Practical Tips For Recent Art School Graduates

Earning an arts degree opens doors to rewarding creative careers, but the transition from student to working artist can be daunting. It’s a cliché that studying an arts subject doesn’t prepare you for the real world, but it is so important to remember that very few people can simply launch into a full-time career as an artist straight out of the gate. What’s more, even those lucky few are going to need plenty of practical skills if they want their success to be sustainable.

Beyond talent, succeeding as a professional creator requires pragmatism and business savvy. It’s a tough time for everyone out there right now, graduates included, with worries about energy bills and food prices, not to mention finding somewhere to live that you can afford. Use these tips to make the leap smoothly into monetising your gifts and passions post-graduation:

Clarify Your Personal Brand And Offerings

Determine your unique artistic niche and strengths to provide professional focus. Seek feedback from professors or mentors on signature styles and mediums you excel at. Highlight these in portfolios and promotions to build a distinguished personal brand. Can’t find your speciality? Dabble freely until a profitable direction emerges. Sometimes the market will tell you where to go, which brings us to our next point.

Research The Market For Your Work

Study commercial viability by analysing client needs, industry benchmarks on pricing, opportunities, and examples of established creatives enjoying longevity. Ensure sufficient market demand exists, then tailor offerings accordingly. Being brilliant is tough work without an eager audience. Refine work aligning to market realities. Every artist will know that you can just work on what you think people want. But having an idea of what kind of a market there is will help you to think about whether you need to take on another side hustle.

Set Realistic Income And Work Expectations

Understand that an art career is a long game, with lean early years quite typical. Supplement creative income initially through flexible gigs like bartending, admin work or tutoring. Be patient in establishing your practice. Manage financial expectations, live frugally, and allow time to cultivate buyers. Many artists will go years before they start to see the price for the work start to go up, so don’t be discouraged.

Build An Impressive Online Portfolio

Today's artists require robust online showcases like neatly organised websites, Instagram highlighting their best work. Enable easy contacts. Refresh portfolios regularly with new additions. Strong digital portfolios make you discoverable and accessible to prospective buyers anywhere.

Brush Up On Your Digital Admin Skills

Running art ventures today requires basic technology, productivity, and online marketing abilities to manage scheduling, invoicing, email, portfolios, and promotion independently. Enrol in virtual courses and tutorials if these skills need sharpening post-graduation. Digital fluency enables professional success. If you’re working on portfolios, pitches, or invitations, then you need to know how to convert a PDF to Word doc, for example.

Document conversion is easy enough with the right tools. They will also be incredibly helpful if you need to take on additional work.

Secure Appropriate Studio Or Workshop Space

Research options like economical co-working venues renting workspace in creative communities versus leasing independent studios. Look for appropriate venues suiting your medium's needs, like lighting, privacy, storage, and equipment access. Poor environments sap productivity.

Learn Sales And Negotiation Strategies

Beyond creation, artists must self-promote and sell work confidently. Strengthen sales abilities through training or mentors experienced in pitching and negotiating profitable commissions and purchases. Build financial value articulating your skills and passion. Sales drive survival - embrace this reality.

Understand Taxes And Manage Finances

Learn tax obligations and income reporting unique to creative fields. Set up rigorous bookkeeping habits immediately. Open business banking accounts, keeping finances separate from personal. Manage budgets, chase payments and control expenses like a hawk until revenue steadies. Handle money matters meticulously.

Explore Income Diversification Avenues

Supplement primary art sales through related income like speaking engagements, offering lessons/workshops, licensing designs, print sales, freelance design gigs, entering shows, entrepreneurial products related to work, or publicly funded arts grants. Diversity makes art a viable living.

Pursue Small Projects First

Start establishing credibility by completing smaller commissions and freelance gigs at reasonable rates for colleagues or entrepreneurs. This allows honing workflow and delivery capabilities on lower-stakes projects to build confidence in tackling larger high-fee assignments from prominent buyers.

Volunteer Strategically To Gain Exposure

Donating artwork to fundraisers, designing posters for community events, or assisting charity initiatives generates goodwill plus visibility before having major portfolio pieces. Such pro bono work demonstrates values beyond profit-seeking and grows your reputation.

Network Extensively In-Person And Online

Attend industry events, fairs, association meetings and conferences to build relationships expanding awareness and word-of-mouth interest. Follow peers on social media and interact regularly. Strong connections expose your work to new audiences. Nurture community.

Consider An Artist Residency

Applications offering intensive skills development, career guidance and studio access are available globally. Residencies provide structure, deadlines, and immersion in vibrant new creative communities to expand perspectives away from your norm.

Collaboration Creates New Opportunities

Pair up with complementary creatives to collaborate on multifaceted projects beyond your solo expertise. This showcases your skills to new audiences, keeps innovation flowing and provides fellow rising stars to share the journey with. Making art need not be isolated.

Don’t Undervalue Your Worth

Confidently quote pricing aligned with experience levels and industry norms. Be wary of discounting excessively or providing spec work indefinitely as favours. Politely educate those expecting free work. Under-pricing signals mediocrity. Deliver excellence worthy of fair pay.

Always Keep Learning And Improving

Successful artists never stand still. Take workshops to refine technique. Study business and marketing. Follow art world trends. Even if you don’t like AI art, you should be prepared to answer questions about it. Expand skills using new media and tools. Consistent professional development ensures your work always evolves to intrigue collectors.

The working world of artists comes with realities outside the studio. By combining creative gifts with business acumen, you can build a sustainable vocation pursuing your artistic passion. Approach art as a profession requiring just as much pragmatism as inspiration.