Can a visual artist make a living being completely digital

Yesterday, I wrote about trying to go 100% digital with my work and not having anything physical for sale. After I wrote that post, I posed this question on Threads.

The first interesting thing was how people wanted clarity on every detail I asked. I should have clarified that I meant visual art. Still, even after I mentioned it, people wanted to pick the question apart like an alien cadaver, not knowing what to do with the question without acuity.

Also interesting are the varied responses. Here are just a few:

“One artist, yes. Any artist, no.”

“If no physical output or NFT, the modality of exchange is what?”

“I'd have to know more about what you mean by artist."

“I think it would require working the numbers, which would be a lot of work, but I think it’s entirely possible.”

“Most WebComics and a lot of indy comics are digital products, no physical copies.”

“I would think it would be easier for those doing service-oriented art, logos, advertising campaign stuff.”

“I demand a “probably” answer to vote on!”

I took from this that many people think of art as a direct exchange (seller to buyer) and don’t think of paying for the experience of the artist sharing their work.

On the other hand, I believe artists can create an environment where there isn’t a direct exchange with buyers and instead focus on bringing in revenue from content partnerships, sponsors, and affiliates.

That’s a longer path to solvency and leaves the artist’s income being dictated by the whims of 3rd parties, but there are ways to supplement that income through digital assets and products.

In the future, this will be a significant part of the conversation here, where I explore these ideas deeper and report back my findings.

Stay tuned.