As an artist, you should take care to know your audience. Artists are not usually interested in royalties, branding, or even meal tickets. They create art based on random inspiration, and often become famous for being’starving artists’ – their works don’t sell well when they are first starting out. However, some artists are savvy enough to handle business matters, and can be very successful. Let’s take a look at some important considerations for an artist before starting out.

Be true to yourself. Artists are notoriously free-spirited. It’s easy to laugh at the artists in “real jobs” who create art without any thought of a real life. They are true to their “free spirit,” and it is an expression of their creative side, not an ego. Though some artists do have enormous egos, many don’t. It’s important to know yourself and your work so that your creations can speak for you.

Consider yourself an artist. As an artist, you’re passionate about creating beautiful art. You dedicate years of practice to perfecting your craft. As a result, you deserve credit just as much as any other professional. Aside from the skills you possess, an artist also has a higher level of creativity than a professional in a different field. It’s true that piracy continues to be a problem in our modern world, but there’s no reason that an artist shouldn’t earn money from their work.