The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

Are there any artists here? How did you find balance without giving up your art?

moneytree3006

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
131%
May 10, 2019
77
101
I'm just wondering if there isanyone here who is an artist eg musician, actor, painter etc that kind of thing who is seeking the life of an entrepreneur to have more time to focus on their art rather than spending all their time working at a day job?

The biggest thing I'm struggling with is balancing my time between the day job, working on my art and art related jobs, and then trying to start up the passive income generator. I feel like I'm so time stretched right now I can't balance everything and the passive income project is never going to happen.

I'd be really interested in hearing how other artists solved this problem. Or someone in a similar field?

The day job I don't care about at all but it pays the bills right now. And my art is what I want a career in.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

srodrigo

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
129%
Sep 11, 2018
792
1,024
Same here. You can't balance it. If you imagine a life where you can spend 100% of your time on making art, you need to work your butt off first to build a business or "passive income".

My best advice is to allocate some (guilt-free) time every week for art, and spend the rest on building your way through freedom. If things go well, you'll progressively have more and more free time for what really matters to you.

The other option I can think of is to work on art and make a transition to make it a career, and once you are there and have a job as an artist (just remember that it will still be a JOB), build a business on the side.

The last option, but not advisable, is to say "f*uck it", and be a starving artist working 100% on your own stuff and eating ramen.
 

moneytree3006

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
131%
May 10, 2019
77
101
Same here. You can't balance it. If you imagine a life where you can spend 100% of your time on making art, you need to work your butt off first to build a business or "passive income".

My best advice is to allocate some (guilt-free) time every week for art, and spend the rest on building your way through freedom. If things go well, you'll progressively have more and more free time for what really matters to you.

The other option I can think of is to work on art and make a transition to make it a career, and once you are there and have a job as an artist (just remember that it will still be a JOB), build a business on the side.

The last option, but not advisable, is to say "f*uck it", and be a starving artist working 100% on your own stuff and eating ramen.

Can't tell you how much I appreciate this response. I had been thinking or should I say.... fearing this in my mind... but it really helps hearing it from someone else who has been through a similar experience.

I have a really difficult decision to make.
 

srodrigo

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
129%
Sep 11, 2018
792
1,024
Can't tell you how much I appreciate this response. I had been thinking or should I say.... fearing this in my mind... but it really helps hearing it from someone else who has been through a similar experience.

I have a really difficult decision to make.
The decision is easier than it seems. Visualise and feel that you are on your deathbed 30-60 years in the future, and play all the different lives you've had depending on the different options chosen, and see what's the biggest regret. That's the path you need to take.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Hazelnut

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
83%
Sep 3, 2019
23
19
I am for sure. My business is creative but it definitely feels like work when you have to set hard deadlines for yourself. I'd love to get to a point where I can paint again or just do creative things that aren't related to making an income.

At the moment my only creative hobby is my business. I found that this balance is the best for me as I still get to focus my energy on a creative outlet and improve my skills. But I just recently made a big sacrifice income/career wise to do this.

Is you business within a creative field?
 

moneytree3006

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
131%
May 10, 2019
77
101
I am for sure. My business is creative but it definitely feels like work when you have to set hard deadlines for yourself. I'd love to get to a point where I can paint again or just do creative things that aren't related to making an income.

At the moment my only creative hobby is my business. I found that this balance is the best for me as I still get to focus my energy on a creative outlet and improve my skills. But I just recently made a big sacrifice income/career wise to do this.

Is you business within a creative field?
I'm a musician, singer/music producer/composer but my business is focused on beauty. So a bit creative but it's not related to music.

I think @AgainstAllOdds may have some thoughts about this.
I'd love to hear their input!! I'm all ears!!!

Can't thank you guys enough for replying. I have been stressing in my head about this for way too long. I should have posted here sooner
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

StrikingViper69

Shredding scales and making sales
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
167%
Dec 3, 2018
1,452
2,419
UK
I'm a musician and struggle with this constantly. It feels like a battle in my life. I'm currently trying to figure out how to make the music pay. If you look at some of my threads you might get some ideas. At the moment I make ends meet by teaching guitar.

The 1000 true fans theory is a great starting point, but actually finding those people and creating value for them is hard as f***.
 

