Art just grabs many of us. Maybe it grabbed you when you were a kid doodling in class, or maybe when you traveled to one of the great museums later on. It's a beautiful thing. It's interesting, beautiful, captivating, thought-provoking, perspective-changing. It tells stories, it makes you imagine, and so much more. You were inspired to create, as is so natural and fundamental for humans. But then you found out that doing what you love, just doesn't pay the bills. We all know the stereotype of the poor, starving artist. The world makes fun of the dumb decision of those who go to art school.
But here's the part that pains me the most: they're kind of right. The sadder part is that you already knew that, yet you're reading this article anyway.
But that's where the hope lies too. Art is simply too powerful to give up on. And there is hope. Those who dismiss art weren't always right. Things have changed. And you know this too.
The old glory of art
Simply look back through history. Art used to decorate--no, it defined--the halls and palaces of Gods and Kings. The Sistine Chapel is a religious building, yes, but its name is built by the masterworks by Michelangelo that bathe its walls and ceilings. They tell the stories that define everything the Catholic Church stands for, and by extension, billions of people and many nations. Countless tourists are really more like religious pilgrims, breaking down in tears at the sight of this display of divinity.
And it's just paint. (You should visit even if you're not Christian; it truly is beautiful).
For most of history, art had a purpose. It communicated the stories and values of societies, their leadership, their faith, their culture, and the like. That's why all art from any society for thousands of years was religious or governmental--Gods and Kings. And that art was enshrined, and of course, those artists were valued. Michelangelo was respected and received lots of funding. As was Da Vinci. And many more.
These artists received funding from their governments to make beautiful public works, or from the Church (or whatever religious institution dominated the region) to create beautiful displays of the divine, or from wealthy patrons who wanted some of those masterful works for themselves. That's what many artists can only dream of today.
Then how did we get to $5 NSFW commissions on DeviantArt?
The transformation
Very gradually, over hundreds of years, art transformed.
First, it shifted from all this grandeur and it became a little more "pointless." Take a look at Rococo art:
It's very beautiful and well done, yes, but it focuses solely on sensual pleasure. There's a man hiding in a bush looking at the mistress of the commissioner of the painting as she swings in the garden and looses her slipper. And there's nothing wrong with a bit of fun, and we should be glad that the artist got paid a commission. But a common criticism of the era was how "frivolous" it all was.
Then from pointlessness, art got its point back, but in rebellion. While before art enshrined the core values of society, of Gods and Kings, it started to criticize society and point out the flaws. Take Realism:
This painting pointed out the struggle of the working class, and that was just not done in art. Instead of looking up, we started looking around us, inward, and downwards. An important message of course, but also of course, it was controversial. The critics, for the first time, became critics, and art was in rebellion.
The trend continued with Impressionism. Monet challenged how we saw. Fauvism, Cubism, Expressionism, Dada, and every other movement. It all constantly challenged how we saw, how we thought, and what art was. Creative yes, but more and more controversial. And it became easier to ask: what's the point? It became easier to notice: it's not beautiful anymore. And art became more individual to the artist and their vision, ideas, and mission. Less about something grander that everyone could agree with and understand. I mean, how many people do you really think understand this Picasso painting, as famous as it is?
Art still made money. All this modern art was selling for millions at auction. Picasso was more than comfortable. But art became less universal and understandable, which is why many perceive art as elitist. And there was no longer any reliable way to make art that people cared about.
Why it's so hard for artists like you today
Now this is where you are. Art has broken, and the breaking point is the modern internet. Social media: Instagram, YouTube, DeviantArt.
The Good
At first glance, the internet has done a lot of good for art and making a career out of it. It's certainly how I got started.
Anyone can learn art
Anyone can share art
Anyone can find and view art they like
Anyone can commission or be commissioned
The Bad
There are some downsides though...
An overcrowded market. There are millions of artists sharing content.
Too much supply drives down prices. Commissions are very low now.
Low-quality spam. Anyone can post anything and call it art, which is freeing, but not always a good thing.
No one sees your art without an existing following.
A terrible viewing experience. Take Instagram, which cuts your art into a square. Then people see it on a tiny screen for 5 seconds, maybe press like, and then scroll past.
The Ugly
And it gets even worse.
At the mercy of engagement algorithms. To build a following so that people see your art and you can monetize, you have to suffer. Algorithms are optimized to increase ad revenue, not expose amazing art. So you better get lucky. They tell you to post daily to get traction. But many great artists only produced a few works in their whole life--what are you supposed to post?! In the old days, you just needed a good review and one exhibition.
So you're reduced to a content creator. Most artists have to focus on work-in-progress content, tutorials, and other things other than actually creating meaningful art.
A loss of meaning. When you spend 5 seconds looking at a piece, you don't engage with it. It doesn't impact you. At most, you comment "Pretty!" and move on. Your art means a lot more than that.
A loss of respect. When most people online would rather pay $5 for obscene digital anime fan art than a beautiful landscape painting, then people lose respect for art-making.
All that means it's near impossible to build a fulfilling career and make a living as an artist. You can become an art content creator, but not an artist.
How you can make money as an artist
I'd like to propose a solution to you, and I need your help. Let's imagine this solution logically, fixing all those problems one-by-one. It's only a few steps.
Art that anyone can understand. Let's let artists share the meaningful story behind their pieces, so that art is no longer just for elites or scholars, and so that people don't just scroll past it. This also curtails spammers and reduces crowd.
Explore art through human curation, not algorithms. That's how it's always been done. The stories are more meaningful that way, and that ensures the human experience is prioritized over ad revenue.
Insightful discussions. It would be better for everyone than one-word "Beautiful!" comments and like counters.
Easy to discover new artists and new artworks. It's hard to build a following, so every artist and every new idea should get a chance at discovery.
Your content is your art. Just share the art and its story. No need to waste time on becoming a full-time influencer just to get by.
Sell easily. Set your price, and let anyone buy art in a few clicks. Let people contact artists in a click for patronage or commissions.
This model will help artists make money, build a following, gain respect, and share meaningful work that touches other people.
Come to think of it, every other art form has some sort of high-quality platform where millions of people enjoy high-quality creative work. Music on Spotify, film on Netflix, literature on Kindle. What about art itself?
That's why we're building Galleree. Think of it as Spotify, but for art. A high-quality platform designed for artists and art-lovers. Leave behind the swarm of social media and try something better. Something about the art, and about the artist. Galleree is brand new, and we'd love your help in building the premium art community and art experience on the internet. And of course, to build the careers of artists all over. We envision that millions of people can find meaning by streaming art. Try it today, give us your feedback, and share it with the art world.
by Rohan Agarwal
Author of Paint & Programming