Brother artist, can you spare a dime? Images courtesy of Mark Simon.

Brother artist, can you spare a dime? You should be able to spare a lot more than that! There is no excuse not to make decent money as an artist.

Let's start to thrive as artists by using better terms. The term "Starving Artist" is only a myth that is mostly used by unsupportive families and artists unwilling to work for a better income.

I prefer the term Thriving Artist. Every artist can thrive!

Myth Buster: "There aren't enough jobs for artists."

Actually, there are more jobs for artists than for any other career.

Think about it. There is nothing in our lives that artists have not touched. No other career can say that.

Let's use a chair for an example. An artist designed the chair. Another artist designed the fabric on the chair. Another artist designed the packaging for the chair. Another artist designed the ads to sell the chair. Another artist storyboarded the commercial to sell the chair. All those artists to sell just one chair. Multiply that by the millions of items in the world and you will realize how many artists are needed. Even the manure we buy at Home Depot had an artist design the bag it's delivered in.

Myth Buster: "Artists don't make much money."

Artists can make lots of money. Many animators make anywhere from $1,500 to $3,500 per week. Artists who don't make much money don't know the value of their work.

One way an artist can help himself thrive is by knowing his or her worth. Research rates for the services you provide. Don't guess, because you will probably guess too low. Many artists make the mistake of undervaluing their work. This hurts not only their own income, but it lowers expectations of clients and thus lowers the income of other artists. Asking for a low rate can also cost you in other ways.