In 2023, we don’t gatekeep! We share resources and ideas because our growth is connected to one another. I’ve put together a list of 5 Books for Artists that helped me along my artist journey. It is important to note that these books are for artists who are looking to sell their work and have hopes to support themselves fully off their art practice. These books have a business/career-focus as opposed to a practice/craft-focus.
The Mystery of Making It: Reveals of Secret of Marketing Art by Jack White
“To solve any problem or reach any goal, you don’t need all the answers in advance. But you must have a clear idea of the problem or the goal you want to reach. All you have to do is know where you’re going. The answers will come to you of their own accord. Don’t procrastinate when faced with a difficult problem, break the problem into parts, and handle one at a time…Don’t worry about what lies dimly at the distance, but do what lies clearly ahead. Your biggest opportunity is where you are right now.” (White)
Art Money Success: Finally Make a Living Doing What You Love by Maria Brophy
“Every artwork has a story behind it. Tell the story so that people can latch onto it and build a personal connection with it….Take your story, no matter how boring or exciting you think it is, and find a way to tell it in an interesting way.” (Brophy)
Making It in the Art World: Strategies for Exhibitions and Funding by Brainard Carey
(plus YouTube videos)
“As artists, you are free to create new structures, new ideas, and new ways of making a living from your art. Some of that may include selling shares of your work to the highbrow (and high-end) collector, or trading your artwork for services like medical bills and groceries or exhibiting in local libraries and coffee shops.” (Carey)
How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist by Caroll Michels
“There are two ways to look at the Planet Earth: (1) It is contracting and shrinking—therefore my chances are scarce. Colloquially put, “there ain’t enough to go ’round so I’ve got to get mine!” (2) It is expanding and growing with opportunity—my chances are based on abundance. The choice is mine, and time is my ally” (Michels)
The Artist’s Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love by Jackie Battenfield
“An artist’s life embraces every job description of a small business: creative director, marketing director, bookkeeper, construction manager, secretary, janitor, technician, and publicist…Being an artist is a profession. It is not a vow of poverty.” (Battenfield)