Yes, You Really Can Earn an Income as a Creative

If your focus and passion are in the world of creativity, you already know how difficult it is to be recognized and to stand out from the crowd. While many businesses are comfortable selling what people need, creatives often think what they produce is a luxury, a nice want. Therefore, they don’t promote themselves the way businesses do, and as a result, they languish in obscurity. 

Furthermore, a lot of creatives have trouble finding the capital to get their name and work out there since, many times, creative products are not seen as good investments by lenders, though there are resources out there. 

But that doesn’t mean what you make isn’t important, necessary, and of value. It just means you may need to change how you think about what you create. What you should understand is that what you make is an important product that people need. People need art! Luckily, Liane’s Blog has some tips and resources to help you get noticed.

An Active Online Presence

Having a website and an Instagram account is important but not nearly enough to get you where you want to be. Your website can become lost in the millions of others out there, and your Instagram following of a few friends can easily be overlooked. Since most people will find you online, it’s important to put a lot of your time and effort into making your presence there as big as possible. 

When it comes to growing an online presence, content is king. When you’re adding content to your site regularly, you’re keeping yourself and your work visible and creating more opportunities for people to share your work. People will want to visit your sites more often if they know they can expect to see something new and fresh. And it helps with moving your site higher in search engine rankings. 

Look for Places to Promote Your Work

Reach out to online blogs and forums. Like you, they’re anxious to keep adding content to their sites, and if you can offer them something that their followers would find interesting, it helps you and them. 

The same is true for YouTube influencers. It takes a lot of work for them to constantly make videos. If you can create a quality presentation of your work to offer them on their site, you’re saving them time and money. And while you’re helping keep their channel content updated, they’re promoting your art, so win/win.

Find Shows and Exhibits

Visit art galleries often and get to know the owners. Forge relationships with as many of them as you can so that when an opening comes up, they’ll be more likely to contact you. 

Exhibits, even if you have to pay to show your work in them, are still an excellent form of marketing. Allowing people to meet you and see your work in person means they’re more likely to purchase your work than if they only saw it online. 

Your Art as a Business

Art, design, music, and writing are all creative endeavors and passions, yes, but they can also be a way for you to earn a living. But first, you have to treat them as a business. Look at how companies that produce non-creative products and services go about running their businesses. 

You’ll find that most start out with a business plan. This will be your blueprint for how to turn your creative work into a business. You can find online business plan templates to follow that will guide you through the process.

Part of creating a business will include how to structure it. You can choose to be a sole proprietor or a corporation. Structuring your business as a limited liability corporation, most commonly referred to as an LLC, is preferred since it’s a structure you can set up yourself with a service without the need for an attorney. And most importantly, it shields your personal assets from those of your business. That way, if your business suffers financial setbacks, your savings, home, car, etc. will be protected. LLCs also offer better tax options and require less paperwork. 

Next, a good marketing plan is essential for any business. Luckily, these days, the internet makes advertising far easier. For instance, you can build your brand with infographics, which you can easily design yourself then share via social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to help spread the word and expand your customer base. Best of all, it’s all free!

Finally, think outside the box. Market to places you might not think of as the perfect fit. Network outside your creative bubble, like at a business conference. Be open to new opportunities no matter where they come from. You’re a creative type, so be creative with how you let the world know all about you!

Liane’s Blog is about music, art, fashion, beauty, technology, and more! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.