Looking for free resources to grow as a Christian artist spiritually, creatively and in business?
​
Here's 6 great places available now:

✅ The Thriving Christian Artist Podcast: https://www.matttommeymentoring.com/podcast.html

✅ Matt Tommey Mentoring Blog:
https://www.matttommeymentoring.com/blog

✅ YouVersion Bible App Devotionals from Matt Tommey: https://www.bible.com/search/plans?q=matt%20tommey

✅  Books by Matt Tommey
https://www.amazon.com/Matt-Tommey/e/B008F0S2LQ

*✅ Start Thriving Now Mini-Course:
https://thrive.matttommeymentoring.com/start-thriving-now
*Only for those artists who are NOT in the Created to Thrive Artist Mentoring Program.

So you want to know how to actually make a living as an artist?  You're in the right place! For the last 25 years, I've made my living using my creative expression and I'm going to share with you the top things I've learned so you can begin actually making a living from your art.

You Can't Have Business Dreams with Hobby Habits
A lot of artists "dream" of making a living from their art but few are actually willing to do what it takes. What does it take, you might ask?  Things like:

• Making time to create great work every day
• Purposefully developing and enhancing your artistic skill
• Cultivating ongoing inspiration
• Stewarding the ideas you get so you can come back to them at the right time
• Creating your business entity and bank account to treat your art as a business
• Developing connection with your ideal client through marketing
• Being found online where clients are looking (website, social, blogs, podcasts, editorials, online storefronts, etc.)
• Connecting with other artists on the same journey for support and encouragement
• Having a mentor who can lead you in areas you're not proficient in yet including art, marketing, sales, business and your spiritual life.

​Over the years as I've grown my own very successful art business (I'm a woven sculpture artist) and mentored literally thousands of Christian artists, I've found for an artist to really thrive, they have to cultivate 5 specific areas of their life: heart & mind, art, brand, business and life. Unless you are working on all these areas simultaneously, it's unlikely you'll be able to make a living as an artist.

See, making work that is masterfully created and unique is simply the starting point. That's a given. It's ground zero. Once you're making work that's uniquely beautiful you've got to go about cultivating an authentic connection with your potential audience.

For more on this subject, check out The Thriving Christian Artist Podcast. It's free and filled with hundreds of free episodes that will empower you on your creative journey toward actually making a living as an artist.

Need some more help starting to cultivate those 5 hey areas? Take my "Start Thriving Now" ecourse. It's free and will be a big encouragement to you.

Artists who are Christians need encouragement, inspiration and equipping as they pursue God's creative calling on their lives. Here are some of the best books for Christian artists on the market today:

Artists who are Christians are often looking for inspiration and encouragement not only creatively, but also in their spiritual life and businesses as well. For most Christian artists, their faith is not something that's just ancillary to their journey, it's at the core of who they are and how they operate in the world.  Rightly so!

Over the years, I've been asked what podcasts are the best podcasts for Christian artists to be listening to and so I thought I'd create this quick post to share some of my favorites:

One of the questions that I get all the time is, “Matt, how do I find my artistic uniqueness and express that in the marketplace?” It’s a great question and a real sign that the artist asking it is ready to take their art to the next level. Why, you ask? Because differentiation and uniqueness are what set you apart from other artists in the marketplace.   

Art, after all, is a language. It is visual, auditory, and it speaks to the soul of all people. Like the spoken language you use every day, your artistic vocabulary doesn’t just appear overnight.  Here are three essential things you need to know about developing and refining your creative voice.

You’ll Know It When You See It 
One of the things that I really believe about finding your unique, artistic voice is that you don’t find it; you recognize it.  You uncover it.  You allow it to emerge over time. However, one of the things artists often neglect is being in the studio enough to ever see that emergence happen. 

As you pursue this process, just start by doing the things that come naturally to you. Then, get in the studio and create tons and tons of work.  Develop that masterful competency that only time and practice brings forth. And as you do, you’ll start to see themes and styles come out as your unique creative voice emerges. 

Consistently Cultivate Inspiration 
Creating lots of work over time forces you to cultivate continued inspiration in your life. As a creative, you must keep your artistic eyes and ears open all the time. As you receive that inspiration, you respond through your work. And then the inspiration/creation cycle starts all over again. 

As you cultivate inspiration, you start to recognize what you are interested in and drawn to as an artist. You begin to gravitate towards a preferred medium and limited palette of materials and supplies you’re using. You begin to recognize the things in life that inspire you the most, and you start to purposefully pursue that source of inspiration. 