Entre Eyes

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
97%
Sep 7, 2019
389
378
Traveling to Higher Conciousness
Maybe join or create both online and offline a group of artists you relate to and share what challenges you all have and maybe you can help each other....maybe it will surface naturally the person that has more time, the person that has more connections, the person that found a way to focus more on their art than waiting tables etc.
 

moneytree3006

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
131%
May 10, 2019
77
101
I'm a musician and struggle with this constantly. It feels like a battle in my life. I'm currently trying to figure out how to make the music pay. If you look at some of my threads you might get some ideas. At the moment I make ends meet by teaching guitar.

The 1000 true fans theory is a great starting point, but actually finding those people and creating value for them is hard as f***.
Oh you don't know how much I related to this post! Don't give up!! Keep at it!!

I did music teaching for 2 years but I hated it SO much that I couldn't stand it anymore. So I quit and decided I'd rather work in a call center and saw that as a BETTER option

Now I just do remote customer support. Yes it's still awful but I honestly prefer it to teaching music. Guess teaching is not for everyone.

I think a lot of music marketing is perpetuated by myth. There are no Gary Vs of the music industry. I'm no expert by any means but I find it hard to believe you can make a living out of 1000 fans unless they all lived in the same area and you went on a tour. But I guess the only people who really know are the ones who are currently succeeding.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.
Last edited:

moneytree3006

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
131%
May 10, 2019
77
101
Maybe join or create both online and offline a group of artists you relate to and share what challenges you all have and maybe you can help each other....maybe it will surface naturally the person that has more time, the person that has more connections, the person that found a way to focus more on their art than waiting tables etc.
This is a really interesting suggestion thanks for this reply!!!
 

Abrodos

Bronze Contributor
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
139%
Sep 25, 2019
193
268
34
Barcelona, Spain
I can offer some thoughts:
1. A LOT OF people are trying to live from art. That is a direct violation of the entry commandment from the CENTS. But you can profit from that, by trying to build a business oriented to aspiring musicians; you already might know many potential clients and their needs.
2. If you're good at your artistic skill, you're also able to offer something many "normal people" value a lot, so try to exploit that.
3. The higher you price your hourly wage, the less you have to work to make a living, so the more time you have to start a side business.
4. Try to find balance: sometimes we artists get so involved with our projects that we think our main purpose in life is that. Many other stuff is more important. Having friends, a family, a nice daily routine and place to be, etc. And committing full-time to your art might imply cutting on all the other important stuff, which might not be healthy.
5. If committing all your time and energy to something is your choice, better be a business than an artistic project. A business has a much better ratio of giving benefits after some years.

Hope that helps!
 

moneytree3006

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
131%
May 10, 2019
77
101
I can offer some thoughts:
1. A LOT OF people are trying to live from art. That is a direct violation of the entry commandment from the CENTS. But you can profit from that, by trying to build a business oriented to aspiring musicians; you already might know many potential clients and their needs.
2. If you're good at your artistic skill, you're also able to offer something many "normal people" value a lot, so try to exploit that.
3. The higher you price your hourly wage, the less you have to work to make a living, so the more time you have to start a side business.
4. Try to find balance: sometimes we artists get so involved with our projects that we think our main purpose in life is that. Many other stuff is more important. Having friends, a family, a nice daily routine and place to be, etc. And committing full-time to your art might imply cutting on all the other important stuff, which might not be healthy.
5. If committing all your time and energy to something is your choice, better be a business than an artistic project. A business has a much better ratio of giving benefits after some years.

Hope that helps!
So many nuggets of wisdom in this, wow!

Can I just ask for some clarification on this point...
If you're good at your artistic skill, you're also able to offer something many "normal people" value a lot, so try to exploit that.

Do you mean by performing your art? Wasn't sure what you meant there exactly.

Thanks a million again for such a helpful response
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Abrodos

Bronze Contributor
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
139%
Sep 25, 2019
193
268
34
Barcelona, Spain
So many nuggets of wisdom in this, wow!

Can I just ask for some clarification on this point...
If you're good at your artistic skill, you're also able to offer something many "normal people" value a lot, so try to exploit that.

Do you mean by performing your art? Wasn't sure what you meant there exactly.

Thanks a million again for such a helpful response
Yes! I mean, non-artists have our skills in high regard. Many people have told me what I can do with clay feels like "magic" to them.
That's an incredible value that not many artists are aware of possessing.

