People tend to think that being an artist is all rainbows and unicorns. But, if you are an artist yourself, you know very well the negative things about being an artist. There are pros and cons to everything, and art-making is no exception. Artists face problems, too, and at times, being an artist can be pretty stressful. So, what is difficult about being an artist? Well, let’s get into it!
I am passionate about creating art. Therefore, I usually speak about all the good things that come with art-making and living your passion.
However, today I want to address the negative things about being an artist.
Yes! Believe it or not, being an artist is not all rainbows and unicorns all the time. There are downsides to everything.
All artists face problems. There are difficult things about being an artist, and sometimes being an artist can be stressful.
So let’s talk about it! Let’s not only talk about the pros, but also about the cons of being an artist. What are the disadvantages?
But before we get into the disadvantages of being an artist, I want to make clear that there is no viable reason to not create art. You don’t need to make it into a career. But when you feel the calling to be an artist, you should make art. You can make it as a hobby, in your free time, or only occasionally, every now and then, whenever you feel like.
It doesn’t matter if your art is good or bad. Actually, I only recently wrote a post about why you should make bad art. So, if you want to make art, then for creativity’s sake go for it!
However, everyone who is toying with the idea of becoming a full-time artist, or at least of making art a side hustle, should know what problems they might be facing along the way.
So, without further ado, here we go! These are the negative things about being an artist...
7 Negative things about being an artist
1. Being an artist is not a real job.
First things first, being an artist is not a real job. This is probably the thing you’ll hear the most when you speak with family and friends about your plans of making a living with your art.
If you don’t come from a family of artists, chances are well-meaning family members will advise you against pursuing your passion, because—being an artist is simply not a real job.
Admittedly, this is not one of the myths about artists, it is actually quite true. Art-making is very different from most other jobs. Most of the time, artists don’t have a labor contract, they work on a freelance basis.
That means you will have to promote and market your art yourself. You will have to put in a lot of time and effort to attract potential buyers, build a reputation, and build a website for your art. In short, you will have to do everything the company management would take care of for you, if you had a real job. ´\_(ツ)_/`
Nevertheless, you can still make good money as an artist. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of fine artists was around $50,000 per year in 2020. Not too bad. There are real jobs that make less money…
On the positive side, as a self-employed artist, you have the freedom to reject jobs that you don’t like. While many people have to perform tasks that they don’t like, you can start work with a good feeling every day, because you just love what you do and you are not just doing it for the money!
2. It is hard to get your art business going.
The notion of the starving artist is deeply engrained in our thinking. But nowadays, it is much easier to make money with art skills than two decades ago. Back in the day, artists could only sell their work through a gallery, or directly on street fairs or art shows.
Today, there is no need for a middleman anymore to find buyers for your art. Collectors can discover you directly through social media and art sharing sites, or through your personal artist website. Today, your potential clientele is worldwide.
Plus, you don’t need an art degree anymore to become successful. These days, people buy what they like, and not what art critics say is ‘good art’. People’s personal taste in art is what matters. That means you can even make money as a self-taught artist.
Nevertheless, you need to know that it won’t be easy to get your art business going. It takes time to grow a following on social media. And your website takes time to generate traffic as well. You will need to post consistently—both on your social accounts as well as on your blog. You won’t see results overnight, but it is critical to be patient and to not give up.
To help you get your art business going, I have a FREE Art Business Startup Checklist for you to download in the Freebie Library. Just head over and get it!
- Grab Your FREE Art Business Startup Checklist
3. You don’t have a consistent work schedule.
As an artist, you don’t have a 9-to-5 job. You will never go to the studio in the morning, knowing exactly that you will be back home in the late afternoon. You just don’t have regular working hours.
This can be one of the negative things about being an artist if you need that consistent structure in your day. But depending on how you see it, it can also be one of the advantages of being an artist, because it provides you with a great amount of flexibility.
You can work from home (even in your pajamas if you want), and you can work whenever you want! When you don’t feel inspired to create art, you can take a break and go for a walk. On the other hand, when inspiration strikes, you might be doing some all-nighters in a row—with pleasure.