One final thought on cultivating inspiration; be consistent, be intentional and be faithful. Get serious about cultivating inspiration in your life regularly. Then, faithfully steward those ideas by journaling them. (Need more tips on this, check out this podcast episode that is all about cultivating creative inspiration.)

Don’t Rush the Process 
Creating tons of work and developing masterful competency while consistently cultivating inspiration takes time. One of the biggest roadblocks to artists developing their style happens when they pressure themselves to sell their work too quickly.  

Investing time in your art is the key. There is no shortcut to gaining experience and building skills, both of which contribute to developing your creative voice. Allow your voice to emerge, over time, then refine it. As you do this authentically, people will recognize your uniqueness and respond to it, giving you an excellent opportunity to connect with those people when you make your move to the marketplace. 

I hope this helps as you continue to pursue the development of your own unique artistic voice. If this article has helped, take a moment to share it with a friend, share it on social media, and comment below!
​
 Thanks for reading.

There’s a fresh wind blowing through the arts right now, all over the world. Many have called it a New Renaissance of sorts and as an artist, that’s exciting!

For many artists, it's brought a new vitality, a resurgence of buyers and the opportunity to significantly grow their businesses through new tools and technology platforms, but is that it? Is that the end game? 

I believe there's much more on God's heart for artists.

More than Marketers
During this current resurgence of the arts, God is highlighting artists, our work and our creative process. It's an exciting time but God's not simply interested in raising up more talented artists and better marketers for our own sake. This move is not just about creating great art and making money as an end in itself (although both of those things can be the fruit of following Gods lead)! He’s actually waking up our hearts, drawing us into wholeness, transforming our minds and raising up an army of creative sons and daughters who know who they are and what they are called to in the Kingdom. 

This is definitely a God-inspired movement - a tidal wave of creativity in our generation - but to simply see it only as a renaissance is to miss the essence of what's going on. This move is very different and if we don’t recognize the differences, we will miss the central focus of what’s Gods really doing in this hour. Here’s why:

3 Philosophies of the Renaissance
During (and as a result of) the Renaissance, three main philosophies emerged that have guided artists for generations since:

• Humanism (man is the center of his universe)
• Patronage (the protection and support of artists by religious / regional institutions and the wealthy)
• Art for arts sake (art as complete in itself, divorced from purpose outside itself).

These three systems formed the basis of how most artists approach their work and business - Christian artists included - even today. It goes like this: pursue my artistic expression (because that’s who I am), make it all about my desires, my talent, my expression and then find others to support me through grants, donations and sales. For some that works, although not long term. For many, it doesn't work, resulting in a starving artist mentality on one side or a success-focused art marketer on the other. 

​The ugly side of patronage during the Renaissance of the past was that the artist became dependent on and was at the mercy of the patron (rather than a healthy identity in the Lord), adding a complicated (to say the least) dynamic to their life and art.  Today, being a slave to the market or latest marketing trend can yield the same frustration.

More than an Arts Renaissance
In this season, God is using this renaissance to lead us to revival and ultimately, thriving in His Kingdom.  He's also raising up an army of artists who operate in three wholly different ways:

• Christ-Centric: Instead of being humanistic, there’s a call to be Christ-centric; realizing that we’ve been given everything we need through the restorative work of Christ. We’ve been healed, restored and as we center our life, desires and creative expression in Him, He is glorified and releases His transformative light and life through us.
• Kingdom Provision: Instead of patronage, there’s a call to embrace Kingdom provision; realizing that God alone is our provider and that through the marketplace (and other means) He reveals where we can harvest our provision in line with our assignment as artists. He brings the clients, the ideas and the divine connections. As we are faithful with little - in our skill, our business and marketing, in our finances - God makes us ruler over much.
• Transformative Art: Instead of “art for arts sake”, artists realize that art and creativity are a vehicle through which God uses both the artist and the work to release His transformative power, drawing people closer to Him.

God is after much more than just a renewal of interest in the arts, growing art businesses and increased influence.  If we miss this (and it's so easy to) we will tend to seek only the results of what God promises (success, transformation, influence) without the relational and transformative process required to get there.

Lasting Success, Grace to Grow
As an artist myself and one who’s had the great privilege of walking with thousands of artists over the years as a mentor, I know this: 

artists who seek the transformative power of God in the context of their life, art and business will always experience more lasting success than those who simply seek after the latest artistic fads and business trends.

