Becoming a Self-Employed Artist

4 things you might not want to hear

Stephanie Simon

In an age where the average cost of keeping oneself alive for a month is almost more than a person’s annual salary in the 1950s, people are dying more than ever to find a cheat code for earning the big bucks. And if you can do that while doing something that you love? Even better. We’re bombarded daily with posts from thriving digital creator accounts run by people who’ve managed to manifest a career, seemingly just by being themselves in front of a camera. From the beautiful young model who has crafted a flawless feed of fashion and beauty, to the gamer nerd who has found a way to monetize his snappy sense of humor and love of RPGS, people are finding a way to do what they love and pay their bills from it.

While I don’t know anything about how to contour the face or even what the buttons of a game controller do exactly, I do know that I have managed to forge a career doing something that I love, all while paying my bills as a single woman. Yes, despite everything I was told growing up, I managed to make a living from doing art, and haven’t starved in the process. And I didn’t even have to marry a rich doctor! (Shout out to mom for the best life advice.)

For 13 years now, I have been able to support myself as a self-employed tattoo artist without having to take on any other secondary jobs. You may be thinking to yourself, “Hey that’s a little different than being a viral influencer or content creator.”  Five years ago I would have agreed with you. With the digital revolution that has descended upon us in the last decade or so, much of the tattoo industry has come to depend upon online traffic for business, rather than customers on the street physically walking in to inquire. Gone are the days of entering the tattoo shop, picking from a sheet of flash on the wall, and getting it tattooed by whichever artist is available at the moment. What once was an industry that catered to the outliers of the zeitgeist has now become a phenomenon that has attracted the mainstream world. With more clients come more tattooers. With more tattooers come more portfolios on Instagram. Potential clients can now shop online for an artist with specific artistic abilities and style they feel would lend themselves to their dream design. It’s a win-win for everyone, so long as the idea of permanent body art isn’t just a passing trend in pop culture. 

With the rising number of artists on Instagram whose accounts boast tens of thousands of followers, serial posts of tattoo trips that double as vacations, and that cheeky little “BOOKS CLOSED” in the bio, the life of a tattoo artist is looking pretty glamorous these days. The trope of the “starving artist” is seemingly as obsolete as a Myspace account. So it’s no wonder that more and more people, young and old alike, are looking to begin a career in the tattoo industry. After all, how hard can it be? Supplies are readily available through Amazon, and there’s all kinds of tutorials on Youtube. Tattooers on instagram seem to be living the rockstar life without hiccups, and there’s enough of this pie to go around.

I, will always be an advocate for following your passions. However, this comes with a caveat: nothing amazing comes without hard work. Whether it be a relationship or a dream career, putting in the work for something you truly want is the main ingredient to achieving it. That being said, here are a few things you need to hear, but don’t want to,  if you’re aspiring to make a career out of art. 

1. It takes an open mind.

YOU DON’T KNOW EVERYTHING. Listen and learn from those around you who have experience in the field you’re aspiring to join. It’s common for young people to dismiss the ramblings of “old-timers”, and I say that having been a know-it-all young person myself at one point. It’s important to take in all information and consider it with your own critical thinking skills. Some information may not serve you, but within  a three hour rant from Traddy Daddy about how he had to solder the needles himself every morning as an apprentice, you will find at least one or two nuggets of priceless information. Be open to hearing different perspectives, be willing to re-learn fundamentals in a different way, and above all, be humble.

2. It takes sacrifice. 

I’m not saying you and your dog have to go without food for a week, but there will be challenges in the beginning of a career in art. Unless you have a substantial amount of resources saved up, or the unwavering financial support of a partner (god bless them), you may need to reconfigure your budget. I began my tattoo apprenticeship at 21, and as you can imagine, I was not rolling in the dough. At one point I was juggling two restaurant jobs outside of the apprenticeship just to keep afloat and eating beans with tortillas for every meal. I skipped nights out with friends to avoid unnecessary expenditures and to spend more time drawing. I relinquished my ego, and performed all of my daily chores, regardless of whether or not they were directly related to tattooing. If someone is taking the time to teach you their craft, it is important to acknowledge that you, in turn, owe them your hard work. 

3. It takes adaptability.

Going back to the concept of the digital revolution, it is now more important than ever to stay on the ball with developments in technology and trends in marketing. As I mentioned earlier, ten years ago I never would have imagined that I would be putting together short videos and tirelessly drafting interesting captions in order to gain more tattoo and art clientele. Whether or not anyone asked for it, this is now the norm when it comes to self-promotion as an artist. Just as we have no control in the increasing popularity of AI-generated art, we have no control in the evolution of advertising. The things we don’t like won’t change just because we resist them, and thus it would serve us better to keep up with the ever-changing archetype of efficiency. 

4. It takes patience.

I don’t care what catchy title a thumbnail on YouTube or Instagram ad promises, success doesn’t happen overnight. Social media tricks us into thinking that everyone’s triumphs have come easily to them and that the answer to success is just one “life hack” away. Remember, most of these creators aren’t posting all of their failures or footage of the down time they spend, sitting around waiting for customers, because that doesn’t sell. What helps pay their bills are sensational titles like “Learn to paint in 5 minutes!” or “How I made 20k a month creating coloring books!” Imagine, for a moment, what social media would look like if all of our accounts were auto-generated without bias, instead of being carefully tailored by ourselves to cast our best image to the world. Even the most beautiful and talented of people would seem less glamorous and impressive, because we’d be exposed to all the long gaps in between their successes. Being a self-employed artist is not a steady ride; there’s a reason most people opt for stable 9-5 jobs with benefits and a guaranteed salary. You will have ebbs and flows, and it’s normal at times to question your path. With drive and hustle, you will always find a way to land on your feet during the down times. Be patient, find gratitude for the obstacles you’ve been tested with, and enjoy the journey. 

Making money doing what we love is truly one of the greatest accomplishments we can achieve. Though there may be a lot of down time waiting for lightning to strike, with perseverance your dream career in art is attainable. Always remember, this world owes us nothing, and anything we truly want is worth fighting for.