The full-time artist is a myth
Aloha,
I’m about to embark on a week-long Hawaiian vacation with the family, so there won’t be a broadcast next week. I will be writing because that never stops, but this update will have to sustain you for a few weeks.
Also, before I get started, I have a special request for any ConvertKit users at the bottom, but I won’t leave out the non-CK users.
This edition of The Hungry is in partnership with Shopify.
What’s the Big Idea?
If you consider the logistics of being a full-time artist, the math isn’t mathing for many. Maybe I’ll go deeper into that in the future, but the gist is that making the numbers work is a lot more complex than many people have considered.
Being able to fill our lives with art and making money from it is a romantic idea that some are blessed with, but the reality is that it’s a tricky proposition. Even if we could generate the amount of art sales needed to live financially worry-free, the effort and output necessary to make it happen are so mountainous we risk massive burnout, risking our livelihood.
Introducing Sides (see below), a new segment that will share a piping hot and fresh take on side hustles for creative people who need to supplement their creative hustle with something extra.
These opportunities will range from a broadened approach to what you’re already doing to bold ideas that require creative thinking and an open mind. Some will be easy, others more complex, and a few will go where only eagles dare.
Art Snack: AG Traphaus
Sides: Niche Interests
Welcome to Sides, the section that explores new creative side hustle ideas to help you add more revenue using creativity in new and different ways. This is the first edition of this new section, so I will take it easy on you this time but know that I will turn the heat up soon.
This time, let’s discuss chasing down a passionate niche. A designer friend (who will remain nameless to not taint the well) has been an ardent fan of a semi-unconventional vehicle make and model. They’ve owned a few of those vehicles now, and they are so passionate about them that they started an Instagram account around that vehicle niche. In less than two months, it has already grown to shy of 500 followers.
They achieved that number by curating videos and images from other accounts (making sure to give credit). Because there aren’t many accounts sharing a passionate approach to this niche, there are many fans of that vehicle who consume the posts and stories daily.
My friend hasn’t monetized the account yet, but when they hit an undisclosed amount of followers, they will create print-on-demand merch for the brand. People in these small groups usually feel disregarded because very few companies want to focus on small, out-of-fashion niches; still, as soon as the numbers make sense, my friend will be poised to sell many items, even with a small collection.
This is a simple idea that anyone can execute, and you don’t even need a website. By building a business page on Facebook, adding shop functionality, and connecting a Printify* account to it, you could have a side business up and running in a weekend. Here are some tips to make it work.
Don’t chase niches you’re not deeply interested in. You’ll burn out if you’re not passionate about the topic.
Avoid going too niche. If my friend specialized in the same make and model but tried to narrow down the niche to a particular year and vehicle color, the number of people interested may be too small to consider.
Be careful of copyright infringement. Discussing a particular vehicle make and model presents a challenge in creating designs that don’t encroach on the manufacturer's intellectual property.
Start building an email list from the very beginning. Your main link on Instagram or Facebook should lead to your sign-up page.
Start with a small collection of items. Don’t create a bunch of random products around one single design. Instead, create two or three product-specific designs. What works on a mug may not work on a shirt or a notebook.
Buy samples and integrate them into your posts online in an organic way. Don’t shill.
As you build up a fanbase, use Facebook to advertise to that base.
Reach out to your email subscribers regularly, but keep the conversations human. Talk to them as a member of the community, not a marketer.
Finally, it’s important to gauge the passion level of the community. Some people love a particular topic or thing, but they aren’t flying the flag publicly. Do your research well and find out what’s happening in that community. Also, don’t be afraid to ask people about it.
Does this sound like something you might try for yourself? If you want to test the idea on me, reply to this message and chat about it.
Small Bites
❓ What is it about stickers that make them sell so well? I don’t have an answer, but if you were inclined to start an Etsy shop, Printify has a cheat sheet for success.
📈 One thing I’ll be researching over my vacation is how to create a great referral program for this newsletter. Growth is an important factor we must embrace in our business, and the best growth is when people who love what we do share us with others. (wink wink)
🥤 I love when big brands embrace art, like when Coca-Cola said, “F**k your brand guidelines!”
🧀 Want to know how to break into a new niche? Use a wedge (Note: This is some serious inside baseball conversation—not for the timid).
#️⃣ Just when you thought hashtags were dead, Instagram changed the rules again, making them significantly more searchable. I don’t know the strategy yet, but if they made this change, you know they will lean into how it affects your views. Use them wisely!
💗 Want to know the way to my heart? Share distressed typography. Also, coffee, but that’s an entirely different conversation.
🖼️ The YouTube channel Make Art Not Content shares an interesting take on what set Basquiat apart from his contemporaries and why he is highly regarded despite his short career. I don’t agree with all of the points, but let me know what you think of this commentary.
📹. Kelsey Rodriguez argues for the importance of art NOT being a stable career.
👩🏽🎨 Art studios are not cheap, and often people split the space to save on costs, but is that a great idea?
🌰 Acorns make it easy to save and invest. Join me and you’ll get a free $5 investment, AND you’ll be supporting this newsletter for free. See the terms here. (Partner)