Further, artists who center their art and business in their relationship with God also have the grace to grow and mature over the long term, building what Proverbs calls “wealth without sorrow.”

I want revival, not just renaissance. Revival starts in the heart - my heart - and flows out to others by the Spirit of God through my art, my business and my life.

Revival awakens and empowers me from within.

Revival centers my life, work and business in hearing Gods voice and following His lead.

Revival calls me to community and lasting impact, for His glory.

Sure, becoming a better artist and a better marketer is a part of this process for artists but it’s when God shows up that everything changes. That kind of lasting transformation will never happen as the result of my own effort.

When God shows up, transformation is released.

When God shows up, my life and art has meaning.

When God shows up, then the world is changed.

Pray this with me: Oh God, raise up an army of artists - sons and daughters - who know your voice, follow your lead and release the beauty of your Kingdom in the earth! Here I am, use me.

Enjoy this live video from a recent Facebook Live. We has some connectivity issues for a few moments early on... just scrub through them and keep going :)

Many artists have dreams of creating a business from their art. Even more have dreams of growing their current art business beyond a trickling side hustle into a real part-time or full-time business that can provide then the financial and time freedom they desire.

Well, if you're one of those artists and you're tired of spinning your wheels then I hope this article will be an encouragement to you! 

Harmonious Opposites
For most artists, one of the first big hurdles to overcome is the concept of being both an entrepreneur and a creative.  I know, I can hear you now "But Matt, I'm not good at all the business stuff... I just want to create!" If that's you, then wonderful! I'm happy for you. You, my friend, have a wonderful hobby you can enjoy for many years to come. But here's the truth: you can't have business results with hobby habits. Either you learn to embrace both parts of the journey, or you come to terms with the limitations of not doing so. There's no right or wrong answer, but you can't have it both ways.

Entrepreneurship and creativity are what I like to call "harmonious opposites". On the surface, they seem like they are the antithesis of each other but in realty, they actually fuel each other when held in a healthy tension. Living in and cultivating that tension is your job. Let me explain.

Creative expression in and of itself is a wonderful pursuit for every person, regardless if they feel they are called to be an artist or not. However, for those who want to grow in their capacity, skill and function as an artist, a few things must happen, right? Mastery of skills, techniques, material usage, design, composition, the list goes on. Without these fundamentals, creating can become limited and boring. However, with this foundation artistic expression becomes and ever-expanding world of possibility. In essence, skill development is the runway for artistic freedom and I bet if you've been an artist for any length of time, you've probably experienced this reality in your life.

The same is true with entrepreneurship and the fundamentals of business. Unless an artist embraces the fundamentals of marketing, sales and running a business they simply limit their capacity to thrive in this modern world as an artist. Gone are the days where an artist can rely on one gallery to sell their work. Buyers want interaction with the artist more than ever which requires artists not only to be makers, but to be great marketers as well. It's simply a required part of the package. Otherwise, you've got to be ok with creating art as a hobby with no predictable way of seeing sales.

The Juggling Act
Now that you're (hopefully) starting to embrace the harmonious tension between being both an entrepreneur and a creative, realize that functioning in that world is not a singular path. Rather, it is much like a juggler, who starting with a single item, then adds other items to their act and keeps them all in the air.  Skill and experience make that easier as you grow.

The big question for most artists is "what things should I be juggling and what things should I be leaving out?" That is, what are the really important things that I need to know - especially starting out - and what are the things I can grow into? Without knowing this, most artists will spend hours, days and months spinning their wheels doing things they think are important yet not having any data to confirm their suspicions. 

A Blueprint for Success
Over the years as I've developed my own thriving art business and helped thousands of other Christian artists do the same, I've discovered there are some key elements you need to be focused on in order to start or grow your art business. 

They include things like:
✅  Having a simple, clear pathway for your purpose
✅  Knowing where to focus your time, attention and resources to accelerate growth
✅  Understanding what habits make success easier
✅  Clarifying God’s plan for your life and art
✅  Discovering why people aren't buying your art
✅  Transforming lookers into raving clients
✅  How to build a personal brand that attracts buyers both online and offline
✅  Knowing the key elements every artist website should have to start making sales
✅  Feeling confident in creating a simple artist marketing plan 
✅  Knowing how to handle the business side of being an artist without being overwhelmed

These key elements are the beginning of starting or growing your art business to the next level. 

