Meet Daniel Ross
Meet Daniel, a talented artist based in the small town of Elliston on the Eyre Peninsula. After years of running a physically demanding lawn mowing and gardening business, Daniel turned his passion for art into a full-time career. He now paints murals and runs art workshops, mainly for children, while building a business that allows him to balance creativity, family life, and financial independence. With the guidance and support of Many Rivers, Daniel is developing his business, exploring new opportunities, and moving closer to his goal of a steady, sustainable income.
Read more about Daniel’s business journey so far:
About the business
I paint murals and run art workshops where I teach mainly children, though I’ve taught adults as well. About 90% of my work is with children using Posca paint pens. I’ve been a full-time artist for three years now.
Before this, I ran a lawn mowing and gardening business for about five years. I stopped that around three years ago because I became physically unwell and couldn’t continue with the manual work. I’d always wanted to be a full-time artist, so I decided to focus on art and turn it into a business.
Right now, I have a studio, though it’s not quite set up as a gallery yet. It’s still a work in progress, and I hope to develop it into a proper studio gallery in the future. For now, I mainly drive to Adelaide for exhibitions and sell my art online via Instagram and Facebook. I’m also in the process of getting a website built to expand my online presence.
Working with Many Rivers
I was referred to Many Rivers through Centrelink, and one of the staff there connected me with Leigh. She’s been helping me with my business ideas, putting together a business plan, and working through my finances. Leigh also helped me write a resume and prepare for a job interview for a project teaching art in schools.
The business coaching has been the most useful part. It helps me work through things I don’t know and guides me in the right direction. We talk through my ideas regularly, and Leigh helps me brainstorm the best way to approach them.
We’ve also discussed the possibility of a loan, perhaps for a laptop, but I haven’t gone ahead with it yet. Right now, I manage everything myself as a sole trader.
Biggest Challenge
My biggest challenge has been managing my health. Even though art is less physically demanding than my previous work, when I do get sick, it affects my motivation. Being self-employed as an artist requires a lot of drive, so staying motivated despite health setbacks has been my main challenge.
Biggest Success
One of my proudest moments was selling an original artwork for $4,750. Another highlight was working on a mural with another artist, which we charged $10,000 for, though we split the income. I’d say the original artwork sale is the moment I’m most proud of because it took a long time to line up and represented a big step forward in my career.
Biggest Change
The biggest positive change since starting my business has been the flexibility it gives me with my family. I can be there for school drop-offs and pick-ups and structure my work around family life. It allows me to put my family first and choose my own hours instead of being told where I need to be and when.
Future Goals
I want to make the business successful enough to provide a steady and reliable income. I’m not aiming to be a millionaire. Just want to have consistency and stability from my work. I’d like to continue growing my client base, selling more art, and eventually developing my studio into a gallery space while maintaining the balance between work and family life.
Thank you Daniel for sharing your business journey with us. We wish you the best of luck with future endeavours and business success.
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