Making a Living as an Artist

One of the goals of my art practice is to discuss the realities  about being an artist and to dispel myths. One of the biggest ones that I  encounter and one of the ones that I find the most frustrating is when  people question why I'm not a a full-time artist (i.e., why I am not  making a living as an artist). As if it were that easy.

For  those few who are able to make a living off of their work are truly  blessed but that isn't true for most artists, as this article written in 2017 points out. Even though it is from 2017, not much  has changed in two years.
I have a bread  and butter job because I need to pay bills, keep a roof over my head and  eat. I often invest my own money in my projects. I've been told that I  shouldn't tell people that I have a day job because galleries or other  art world entities would look down on me for devoting all of my time to  making art. I think this is ridiculous when we live in a country that  doesn't support or advocate for artists or we live in a culture where  people mock the importance of what we do. While I would love to  exclusively create for a living, it's not possible. How I can be  creative when I have to worry about surviving? This is a reality for so  many artists and I think it's silly to dismiss those who work and still  come after their day job to create. That's dedication.
Please  keep this in mind the next time you are skeptical at how much an artist  charges for their work, their prints, and their labor. Please keep this  in mind when supporting women artists, especially Black women artists  who have it the toughest out of anyone when it comes to recognition and  support for their work.
I am grateful for  the support that I get from other artists and patrons who support by  purchasing prints or donating to my Patreon/Ko-fi accounts. I am  thankful to have people who cheer me on and share what I do with others  so that they know about what I do. It means more than you could ever  know.