You can also enter a related field and put yourself over competitors instantly because of that skill.
For example, I have high portraiture skills as a sculptor. I could enter the cake-decorating industry and start making fondant or chocolate sculptures. They would be a lot better than what current leaders in that niche (who have no sculpting background) are able to make.
 

NicholasCato

Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
113%
Oct 31, 2018
64
72
Same here. You can't balance it. If you imagine a life where you can spend 100% of your time on making art, you need to work your butt off first to build a business or "passive income".

My best advice is to allocate some (guilt-free) time every week for art, and spend the rest on building your way through freedom. If things go well, you'll progressively have more and more free time for what really matters to you.

The other option I can think of is to work on art and make a transition to make it a career, and once you are there and have a job as an artist (just remember that it will still be a JOB), build a business on the side.

The last option, but not advisable, is to say "f*uck it", and be a starving artist working 100% on your own stuff and eating ramen.


Couldn't have said it better.

I was an illustrator for 5 years before I realized something... Why am I wasting my artistic talents, on other peoples half baked ideas, when I could just work on my own?

My goal now is to never get paid to work on someone else's project ever again. My goal is to build my own stream of passive income that gives me the freedom to work on my own IP.

Funding my own projects, marketing them with the skills I've learned from my fastlane, finding an audience and eventually expanding into a studio that only produces in-house projects wether it be animation, a series of graphic novels, etc for its fanbase.

Just as mr. DeMarco says in MDFL, let the passion fuel the fastlane. Dont make it the fastlane. The passive income system you build will be your patron, your Medici family helping you create any art project you wish.

hope that helps!
 

Bertram

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
147%
Oct 25, 2015
573
842
Virginia
I'm just wondering if there isanyone here who is an artist eg musician, actor, painter etc that kind of thing who is seeking the life of an entrepreneur to have more time to focus on their art rather than spending all their time working at a day job?

The biggest thing I'm struggling with is balancing my time between the day job, working on my art and art related jobs, and then trying to start up the passive income generator. I feel like I'm so time stretched right now I can't balance everything and the passive income project is never going to happen.

I'd be really interested in hearing how other artists solved this problem. Or someone in a similar field?

The day job I don't care about at all but it pays the bills right now. And my art is what I want a career in.
What works for me is to show up for my art at the same time every day. Don't binge work or else you'll risk exhaustion, or find reason to skip a day.
Entrepreneurship involves creative thinking. Artists need creative expression in more than their area of focus. Successful artists never fear the business end of their success. Picasso. Shakespeare. Mozart. Taika Wititi. Embrace it.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.
Last edited:

StrikingViper69

Shredding scales and making sales
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
167%
Dec 3, 2018
1,452
2,419
UK
It works for me after years of errors to show up for my art at the same time every day. Don't binge work or else you'll risk exhaustion, or find reason to skip a day.
Entrepreneurship involves creative thinking. Artists need creative expression in more than their area of focus. Successful artists never fear the business end of their success. Picasso. Shakespeare. Mozart. Taika Wititi. Embrace it.

I second this - setting a rhythm to art / creativity is great. Creativity is a skill that is honed with practice, and sitting down at the same time every day to do it really gets you into the "zone" quickly.
 

Xeon

All Cars Kneel Before Pagani.
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
191%
Sep 3, 2017
2,427
4,628
Singapore
"Making art" is only for the rich.
Do you want to be rich?
 
D

DeletedUser0287

Guest
I'm just wondering if there isanyone here who is an artist eg musician, actor, painter etc that kind of thing who is seeking the life of an entrepreneur to have more time to focus on their art rather than spending all their time working at a day job?

The biggest thing I'm struggling with is balancing my time between the day job, working on my art and art related jobs, and then trying to start up the passive income generator. I feel like I'm so time stretched right now I can't balance everything and the passive income project is never going to happen.

I'd be really interested in hearing how other artists solved this problem. Or someone in a similar field?

The day job I don't care about at all but it pays the bills right now. And my art is what I want a career in.

There are very wealthy people in all these fields.

If you are going to do these things make sure they are your own venture and not working for someone else in the arts.

Like all these types of arts and hobbiesque things, you can make money if you are good. So post your “arts” on media, if they are good they will organically pick up. Serious. This takes some time.

Edit: When I say good, it has to be really damn good.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

reedracer

Silver Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
172%
Jun 2, 2019
371
638
63
Kansas City
Fantastic thread, thanks for this.
 

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

Latest Posts

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

Top