Art + Audience, Episode 38
Title: Data Doesn't Lie: Shannon McNab on the Real Numbers Behind Creative Income
Host: Stacie Bloomfield
Guest: Shannon McNab
Date: February 3, 2026
Episode Overview
This episode dives deep into the realities of creative income for artists, focusing on real data from the Surface Design Industry Survey conducted annually by Shannon McNab. Stacie and Shannon discuss the trends, challenges, and opportunities in the art business, debunking myths about incomes, highlighting the importance of transparency, and encouraging artists to take a long-term view of their careers. They explore which income streams are performing best, what's shifting in the industry, and what artists—new, part-time, or veteran—can actually expect in terms of earnings.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Why Data Matters in Creative Careers
- Shannon’s Role: Shannon McNab is both an artist and a “numbers nerd,” bridging the gap between creativity and data. She created and runs the annual Surface Design Industry Survey, which has provided data-driven insight for the past 6 years. [01:53]
- Purpose: The survey fills gaps left by outdated or generic census data, illuminating the real state of the industry and helping artists set realistic expectations. [03:59]
- Quote:
“Short of having a union, what we need is good data, because data doesn’t lie…as long as you’re doing it like you do, Shannon, which is, like, ethically…” – Stacie [04:05]
2. Growth of the Industry Survey
- Initial years: 300-400 participants, mostly Shannon’s audience.
- Current: 2025’s survey had 1,290 respondents, enabling more granular, reliable results. [04:42], [05:42]
- Larger dataset = more nuanced findings.
3. Trends in Creative Income Streams
- Top 3 Income Streams (2025):
- Print on Demand (POD)
- Physical Products
- Licensing
- Print on demand has remained the most popular entry point; physical products recently overtook licensing in popularity. [08:45]
- Licensing income has been slipping, possibly due to the broader base of survey respondents and industry changes. [07:08]
4. Side Hustling and Earning Potential
- Most artists start their practice part-time; full-time, veteran artists tend to earn more. [07:50], [10:42]
- Part-time artists aren’t necessarily earning “no money”—many do achieve solid incomes.
- Notable Survey Finding: Over 50% of 2025 respondents had 6+ years of experience ("veterans"), and 16.8% had 25+ years, up 2.8% from last year. [10:06], [10:22]
- Quote:
“You can very easily see that there is a distinct bump in incomes at the six year mark.” – Shannon [11:49]
5. Longevity Leads to Higher Earnings
- Newbies (1–2 years), intermediates (3–5), and veterans (6+) show distinct income bands.
- Full-time veterans have notably greater income potential.
- Advice: Stick with it, improve your skills, and embrace a multi-year timeline to see substantial growth. [11:59], [12:34]
- Quote:
"You want to become a veteran...there is a path for full time income career artists. We are seeing it now in this survey more than ever." – Stacie [11:59]
6. Buyouts: An Underutilized but Lucrative Stream
- Few artists pursue buyouts, but those who do can earn significant boosts to their income.
- Median buyout income: $3,000–$4,000—second only to graphic design. [15:37]
- Quote:
“I was honestly shocked that the median buyout income was 3,000 to $4,000.” – Shannon [15:37]
7. Top Earning Streams: Graphic Design and Teaching
- Over 6% of artists with graphic design as an income stream earned over $100K (the highest proportion among all streams). [16:11]
- Teaching as an income stream has slightly declined, possibly due to the current climate of online trust, but in-person teaching may offer new opportunities post-pandemic. [16:54], [18:13]
8. Print on Demand Insights
- Still the lowest barrier to entry and remains most popular.
- Spoonflower is the dominant platform: used by 82% of POD artists, #1 for sales for 61.7%. [22:19]
- Society 6 fell in popularity after moving to an application model (from 3rd to 9th most popular POD site).
- Industry platform curation is increasing due to quality/volume issues and concerns about AI art flooding the market.
- Advice:
“Get better, not bitter…have a unique point of view.” – Stacie [25:06]
9. Physical Products: Growing Potential
- Median product sales: 50–99/year; average: 238 (≈20/month).
