How to Create Financial Sustainability in Your Art & Creative Practice?

Cultivating a sustainable art practice over the course of our lives often means making smarter financial choices rather than waiting for one massive check to arrive and change our lives.

Apr 19, 2025

This post doesn't focus on why artists and creatives are often underpaid or pressured to work for free. Yes, we create art because we love doing it, but we are also experiencing life with all that it brings, and some form of compensation apart from a handshake is needed.

If you want to learn more about creative sustainability, read this post.

Creating financial sustainability and stability in life has never been more critical than it is now. Let's face it: as of this writing (April 2025), the instability and unpredictability of the future, not only driven by US politics but also climate change and breakdown, are here to stay. The world is changing, and we must adapt to that change. Personally, I experienced a system collapse when I was a child in the late 80s. Poland transitioned from a communist country to a free market economy. We survived the growing pains of a new economic system, and currently, Poland is a thriving, and resembles very little to the country I grew up in.

Since 1989 and the collapse of the Berlin Wall, which historically marked the collapse of communism in Central and Eastern Europe, I have lived through many market ups and downs.

Also, historically, artists and creative people are the first ones to feel the squeeze during any financial upheaval. For some reason, art and culture are not considered essential. But arts, culture, and entertainment got the majority of us through the COVID-19 lockdowns. (Check out "How to Financially Future Proof Art & Creative Career?")

Unsurprisingly, if we are worried about meeting our essential needs, such as food and shelter, that can be reflected in our work or the lack of energy to commit to cultivating creativity and ideas.

The tips and ideas I'm sharing with you on how to create financially sustainable art and creative practice are based on my personal experience, assisted by examples from people who chose alternative lifestyles to pursue free time and creative freedom.

When working on passion projects with a budget (we all know that some passion projects are self-financed), pay yourself just as you would pay any other person working on that project.
Save a minimum of 10% of your pay every single time you get paid.
Invest at least 10% of your pay every single time you get paid. (If you want to invest in stocks, I recommend you read JLCollin's blog. If you are looking to invest in alternatives, I recommend you check out Vicki Robin's work.)
Savings and investments will give you financial breathing room for when you are out of work or when you want to take time off to focus on your passion projects.
From the moment you start earning, start putting money aside for your savings and investments. (I'll never get over saying that.) And yes, 20% (combination of savings and investments) is the bare minimum.
Investments might also mean owning your property mortgage-free (tiny house, alternative housing) or running a small homestead.
Learning how to budget and live within your means should happen when times are good, not only during hard times.
I believe in buying more expensive products, such as clothing or household goods, so they can last longer than cheaper versions of the same products. For example, the last winter jacket I got in 2005 cost me an arm and a leg. I've been using it for 20 years because of the quality. I paid more, and the jacket lasted much longer since I don't follow fashion trends, so that saves me lots of money.
Don't be tempted to spend money just to upgrade something that is still working perfectly well, such as a phone or computer. The marketers want you to think you MUST have the "newest" item, but you don't.
When working on projects, see what materials are already in circulation that you could reuse. I reuse old clothes for some of my projects. When I make films, I often use items I already have access to to reuse as props or costumes.
If you are undercharging for your work, charge the right amount.
Your art and creative practice will have to sell something: a physical product, your skills and expertise, creativity, digital products, consultations, workshops, etc. Don't shy away from investing time and money into developing this part of your creative practice. How else are you going to make money? (Look at all the A-list actors. They all sell lots of shit we mostly don’t need.)
Having a part-time job to substitute for your creative income.
When I work on projects for free, I always set boundaries and am very clear about what I'm willing to contribute to the project. In my experience, without boundaries, those projects can blow up in your face. I also walk away if I feel that no one controls the project.

I know that artists and creatives don't like to think about money and finances but to cultivate a creative practice that lasts a lifetime, financial sustainability needs to be understood, talked about, and planned for. Since this is your art practice, you need to decide how you want to cultivate that practice through the never-ending cycles of economic disruptions.

I also recommend you read:
How to Live Life a Little Less Traditionally and Save Money in the Process? (Part 1)
How to Live Life a Little Less Traditionally and Save Money in the Process? (Part 2)

I would love to hear from you. What is your experience in cultivating financially sustainable creative practice?

How to Create Financial Sustainability in Your Art & Creative Practice?

Cultivating a sustainable art practice over the course of our lives often means making smarter financial choices rather than waiting for one massive check to arrive and change our lives.

Discussion about this post