The Thriving Christian Artist
The Thriving Christian Artist
How Profitable Art Businesses Can Impact God's Kingdom
Could your art transform lives and communities while also fueling a thriving business? Join me, Matt Tommey, as I shatter the myth that only nonprofit ventures can generate a significant impact through art. In this eye-opening discussion, we explore how Christian artists can merge their creative passions with savvy business strategies to not only prosper financially but also contribute meaningfully to God's kingdom. By opting for a for-profit model, you're afforded the autonomy to support charitable causes and invest in your community without the constant struggle for funding that often plagues nonprofit organizations.
Throughout the podcast, I share personal tales and lessons from fellow artists that illuminate the unexpected freedom and potential of running a profitable art business. You'll hear about a transformative mural project in Asheville, North Carolina, made possible by the financial stability of a for-profit approach. Discover how embracing the marketplace can become an extension of your ministry, elevating your ability to give, serve, and donate, all while cultivating a sustainable lifestyle that breathes life into your divine calling as an artist.
Here's a more extensive blog on this subject: https://www.matttommeymentoring.com/blog/the-creative-call-why-artists-should-consider-starting-an-art-business-rather-than-an-art-ministry
Join the Created to Thrive Artist Mentoring Program today at http://www.matttommeymentoring.com/artmentor
Join us inside the Created to Thrive Artist Mentoring Program at http://www.matttommeymentoring.com/artmentor
Welcome to the Thriving Christian Artist, the podcast, where we hope you connect with God to bust through the roadblocks that have held you back for years, create the work you love and really live the life you know. God created you to live as an artist in His kingdom. I'm Matt Tama, your host. Let's get started. Well, hey, friends, so glad that you're with me here on the podcast today. I want to talk about a question that I get a lot from artists who love Jesus and want to see their art make an impact in the world. But they struggle whether they're supposed to be doing that as a for-profit business enterprise or as a ministry. You know, a lot of times the church world can give us a perspective that's not a bad perspective, it's just one that is insulated and created from that sort of nonprofit church and ministry world. And I just want to really draw a distinction today between the possibility of you having a huge impact in the world with your art but doing that in a for-profit business entity. Doing that in a for-profit business entity, you know a lot of people think that they have to start a nonprofit. Because, well, I'm, you know, I'm wanting to have a philanthropic, you know, effort going on. I'm wanting to make a difference with my art and of course we all want to make a difference with our art. But the big, big number one issue becomes financial sustainability and financial viability. And a lot of people you know and they're starting at well-meaning you know, maybe not a lot of experience in ministry or nonprofits they think, oh man, if I can get a nonprofit, then I can, you know, get people the opportunity to be able to give, you know, tax deductible gifts and I'll just be able to make money that way and not have to worry about the difficulty, maybe, of selling my work. I can apply for grants, I can get all this free money and I can really just live the dream as an artist. And I just want to say, having had a nonprofit myself and also being on the board of several nonprofits, small and large, over the years, I can tell you that the whole idea of being able to have this automatic financial sustainability and viability just because you have the ability to get donations and give people a tax write-off is really well, it's a pipe dream.
Speaker 1:Raising money in a nonprofit situation is one of the most difficult things that people ever do and, in fact, for executive directors and people that work for nonprofits. It becomes really the main focus of their life and not being able to actually provide the services that they were passionate about providing in the first place. They're just worried about keeping the doors open and listen. The same is true with the arts. Yes, there are grants out there. Yes, there are opportunities out there that are only available to nonprofits.
Speaker 1:But I have seen over and above in my life and in the life of the artists that I've mentored over the years, that when you begin to create a viable business that is profitable, that is fulfilling for you, that you're able to pour your heart and soul in Maybe your family comes to work with you, in that your husband or wife and you're really about creating a great product or a great service in the market and allowing the market to reward you for that through sales and ultimately, through profit. That gives you the financial freedom to be able to do the things that you want to do, that you maybe were thinking about, that you could do from a nonprofit perspective. For example, you can have more money to give, you can have more time to be able to volunteer. You can actually give away or sew pieces of your art into ministries and into the lives of people that the Lord directs you to, without selling them, because you've got the back end financially to be able to support that sort of thing. And so I have seen in my own life and I've seen in the lives of so many of the artists that we mentor, that when you start actually creating a financially sustainable and profitable business, you actually have much, much, much more freedom and viability in your own life to be able to do the things that God's put on your heart from a ministry perspective with your art. I'm thinking about a situation where Several years ago, when we were still living in Asheville, north Carolina, the Lord put on my heart to sponsor an art project that would be a huge mural project downtown in our city and it was going to cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Speaker 1:I mean it was expensive, it was not a cheap undertaking at all, but it was worth it. It was going to have a huge, huge impact, but it was worth it. It was going to have a huge, huge impact and the Lord spoke to my heart, spoke to Tanya's heart, told us the number that he wanted us to put toward that, and it was a bigger number than we have ever, ever given in a one-time amount before. So we were definitely stretching our faith. But you know why we could do that. We were able to do that because we had a profitable art business. I've been building that for years and we had the money to be able to do that. And so we were able to write a check and sponsor a large portion of that mural project in our city. And you know, we were just back there a couple of months ago and we drove through downtown and huge on the wall I mean 150, 200 feet wide building, 50 feet tall there is on both sides of this building this incredible mural that we were able to be a big part of sponsoring. Because we had a profitable business and we did that for a nonprofit that I was on on the board for. It was just a wonderful, wonderful way to be able to give a gift and listen.
