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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1384448
What are the challenges involved with being a full time artist, including the impact of COVID? I fell ill during the early stages of the pandemic with pneumonia (likely from COVID). Fortunately, I recovered, got vaccinated, and all is well, but it’s scary to have to think about what would have happened had it been worse. I’m incredibly lucky to be a full-time artist. I didn’t lose my job or have to worry about how to get by. Some of the people who were stuck at home wanted to learn about digital art, so I was still able to generate income and am very thankful to all of the artists who supported my content. It feels good to know that even in times like this, artists want to make art and support other artists. From having spoken to my artist friends, I think that depression is one of the greatest challenges many of us are facing. Society is in so much chaos right now, it’s hard to focus on work. Though I’m optimistic that shared-experiences like this will unite humanity and make us stronger. What advice would you give to up-and-coming artists? “With success and fame come new and unforeseen challenges. Be prepared for big changes and be ready to adapt.” This is what I said when I was asked this question years ago. Wow, that’s spooky. COVID really turning everything on its head, especially for artists. My second piece of advice was to “avoid overconfidence. We live at a time where technology is evolving at a rapid pace, so you have to keep refining your talent if you want to stay competitive in the long-term. Practice constantly, learn new skills, be open to embracing new technology. But do not get comfortable.” This is also still good post-pandemic advice. I was already working 100% online, so basically nothing changed for me as far as my workday. But had I kept doing things the way I did them when I started my career -- going to cafes and galleries and meeting clients in person -- I don’t know how I would have made a living during the pandemic. And lastly, I said “diversify your income a bit because it's foolish for someone who is self-employed to rely solely on a single source of revenue. You wouldn't believe how many different ways you can generate passive income from your creative skills without a lot of effort.” That’s even more good advice. During the pandemic, I was able to make income primarily from YouTube ad revenue, course sales, and memberships.