How to make a living as a surface pattern designer
Can you really make a reasonable income as a surface pattern designer? Is it possible to quit your day job and be 100% self-employed, making a living out of your artwork?
It isn’t easy to start your own creative business, trying to make a living as a surface pattern designer. It’s much easier to have a full-time day job with a steady pay-check each month - that’s for sure. But if you do have a dream of starting your own creative business, it’s definitely worth the hustle, time, energy, sweat and probably a few tears once in a while…
So how do you really go on and make a living as a surface pattern designer?
The key is multiple income streams! Sure, you might have heard of those who only license their designs and make a living out of it. But my guess is that it’s much more common to have multiple streams of income as a surface pattern designer. Sure you might get by only by licensing your designs, but it take years to build your own brand and to get that steady amount of licensing clients that you need to make a reasonable yearly income.
Multiple income streams is not only a smart move in the beginning of your creative journey, it’s also a smart choice even when you’re an experienced creative entrepreneur, with years behind you of owning your own business. Why? Well, it’s actually easy math. Life is unpredictable and so is being self-employed. One month, or year, you might do really well selling on for example Etsy, and then all of the sudden you hardly make any sales anymore - and you have no idea how to turn it around again.
If you secure your income with multiple streams of income, you will feel more safe financially, if one area of your business suddenly get a lack of income.
So how can you create multiple streams of income as a surface pattern designer? Here are some tips and ideas:
1. License your artwork
License your artwork to clients, who produce products with your designs. You get payed in royalty or with a flat fee.
2. Sell at Print-on-Demand sites
Create your own shop at print-on-demand sites and sell your artwork on all sorts of products. You often get payed a percentage of the sales price, when a customer buy your product.
3. Sell original artwork
Create and sell original artwork, either online or at galleries or fairs. You get paid per item sold and if you sell fine art you have the chance to get good paid for each item sold.
4. Take commissions
Take commissions from clients. Create illustrations or patterns to be used by the client. Commissions are often paid by the hour or by project. If you have recurring customers that hire you for commissions, it’s a great way to make an income in your business.
5. Teaching
If you enjoy to teach, it’s a great way to earn an income in your business. You can teach online or in-person workshops. How you get paid varies, depending on the platform or school you teach at.
6. Sell digital design assets
If you’re a bit of a technical nerd like me, and enjoy to create digital design assets - it can be a great source of income in your business. You’ll get paid per item sold.
Learn more
To learn more about how to make a living as a surface pattern designer, check out my Skillshare class - How to Make a Living as a Surface Pattern Designer, click here to watch >>>
P.S. If you don’t have a membership at Skillshare yet and want to watch my class you can get a 1 month free trial membership here >>>
