Classes, Tutorials and other lessons

The challenge with retailing anything, whether it's artwork or lessons, is that it typically requires 50% of your time promoting it to an audience. The reason it takes so much time is that these offers are so similar to other offers that they are lost in a sea of similarity. Why buy this lesson for $15 when I can buy that $15 lesson? Why buy this $200 painting when I can buy that $200 painting, or really when I can buy this $50 dinner, $8 Netflix description, and $42 shirt. Artists aren't competing for dollars with other artists. They're competing with absolutely everything that disposable income can buy. And selling to other artists is often targeting those with the least available disposable income.

There comes a time when you invest in making "better" artwork. Taking risks with your art, being uncomfortable whether it's in size, detail, subject matter, technique, something...is what it takes to stand out from everything else that's essentially more of the same.

So, it's not as likely that adding a new lesson, giving prints a try, or something that everyone else is doing too, that's likely to increase sales velocity and interest in your art. It is the quality, the boundaries you're pushing, the story of the making, the truly unique and human parts that only you can do, that sell more, build audience, and drive purchase intent. You're not making better art than other art. You're needing to make better art that provides a feeling stronger than the emotional satisfaction I get from the cute blouse I could buy and feel good about wearing.

My advice is to never do something just because you think it could bring in money. I truly believe that things we are reluctant to do show through in our work. The objective should be finding the thing you like to make and do, and finding the people who like to buy that thing.

Also, when it comes to courses, just like selling art, it's about finding out how to market to an audience and gain excitement. You will be right back in the same position of having to sell yourself, but in a new and different way post a lot of work. Creating courses is time-consuming.

My advice to you is to go all in on reels. Post reels, post your face. Tell stories. Show your studio. Work on getting good at writing captions for social media. Ask yourself, who am I talking to and what do I want to say?

This is where you're going to get the most return across the board. Co-Pilot is great for keeping your social media active and doing 90% of the work, but it still requires that 10% of personalization and energy coming from you.

Hey! The fact that you're already selling from your own site, Etsy, AND galleries while staying busy means the foundation is real, even when the numbers dip.

To your main question: most artists who add teaching find it doesn't replace print and original sales, but it does two powerful things. It creates a steadier baseline income during dry months, and it builds an audience of people who eventually become buyers. The key is structuring it so it doesn't eat the time you need for the work that actually sells.

A few moves worth looking at:

- Start with a single recorded workshop instead of live classes. Film it once, sell it forever. A 60 to 90 minute "paint along" or "how I approach [your subject]" priced at $29 to $49 on your own site keeps earning without taking more calendar slots. Gumroad or your Art Storefronts site can host it.

- On the sliding IG and FB numbers: consistent posting is table stakes now, but the algorithm in 2026 rewards conversation more than frequency. Try cutting your post volume in half and spending that freed-up time commenting on 10 to 15 other accounts per day, responding to every comment on your own posts within the first hour, and posting one Reel a week where you talk on camera about the story behind a piece. On-camera content consistently outperforms artwork-only posts by a wide margin.

- For the "busy all the time" feeling: do a quick time audit this week. Track where your hours actually go for 5 days. Most artists discover they're spending 60% of their time on tasks that produce 10% of their revenue. The goal isn't to add more outlets, it's to double down on whichever channel is already producing sales and trim the ones that aren't.

- Before adding new platforms, look at your existing buyer list. Even a small email list of past buyers and inquiries outperforms a new marketplace every time. One email a month with a new piece, a story, and a direct link to purchase will move more work than a third sales channel.

The dry months are universal to artists selling online, not a sign something is broken. The artists who smooth those out tend to have one recurring revenue stream (teaching, licensing, or subscriptions) alongside their original and print sales.

Want help mapping out which revenue mix fits your schedule? Walk through it with me

Other resources you might find helpful:

- First commission request and I have no idea what to price it — Concrete pricing strategies for commission work: charge above retail price, factor travel/scouting time, and treat commissions as custom creative services, not shelf sales.

- First time pricing a custom commission piece — Concrete pricing strategies for custom commissions: per-square-inch rates, hourly estimation, and separating materials/framing costs to land paid custom work.

- Adding a low-price entry point to commissions — smart or risky? — Real commission pricing strategy from artists who tested low entry-point offers and discovered what actually converts first-time buyers into repeat collectors.

Arty is our artist super-assistant. Trained on all things related to art business & marketing. use @arty in a post or comment to ask Arty directly. upvote & downvote to provide feedback.

I was formulating an answer, but then I read the comments and saw that you're not big on teaching. So, what about recording lessons? Sometimes we think teaching is not our thing just because we imagine ourselves in front of a huge classroom with judgmental teenagers, and that's scary to say the least, but given the experience you already have, why not record some lessons, get some help editing 45 min videos, and sell a pre-recorded master course? Maybe this is a good way to combine the idea of classes with the little time you have, all while avoiding 1-1 teaching.

Dawn, it's a great question. I don't personally teach, but I do supplement my art income by doing related creative activities that generate income. That said, I have enough exposure to the teaching side to know that it takes quite a bit of time to develop a program that people will want to follow. Teaching may or may not work for you, but the key is to find that "side thing" that you really enjoy from a creative perspective... one that compliments your processes and approaches to your personal work.

I feel your struggle. I think a lot of people are having similar issues. I don’t have any great advice, but maybe having eggs in different baskets theory applies. I plan on teaching art this school year and doing several Art Festivals. We shall see… wishing you all the best!!