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    • How to write an Artist's Statement >
      • What is an Artist Statement?
      • Why you need an Artist's Statement
      • TIPS How to write an artist statement
      • The Language of an Artist's Statement
      • What an artist statement should contain
      • Examples of Artists Statements
    • How to write an Artist's Resume or CV >
      • Social Media summaries
      • CV for Artists
      • Resume for Artists
      • Biography for Artists
    • How to sign a painting, drawing or fine art print
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      • How to find the right gallery
    • The Artist-run Gallery
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    • Alternative Options for Exhibitions
    • How to Sell Art from Home
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    • List of Recommended Picture Framers
    • Conservation Products
    • Framing for open exhibitions and art competitions
    • Framing Videos
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  • SHIP ART
    • How to pack artwork >
      • How to pack and ship pastel paintings
    • Packaging materials
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    • How to ship art to exhibitions
    • How to mail art - Post & Parcel Services
    • UK & Ireland: Art Transport Services
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    • Copyright and artists' rights
    • BASICS: Copyright Infringement and Fair Use
    • How to protect artwork online
    • How to do a reverse image search
    • What to do about copyright infringement - for artists
    • Global Conventions on copyright >
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      • Copyright in Canada
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  • MONEY & TAX
    • How to Price Your Art >
      • How important is price when buying art?
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      • Art Experts on Pricing Art
      • How artists price their art
      • The price of affordable art
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The Working Lives
of
​Professional Artists

What's an artist's life really like?
This page provides some pointers to the reality of working lives for professional artists.


What do you need to do to become a professional artist?
  • What makes the difference between being a professional and an amateur?
  • Can anybody be a professional artist in today's economy?

This page aims to provide some insights into the reality of the working life of the professional artist - that is everything that an artist needs to do and become good at BESIDES making art!
There's a tendency to think of becoming an artist as boiling down to:
  • have talent
  • develop art skills
  • study for an art degree
  • develop a portfolio
  • talk to galleries
  • have an exhibition and sell artwork
However the reality is VERY different. 

There's a LOT more to becoming an artist than simply being able to make art!

How to be an Artist - artists talk about "being an artist"

  • How to be an Artist by Howard Hodgkin - a fabulous RECOMMENDED READ about what it's really like to be an artist
A very distinguished English artist said to me once: ‘I wonder what the art dealers of London would do if there were no art schools. They might have to support artists.’ And on the whole artists are in fact supported by the art schools. They have a life style which comes from having a regular income; if they are really diligent and committed to their quasi-social role they will end up with a pension. But so many of them have said to me: ‘But really you see it’s my work, I can’t stop teaching because I’ve got to pay for my studio and then I wouldn’t be able to travel and so on’. So life goes on.
How to be an Artist by Howard Hodgkin
  • How to Be an Artist, According to Georgia O’Keeffe | Artsy
Despite her reputation as a free spirit, O’Keeffe thrived when her materials were meticulously organized and she stuck to a daily routine.
How to Be an Artist, According to Georgia O’Keeffe
  • An Artist Beyond Isms | New York Times Magazine (2002) - references the routine of Gerard Richter
After lunch, Richter returns to his studio to work into the evening. ''I have always been structured,'' he explains. ''What has changed is the proportions. Now it is eight hours of paperwork and one of painting.''
An Artist Beyond Isms

Articles about "being an artist"

These are articles that focus mainly on the reality that life is not all about making art!
​

The habit most commonly shared among artists is a commitment to answering emails first thing in the morning—and then not thinking about them again.
12 Habits of Highly Effective Artists
Articles tend to highlight the following as being helpful

