How I earn money and spend my time as a professional artist
The beginning of 2025 marks three full calendar years out of full time work for me. I wanted to celebrate this major shift in my life with some super fun stats 🎉
The main takeaway from this exercise is something many of us already know: making a living as a professional artist is extremely difficult. While I benefit from a number of structural privileges (being white and middle class are two examples), there are some factors which affect my earning capacity, primarily that I am autistic and manage mental illness. Another potentially relevant factor is that I take great pleasure in spending money and acquiring things.
MONEY💰
Prior to 2022, I juggled full time work at an NGO, a casual job in the arts sector and my independent arts practice. While I was financially stable, the combination proved to be unsustainable for me.
From 2022, I moved to multiple part time jobs that have allowed me the space and flexibility to prioritise my creative work. These years have been filled with both a relentless financial anxiety and a sense of deep fulfillment. For now now, I intend to carry on this way, finding a better sense of balance as I go.
Here is a high-level break down of my income (pre-tax) across this time frame with 2021 included for reference. Please note, I have had to work some magic to translate my tax returns into calendar year summaries. My calculations seem correct but it is probably safest to take them as a ball park.
| Finances | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Money earned from creative practice | $29,636 | $37,091 | $9,084 | $13,622 |
| % of total income coming from practice | 24% | 28% | 11% | 12% |
| % of total income earned from arts sector work | 18% | 22% | 89% | 88% |
As you can see, the proportion of money I have earned directly from my creative practice ranges from 11% to 28%. Generally, this income is derived from (in decreasing order of dollars earned):
- Grants
- Prizes
- Residencies
- Freelance writing
- Royalties
- Appearance fees
- Other income
The proportion of my income earned from part time work within the arts sector has increased as I have settled into roles that better align with my current interests.
TIME 🕰️
Since making the transition out of full time work, I have been tracking the way that I spend my time.
My number one priority has been the development of major creative works including two novel manuscripts (Now that I see you in 2020-21 and Doing Good Work in 2022-23), a new performance work (I play myself 2024-ongoing) and a painting for the Archibald Prize (2024).
Major Creative Works
| Major works in development | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Writing projects | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Live Performance projects | 1 | |||
| Visual arts projects | 1 | |||
| Total | 1 | 1 | 2 |
As part of my work for and with arts organisations, I have also contributed to the development of other major creative works.
| Major works contributed to | 2022 | 2023 | 2023 |
| Dance | 3 | 4 | |
| Theatre | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 1 | 3 | 5 |
Professional Development
Moving out of full time work has allowed me to have a greater focus on professional development. These activities include opportunities like workshops, masterclasses, major coursework and rehearsal observation and development.
| Professional development opportunities | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Writing | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| Movement | 2 | 4 | |
| Visual Art | 3 | 5 | |
| Art history | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Theatre | 6 | ||
| Screen | 1 | 2 | |
| Total | 9 | 13 | 24 |
Opportunities and Applications
After professional development, the largest investment I make in my practice is in preparing applications for grants, residencies and other opportunities.
As is evident, I make many more applications than I receive.
| Opportunities | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Personal Applications | 5 | 0 | 10 |
| Awarded | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Organisation Applications | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Awarded | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Personal applications - Applications made as an individual for creative projects where I am the lead artist
Organisation applications - Applications I have contributed as an arts worker at an arts Organisation.
Advocacy
| Advocacy | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Boards | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Committees | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 3 | 3 | 3 |
I sit on two boards, both in a voluntary capacity, and am on one paid committee (this income has been included as part of my arts sector income in the table above).
I am the chair of one of these boards, a substantial contribution in terms of time and responsibility, but one I am deeply committed to.
Engagement
Finally, I try and spend time engaging in as much arts and culture as possible. This is something I have begun tracking more recently so I don't have full stats on everything. I am also working with some loose buckets so there are very well engagements that haven't been captured at all.
| Arts and cultural engagements | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Books etc | 40 | 24 | 15 | 12 |
| Film | not tracked | not tracked | 70 | 84 |
| TV | not tracked | not tracked | 55 | 78 |
| Live performance and events | not tracked | not tracked | 29 | 38 |
| Visual art | not tracked | not tracked | 3 | 21 |
| Total | unknown | unknown | 172 | 233 |
Anecdotally, the severity of my depression has definitely been an influencing factor on my cultural consumption. I struggle to read while my depression is bad (i.e. 2022-2024) and have a greater tendency to remain at home rather than going out. I am starting 2025 in what feels like a healthier place so am interested to see how this might impact the types of art I engage with.
SUMMARY 💹
In the grand scheme of things, three years isn't that long and I am proud of what I have been able to achieve in this time. Having the time and emotional space to invest in myself as an artist and in the work I produce has been transformational, even with increased financial anxiety.