How to start artist's carieer

I have an artist friend in Tübingen. He has always been in contact with galleries both there and in all of the surrounding cities. He also takes commissions to do portraits, gives art courses both private and through institutes like the Volkshochschule (community college) etc. He never makes a lot and in the past did gardening work and other odd jobs to get by. Some artists also sell their work on flea markets or special artists markets. Which such markets are worthwhile is a big question. Not a lot of fun to wait around all day doing nothing but waiting for customers and in the end maybe not selling enough to cover the market fees. 

Paying a lot for exhibition space for a beginner doesn’t sound profitable. Many artists struggle just to have a decent sized working space and sometimes invite people there to see their work. There are also cultural centers and organizations or even some cafes that occasionally have art exhibitions, for example Forum 3 Cafe, in Stuttgart and Südhaus in Tübingen. Not sure how one finds out about them but I know that even big insurance companies or consulting firms will sometimes have exhibitions, displaying art in the hallways of their buildings. Success as an artist is dependent on sooo many factors but for many it means working hard in every direction!

Something you really need to be aware of - professional artists, performing artists and journalists are required to join the Künstlersozialkasse also known as the KSK. One then has to pay them on a monthly basis approximately 18% of your net income. This is usually done by monthly bank transfer – (Dauerauftrag). They then contribute a matching amount to pay your health insurance (Krankenversicherung) retirement insurance (Rentenversicherung) and long term care for disabilities (Pflegeversicherung). They want to make sure people are legitimately an artist of some sort but if you are, then you are required to join - if you make the majority of your money this way.

Towards the end of the year one needs to fill out a form for the KSK about your income for the following year so they can calculate how much you have to pay. If one has a regular income, like a salary of some sort or already signed contracts it will actually be an estimated income. If, like for me, the income is unregularly, they want to know what you made over the year finishing up and just use this as a basis for the future year. 

One could go on for a long time about all of the advantages, disadvantages, requirements etc. about the KSK but it best you look at their website and if you still have questions then you can ask them or contact me and maybe I can answer.

http://www.kuenstlersozialkasse.de/

Thank you Tom. It was very informative. I suppose I will follow this direction in near future. However as for now I am a EU citizen but of a different country than Germany so do not know if I have a right to join to KSK. My fiance is a German citizen but we must wait some or several months until we will get married. Maybe after that I will be alowed to join? So I am not sure if KSK is for me for now. You would ask why I am not signed in similiar health insurance organisation for artists in my country...the answer is that it does not exist and if  artist wants to sell works must set up business and pays too much taxes and obligatory health insurance payment every month even if he/she sold nothing what is non sense and imposible to live like that. In general it is very complicated there. That is why I think that Germany is more friendly country for people like artists.

Is it any posibility that you could contact me with your friend artist?

If you are living here legally and working as an artist you not only have the right, you have the duty to join. It has nothing to do with your nationality. I'm American and in the KSK. And I agree that the KSK is a great thing in Germany. They don't have anything like it in America and without Obamacare, many artists in there will probably not be able to have health insurance.