You need strangers to give up the day job?

I was asked this question by an Artist who is working full time outside the Art industry, when is the right time to give up their day job and paint for a living.

I do believe that every Artist is capable of earning a good living from their Art, but I also believe that you should not be in a hurry to give up your day job. Painting part time knowing you are paying your daily bills is less stressful than having to sell your paintings every week to meet your needs.

Paintings do not sell every week and you can have lean times.

Of course family and friends will say you are a talented Artist and love receiving your paintings as gifts, but that does not mean in the future they will buy all your paintings when they are for sale.

You need to remember that it is strangers who have to buy your paintings to sustain your future income, so you will need to build up a network of strangers that will become your collectors and are prepared to support your Art.

You need to build your Art business while you are part time so that one day it can become your main source of income, but until it does you need to approach it as a part time job.

Do not rush out and become a full time Artist, keep your day job and allow your Art business to grow to the point where all your sales and commissions coming from strangers force you to give up your day job.

Be patient, a little success and a few sales does not make a life time of sales, for me this is the wise way to do it.

The worst that will happen to you doing it this way is you will have a wonderful, fulfilling hobby that helps supplement your normal income, doing something you love.