February 11, 2026
Brushes vs spreadsheets: FIGHT!
How to Make a Living as an Artist
From hobby bliss to business grind—fans split as one shouts ‘move to Ireland’
TLDR: An artist argues you must treat art like a business and warns full-time art can kill the joy. Comments explode: one says move to Ireland for artist income, others compare it to solo game-dev grind, and fans recall the Honey Bear project’s magic—practical tips meet heartfelt memories.
An artist drops a candid playbook: treat art like a business, and a warning that turning a hobby into a job can drain the joy. People latch onto the numbers — from $54k to $150k to over $1M — and the hard truth: you become a one‑person company. The comment pit split between applause and escape hatch.
The hottest take? andreofthecape yelled, “Move to Ireland, they just rolled out basic income for artists,” turning the thread into passport vs patience. dimgl chimed in that this is “very similar to solo game development” — lots of emails and accounting — cue memes like “Excel is the new easel” and “brushes vs spreadsheets.” Fans praised the pragmatism, while alanning asked how to find rising stars like that X‑Ray artist. Then lubujackson dropped a heart‑tugging thank‑you for fnnch’s Honey Bear Hunt, remembering window bears cheering kids in SF during lockdown.
The debate sizzled: Is art a sacred hobby or a business built on brand and repetition? Gentle brawls and dad‑jokes flew. One camp says embrace the grind; the other says chase stipends abroad. Either way, the crowd agrees on one thing: make money to make art — just don’t let the art die.
Key Points
- •The author shares revenue milestones: $54k in one year, $150k the next, and later over $1M in art sales.
- •The essay cautions that turning art into a full-time job introduces administrative work that can reduce enjoyment.
- •Professionals must create art daily, unlike amateurs who can wait for inspiration.
- •Artists should accept they are running a business; doing it unintentionally makes success more difficult.
- •Artists often operate as solopreneurs, handling both creation and sales, with occasional help from galleries or partners.