I recently had the great pleasure to sit down for a wonderful conversation with my friend, Libby John who hosts the "Art & Faith Conversations" podcast.  We talked about my new book, Created to Thrive along with alot of the back story that has brought me to where I am today as an artist. 

Listen to the podcast here or by searching "Art & Faith Conversations" under Podcasts on iTunes or Stitcher. 

Starting Mid-May, 2018, you can connect with me via my new podcast, "The Thriving Christian Artist". It's for artists who want to bust through roadblocks that have held them back for years, create the art they love and live the life the they know God created them to live as an artist in His Kingdom.

During each season of the podcast, I'll be sharing encouraging teaching and inspiration from my own journey as an artist plus interviews with both emerging and established artists in every creative medium who are thriving artistically, spiritually and in their business.

You can listen, subscribe and review my podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay or my website by heading here. ​

First of all, this is a huge question but surprisingly simple. It's simple because it has to be based on you, the artist.  How do you like to sell your art?  I've found over the years, there are basically two ways to sell your art: direct to the customer or through a strategic partner (or, I admit it... a combination of both). It's really important to understand which strategy is most effective for you when you're asking how to sell art.

When I first started asking how to sell art, I did what most artists do and looked to others who I saw being successful and modeled them. Unfortunately for me, their model didn't work for me. Many of the artists I knew were introverts who enjoyed mostly making in their studio rather than interacting with the public. Consequently, they had adopted a wholesale methodology which required them to make production items, sell at a 50% discount, sell through stores and galleries, and never have any interaction with their end user.  For me, as an extroverted people person, that was very unfulfilling.  When I made beautiful work and faced the reality of packing it up and shipping it off to a gallery far far away, that gave me no emotional payoff, which for me is an important part of being an artist. I love hearing people say "Oh my gosh, that is so beautiful! I love it!" Without that, I was missing something huge!

The other methodology I saw most artists doing included doing as many retail craft and art shows as possible. They seemed to live on the road. In the summers, they were in the mountains and in the winter, they all headed to Florida. Always on the road, always staying in hotels or travel trailers. Again, not my idea of a beautiful artistic life.

For me, I chose to pursue selling my art through a public studio in Asheville's River Arts District, a collection of over 200 artists in 23 old warehouse buildings in Asheville, North Carolina.  It's a mecca for artists and art lovers, as well as wealthy retirees who like to incorporate local art into their homes.  I get to make, sell and interact all out of my studio. I deliver most of my commissioned works and I get a high level of interaction with my clients. We build relationships. They visit the studio with friends and for me, that's huge!

So what's the bottom line?  You have to determine how to sell art for yourself based on how your wired, what you're creating and the life you want.  Without being clear about those questions, you'll end up really frustrated.  If you're going to be an artist, you want to do so while living a beautiful, creative and fulfilled life.

Now you understand why these two questions go together.  How you sell art ends up determining where you sell your art. There's no cookie cutter plan that works for everyone.  As you consider where to sell your art, make sure you craft a strategy that fits how you like to create, sell and live life. The artist life is not just about cranking out product, but about authentically creating your work, connecting with others who love what you do and making a profit.

That being said, here are some of my best recommendations:

Where to Sell Your Art For Artists Who Want to Sell Direct To Clients:

• Retail art & fine craft shows in your region (and nationally) that have a track record of attracting your ideal client
• Open Studio where people can see where, how and what you create
• Through Your Website & Social Media
• Through friends and family recommendations
• Personal recommendations from clients
• Home Parties & Trunk Shows
• Private clubs & organizations who connect with what and how you create
• Strategic Partnerships with people who are in front of your ideal client but don't directly compete with you ie: interior designers, builders, architects, hotels, etc.
  
  

Where to Sell Your Art For Artists Who Want to Sell Wholesale:

• National art & fine craft wholesale shows
• Museum Shows & Exhibitions
• Local, Regional & National Galleries & Stores
• Strategic partners who want to represent your work
• Guilds & Marketing Co-ops in your area

We talk about these issues every day in my Created to Thrive Artist Mentorship Program and over the last year, I've created several in-depth teaching videos on this subject based on my own experience and the experience of ​hundreds of artists I've helped over the years.  Find out more about becoming a part of my artist mentorship program here.

Also, let me know what's working for you! Comment below and let's keep the conversation going.

Get my Free 9-Page PDF "Sell Your Art & Make Money Quick". It's packed with over 60 different proven strategies for selling your art in any market.