Art: Business or Hobby?
AUGUST 8, 2025
Many people often ask themselves whether they want to make their artwork into a business. The notion of the “starving artist” is a common one, and can be true in many ways depending on who you ask. Through the following series of articles, I intend to go into a deep dive of what to expect, what to avoid, and how to determine whether you’re ready to take your artwork to the next step.
Ask yourself the big question: Can you see yourself doing this full-time? (Or even part-time?)
Art as a business is a full-time responsibility, and one that not everyone is prepared to take on depending on their availability and interest. A LOT goes into managing your business, such as tracking expenses, cross-promotion on platforms, and filing taxes. I often find myself doing just as much clerical work as I am drawing, and due to the nature of social media, you’re going to need to be ready to change your approach as time goes on.
Platforms rise and fall. In my time as an artist I’ve “outworked” both deviantART and Twitter (Currently “X”) as platforms. I suspect more platforms will rise and fall during my creative career. The important thing to remember is not to put all of your eggs into one basket.
Additionally, there’s going to be days where you aren’t “feeling” like drawing. Some days your hands just won’t cooperate, some days your brain just isn’t in the game. As frustrating as this is, deadlines will come up. You’ll be drawing a lot more than you were before in order to make ends meet, or in the very least break even. Though doing artwork as a business can be very fulfilling, it will start to feel like what it ultimately is: Your Job.
That being said, as many pitfalls as creative work has, it also has many rewards. It can be a little scary, especially with how shaky the sands often seem. However, that’s ultimately why I’m here. I’m going to help you with your journey to success as an artist.
So without further ado, let’s start with a hard question:
“Why are you pursuing art as a business?”
Why are you pursuing a creative line of work? Do you feel you do your best work when solving problems? Do you find the work you create brings something to the world no one else does? Do you find fulfillment in working to bring clients’ visions to life? These are three of countless reasons people may go into artwork as their line of work, either as a freelancer or industry artist.
Figuring out the why behind your creative purpose is the cornerstone to your creative career, but not for the reason you’d think. At my time at SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design), my professors often pushed a very important lesson. It wasn’t color theory, it wasn’t the core elements and principles of illustration, and it wasn’t the best computer to use for animation.
“Why do you create?”
It’s a deceptively simple question, and for a lot of people it’s often simple answers. Many times, your core reason for creating can change as you grow. However, a creative business without a solid foundation for creative output is more prone to pitfalls or even crumbling over time. While this process is highly personal (and often revolves some introspection), even writing down the reason you continue to create can help you affirm your goals.
Look out for that Pit(fall)!
Let’s play a little game here. Let’s ask a few hypothetical artists why they create, and see which one is most likely to experience pitfalls, burnout, or overall lack of motivation.
“Why do you Create?”
“I’m doing it for the money!”
"I’m doing it so I can be a famous artist like (x) person.”
“I’m doing it because I want to make a big mark on the world.”
“I’m doing it because I don’t have anything else going for me.”
If you’ve been reading between the lines, you’ve probably noticed something: These aren’t the best motivators for a long-term success story.
The truth of the matter is, starting any project or career is going to lead to failures and challenges. Money, fame, ego, or a “just because” reason are all extrinsic motivators. While they may work in the short-term, they fade away pretty quickly for a lot of people.
In our first year at SCAD, it was common for a lot of students to drop out after the first quarter or first year. This is because this time period essentially served as a “litmus test” for those who had what it took to see a creative career through. After all, if you couldn’t survive the pacing of the first quarter, how were you meant to keep up with the pace of the industry?
While this doesn’t entirely apply to freelance creatives, bear in mind you’ll often be doing about 2-3 times the amount of work as the average person in order to make it as a creative. Without an intrinsic motivation or desire to create things, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to ride out the long road of improvement, failures, criticism, and overall struggle to the success that’s never guaranteed. Aka: “If your heart’s not in it, you’re not going to win it.”
Today’s “Homework.”
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to sit down and really think about why you create. Look at your artwork, look at the things that inspire you, and really reflect upon why you want to create. Like anything worth doing, art is a long and arduous road. Write down the answers to the following questions:
Why did I start creating?
Why do I create things now?
Why do I want to continue creating things in the future?
Your reasons for creating are going to change with time, that’s a part of natural growth. However, if you find that you have an intrinsic drive to continue making even after all the scary warning signs, then good job! You’ve officially taken the first step to kicking butt as an artist.
That’s all for now, catch you in the next article!
