For many artists, some form of outside employment is necessary to make a living. Their day jobs often have little or nothing to do with their creative lives, but some have developed income streams that evolved naturally from their studio practice. This approach leads to a more integrated approach to earning a living. Today we’re focusing on some examples of art related side hustles.

In preparation for this topic, Rebecca searched for statistics on artists who make a living from art sales alone. What she found--to no one's surprise--supports the fact that many of us need other income streams. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics provides fairly decent income figures for artists, they include paid artist positions like designers and teachers in their overall statistics, and don’t provide separate information for those who are studio artists only. The Artfinder Independent Art Market Report: 2017 produced figures that are closer to the reality that many studio artists face. They report that artistic practice accounts for less than 25% of their survey sample's total income from all sources.

Many studio artists have found ways to cobble together a good living from art sales plus one or more art-related side hustles, which they prefer to traditional part time or full-time employment. Although outside employment offers a steady paycheck, the benefits of self-employment include greater control over your time and level of commitment to your artwork. And when self-employment involves providing meaningful goods and services to other artists, there can be deep satisfaction in what you do.

As an artist, what skills do you possess that could be translated into extra income? Today we look at several categories of side hustles that arise from knowledge and services that artists may be able to offer. We also have interesting stories and insight from two artists who have developed successful art-related products, Paula Roland and Elizabeth Schowachert.

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