If you have a creative passion you pursue, be it music, painting, writing, or fashion design, you probably hope that you can one day make a full-time living from it. The key to lasting success is building a loyal audience. The first step towards growing that customer base of devoted fans is getting your work in front of as many people as possible. If you're just starting out, that might sound easier said than done. Don't stress. There are many ways that you can reach audiences with your creative work. This guide from musomuso provides some actionable tips and also offers some more general business advice.

Approach your creative pastime as if it were a legitimate business

As a creative person, you'd undoubtedly rather focus your energy on your art than, say, business plans. However, it's important to have a business mindset and organize your work. For example, if you're commissioned for a piece, you don't want to forget the deadline and disappoint a customer. Implement your entrepreneurial attitude from the beginning. Start by writing a business plan. This details how your business will be run, the organizational structure, any funding needs, and financial projections. Here’s a comprehensive how-to guide to writing a business plan.

Create a professional website

A website is a great way to attract attention to your work and draw in customers. As a creative person, you want to make sure your website showcases your work and provides comprehensive information about your services, as well as practical details like costs. When making a website, consider your goal. For example, some people may simply want to raise awareness about their work, such as upcoming exhibitions, while others may use a website to sell their work. Even if you plan to use a website for sales, you still have to consider whether you want to sell directly from the website or simply link it to a platform like Etsy.

Put together a portfolio

One of the most important components of your website will be your portfolio. This is your opportunity to show off your work. For example, if you're a painter, you might have photos of your paintings. If you're a writer, you might include writing samples. If you’re a musician, you’ll showcase your songs. There are many online platforms you can use to create portfolios easily, from social portfolio sites to website template sites. Whatever medium you choose, make sure to curate your selection of work carefully. It's better to show a few samples of your best work rather than putting the spotlight on mediocre work.

Find online platforms for sharing your work

Once your website and online portfolio are ready, you want to find ways to drive customers to them. The internet offers a treasure trove of resources. For example, if you're a writer, you can share samples of your creative writing on websites like Wattpad, Fictionaut, and StoryaDay. If you're in the visual arts, you might explore forums like DeviantArt or CGSociety. Through such websites, you're able to make contact with a built-in community of people who are eager to discover new creators. You can then lead them back to your website and, hopefully, make a sale—and win a loyal fan in the process.

Explore "real world" opportunities to get your work out there

Of course, the internet isn't the only place where you can connect with customers and get your creative work discovered. There are still plenty of real-world opportunities available as well. For instance, musicians might try playing at open mic nights. Fashion designers can throw their own shows. Creative artists can join exhibitions. There are often open calls for artists to submit their work for consideration for an exhibition. Art Rabbit offers a roundup of open calls for artists and is updated regularly. It also includes international options, allowing you to reach audiences further afield.

Network to boost your profile

Networking is valuable in any field, even in the creative arts. That said, networking as a creative is a bit different than corporate networking. Creative Bloq provides a guide specifically for this purpose. Actionable tips include having your "elevator pitch" of what kind of art you do prepared, showing genuine interest in other creatives' work, and seeking out creative clusters in your city to join. You can look up creative events on forums like MeetUp, for example, or even arrange your own. Make a point of getting to know people, not just trying to promote your work. This will allow you to create genuine connections that last.

Once you get a customer, establish a professional relationship

Again, it's important to treat your creative hobby as a business if you want to make a full-time living from it. This applies at every stage. So, when you do get a gig from a customer, make sure to treat it as a professional working relationship. For example, you should always have a contract in place with a client before doing any work for them. You can use an online tool to fill and sign PDF forms online, making it fast and easy to create and send contracts. If you want to use a sample contract and adapt it, you can try saving a webpage from Chrome and turning it into a PDF. 

Encourage existing customers to leave reviews

As you start to get discovered and your customer base grows, make sure to leverage it. You can generate valuable word-of-mouth marketing by getting other customers to leave reviews. For maximum success, make it as easy as possible for customers to write reviews. For example, you might provide them with a QR code that they can scan, which takes them directly to a review website. You can also invite customers to submit pictures of your artistic products in action. For example, if you're a fashion designer, post customer snaps on social media—with their permission, of course—to generate interest and show appreciation.

Making a living in the creative arts isn't always easy. However, with the right base of loyal supporters, it's possible.