From Scarcity to Expansion: Healing Your Relationship with Money as an Artist
Alexander Mils, Unsplash
By Ekaterina Popova
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had a few experiences—both tender and exciting—that inspired me to revisit a topic every artist has faced at one point or another: money. Whether you’ve felt anxiety about your finances, guilt around pricing your work, or confusion about what it means to be financially secure as a creative, you’re not alone. I recorded a recent episode of the Art & Cocktails podcast to explore this deeper, and this article expands on that conversation.
Being an Artist Is Not a Punishment
Let’s start here: being an artist is not a punishment. It’s not a vow of poverty. It’s not a sentence to struggle.
These ideas are passed down from many sources—family members, mentors, institutions, and pop culture. But they’re beliefs, not facts. And they can be rewritten.
I used to think that being a “real artist” meant living in chaos, sacrificing stability, and tolerating financial stress. That belief almost cost me my health, security, and creative freedom. I didn’t know how I would make it work long-term. But I’ve since learned that success as an artist doesn’t have to come with suffering.
Your Money Story Isn’t Your Fault—But It Is Your Responsibility
Each of us carries a money story shaped by our upbringing and environment. According to mindset researcher Dr. Carol Dweck, our beliefs are not fixed traits. They are learned—and anything learned can be unlearned (Dweck, 2006).
You may have inherited beliefs like:
“Artists don’t make money.”
“Wanting more is selfish.”
“People like me don’t succeed financially.”
The good news is that these beliefs can be rewritten. I’ve spent years reframing my thoughts around money, working through guilt and shame, and learning how to view abundance as a form of service—not something to fear.
Scarcity Is a Pattern, Not a Personality
Scarcity is not just a bank balance—it’s a mindset that can show up in thoughts like:
“No one will buy this.”
“I’m bad with money.”
“If I succeed, I’ll lose something else.”
Psychologists like Dr. Martin Seligman have explored how “learned helplessness” occurs when we believe our actions have no impact. This mindset keeps us stuck. But by taking small empowered steps—tracking income, creating offers, asking for support—we begin to break the loop (Seligman, 1975).
In my case, I started viewing myself as a creative entrepreneur rather than waiting to be discovered. I tracked my income, launched my own exhibitions and courses, and began seeing money as a neutral energy exchange.
Money Responds to Clarity, Not Shame
One of the most transformative shifts I made was learning to track my numbers instead of avoiding them. I used to dread opening my bank app or looking at sales data. But once I reframed it, I realized: numbers are neutral. They simply offer insight.
Tracking things like:
Monthly income and expenses
Best-selling products or artworks
Lead sources (Instagram, newsletter, word of mouth)
…gave me clarity and helped me grow. According to Dr. Daniel Siegel, the brain and nervous system feel safer when they know what’s going on (Siegel, 1999). That sense of safety creates space for creativity and ease.
Abundance Is an Energetic and Subconscious Practice
Financial healing isn’t just about spreadsheets. It’s also about the stories we hold in our subconscious minds.
Our subconscious controls 95% of our behavior, according to Dr. Bruce Lipton (The Biology of Belief, 2005). So I began to integrate tools like:
Positive affirmations
Visualization
EFT tapping (emotional freedom technique)
Subliminals to bypass the critical mind
These practices helped me release fear, allow myself to receive, and trust that I was supported—by my work, my audience, and the creative energy that flows through all of us.
Some helpful resources:
Journal Prompts for Shifting Your Money Story
If you’re ready to go deeper, here are a few prompts to explore:
What money beliefs did I inherit that no longer serve me?
What would I create if I knew I was fully supported?
How does it feel to receive more than enough money for my work?
Where have I been avoiding clarity around money?
How can I shift from fear to empowerment?
Final Thoughts
You are allowed to want financial freedom.
You are allowed to raise your prices.
You are allowed to create a thriving art business and still be deeply creative, generous, and joyful.
It’s also okay if it takes time. I’m right there with you. Let’s be patient as we grow, and remember that setbacks are not signs of failure—they’re opportunities for refinement.
You are allowed to heal.
If this resonated with you, I invite you to listen to the full podcast episode on Art & Cocktails or read more reflections on my Substack: https://artandcocktails.substack.com
Sources:
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House.
Siegel, D. J. (1999). The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. Guilford Press.
Seligman, M. E. P. (1975). Helplessness: On Depression, Development, and Death. Freeman.
Lipton, B. H. (2005). The Biology of Belief. Hay House.