Features of the Lives of Professional Working Artist
​

​INDEPENDENT
  • work on a freelance basis i.e. you have no employer - only clients
  • self-reliant - if there's nobody else to help you have to get on and do or learn 'how to' for yourself
  • multi-faceted - you have to do everything - and that  also involves knowing/meeting lots of people
  • work odd hours - this is NOT a 9 to 5 job
  • solitary - you spend an awful lot of time on your own
DISCIPLINED
  • disciplined about turning up every morning for ALL the work (including the non-art stuff)
  • create routines - for getting things done and turning up for work
  • focused on getting things done - because unless you make things happen you won't earn any income and you certainly won't make art for pleasure
  • no time off - your art business is on your mind all the time
BUSINESS-LIKE
  • manage money well - you get very good at managing money OR starve OR have to do something else for a living. It's a great incentive!
  • manage time well - you have no personal life if you don't make money and manage your time well
  • manage paperwork well - unless you have a co-operative and supportive partner - because otherwise who else is going to manage it?
  • work cooperatively with others - whether it's a life partner or a group of like-minded artists or people you employ to help you out with the things you need doing - you get much more done when working as a team.
  • have a second job - to make sure you have a roof over your head and can pay the bills on time. A lot of artists also work as an illustrator - via an agent.
​RISK-TAKER
  • no safety nets - You MUST make enough money to provide your own health insurance, maternity pay, sickness benefits etc.
  • no pension - unless you remember to create one for yourself!
REFERENCE
  • 12 Habits of Highly Effective Artists, From Creative Exercise to Living in Airplane Mode (2017) - 11 artists were asked about their work routines and the way they structure their lives to see how these everyday rituals, big and small, make them tick.
  • 10 things about being an artist that art teachers don't tell you | The Guardian (2013) - What art students need to know is: can I make a living from being creative? The answer is more complex than you might think
  • Life as a professional artist | Agora Gallery
  • How do you define a "professional artist"? | Making A Mark - do read the insightful comments​
  • My Life As a Failed Artist - By Jerry Saltz - Decades after giving up the dream for good, an art critic returns to the work he’d devoted his life to, then abandoned — but never really forgot.
It’s not business cards or high grades from high school or university, and it isn’t even the amount of time devoted to art. Many people don’t start their art careers as full-time artists, but instead hold down two jobs – one for the rent, and one for the love of it. 
Life as a professional artist
Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artists
by Sharon Louden
40 individual perspectives on developing and maintaining a creative life - written as narratives, statements and interviews.

The content is insightful in relation to individual perspectives - but highly personalised and sometimes repetitive (in terms of similar points being made again and again)
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Intellect
Publication date: 30 Aug. 2013
Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artists from Amazon UK
Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artists from Amazon.com

Research about Artists' Working Lives
​

From time to time various government and grant funding bodies take a look at the nature of the characteristics of artists - and the lives of working artists.
REFERENCE:
  • Researching Artists’ Working Lives (PDF file) | special research feature lift-out Arts Research Digest, vol 30 (spring), 2004  - The ways in which artists earn a living, the conditions in which they work and the laws and systems that support (and sometimes hinder) them have become increasingly popular subjects of research in the past fifteen years. Phyllida Shaw provides an introduction to the field
  • National Life Stories: Artists' Lives | British Library - Artists' Lives was initiated in 1990 by National Life Stories, the charitable trust based in the oral history section of the British Library, in partnership with Tate Archive and is run in close collaboration with the Henry Moore Institute. Its aim is to enable British artists to create a record of their experiences in their own words to complement, enlarge and sometimes challenge accounts by other commentators.
  • Art - Oral history | British Library - Sounds - This collection documents the lives of individuals involved in British art, including painters, sculptors, curators, dealers and critics. The interviews were conducted as part of Artists' Lives (C466), an ongoing oral history project that was initiated in 1990 by National Life Stories, the charitable trust based in the oral history section of the British Library, in collaboration with Tate Archive. 

An Art Historical Perspective
​

Once upon a time famous artists and past masters were emerging artists learning how to be professional artists. Some learned better than others. More than a few enjoyed fame in their life time - but died in poverty.
​
​REFERENCE
  • Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects - a series of artist biographies written by 16th-century Italian painter and architect Giorgio Vasari, which is considered "perhaps the most famous, and even today the most-read work of the older literature of art",
  • Lives of artists | National Gallery - Follow the careers of the Old Masters: in depth guides exploring the lives of some of the greatest artists at the National Gallery
  • Lives of the artists By Alison M Gingeras | Tate (2004)
Vite
​
Flamboyant. Extravagant. Extroverted. Eccentric. Megalomaniac. Alcoholic. Sexually obsessed. Manic-depressive. Bohemian. There are as many stereotypes as there are anecdotes about famous artists. The inevitable intertwining of an artist’s colourful biography and aesthetic genius has provided fodder for scholarly speculation, populist fascination and plain, old-fashioned entertainment. Beyond the mere sensationalism, how important is persona in understanding an artist’s practice?
  • Lives of the artists By Alison M Gingeras 
Banner Photo by Ivars Krutainis on Unsplash

