Every artist faces challenges in his/her path. When the economy is in crisis, the struggle gets even harder because consumers have less disposable income to spend on the art we make. Additionally, artists face much criticism of both their artwork and their lifestyle.
If you are struggling with handling critiques of your art, we hope this article from Metalsmithing Poodle will be useful to you.
As for surviving the turndown in the economy as an artist, we suggest this article
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