[Art] My very eclectic, random advice on how to be a professional artist.

I've seen a few people writing articles like this lately, and I thought; 'hey, I'm pulling more income in than the average professional artist in Australia, why not?' (which is a sad reflection on the income of the average professional artist, and not so much a reflection of my riches and glory).

Here's what you should know about me before I start:

1. I don't have any tertiary qualifications in visual arts.

2. I started this business as a way of working while I was on a Disability Support Pension. I can't work fixed hours because of illness, but sometmes I am able to work a little bit, and because I can dictate my own hours, art is very flexible.

3. My form of business does not include working in an office with other people, or interacting with people face to face (okay, maybe once or twice a year, when I exhibited at Swancon, and when I dropped off a picture to a client that one time).

4. I am NOT a graphic designer. I don't really want to be a graphic designer. And I don't have the tools to do graphic design; so my income as an artist is based off...well...visual art. Traditional, two-dimensional visual art.

5. I am pulling in a profit off my artwork but that doesn't mean anyone should ever listen to me.

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( Cut because at some point this got long. )

x-posted to my Wordpress account.