Believe me, I know what I’m talking about. As I mentioned in 20 Facts about the Artist, I am a night owl and I actually appreciate the possibility to work at night—and whenever I feel like. ♥‿♥
For me, this is one of the advantages of being an artist. I love flexibility in my work schedule, but I perfectly understand that it might not be everyone’s cup of tea…
4. You don’t have a fixed salary.
Just like you don’t have consistent working hours, you don’t have a consistent income as an artist—as least not as a freelancer.
Even though you can make good money as an artist, you cannot expect a fixed salary every month. While some months may be really great, others might be quite low on profit. That’s why I always recommend having more than one income stream as an artist.
Don’t rely solely on selling prints of your art, there are so many more things you can do. You can sell digital printables, you can sell digital downloads, and you can sell digital art commissions—to just name a few examples.
In any case, you should make sure to save up some money in the good times that will help you through the bad times every artist will encounter sooner or later.
5. You spend a lot of time alone.
Creating art is not exactly a highly sociable activity, even though you can work in a shared studio with other artists. However, during the actual creative process, you will most certainly be on your own, a lot of the time.
This makes it already harder for artists to connect with others. Moreover, many artists are also introverts, which makes it again more difficult for them to find friendships quickly. This may result in artists feeling lonely and becoming socially isolated. Definitely, this is one of the negative things about being an artist…
But the good news is that there is a way out. Even if there are no other artists in your environment, you always have the possibility to connect with like-minded people online. You can exchange ideas with peers, support each other, and forge connections with art collectors and curators.
Social media and art sharing sites are fantastic options to build a community, but also your own artist website is a great place to express your thoughts and feelings and start meaningful conversations with others.
6. You need to put yourself out there.
Speaking of introverts, another thing that can be difficult about being an artist is that you have to put yourself out there. You will have to show your work and you will have to show yourself. Otherwise, it will simply not be possible to create exposure for your art.
Putting yourself out there can be uncomfortable, especially when you are a beginner and still lacking the necessary creative confidence as an artist. Why? Because once you put your art out there, you will have to deal with lots of negative things. People will criticize your work, post harsh comments, or even insult your work and yourself as the artist out of pure envy.
That means you will have to deal with rejection, stop judging your art, tackle your art anxiety, and learn to enjoy your creative process, no matter what happens in the outside world.
On the positive side, showing your art to the world will allow others to enjoy your creations. Not only are you benefiting as the artist, but you can also help those around you to see the world with different eyes.
- An EXCELLENT Way to Keep your Spirits up
Stay positive with daily affirmations!
7. You have to be comfortable with uncertainty.
All in all, one can sum up the negative things about being an artist that you have to be comfortable with uncertainty. You will need to learn to step out of your comfort zone on a daily basis.
You will need to get comfortable with showing your work to the world against all the odds. You will need to learn to be comfortable working on your own, handling fluctuations in income and inconsistent working hours.
You will have to learn to stand firm in the face of criticism and setbacks. At the same time, you will have to be ready to take risks in art. Starting your own art business involves a risk. Following your heart and developing your unique art style involves a risk, because when you don’t get approval from those around you, it can feel like no one likes your art.
Are you able to handle financial uncertainty? Can you deal with rejection, disapproval and criticism? Can you put in the work and promote your art even when you don’t see any immediate results?
Can you do it? Can you handle the negative things about being an artist?
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If you are passionate about making art, then you should do it! But, without passion, you run the risk of giving up before you even gain momentum. I’m here to help. I’ve been through it all. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below or reach out to me directly. I’d love to hear from you! Make sure to sign up for my email list below so you don’t miss out on new blog posts and other cool stuff. ♥
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.
Hi Bianca, great to hear from you. Glad you like my content (:
I am now not certain where you are getting your information, however great topic. I needs to spend a while finding out more or working out more. Thank you for magnificent info I used to be in search of this info for my mission.
Most of the info is just my own experiences that I made during my artistic journey. Now, I’m sharing my experiences here in the hope of being able to help other artists. Glad if you can take home something that works for you (: