“In business settings, a creative mind is an advantage,” says Matthew Charboneau, head of the COSE Arts Network. Yes, right-brained creative types can master the left-brained analytics of business, but artists often need help turning their passion into sales. We asked Charboneau and Cleveland Institute of Art director of career services Amy Goldman for their advice.
Start with the basics. That means creating a business plan and marketing strategy immediately. “You see patterns with artists who are successful business people,” Charboneau says. “They establish their business persona aside from their personal persona.”
Get help. Cleveland Institute of Art students are now required to take a course called “business and professional practices,” with one track focusing solely on entrepreneurship, says Amy Goldman, CIA director of career services. After graduation, plenty of groups lend artists a hand, like the COSE Arts Network, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and the Red Dot Project.
Don’t take it personally. “With artists, sometimes the rejection of their personal work gets in the way [of their business],” Goldman says.
Get out of the studio. “Most artists prefer to be in their studios and not focus on the business aspects,” Goldman says.