. fuck paypal.
spread information. whether it's alt payments, new sites trying to get off the ground, art tutorials or your own personal tips and techniques.
it's great to have community of fans and clients around us and our socials, but the support of other artists is the only thing that's gonna keep us afloat, as individuals and as a community.
in the world of genAI and other tool-assisted artmaking, being on stream even if only from time to time is a simple way to communicate to the world that you are real, you exist, you make your own art, and you will not be replaced by machines. this applies whether you do commissions as your primary income or as a hobby, or if you just do personal work.
even if you don't stream your work (there's plenty of valid reasons not to!), being in stream chats with other artists can bring back more of a connection that's been missing for a long time around here. I feel like having company at my streams has been good for my emotional health, even on days when i'm kind of checked out from the chat itself. it goes from being a lonely hunched-over-at-my-desk time to a casual hangout with friends and we actively talk to eachother and give immediate feedback and art tips/suggestions and it just feels *good*. it's good for the isolated introvert artist soul, I promise.
i have a modest but sustainable and health income through self-employment as an artist. I have a small but close and reliable community around me of artists, writers, and fans who for the most part get along and are usually entertaining. and on the days when they're not, I am in other small artist discords and i get to hang out with different people in there, too. I have something resembling work-life balance (when life stops being a shit, y'
make art and be among your fellow artists. we are not machines. we are people. we are not content generators or wankoff dispensers. even if everything you make basically is fap material, it's by your own hand and that makes it meaningful. even if nobody wanks to it but you. 😂😂😂
the last 8 or 9 years have been full of turmoil, distress, dehumanization, and people forgetting what the whole point of community is, of what the point of art is. under the stress of fear and anger and broken trust a whole lot of us crawled into our cozy hideouts and waited for the storm to pass.
success! you're still here. we're still here.
time to come outside again. say hello.
I see lots of people with reasonable anxiety about the future. Of art, of their income from art, of online community spaces, all the things.
A few times now I've made some simple suggestions on how to manage, move forward, or thrive --
keep making the art that YOU want to make
reach out and support other artists by sharing their art OUTSIDE of the platform you found them on
if they're livestreaming watch for a while, if you're busy just do a drive-by hello!
consider switching or adding payment options other than paypal, for the love of god. square, cashapp, paze, zelle, i don't even know. fuck paypal.
spread information. whether it's alt payments, new sites trying to get off the ground, art tutorials or your own personal tips and techniques.
it's great to have community of fans and clients around us and our socials, but the support of other artists is the only thing that's gonna keep us afloat, as individuals and as a community.
in the world of genAI and other tool-assisted artmaking, being on stream even if only from time to time is a simple way to communicate to the world that you are real, you exist, you make your own art, and you will not be replaced by machines. this applies whether you do commissions as your primary income or as a hobby, or if you just do personal work.
even if you don't stream your work (there's plenty of valid reasons not to!), being in stream chats with other artists can bring back more of a connection that's been missing for a long time around here. I feel like having company at my streams has been good for my emotional health, even on days when i'm kind of checked out from the chat itself. it goes from being a lonely hunched-over-at-my-desk time to a casual hangout with friends and we actively talk to eachother and give immediate feedback and art tips/suggestions and it just feels *good*. it's good for the isolated introvert artist soul, I promise.
i have a modest but sustainable and health income through self-employment as an artist. I have a small but close and reliable community around me of artists, writers, and fans who for the most part get along and are usually entertaining. and on the days when they're not, I am in other small artist discords and i get to hang out with different people in there, too. I have something resembling work-life balance (when life stops being a shit, y'
make art and be among your fellow artists. we are not machines. we are people. we are not content generators or wankoff dispensers. even if everything you make basically is fap material, it's by your own hand and that makes it meaningful. even if nobody wanks to it but you. 😂😂😂
the last 8 or 9 years have been full of turmoil, distress, dehumanization, and people forgetting what the whole point of community is, of what the point of art is. under the stress of fear and anger and broken trust a whole lot of us crawled into our cozy hideouts and waited for the storm to pass.
success! you're still here. we're still here.
time to come outside again. say hello.
When I take on a commission knowing I can make it work out. Gained confidence in my skills that I can produce a product worth what I charge without regret.
Being caught up in commissions.
Being at some con, in an elevator with random people and having one see your name badge, "Wait YOU'RE Flinters?"
But really, what did it for me is someone picking up a few of my art books, flipping through pages and then quietly buying several. I didn't have to push or promote it, they just saw something they liked, then put forward actual money. At that point the art stood fully in its own merit and was found desirable.
Then I hand it to them. It's yours. Everyone's first con should be happy and magical. Let's make your memory be a fun one.
Yes, it took you a couple of minutes, but for that new fan, it is an experience they weren't expecting and the excitement and joy reminds me why I love drawing so much.
As artists, we are the creators of more than just art. We create memories. Let's make magic.
That goes up there with something I saw the other day that there's no such thing as making art for a general audience, or universal appeal. Stick to what you like to do because there's no one kind of art that everyone likes.