- Average income for product-based businesses rose to $10,600 (up $3,200 from previous year).
- Median income for products moved into $1,000–$2,000 range. [26:52]
10. The Outlier Effect: Why Medians Matter
- A few high earners can skew averages; medians provide a more realistic view.
- Shannon now highlights both median and average, noting outliers in the report for transparency. [27:28]
- Quote:
“When things like that happen, I do include kind of a little caveat at the bottom…so that you kind of have a better, better view.” – Shannon [28:13]
11. Community, Resilience & Realistic Expectations
- Income distribution in art is wide: most artists earn modestly, and high earning “success stories” are the minority.
- Quote:
“Someone else is just like you…You are not alone in whatever struggles you’re having…It’s absolutely normal not to be making buckets of money as an artist.” – Shannon [31:07]
- Celebrate small wins—making $2,000 in art profits is above the median! [32:48]
12. Advice for Pricing and Using the Survey
- Survey figures should not be used as a pricing ceiling; use the top end as your goal.
- Artists are encouraged to challenge themselves to charge more and not treat survey averages as gospel. [33:18]
- Quote:
“Don’t use the pricing in the report as a guideline of what you should charge. Use the tippity toppity range…" – Shannon [33:18]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
“Short of having a union, what we need is good data, because data doesn’t lie for the most part, as long as you're doing it like you do, Shannon, which is, like, ethically…” – Stacie [04:05]
“You can very easily see that there is a distinct bump in incomes at the six year mark.” – Shannon [11:49]
“Buyouts…was the second highest of all the income streams…the median, it was three to 4,000. Like that’s pretty fantastic. You know, and I was honestly not expecting that.” – Shannon [15:37]
“Get better, not bitter…have a unique point of view.” – Stacie [25:06]
“Someone else is just like you… You're not alone in whatever struggles you're having. If you want to earn more, there are other people out there, like, feeling the exact same way, making very similar incomes.” – Shannon [31:07]
“Don’t use the pricing in the report as a guideline of what you should charge. Use the tippity toppity range…” – Shannon [33:18]
“If you made more than $2,000 last year with your art, you should celebrate because 50% of the people in our survey made less than that.” – Shannon [32:48]
Important Timestamps
- [01:53] Introduction to Shannon McNab and her data-driven approach
- [04:42] Growth and impact of the annual Surface Design Industry Survey
- [08:45] 2025’s top creative income streams (POD, physical products, licensing)
- [10:06, 10:22] Demographics: experience levels participating, rise in veteran artists
- [11:49] The 6-year income “bump” & implications of longevity
- [15:37] Buyouts as a surprisingly lucrative but underused income stream
- [16:11] Graphic design’s leading earning potential; teaching’s waning returns
- [21:29] Print on demand: Spoonflower dominance, Society 6’s decline, AI art and curation
- [25:06] Stacie’s advice: “Get better, not bitter…"
- [26:52] Physical product sales and average income increases
- [27:28] Why reporting both median and average income matters
- [31:07] Validation, community, and managing expectations
- [32:48] Celebrate the small wins—above-median earners are already succeeding
- [33:18] Pricing advice: aim for the top, not the average
Final Takeaways
- Longevity and persistence are essential for building an art business with real earning potential.
- The top 3 income streams for artists remain print on demand, physical products, and licensing, with buyouts as an under-utilized but high-earning option for some.
- Artists should use the highest pricing data as aspirational, not settle for median rates.
- Both online and in-person educational income streams are shifting; adaptability and relationship-building remain crucial.
- Most importantly: new and part-time artists are not alone in their struggles. Building a sustainable, thriving art business is a long game.
Where to Find the Survey
- Download the report: Shannon currently distributes the survey results via email/Thrivecart (linked through Stacie’s blog—for now): staceybloomfield.com/blog
- Follow Shannon for updates: Instagram (no current standalone website), direct mention in show notes as well.
Summary Prepared For: Anyone looking for a transparent, candid, and granular understanding of what real artists earn, which creative income streams are delivering results, and expert advice on how to benchmark, grow, and celebrate their own creative journeys.