Speaker 1:You can do the same sorts of things as you begin to create a business and grow that as well. The second thing I would say is that you have typically a broader impact through market reach rather than ministry impact. You know, when you're out among people, just like Jesus was and the disciples were when you're out among people at art shows and in galleries and creating work and doing demos and talking about your work and selling your work and doing the things that it takes to make a living, you get an incredible opportunity to build relationships. That many times, when you come in with sort of the ministry thing up front, people are much, much, much more open to developing relationships with you as an artist as opposed to you as a person. That's in quote unquote ministry. I've seen so many opportunities over the years in the gallery that we had in my own personal studio. It shows that I was at where people that just think your work is really cool and that you're a friendly person all of a sudden strike up a conversation and the Lord begins to work, not because, again, you're a ministry quote unquote but because you're being the church. You're actually being the person that God called you to be, and you know then.
Speaker 1:Thirdly, you have a lot of times more innovative and creative freedom in being able to have your own business, because a lot of times if you are a ministry or nonprofit, many times you're associated with a larger oversight group or a board. Of course, that's going to be giving you a lot of input into what you're going to be doing and how you're going to do it, and what you can say and what you can't say, how much you can charge, what the services are that you can provide and listen. When you are a business, you've got total freedom to be able to do whatever it is that God's called you to do without the input of others telling you what to do. Now, listen. That doesn't mean that you don't have healthy input in your life leaders and friends and mentors and that sort of thing but it means that you're not ruled by a nonprofit board or a ministry oversight committee or whatever that may not fully understand the thing that you are wanting to do. And then you know there's lots of others. I've actually got a great blog on my website about this. I'll link it here in the podcast.
Speaker 1:But the last thing that I wanted to really just bring up is the whole legal and tax advantage thing. You know, when you are a business like you're set up as an LLC, you have corporate protection that is there for your personal and business protection. As somebody that's doing businesses and listen as your business grows, there are plenty of opportunities for you to save a huge amount on the taxes that you're paying because of being able to write off valid business expenses that directly come, those things become taxable or are actually tax deductible expenses that you can take off of your taxable income every year and reduce your tax liability. That's huge and you just don't get that in the same way with a nonprofit situation. So, my friend, listen, if you are somebody that's wanting to have a ministry impact, you're wanting to see God move in your life in a huge way, but you're wondering how to do it. I promise you, for 99% of the people, the best way to do that is for you to start your own art business and do everything that God's called you to do through there, through the money and impact that you can make in that business.
Speaker 1:Now you may be saying, well, that's what we do inside of Created to Thrive. Every week, we not only have me giving expert advice, but we've also got a team of experts, as well as live opportunities every week to connect with other members in the program to talk about the things that are going on in your business. Plus, we have a whole year curriculum that walks you through from beginning to end, how to start up a successful, profitable business, doing that from a kingdom perspective. Listen, we believe that when you're inside, your internal life is aligned with who God has called you to be and what he's called you to do, and you can begin to walk in a way that's not only pleasing to him but also life giving to you because you're you're cooperating and coming into alignment with his divine design for your life. Listen, the things of business and the things of creating art that makes a difference, in the things of of stepping out in a new venture, like creating an art business those things become so much easier when you're doing that, when you're walking with the Lord and when you're walking with others on that same journey and with me, with a mentor that has been there and has built many profitable businesses and helped others do the same. And listen, nothing would give us greater pleasure than to be able to help you do the same this year. You can go right now to our website, become a part of Created to Thrive, and we would love to see you inside of our program this year so that we can help you start the business that you know you need to actually bring cashflow to your creative calling as an artist.
Speaker 1:My friend, thanks for spending a few minutes with me today here on the thriving Christian artist podcast. I love you. I hope we'll see you again next time and remember until then, you were created to thrive. Bye, hey. Thanks so much for spending a few minutes with me today on the podcast Listen. I hope it's been a huge encouragement to you on your journey as an artist. Hey, also, before you leave, make sure to hit the subscribe button so you don't miss any of the other episodes of the Thriving Christian Artist podcast, and also be sure to connect with me on Facebook, instagram or at my website, which is matttommymentoringcom. Until next time, remember you were created to thrive. Bye-bye, thank you.