People Making Money With Their Art

Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash
 
Sometimes people tell me that no one makes money with their art.

To counter that idea, I compiled this list of people I follow and thought I would share it this week. They are doing art, and making money different ways; from Patreon, to Paypal and Substack.
 
First, people soliciting directly from their websites.
 
The Free Press. This is what a newspaper looks like in 2023.
 
The Marginalian. Read a recent post about depression. Don’t be put off. She quotes poetry about it. She asks for donations on her site, and suggests amounts. 
 
These next three are paid newsletters on Substack.
 
We’re Gonna Get Those Bastards. A funny, thoughtful weekly essay about the world. Read a post about tipping.
 
Letters from an American. This Substack newsletter by an academic historian is probably one of Substack’s biggest success stories. Read this one about the news of the week of August 30th, 2023.
 
10 Things Worth Sharing. This is Austin Kleon’s free sample of his paid newsletter, also on Substack. Read last week’s post here.
 
An artist using Patreon.
 
Gwen Seemel. She offers different rewards for different amounts of monthly support.
 
It’s worth searching Patreon just to see how other creatives are making money.
 
There are a host of platforms that will help you make money on your art. They aren’t a shortcut—you still have to do the work—but collecting the money is easier than ever. 
 
Many of the creatives on Patreon allow you to contribute $2 a month. You can take $20 a month and spread it around to ten artists.

It feels good.
 
Your art matters. It’s worth looking into how you could earn money with it.

Love, Christy
PS: If you want to get your art into the world, my book, Artists Prosper! can help.