Every artist should be aware of all the ways in which to accept funds from potential patrons and sponsors. In this day and age we are fortunate enough to have access to high tech means of moving assets. PayPal, Venmo, embedded buttons on your website and blog, all of these are ways in which you can collect funds from those who wish to support your work. But if you don’t know, you can’t make use of these valuable tools.
Praxis Student Crystal experienced for herself the power that these virtual tools and buttons can have when she received donations earlier this summer to support her work and her endeavors. In her own words:
“I just received a $75 contribution to my campaign – it will fund my art installation at the end of June. I have 2 other contributors, too – not sure the amounts yet. The paypal.me paypal link helped!! Thank you! I am reaching out to my network via e-mail, offering goodies for contributions.“
For many, the feeling of reaching out to potential patrons and sponsors can feel uncomfortable. It is understandably awkward to put yourself on the line by asking for monetary donations. And while virtual tools won’t get you off the hook entirely–you still need to be proactive about finding donors–they could be a way to help you bring in revenue in a slightly more passive way.
Do your due diligence when it comes to all the ways to fund your arts career. Learn about all the ways you can promote yourself and make it easy for those interested in your work to climb aboard as clients, patrons, and sponsors. There is no rule that says a client can’t also be a patron, oftentimes those who want to purchase your art may also wish to help you finance your career. Be sure the available routes are demonstrated clearly on all of your public facing media.
At Praxis Center we devote ourselves to helping artists build thriving careers. We want our students to be fulfilled artistically, spiritually, and financially. It is the latter piece that often alludes artists and we pride ourselves on showing you the black and white when it comes to just how to navigate the monetary component of your career. When you enroll for just $40/month you receive access to our courses on various important financial pieces as well as a place in our virtual community/classroom where experts are ready to help you succeed and a supportive community of peers has your back. It’s 2018, time to bring your career into the 21st century and give your audience a way to support your work with the click of a mouse.