What most people don’t realize about artists is that they’re often entrepreneurs. Their days aren’t just filled with pondering and creation – they photograph and market their work, they pack and ship, they do accounting and bookkeeping, they tend to customer service demands, they do inventory management, they build websites, they reach out to brands, and dozens of other things that they rarely receive credit for.

This is because being a successful artist means running a successful business, and people on the outside typically only see the captain at the helm of the ship, and not the ship itself.

To dive beneath the surface and learn about what makes an artist succeed, check out these blogs, newsletters, and podcasts that each offer a world of refreshing insights you previously may not have known existed.

Credit: Stay Sketchy

1. Stay Sketchy (Blog & Newsletter)

This art business newsletter features a new artist every week who shares their insights on how to grow a successful business around art. These artist case studies help readers learn how different artists are managing to make a living by monetizing the thing they’re most passionate about. Insights are carefully distilled and delivered to the reader, along with useful web tools & applications for artists, and occasional news stories relevant to making money with art.

Credit: Artsy Shark

2. Artsy Shark (Blog)

This website, founded by Carolyn Edlund, hosts a number of resources designed to help artists grow a business. It provides useful art business articles and offers one-on-one business consulting with Carolyn herself. Artsy Shark also offers artist features by publishing individual portfolio articles several times per week. There are also online courses and various forms of website & social media marketing assistance.

Credit: Bad at Sports

3. Bad At Sports (Podcast)

The title of this podcast plays upon the idea that art geeks discovered their passion by learning what they weren’t good at growing up. The weekly episodes discuss all things contemporary art-related and dives deep into various topics like running an independent gallery and the curation process for various exhibits.

Credit: Beyond the Studio

4. Beyond the Studio (Podcast)

Beyond the Studio is a podcast about what happens behind the scenes for artists and creatives. After recognizing there was a gap in professional development for artists, as well as a lack of transparency in the art world, co-hosts Nicole Mueller and Amanda Adams started a podcast as a way to have honest conversations with artists, makers, and business experts to discuss the business side of being an artist.

Credit: Art Biz Success

5. Art Biz Success (Blog & Podcast)

This site, run by Alyson Stanfield, is committed to providing resources to artists that will help them grow into business-savvy professionals. Alyson covers a wide range of topics and guides her readers through the quagmire that is the world of art business. Although many artists would just like to create, she shows the other necessary steps one must take to achieve success.

Credit: Tischler.nz

6. The Creative Endeavor (Podcast)

This art-focused podcast by Andrew Tischler is dedicated to creative professionals wanting to maximize their success with their art career by presenting stories from professional artists around the world. It can be found wherever you get your podcasts. From Andrew’s website, just click the podcast symbol in the top right corner.

Credit: Hyperallergic

7. Hyperallergic (Blog) 

This online publication investigates the inner workings of art institutions and markets, shedding light on the movements and individuals that are fighting for greater inclusion and representation through art. It offers playful, serious, and radical perspectives on art in society.

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Author bio:

Christopher Ray is a writer that enjoys exploring the intersection of art and business. An amateur artist himself, he spends his free time creating black ink illustrations with fine point pens and markers. When not writing or drawing, you can often find him lost in a sci-fi fantasy novel or obsessing over some new creative pursuit.