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ABOUT ART BUSINESS INFO. FOR ARTISTS
This website aims to provide a compendium of resources about the art business for artists. Please read "PLEASE NOTE"

It helps artists learn how to do better at being business-like, marketing and selling their art and looking after their financial security.
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  • Home
    • Art Business Information Index
  • NEWS
  • PRACTICE
    • Best Art Business Books
    • Starting Out - Tips
    • Being a Professional artist >
      • Working Lives of Professional Artists
      • Artists' Residencies
      • Artists Unions
    • Life in an Art Market Recession
    • Image Management for Artists >
      • How to back up image files
    • Law for Artists >
      • Data Protection for Art and Artists
      • Brexit Guidance for Art and Artists
      • Legal Matters
    • Coronavirus COVID-19 and Art >
      • Closures ​of Art Museums and Galleries
    • Risk Management for Artists
    • How to spot Art Scams / Fraud
    • Learning Opportunities >
      • Art Schools in the UK
      • Art Business Courses
  • MARKETING
    • How to write an Artist's Statement >
      • What is an Artist Statement?
      • Why you need an Artist's Statement
      • TIPS How to write an artist statement
      • The Language of an Artist's Statement
      • What an artist statement should contain
      • Examples of Artists Statements
    • How to write an Artist's Resume or CV >
      • Social Media summaries
      • CV for Artists
      • Resume for Artists
      • Biography for Artists
    • How to sign a painting, drawing or fine art print
    • Business Cards for Artists
    • How to write a press release for an artist
    • The Private View Invitation
    • Publicity for Juried Exhibitions
    • Websites for Artists >
      • Why websites matter
      • Options for Websites
      • Web content for Artists
      • Web design for artists
      • Writing for the Web
    • Image sizes for Social Media Sites
    • How to be mobile-friendly
  • SELL ART
    • Trading Law & Regulations for Artists (UK)
    • E-commerce for artists
    • Juried Art Exhibition Checklist for Artists
    • A Guide to Art Agents and Consultants
    • A Guide to Art Dealers & Galleries >
      • How to find the right gallery
    • The Artist-run Gallery
    • The Vanity Gallery
    • Art Fairs
    • Alternative Options for Exhibitions
    • How to Sell Art from Home
    • Open Studios
  • FRAME ART
    • List of Recommended Picture Framers
    • Conservation Products
    • Framing for open exhibitions and art competitions
    • Framing Videos
    • How to hang a picture
  • SHIP ART
    • How to pack artwork >
      • How to pack and ship pastel paintings
    • Packaging materials
    • How to ship art internationally
    • How to ship art to exhibitions
    • How to mail art - Post & Parcel Services
    • UK & Ireland: Art Transport Services
    • USA Art Transport Services
  • COPYRIGHT
    • Copyright and artists' rights
    • BASICS: Copyright Infringement and Fair Use
    • How to protect artwork online
    • How to do a reverse image search
    • What to do about copyright infringement - for artists
    • Global Conventions on copyright >
      • Copyright in the UK
      • Copyright in the USA
      • Copyright in Canada
      • Copyright in Australia
  • MONEY & TAX
    • How to Price Your Art >
      • How important is price when buying art?
      • Options for Pricing Art
      • Terminology and Formulas for Pricing Art
      • Art Experts on Pricing Art
      • How artists price their art
      • The price of affordable art
    • Payments to Artists >
      • Paying Artists
      • How to create an Invoice
    • How to work out profit from an art sale
    • Insurance for Art and Artists >
      • Insurance for Art Teachers
      • UK Insurance Policies for art and artists
      • USA & Canada: Insurance Policies for Art and Artists
    • Artists' Grants & Scholarships
    • Tax Tips for Artists >
      • Tax on prize money
      • UK Tax Tips for Artists
      • UK: Self-Assessment Video Tips
      • USA Tax Tips for Artists
      • Ireland: Tax for Artists
      • Australia: Tax Tips for Artists
    • VAT for Artists
    • Retirement and Pensions for Artists
    • The Art Legacy >
      • Estate Planning for Artists
      • Estate Planning for Art Collectors
      • Famous Artists Estates
      • Artwork Inventory
      • After the Death of an Artist
      • Copyright and Resale Rights after Death
      • Art and Inheritance Tax
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