Featuring colorist Ronda Francis

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Yes! You CAN Make Money as an ARTIST and Be Happy

We all want our children to be happy and successful. We want to give them every opportunity and help them find the "thing" that they were made to do.

Many are especially happy if their children decide to become something professional, like a doctor or a lawyer. Getting into finances is smiled upon by many because it is assumed a good living will be made. 

Then there are the careers that parents are not thrilled about. There are plenty I do not have to mention, but sadly some of them are in the field of the arts. 

The term starving artist certainly came from somewhere, but happily a passion for the arts does not mean your child will be destitute and destined to live in your house until they get a real job.

Here are some jobs in the art field that make a very good living:

Graphic Artist - The average yearly income for a graphic artist is over $46,000. 

Fine Artist - All told, illustrators, sculptors, photographers, and painters made an average of $53,200 per year. (According to Google, if you live in Delaware you will hit the jackpot in this field, earning over $133,000.) Not bad.

Video Game Designer - Many hate that their kids are fascinated by video games. They should not feel too bad if their child decides they want to design these games for a living because the average salary for someone designing these attention-grabbers is almost $87,000 a year. 

Book Illustrators - Do your kids doodle all over everything? GOOD. If they decide they want to illustrate books for a living they can earn $53,000 a year or more. Medical illustrators make even more, starting at $61,000, and some making upwards of $250,000. 

Courtroom Illustrator - For those interesting in law AND art, earning $42,000 to be a courtroom illustrator is the perfect answer.

Storyboarding - Almost all films are made using a storyboard artist to plan the shots before filming. Film storyboarders can expect to earn over $84,000 a year, those in advertising around $64,000.

And there are more. Fashion illustrators, comic book artists, forensic artists, architect, tech designer, car designer, special effects expert, potter, jeweler, playground or golf course designer, landscape architect, art directors, and clothing designers can all make wonderful livings, and the list goes on.

So have no fear if your son or daughter decides on the arts, have no fear. Help them out by showing them websites dedicated to the arts, taking them to museums, or local shows. Even if you are not an artist yourself you can ask about their interests and find out about what they love.

Following a dream to a career is one of the most fulfilling things that can happen to a person. According to Maslow it is a peak experience. The ones that support and assist and help these dreams come true are real life angels.

So let them be artists--in fact help them become artists. Because we all know the EARTH without ART is just...eh.

xo

17 comments:

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    1. Thanks William! I think it is safe to say not all artists need to starve. ;)

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    1. Thank you for stopping by Christine! I would hate to see anyone trying to talk someone out of such a wonderful career. xo

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  3. Artists only starve if they believe they are going to starve. I make quite a nice living ... you just have to believe, follow your heart and work like hell. xo hugs, Donna

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    1. THAT is great to know Dorothy! I am just starting on this road--it is all I have ever wanted to do. Putting it out there so the universe has no choice but to pay attention. Thanks so much for coming Dorothy. (Quick question--how did you know I put out a post? Did you get notified? Sorry if the questions seem silly but I don't want to miss any of the blogs I follow. ) Thank you! Dea xo

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  4. Dea, i LOVE this! When people think of "artists", they don't always think of the professions you listed here. States (and Provinces for me, in Canada) vary in salary, but all in all, we as artists should never feel less serious about having chosen this profession. Having said that - art & writing are my callings, so i'd do them for free. Just don't tell anyone. ;) xx

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    1. Your secret is safe! I am like you--would do it anyway. I do think it being taken more seriously lately, which I am very happy about. I think there is a large number of people who are just finding it is OK topersue this dream. Glad we are among them. xo (and thanks.)

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  5. Great post! We need to encourage people to become what they want to do, and follow their hearts, that is for me the most important thing. Thanks for visiting my blog today, hugs, Valerie

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    1. Thank you V! And I agree with you--I think too many choose out of fear or simply what a parent did--which is FINE if that is what they want to do, but I hope more people choose what they love. xo

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  6. I'm glad there are some artists doing so well! It's good to know, thank you!

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    1. Yes Lisa--I think when a person is just starting out--especially if they are free lancing--it could be hard in the beginning and discouraging. I think many people may give up right when they are on the cusp of something big. Thanks for coming by. xo

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  7. This was inspiring to read and thanks for doing the research.

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    1. You are welcome Sandy! I love the thought of artists feeling proud and content in this career. Thanks for coming by. xo

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  8. I know a few artist friends who are far from starving! Yep, we need to encourage people to follow their passion.

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    1. Great to know. I would have no problem telling my son to follow this path if he were to choose it. And I agree--we need to support one another and the community. xo

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