Artists Don't Need Patrons They Need Customers ​

I recently re-launched the Making Art Making Money program, and I heard from many artists from around the globe who eagerly wanted to enroll but said that they didn’t have enough time or money.

Not enough time? That’s no excuse because, unlike other programs, the Making Art Making Money program is self-paced, and lessons are under five minutes each. Students implement what they’re learning at their own pace.

Not enough money? That’s no excuse either because if you do the work, the Making Art Making Money program is an investment that could pay for itself many times over.

If you’re making art, then making money is just as easy. 

Oh, I can hear it now. “No. It’s so hard!” 

No. It’s not. Stay with me. 

I’m not just promoting the Making Art Making Money program. I’m about to give you a lesson that I only wish someone would have taught me in art school. 

How can you quickly make money with art? 

I’m going to teach you how I first made significant money with my art. 

I shared with several applicants to the Making Art Making Money program a story about when I wanted to attend an expensive painting workshop with my mentor Gregory Kondos in the south of France. 

I worked for a music distribution company. However, MP3 files and Napster annihilated our company almost overnight. 

I had no job, no prospects, and a sizable 50% non-refundable deposit for this workshop. 

Did I mention that my seven-year relationship had ended abruptly and that I was emotionally devastated? 

Thankfully, my co-workers encouraged me to take the trip and find the money and make it happen. 

I could stay home and cry, or I could make art and make money. 

I decided later, and it was one of the very best decisions I have made in my life. 

1. I put out a box of overpriced chocolate in my office cubicle with a sign that said, “Send a kid to France.” Even though my co-workers were losing their jobs, they bought my overpriced chocolate. The chocolate sales paid for all of my art supplies. 
2. I wrote a letter to everyone in my small network, offering them the opportunity to receive a small painting that I would create just for them in the south of France. (See above.) 
3. I included a self-addressed stamped envelope with the payment due date. The self-addressed stamped envelopes began to arrive, some with requests for paintings, and some with just a few dollars and well wishes. I created a Kick Starter campaign before it existed.

This simple sales and marketing effort not only funded my trip to the south of France, but it also financed a side trip to England to see my family, and I made a decent profit. 

It was my first taste of making art and making money. My patrons were delighted with the paintings that I created for them, and some bought more. 

It was so easy to execute because I would be painting anyway, and I was more inspired by thinking of who was going to receive each painting. 

What did this marketing effort cost me? Well, I had to buy:

• some paper
• envelopes
• stamps
• PS I do not recommend using email for this; it’s impersonal. 

It helped me tremendously to support a friend who encouraged me and let me use his fancy color printer. There’s absolutely nothing stopping you from doing the same thing today.

• Determine what amount of money you would like to make.
• Create a product, a.k.a. art.
• Create something that will be easy for you to create. Don’t over complicate or overthink this. 

Please note. I don’t believe in trying to find sponsors or patrons; it promotes a scarcity mentality.

I believe in creating value for customers.

Here are some tips.

• Choose a price point that your existing network will easily say yes to.  
• Do the math. I only needed ten people to say yes to fund my trip fully.
• I recommend first mailing a letter and following up via email with a PayPal payment link. You now have the advantage of technology, so use both. 
• Be clear on what you want, when you want it, how they will benefit from what you will be making for them.
• Not sure what to write? No need to struggle with copywriting. I have an easy fix. Imagine that you’re sitting across from someone who you think would be receptive. Tell them what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, what you would like to do for them. Record this imaginary conversation, then transcribe, and then edit it.

Your message will come across in a way that feels authentic, natural, clear, and concise. Commit to date to send the letter and ask a friend to hold you accountable. Just see what happens. Treat it as an educational experiment. 

The worst thing that will happen is that you will learn vital lessons about selling and marketing your art. You’ll learn about:

• Product Development
• Pricing
• Positioning
• Marketing
• Selling
• Project planning
• Accounting
• Follow-through

Essentially what I learned from funding my trip to France were the basic mechanics of making art and making money, which I just repeated until I got to the place where I was a full-time artist. You can do this. 

It’s just about committing and taking planned and scheduled step by step action. 

Someday is today. Please do it now and tell someone who cares what you are going to do and by when. 

The only thing stopping you is an excuse, and real artists don’t make excuses; they make art, and they make money 😉