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One of the biggest question marks when entering a new industry (especially when there are no standards!) is this: what’s the real earning potential? The truth is, it’s hard to discuss because the industry is all over the board. There are so many different ways to work and it seems that no one only does just one thing any more. All of these designers are running complex multi-faceted businesses. Plus, let’s be honest, it feels weird and vulnerable to talk about how much money you make, amiright?

It’s very rare that anyone just does one thing anymore – it seems like we’re all running businesses with many moving parts. For me, my income is pretty evenly distributed with roughly 1/3 coming from licensing, 1/3 coming from my website and membership and the last 1/3 coming from teaching. 

The Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines estimates that a surface pattern designer makes between $25,000 -$ 78,000 +/- with an average salary of around $46,000. I would agree that this is a solid average and estimate, for licensing work alone. Start adding to it though, and the ball rolls a little faster!

The first year I put my business into motion, it made around $15,000. We had been living close to the poverty line for 3 years and those dollars were HUGE for our small family. In 2016, the business hit six figures and has been able to double that income from the year prior, every year since. 

All this to show you two things:

1) Building a multi-passionate + multifaceted business can serve you well.

2) This takes time, but eventually the ball does begin to roll!

I also have exciting news! The presentation I did at Skillshare’s Headquartes in New York last month is now available to view online!

During this quick (under 20 minutes!) talk, I cover:

• My secret to making progress on my biggest goals.
• The essential steps to finding your signature style.
• The one question I ask myself before I publish anything.
• How teaching has impacted my business and career as a surface designer.
• The key mind shift changes you need to become a flourishing artist.
• How I’ve implemented multiple streams of residual income in my business, and what exactly those looks like.
• What my early years were like, how we struggled and how much money my business has made each year since 2013.
• Plus, find out what makes me cry on video at the end!

Jump right in >> WATCH THE TALK HERE.  

BONUS! Download my FREE “Guide To Overcoming Overwhelm” and the slides from the presentation by texting the word DREAM to the number 345-345. Then, sit back and watch the magic happen!

There are many different ways to make a living as an artist, and many paths you can to take in order to create your career. Included are things like selling original artwork and prints, licensing and illustration. What feels most like you? Following your intuition will be the best way to jump right in.

It’s most common today to see artists creating careers with many different moving parts. Creating a diversified income means you have multiple income streams so if one ebbs the other one can flow. If there’s ever a slow season for something, you can ramp up another part of your business to make up for it. This is absolutely what I have done through multiple streams of residual income (more on that in a moment) and it has allowed me to grow my business steadily and joyfully.

Don’t forget, this process should be slow. Take on one income stream and slowly add to it as you feel comfortable and inspired to do so, in order to avoid overwhelm.

Some examples of traditional (not residual) income streams to consider:

• Selling original fine art prints.
• Selling art prints (copies of your originals).
• Taking commissions for fine art.
• Illustrating for clients. Creating artwork for things like logos, websites, invitations, etc.
• Commissioned illustrations. For example, working at a large company producing designs they need on demand.
• One off book or editorial illustration.
• One off product illustration.

By definition, residual income is when you continue to get paid after the work is done. I like to think about it as ‘selling with no ceiling‘. Meaning, if I create something once, can I sell it over and over? If the answer is YES, I will most likely consider it.

As I told you last week, I pivoted my business a few years back to focus nearly 100% of it on residual income and it’s be the best thing I ever I did for my business.

Let me break them down for you:

– Teaching. While my courses take a ton of effort, they require close to the same amount of effort regardless of how many students I have. Teaching on Skillshare, CreativeLive and on my own site allows me to create content, and sell it to as many people who want to learn it.

– Licensing. Most of the surface pattern design industry runs off a percentage base, so after you license a pattern, you’ll get a percentage of the wholesale revenue. Of course, income is entirely based on how well the product does in the market, but if a product explodes in the market you could theoretically make millions! And because you can usually license the same pattern for several different industries (wallpaper, fabric, stationery, wrapping paper, etc) at the same time, each pattern has a lifespan of it’s own and can continue to generate income for years to come.

– My Membership (that’s us!): Again, whether I have 500 members or 5000 members, my work load generally stays the same, give or take some extra support needed.

– Digital Goods in my Etsy Shop: While not a big money maker (for me, at least) I love creating digital goods because after I make them once, I can sell them over and over again. The entire process is automated- I don’t have to ship anything or even re-list them!

If you’re looking to diversify your income, consider adding a few things that will allow you to sell with no ceiling to your success. It’s fun and rewarding!