How to thrive in an ever changing job market?

Being a professional artist is not a simple task. It involves a lot of effort, talent, some luck, and a lot of time dedicated to working on aspects other than your art. Modern artists, more than ever, need to market themselves — with a solid business knowledge is necessary to thrive as an artist. And that’s just not everybody’s cup of tea.

​Our Founder

​Kristine Dizon, the founder of The Modern Artist Project, studied in prestigious universities and conservatories. Now, she’s a working artist, researcher, and entrepreneur.

While studying, Kristine pondered on the same question millions of other artists worry about: How do I make a living off my art? Living as an artist in this developing digital age requires knowledge about the business side of the craft that often isn’t taught in schools. It can feel daunting to realize this as a young artist.

Working within academia can be confusing, too. There’s a thick layer of bureaucracy, rules, and obligations that the academic must pierce through in order to share their work. Additionally, the reality of a modern academic differs completely from one of the previous generations of academics, so it’s hard to get effective guidance.

 Today, as a multifaceted creator, Kristine has some insight on what it’s like to create in the modern world. Therefore, she founded The Modern Artist Project — a company to help solve all these problems for artists and academics.


The Modern Academic

As of 2015, in the US, 76 percent of graduate students work at least 30 hours a week. A lot of these work people outside of academia, meaning their attention is divided between their work and their academics. 

Higher education is now more sought after in the US, as the number of people over 25 with a master’s has doubled since 2000. In a lot of European countries, a master’s degree is now an expectation to get into the job market. There are more people who have gone through higher education now than ever.

There are a set of strict rules that a student should follow when writing essays and papers. Who’s teaching these students how to write academically, how to format a paper, and how to cite properly? These subjects are often learned through trial and error. And, even after this learning process, minor mistakes slip through the cracks. With advisors taking on more advisees, among their many other responsibilities, it’s also likely they won’t notice these mistakes either. This is why looking for a trustworthy academic revisor is important — so more students can succeed in their studies while juggling a part-time job.


The Modern Artist’s Paradox

We live in a time where it’s easier than ever to show your art to the world, but harder than ever to be noticed for it. This is the modern artist’s paradox.

 A clear example of this phenomenon is seen with Spotify. The music streaming website hosts the work of about 8 million artists and creators, and of those, approximately 0.2% make more than $50 000 per year… Let that sink in.

It’s important to consider, though, that only about one-third of those 8 million artists have released over 10 tracks on the platform. If we take this into consideration, about 8% of “professional or professionally aspiring” artists make more than $50 000 yearly from Spotify. Even though anyone can have a Spotify account, it’s hard to stand out from the millions of other accounts.

The contemporary state of the arts might warrant one of two reactions: 

One that is hopeful — the arts have been democratized, and they’re no longer exclusive to a select group of people. Just put yourself out there, you have the same chance at success as everyone else!

And one that is less hopeful — where does the money come from, if all you do is “put yourself out there”, which is essentially sharing your art for free? Among a sea of potential artists, who’s to say you’ll stand out? It is difficult to be visible, and even if you manage to get attention on yourself and your work, it can be gone in a flash.

This is precisely why learning the business side of your craft is so crucial.

How Does the Modern Artist Thrive?

It is not impossible to succeed as an artist in the digital age. You might’ve heard of some success stories: Chance the Rapper won three Grammys with no record deal. Doja Cat started releasing her music on SoundCloud as a teenager before RCA Records noticed her. 

While these stories are certainly hopeful, they don’t really highlight the amount of work behind the process. They’ve often cherry-picked examples, and the artist’s success is framed as an inevitability because of their talent and desire to share their art. 

It’s not enough to put your art out there or to be talented. You need to market your art, and yourself, uniquely. Most artists spend the bulk of their time managing the business that is their art and their brand incorrectly. This is not a simple job to do without plenty of experience! It requires a lot of effort, and it’s ever-changing.


What is the Solution?

There is a simple rule to live by — work on what you’re great at, and get help with what you’re not, from friendly experts who can get you organised and take your brand to the next level. That’s where we come in.

So, leave the managing of your brand to us; we help create engaging artistic and academic portfolios through website development, editing services, career consultation, social media management, and digital marketing so you can unlock the full potential of your craft and make it your full-time focus. Let’s make it happen.

ANA PIZARRO

Writer
The Modern Artist Project