How to Make Money as a Digital Artist in Nigeria

A lot is going on out there and only a few people know about it. Digital products and services are the new goldmines for anyone trying to break free in this unfair time.

Art should not be based on passion and expression alone, there should be a reward. While in secondary school, I would design cards, draw and do some crazy art stuff for one girl in my class. If the interest is not there, don’t force it. The other guy would buy her a card and cake. The difference is clear. It got to a point where I realised that the dirty pencil in my hand cannot get me the girl, I need to turn my passion into possession.

I have over the years realised that you can grow by understanding how to use your creativity to boost your “money wahala” immunity. Here are the guidelines or tips on how to make money as a digital artist in Nigeria.

Learn to the Core

To begin as a digital artist, you should start by learning all that is required to succeed. Those that strive well in business spend virtually all their lives learning and learning. As an aspiring digital artist, you will need to learn new ways to stand out among others.

Here are a few tips to help you out in your learning process:

1. Read art articles and publications by other artists
2. Get learning resources online from YouTube or social media
3. Learn a thing or two about other successful digital artists
4. Study drawings and patterns in prints, people, trees, earth topography, animals and any other places
5. Practice every day on a sketch pad and your gadget
6. Learn about customer relationship
7. Learn about money management and finances
8. Learn about time management
9. Attend art workshops and seminars
10. Brainstorm with fellow artists on social media or in your space

Learning is key if you want to survive as a digital artist. Never stop learning.

Plan Your Niche

You don’t want to be everywhere. It is important to plan your niche as a digital artist. If you are good at writing about your journey as an artist, you can equally write articles and publications for other digital artists. Create a blog and start making money from that.

Click here to learn how to start a blog

There are tons of niches for digital artists. I will break it down into ten lucrative niches. Here is the list of the 10 digital art products you can start.

1. How to E-book
2. YouTube Channel
3. High-quality stock photographs
4. Art pintables and Stickers
5. Amazon Kindle E-book
6. Blogs
7. Freelancing
8. Fonts
9. Graphic designs
10. Digital art courses

Get Your Gadgets and Equipment Ready

One thing that prevented me from advancing in my career for a long time was that I lack the necessary tools in the first place. This is tough to tackle since most creative people in Nigeria may be lacking the finances to begin.

This did not stop me. I started with a smartphone leveraging the Canva platform. As soon as I was able to save up a little, I bought a Mini laptop and later a sketch pad. You need to start somewhere even though it might take some time.

Here are some gadgets and tools that you should have. Not all are important, but you should aspire to get them.

1. Sketchbook and set of pencils
2. Notepad or jotter
3. Smartphone
4. Tablet
5. Laptop computer
6. Social media handle, YouTube page
7. Accessible email (Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail)
8. Nigerian Passport, Voters Card, Drivers License, National ID Card or any other
9. Smart Debit or Credit Card (Master or Visa)
10. Wifi or Internet access
11. Stable electricity, power bank, generator, inverter etc.
12. Workstation or Desktop

These are a few of the items that you may need for your journey as a digital artist. Do a scale of preference and prioritize your need.

Prepare Your Team

You will be needing a team. You can start small but do not try to work alone for a very long time. Believe me, it will not allow your business to grow.

If you are contemplating money, get to have your family members involved in your startup. It is free and you don’t have to “worry about a thing”. If you run your business alone, you might not go too far.

Do Lots of Adverts

The digital space is large and you might not be noticed. Your startup will remain within if you don’t advertise to the public no matter how exceptional it may seem. Learn the best way to do the best ads and reach out to more audiences.

When you advertise your products to your family and friends alone, you will end up getting a little result. Push your ads campaign far beyond and you will get the reward thereof.

Here are some ways you can advertise your digital skills.

1. Publish articles or posts on social media like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest etc.
2. Join in the conversation in chat forums like Quora
3. Publish articles on your blog or some other art blogs
4. Share fliers and handbills to estates and homes
5. Do giveaways for your followers on social media
6. Tell family and friends to help in promoting your venture
7. Do paid campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, Google etc

Maintain Good Records

You should document your work from time to time. This helps you avoid doing the same thing from scratch. All your soft copies should be stored properly in the cloud.

If you have records of what you have done, it will be easy for you to approach a prospective client on a similar project. Keep your archive well-arranged and orderly.

Also, learn to keep your clients. Never end a contract with a fight. No matter how hard the client might seem, learn to carry on with patience and understanding.