At the start of this week, I met up with a fellow artist. We were talking about the usual things: studio time, ideas, the ups and downs of making work, and what it means to keep showing up even when motivation is low. At one point, the conversation took a turn and he made a comment that stopped me in my tracks: “You can’t really call yourself an artist unless you’re selling art and making a living from it.”

At the time, I didn’t make a big deal out of it. I think I just nodded, carried on, and moved the conversation along. But over the last few days, that sentence has stayed with me. It’s been sitting in the back of my mind like an itch you can’t quite scratch, and the more I’ve thought about it, the clearer it’s become: I completely disagree.

In fact, I think that idea — that you’re only a “real” artist if you make money from your work — is one of the most damaging beliefs we pass around in the creative world. It sounds like a throwaway comment, but it can shape how people see themselves, and whether they feel allowed to create at all. So let’s talk about it properly, because if you’ve ever wondered whether you “count” as an artist, this is for you.

Do You Have to Sell Art to Be an Artist?

Let’s start with the obvious question: do you need to sell art to be an artist? My answer is simple: no.

Selling art makes you a working artist. Making a living from art makes you a professional artist. But creating art makes you an artist. Those are three different things, and mixing them up is where people start feeling like frauds.

If you paint, draw, sculpt, photograph, write, design, make music, create films, stitch textiles, build installations, or make anything with creative intent, you’re an artist. You don’t need permission, you don’t need a gallery, and you don’t need a receipt to prove it.

Why People Think You Need to Make Money to “Qualify”

I can understand why some people believe this, though. We live in a world where value is often measured in money. If something makes income, it’s seen as “real”, and if it doesn’t, it’s dismissed as a hobby. Artists aren’t immune to that mindset either, especially when we’re surrounded by conversations that constantly revolve around outcomes rather than the work itself.

You can feel it in the questions people ask: Are you doing this full-time yet? Have you sold anything? Are you represented? How many followers have you got? Have you had a proper exhibition? None of these are bad questions on their own, but they can quietly imply something else underneath them: that your work only matters if it’s validated by someone else. Money is one of the loudest forms of validation there is, but it’s worth saying clearly — money is a result, it isn’t a definition.

Creating Art Has Value Even If Nobody Buys It

One of the reasons I feel so strongly about this is because I know what art can do for a person long before it ever becomes a career. Creating can be therapy, stress relief, a way to process emotions, a way to make sense of life, or simply a moment of peace in an otherwise noisy world. Sometimes it’s not about becoming “successful” at all — it’s about surviving, healing, or reconnecting with yourself.

Some people create because they’re heartbroken. Some people create because they’re burnt out. Some people create because they’re trying to get through a hard chapter, or because it’s the only time their mind goes quiet. So when someone says, “You’re not an artist unless you sell,” what they’re really saying is that your creativity doesn’t count unless it produces income. I just don’t believe that. If art is helping you stay grounded, feel something, express something, or even just enjoy being alive for an hour, then it’s already doing its job.

“Artist” Isn’t Just a Job Title — It’s an Identity

This might be the key point: artist isn’t only a job title, it’s an identity. Yes, for some people it becomes their profession. They make a living from it, build a business, sell originals and prints, take commissions, run workshops, or collaborate with brands. That’s one path, and it’s a valid one. But for others, it stays personal, and that doesn’t make it any less real.

It might be something you do in the evenings after work, or something you do on weekends, or something you return to when life finally gives you space again. It might be something you do privately, without ever sharing it publicly. It doesn’t matter. The creative act is still real, the work is still real, and the person making it is still an artist.

The Dangerous Side of “You’re Only an Artist If You Sell”

That comment I heard this week isn’t just a harmless opinion. It can be genuinely harmful, because what happens when someone believes it? They stop creating. They tell themselves there’s no point, that they’re not good enough, that it doesn’t count unless someone buys it, that they’re just messing around, or that they’re not a real artist.

Suddenly something that could have brought joy, calm, meaning, or purpose becomes wrapped up in shame and comparison. That’s not motivation, it’s a creative prison. If someone is at the start of their journey and they hear that kind of gatekeeping, it can shut them down completely. The art world doesn’t need more people giving up — it needs more people making work.

Selling Art Doesn’t Magically Make You Better

Here’s another truth that doesn’t get said enough: selling art doesn’t automatically make the art good, and not selling doesn’t make it bad. There are incredible artists who have never sold a piece. There are artists who create world-class work but live quietly, privately, and never chase an audience. There are artists who don’t even show anyone what they make, and yet their work is deeply meaningful.

On the flip side, there are people selling plenty of art that’s safe, trendy, and built purely for the algorithm. That’s fine too, but it proves the point: sales are not a measurement of artistic truth. Sales are influenced by marketing, pricing, confidence, connections, location, luck, timing, trends, consistency online, the audience you’ve built, and how comfortable you are promoting yourself. Those are skills, and they matter if you want to build a career, but they are not the same thing as creativity.

The Real Difference: Artist vs Professional Artist

Instead of arguing about who is or isn’t an artist, I think it’s more useful to talk about the categories more clearly.

An artist is someone who creates. That’s it. You might be learning, experimenting, playing, or making deeply personal work. You might show it, or you might keep it private. A working artist is someone who creates consistently and intentionally. You’re building a body of work, developing your voice, applying for shows, building a website, posting online, or exploring what your style actually is. You’re “in it”, even if you’re not earning much yet. A professional artist is someone who earns money from their work. That might be through originals, prints, commissions, workshops, licensing, collaborations, or any route that makes sense for them.

The important point is this: every professional artist is an artist, but not every artist needs to be a professional. There’s no hierarchy of legitimacy here, just different paths.

Art Isn’t a Competition (Even Though It Can Feel Like One)

One reason this topic hits a nerve is because it taps into something many creatives feel — that art has become a competition. A race. A scoreboard. Followers, likes, sales, galleries, press, exhibitions. It’s easy to start believing that if you’re not “winning”, you’re not legitimate.

But art isn’t sport. There isn’t one definition of success. Some people want to build a career. Some people want to build a body of work. Some people want to make something meaningful for themselves and a small audience. Some people just want to feel like themselves again. All of it matters, and all of it counts.

If You Create, You Belong Here

I think we underestimate how many people need to hear this: if you create, you belong in the conversation. You don’t have to be at a certain level, you don’t have to be consistent, you don’t have to have a studio, and you don’t have to be confident. You don’t have to be “good enough”. You just have to make things.

And the more you create, the more you become the thing you’re trying to be. Not because you’ve earned the label, but because you’ve lived it. That’s how identity forms — through action, not through permission.

Let’s Stop Gatekeeping Creativity

That comment I heard this week has actually turned into something positive for me, because it’s reminded me of something I want to stand for: creativity isn’t a club with a membership fee. Art doesn’t belong to the people who sell the most. It belongs to the people who make it.

So if you’ve ever felt like you weren’t allowed to call yourself an artist because you haven’t made money from it yet, I hope this post helps. Keep creating, keep experimenting, and keep going. The world doesn’t need fewer artists — it needs more.