Am I A Business Or An Artist?
Art by Analise Black
Should I focus on making money or making art? Anthony Wheeler, Will Terry, and Lee White discuss the balance of art and entrepreneurship, finding your niche, and the importance of creative play.
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SHOW LINKS
Anthony Wheeler: anthonywheelerart.com
Will Terry’s Wicked Christmas game
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Being in business has all the perks of autonomy and full ownership, but it’s a lot of responsibility. Don’t force yourself to be an entrepreneur if you find more artistic joy as a hobbyist.
The transition to entrepreneurship can be gradual. Make things outside your day job. Sell small batches. Enjoy experimenting. These gentle steps can help you determine if you want to go into business for yourself, without risking everything.
Your art is a gift to the world that no one else can give. Give it while you have the chance.
You learn from your failures and you grow faith from your wins. There are no losses.
Make art for art’s sake. Not everything needs to generate cash.
QUESTIONS
Bob asks, “You guys often say, ‘Niche to get rich,’ but your projects include everything from kids' books to board games. With so much variety, what does choosing a niche mean?”
When you’re a professional illustrator, your fully developed style is the thread that unites all your work. Whether you apply that style to board games, books, or stationary doesn’t matter, because your work is easily identifiable and somewhat uniform. This is one way to niche.
You may also choose to narrow down the type of work you make (such as middle-grade graphic novels or comics). This is especially helpful at the start of your career as having a clear focus allows you to move forward steadily and make a name for yourself in that market. You don’t have to remain in that niche permanently, but it can be helpful to dial in for a season.
If you do find a warm market, it’s a good idea to turn them into repeat customers. For example, if you create a highly successful board game, the same people who bought that game would likely buy more if you created them. It’s much easier to sell to the people who already know and love your work than trying to find a new market for every project you launch.
Experimenting and playing with new ideas is healthy and keeps you excited about your art, so don’t think that by choosing a niche you’re forbidden to make anything else. Just remember these principles from a marketing standpoint and decide where to prioritize your energy in this season: growing your business or playing artistically. There are no wrong choices, only different outcomes.
LINKS
Jake Parker: mrjakeparker.com. Instagram: @jakeparker, Youtube: JakeParker44
Will Terry: willterry.com. Instagram: @willterryart, Youtube: WillTerryArt
Lee White: leewhiteillustration.com. Instagram: @leewhiteillo
Daniel Tu: danieltu.co.
Lily Camille Howell: lilycamille.com
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