How to Finally Get Rich with Art (Not)

Alessanara
Apr 17
4 min read

Ahhh, art. The epitome of freedom, self-expression, and… expired instant noodles, because you spent way too much money on canvases again at the end of the month. But hey, that’s just the beginning! Soon you’ll be a famous artist, charging galactic sums for your work and sipping cocoa from a gilded cup.

After all, there are people out there who’ve made millions for a single, crookedly scribbled square, right? So if they made it, you totally can too. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

Well… pretty much everything.

But don’t worry — I’m here to take you by the hand and show you exactly how to NOT get rich with art.

Step 1: Price like Picasso (and then wonder why no one buys)

Of course you want your art to be appreciated. I mean, you didn’t just pour your soul into that painting—you also sacrificed a piece of your left pinky finger. (Because once again, you were so absorbed in your work that you forgot box cutters are, in fact, sharp.)

Logical conclusion: Your painting must be expensive. Really expensive. After all, you didn’t just slap something on a canvas—this is a masterpiece, a window into your soul, a revelation of the universe!

So, with a proud heart and chest puffed up, you type in €10,000 as the selling price… and wait.

And wait.

After three months, mild panic sets in. Maybe you should lower the price? €5000? €1000? €200? Anyone?

Suddenly, your mother walks in: “Sweetheart, I’ll buy it. It looks lovely—it’ll go great in the guest room.”

And just like that, you’ve made your first official art sale. Congratulations!

(Can you put it on your resume? Yes. Does it mean you’re rich now? Sadly, no.)

Step 2: Conquer social media (and get lost in the algorithms)

They say, 'As an artist today, you just have to be on social media!'

They say, 'Social media is the key to success!'

Yeah... what they don’t say: That soon you’ll be spending more time desperately staring at Instagram stats than actually painting.

Every morning, your phone greets you with a friendly reminder: 'Your last post performed 3% worse than the previous one. Try a new approach!'

Your heart races. Your morning hot cocoa suddenly tastes bitter.

Alright, new approach! Maybe a video of you painting? Great idea! So you set up your phone, film yourself for hours from a hundred angles, painstakingly edit the footage, and proudly upload it.

Three likes.

Two of them are bots suggesting you 'DM for promo.'

The bitter truth: No one cares about your latest masterpiece unless you wrap it in a viral trend meme. Maybe that shark you painted should do a TikTok dance?

Step 3: Entering the Gallery World

Ah, galleries. The magical gateways to the grand art world. The place where talented artists finally receive recognition and—damn it—make some sales.

Or not.

You write an email to a renowned gallery, full of hope:

"Application – Revolutionary Art That Will Change the World

Dear Sir or Madam,I am an emerging artist with a unique vision. My works combine color, form, and emotion in a way that has never been seen before. They will shake the world and revolutionize the art market. I would be thrilled to present my work in your gallery.

With the most artistic regards,

A creative genius."

And then you wait.

Weeks go by.

Months.

At some point, you start wondering if your email might have ended up in the spam folder.

The reply comes exactly six months later:

“Dear Artist,Thank you for your interest. Unfortunately, your work does not fit into our current exhibition concept. We wish you the best of luck.”

And you know exactly what that means:That’s the polite way of saying, “Please never contact us again.”

Oh well. Tough luck.But don’t worry — your art will look perfect in your grandma’s living room!

Step 4: Create an online shop –

because Amazon for artists doesn't exist

There’s Etsy, Redbubble, Society6, and all those other platforms where real art connoisseurs hang out.

So you get started. You build a website, upload photos, dive into SEO (because after 20 hours of Googling, you discovered it’s apparently important). Then comes the big moment:

“Your shop is now live!”

YES! Time for the sales to start rolling in!

Days go by. Weeks.

One visitor stopped by your page.Oh wait—That was just your mom checking if you finally figured out how to connect your PayPal account properly.

But hey, at least you can proudly say you officially have an “art shop.”Even if nobody’s buying anything.

Step 5: The Moment of Enlightenment –

Art doesn't make you rich, but it makes you happy

And then, in the middle of the night, during yet another cocoa session, it hits you:

Art might not make you rich, but damn, it makes you happy.

Because it’s not about millions.Not about galleries, algorithms, or viral TikTok dances.

It’s about sitting down, mixing colors, experimenting, getting frustrated, ruining half your studio with paint splatters, and then – in one magical moment – seeing that the piece in front of you expresses exactly what you feel.

And if someday, somewhere, someone sees your painting, tilts their head and says:

“Wow, that really speaks to me.”

Then you’ve won.

(...But if you ever want to bathe in money, you might wanna try playing the lottery.)"