Is face painting your main source of income?

Stricktly for fun here. I work for the American Red Cross during the week and volunteer for a local non profit clown group. I have done a few birthday parties on the side, but enjoy doing it as a hobby.

Letting go of the 9-5 is pretty scary. If I can get my health in order, I think I'll be ready in the next year or so. I have to have a heart-to-heart with the family finances and Shannon's worksheet to see just what it would take. But it is a very exciting prospect, isn't it? Getting paid to do something you love?

Well fortunately I do alot of marketable stuff so when I make the jump it's because I am making more doing the fun stuff then pushing papers.

Metina wrote:Main source for me!

I thought .... Well never mind what I thought, are you saying that you are paying the bills, for your family with this? I make enough to support the products/training/and insurance and advertising, but defiantly not enough to even support my condo fees and/or mortgage.

I took a couple of marketing classes recently...It really opened my eyes to things I should be doing to improve my business, and even my advertising. I'm going to learn more so that I can increase business too.

I am so impressed with you guys that can do this as your main income, My hats off to you and people who do this full time. My goal currently is to make this profitable enough to help me out in my retirement...Maybe I should aim higher.

Jenny

Ashley Pickin wrote:

BeeCreative wrote:I'm a college student, so I don't really have a steady income, but when I paint, it's some extra spending money. I stressed myself out so much over looking for a steady job that my parents were like, "OK stop looking for jobs, we'll support you until you finish college." I hate having to mooch off my parents, but I only have (not counting this semester) 1 more year left--I just want to be done with it and get my degree already!

I'm in college as well, and face painting not only pays for my tuition, but it always pays for my living expenses. You can make a good living with face painting if you try.. it's works out with a college lifestyle as well, because you only have to work nights and/or weekends.

How long have you been painting Ashley? I have only been pro for about 5 months so I am still somewhat of a newbie but I love it! If you can give me any advice as to how you get gigs let me know!

For now, it's a secondary income for me. Once we can afford more of a marketing budget, I hope to be able to drop that job, and make our fortune making others happy.

Main, for me. With wing & jewleery making on the side if & when I'm in the UK.

But looks like, if we go back to the UK, I'll have to get a part-time job ...too many people lost their jobs and thought f-p was a quick & easy way to make cash in the UK. I get complaints from old clients all the time about the low standards now...will just have to hope they still book me even if i charge more than the 'new' people. Can't compete- heard 1 girl charged 20UK for a whole weekend at a car dealership I used to work with. Thats less than my hourly and wouldn't even cover petrol to GET there.

Cat x

Hi,
I'm new to facepainting as a business beginning this past August. I started this venture as a way to supplement my family's income while I work my regular 9-5 job.
It's going so well that my husband and I want to draw out a 2 year plan for me to transition into full time facepainting. We want to give it time to ensure it's going to provide for us and maintain stability. Also, one big concern and consideration for us is health insurance since I currently provide it for the family.
Good luck!
Cheryl

Oh goodness, I WISH this could be my main income! As it goes, there isnt a big enough market in my area and I'm not able to travel very far. The most I get to do is at festivals/city events, and usually I'm the one paying for a booth! I absolutely LOVE face painting but it wouldn't be possible for me to make a living off it... right now I work a 9-5 job at a print shop. I'm afraid I may lose it soon, though, as the business is doing badly...

But still. I don't want to call it a 'hobby' because when I do art or write I don't think of it as a hobby... I think of it as art... so there you have it. LOL!

I am putting an ad on craigslist for an rich old guy with a sexual addiction and a heart condidition and no known family...I'll let you know how it works out. I might be full time before I know it.

Because of the area I live in, it's always been a seasonal business (May to Oct) but in season my body art (face/body paint, glitter, temp tat, henna) makes more money than my day job at Xerox.

And it's been growing at an unbelievable rate.

So much so that this season I have 8-10 employees going out in 3 booths and 3 perma-stations not including special event/private bookings or cafe/restaurant/nightclub bookings.

Cat, that's true everywhere I think. I was reading an article recently where the pro painter mentioned that she believes that amateurs who think it's easy are lowering the standards and over running the "world" but that if the pros stay strong, build their skills and polish their marketing, they'll do fine. I do think this is true. Not many want to put in the leg work and the paper work that it takes to really make it work. No worries.

I got laid of like a year and a half ago, I kind of miss having face paint as the extra income rather than full, it's more fun when I don't HAVE to do it to make ends meet. I do live with my fiance though, and he takes care of all the house bills and our house has no mortgage- mostly I have student loans and car insurance, that sort of thing.

So, just checking in a year later, is everyone still in the same boat!!!
I know that Magna is now a full time teacher...

I own a restaurant in a small resort town and face painting is just a hobby that MORE than pays for itself.

Just found out that we're rated #2 in Body Art (#1 is a tattoo place) in the next city over from us which is pretty kickin'. I'm actually stepping back from doing the festival booth this year to manage it because we're expanding again- into a new market for us, and I'm opening a new business next month (that'll be my 3rd)

The entertainment company I'm part of has been amazing for us.

I also started learning to do permanent tattoos last week, and I secured a spot to do body paintings during our "First Fridays" which is a huge art thing in our city on the First Friday of a month.

So yeah, the body art biz has been good for me. :-)

My business "A Blissful Affair" is my main source of income....and face painting gains us about 80 % of our income within that business (& I enjoy it the most). I am married, so our home is a double income household.