Artists & Designers

The gallery takes 50%. The client wants “pop more but also minimal.” The lease on the studio just doubled. Artists and designers face a business reality that art school never mentioned. This category is for illustrators, ceramicists, graphic designers, and furniture makers who want to get paid fairly and work sustainably. Write about pricing commissions when the client has a huge budget, writing contracts that address revisions and kill fees, or handling unpaid invoices without burning bridges. Share tax deduction lists for home studios, grant application examples that won, and strategies for saying “no” to spec work. Expect articles on licensing illustrations for merchandise, photographing 3D work for portfolios, and negotiating with framers or fabricators. No toxic positivity. Just spreadsheets, contracts, and keeping the creative life solvent.