Chris Guillebeau – Art and Money

Building on the knowledge of successful, working artists, the Unconventional Guide to Art and Money offers a range of materials to help you supersize your career in the arts (if you want one) or begin earning money from your art. Art and Money was created by Chris Guillebeau and Zoë Westhof, in collaboration with a number of successful, working artists.

The Not-So-Secret Connection Between Art and Money

Here’s a shocking idea: artists are not destined to be poor. If you’re an artist, you can actually make money from your art, feel good about it, and build up a following to support your independent career. Seriously. Why do so many artists fail in their quest to earn a living through their art?

The good news is that most artists fail NOT because they lack talent but because they have not been trained to represent themselves, to build a customer base, and to actually sell their great artwork.

See, the old way for achieving fortune and fame as an artist (or at least a working income) was all about receiving the favor of gatekeepers. Beginning with the patronage system in Europe and continuing with the galleries and museums of modern times, the old way was all about groveling for the endorsement of outsiders, who then took a huge percentage of the artist’s income in exchange for the “privilege” of representation. It was very effective… for the gatekeepers.

The old way still works for a small minority of artists, but the problem is that it’s a zero-sum game and hard to break in. Thankfully, there is a clear alternative. Thank You ALL For Making This Possible For All Of US. Leo Babauta – Clutte