Where's the Money?

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

Self Portrait as an Artist 1888 Vincent van Gogh

When we began The Artist’s Road, we decided that we wanted to create an educational website for artists - a forum dedicated to inspiration and encouragement. We chose not to focus on how to earn a living from making art. We have come to understand that art can be more of a calling than a career, and that calling may not always sync with traditional ideas of making a living. This road we are on is a pursuit of ideas, of beauty for beauty’s sake, an expression of the longings and desires of the spirit. We often joke that we are like monks, but without the support of a church! Yet, artists have to eat and take care of our families, just like anyone else. We don’t believe that a life of deprivation and starvation is good for anyone’s creative output.

So, what paths of survival are open to artists? Some sell their personal art, either through galleries or privately by organizing their own exhibitions, while others ta…