Good authors spend time writing a great book then sit back while it sells in stores; making money while they’re off writing the next book.
Software developers spend nights and weekends writing a sweet chat app for the iPhone and sell it in the iPhone App Store; making money while they’re writing a video streaming app.
Great investors spend time researching agriculture investments, make the purchase then let it make money while they research the next thing.
Landlords buy an apartment in downtown Boston then rent the rooms out for more than the monthly lease payment.
But artists are getting screwed.
When we make something for a client, that’s it. It’s usually stipulated in the contract that the only reproduction is for portfolio or contest entry, but all that’s doing is lining us up for more work. Which is awesome if you like working for your money.
But isn’t the goal for all of us eventually to sit back while the cash-money rolls in? To do the least work possible for the most money available?
Are there any ways for artists to make passive income yet?
4 responses so far ↓
Todd Fillingham // March 25, 2008 at 1:03 pm |
Yeah, they can make crappy, derivative work then have them mass produced.
Anyway, making art really isn’t work, what’s work is getting paid for the art you make, paid enough.
But just in case I’m all wrong I’m gonna stay tuned to see if anyone posts the Holy Grail.
peter wheat // March 25, 2008 at 2:18 pm |
Did you ever hear of multiples like print editions, reproductions etc? Basically artists and dealers for years and years have taken an original and then made reproductions or copies of it and resold them usually at a lesser price. Drive up the value? Why of course make a “limited edition” where only so many are documented as made, ergo scarcity. Is this new info? I don’t think so..
Todd Fillingham // March 26, 2008 at 9:35 am |
OK, I think I came off sounding argumentative and sarcastic or something. At least I assume that the tone of your response is because I came off that way.
You posed the interesting question about passive income and I was thinking of all the crap that gets passed off as “art” and how somebody’s making money at it.
Another approach to passive income for artists would be to have the artist receive a % on each subsequent sale of a piece of their work. Something I’ve heard proposed but have not heard anything about it actually happening.
Fundamentally the society in which the artist works has to value the work of the artist on a more than superficial level. Does this society?
Draw Me a Bath in Boston Next Monday « Creative Isn’t an Adjective // March 27, 2008 at 1:22 pm |
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