making art, making money, and making sense of it all
Commissions were my first foray into monetizing my art. People seem willing to buy the stuff I make, even with my mediocre skills. I'm just happy to oblige! At the time, I had no idea that other options were available for artists.
Then come 2022. At the height of post-lockdown chaos, people were eager to be outside again, and public events were happening all over the city. I was eager to try what turned out to be an artist alley. With those two factors combined, I sold my first merchandise.
From this experience, I learned how people were willing to buy my art, even without any prior knowledge of me or my work. I sold out all my stock by the end of the event. Granted, my stock was minimal, and ridiculously underpriced (as commented by a customer), but that helped in rebuilding my confidence in my work. To the Oyasumi Punpun cosplayer who bought two copies of my OTGW fanart, I hope you enjoy it wherever you are.
Coming into this, I joined art markets hoping to make a profit. I was eager -- almost desperate -- to find any indication that this path would be financially sustainable for me. That maybe I can also be a full-time artist. I've witnessed the success shared by small businesses and freelancers alike, and wondered if I can get to that point. Do I deserve to?
I guess the right question I should ask myself is: do I even want to continue on this path?
Even after 3 years of joining art markets, my best-selling events could not compare to a single commission I made since 2024. And that's saying something! Art markets are physically, financially, and mentally exhausting for me, with little profit in return. That isn't to say that commissions are easier, but they do come with less physical and financial strain. I've made peace with that. I suppose if making money is my only goal, I would be doing only commissions right?
I'd still do art markets. I still do, actually.
Just this year, I joined 3, two being big events, and one a more intimate pop-up. All three of them were experiences I cherish, for the simple joy of sharing the same space with other artists, witnessing how each other's art reach new homes beyond the hands that made them. The joy in holding physical versions, especially as a digital artist, is immeasurable every single time. I almost forgot about it. I have to remind myself.
Maybe it's not all about making money. Maybe it's not all fun and games. Maybe I just need to figure out where I stand in all of this, and try not to lose my sense of self in the process. I'm an artist selling merchandise in markets thrice a year. I'm an artist who works on commissions late in the evening after work. Even when I'm not doing this full-time, even when it only supplements a part of my main income, at the end of the day, I'm still glad I get to be an artist.
this week's shinies ⋆˚࿔
Things I want to watch because they look cool!! Maybe writing them down in a list will help me get to watching them sooner.
A bunch of stuff I've read, from comics to essays, each prompting several moments of self-reflection:
- How to Finish by Incidental Comics
- niceytime’s newsletter
- how can we (re)teach the importance of privacy?
A song that's been on repeat while I work on said commissions!!! Thank you for keeping me awake.