Why Artists Should Learn How To Do Business

As a creative person, having a business degree helped me immensely.

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When I was first deciding what college I should attend, it never crossed my mind that I should major in something like photography, film, or writing.

As the child of an immigrant from Iran and a factory worker, college was seen as a medium where I should get a degree in something “useful,” that it was the opportunity to escape the harder lives my parents had doing more physical labor to get a comfortable job that paid really well.

So I went off and got two business degrees, then did my minors in the liberal arts. I’d attended an arts high school and was already a published writer, so it would’ve made sense if I had majored in this later.

However, I now tell a lot of people that this was the best thing that ever happened to me as a writer, artist, and creative. A lot of people tend to go into these professions, and acting, with the expectation that they’re going to be seen and appreciated.

There’s a certain level of narcissism and ethos that goes into creative professions, but a lot of people really do not know how to get their name and brand out there as a creative.

Here’s what I’ve learned throughout the years.

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It helps you view it through the lens of personal branding and entrepreneurship.

I tell people to ignore this point if you don’t care about making money off of your craft, but if you’re struggling in a capitalistic society where you need said money to survive, this is more applicable. In order words, if you’re not rich and want a side income at least from your art, this is more applicable.

Throughout my degrees, I took business and marketing courses. A lot of these were geared towards companies and product marketing, but it made something click in my brain, especially when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

I was reading a biography of Warhol a while ago during this period, and it confirmed what I was thinking: he’s well known because he treated himself like a business and knew how to market.

Not everyone wants to be well known, but if you want to make money off of what you’re doing, people at the very least need to know who’s making the art or build a personal brand.

I started experimenting during COVID especially with this. I started this website, then began blogging. It has turned into a significant income stream in the past year, but before that I saw it as a tool to get my name out there. People could recognize my name. I also began building up my social media from the ground up, figuring out how to channel all of my LinkedIn and website followers onto, say, Instagram.

Something I really prioritized during this time was digital networks and community building, too. By surrounding yourself with like minded people who are also ambitious, you’re going to make some excellent, supportive friends who help you out in a time of need.

If you want to make an income off of your art, you have better means to situate yourself.

This ties heavily into the previous point and header I made: you need to know who you are as an artist if you want to start making money from it. Know your audience and pick wisely where you want your name to appear.

For example, early on I began taking on more interview opportunities and teaching so I could be able to meet people outside of my usual spheres, and then I realized there’s an entire world of BIPOC authors I had no idea about in New York. That’s what gave me the peace of mind outside of the financial aspects of things, as I realized why I continue to write and make art (it’s really not the money, but I like to survive).

I find this a tip that helps you become a better artist in general. Obviously never change yourself, your aesthetic, or what you’re doing to chase after the money. I always think of Frank from Merrily We Roll Along in that scenario: he sells himself and his passion out in order to become wealthy.

But by understanding who you are as an artist and realizing the cultural forces and communities at play, you find your people and are able to support them as they support you.

You understand the systems at play and how they work.

As an Iranian American woman working outside of the conventions of my culture and what’s expected of me, I am deeply aware of the expectations on artists of color.

There’s a tendency to gatekeep what kind of work we do, and the ones that do end up represented, published, showing at galleries are the ones often playing by the rules.

There are systems in place run by those in power, and if you don’t play nice with them, they’re probably going to try and lock you out of the rat race.

Take some time to understand the business side of things and who’s running these gigs. Make some connections, talk around. I’ve personally found my favorite spaces are the ones that aren’t run by the big players, as they typically don’t represent the ideals I myself push in my everyday life.

They’re also very traditional at times and aren’t as supportive as you probably think they are.

There’s a backup plan for the starving artist if you know business and marketing.

While I now make a sizable income off of my writing and art, I freelanced for several years after I graduated from business school. I often worked with smaller companies in New York City led by people of color and advocating for social justice, which means I was working with causes I was super passionate about in the end.

Typically I did marketing, website, SEO, and PR work for these kinds of companies on top of more stable gigs throughout graduate school, meaning I went through my master’s degree debt free because of how much I was making.

Once you have these hard skills, you’re going to be able to fit more easily in administrative and business based gigs.

Whether it’s working for a local theater, which makes you connections as a playwright and actor as well, or doing gigs for an arts nonprofit that has major connections to the donor or gallery world, strategically think about where each step might help you.

Along the way, you might be surprised at what’s to come because of the other skills you’ve picked up along the way.

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