As a full time artist, I have about 16 income streams.  Diversification is super important, so I’m going to tell you about my methods, and why I think you should consider multiple income streams, too!

Diversification for an artist is a system of creating multiple streams of potential income.  This is important because things change. An extreme example is COVID.  If you were only selling your work at in-person events, COVID was probably devastating to your business.  There are other disruptors, but they are less extreme than a global pandemic. For example, people might not see your social posts as much due to a shift in how they consume social media.  There might be a change in public taste, and the things that were selling like gangbusters could lose steam, or you could grow tired of creating them. 

Ensuring that your eggs are in multiple buckets is helpful, because if one income stream diminishes or ends, you’ll have other avenues to pursue.

Income sources, or venues, I have used recently:

1) Shows in real life like open studios

2) Temporary art fairs and events

3) Galleries and gift shops

4) Art commissions

5) Art prints

6) Original art sold online

7) Licensing

• For example, a company uses my art to put on their product, and then manufactures and sells it. In return, I get a percentage of the revenue.  For me, this is puzzles, but it could be things like greeting cards.

8) Paid digital content like tutorials on art

9) Memberships

• A paid digital community I run provides support and training for artists. You can check it out at www.josielewis.com/arc!

10) Promo music

• These days, musicians are discovered on social media. Sometimes I get paid by labels to play certain songs for my art tracks.

11) Ad income for social media

• I have found YouTube and Facebook to be the best, but all the platforms pay something these days.

12) Illustration

•  I’ve created art for packaging

13) Video promos

•  Sometimes I get paid to create art videos for a brand

14) Art supplies or other paid products to mention on social media

15) Branded art supplies

• For me, it’s my Josie Lewis watercolor set and other supplies.

16) Speaking as a guest artist

Top four income generators for me this year:

1) Art sold online

2) My membership, Art Revenue Coaching

3) Ad income from social media

4) Licensing for puzzles

If you’re having a hard time pricing your art, I have an awesome FREE guide to help! You can check it out here: Pricing Your Art Made Easy, or by clicking the button below.