Real Artists Don't Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age

Creativity is not a solitary invention but a collaborative creation. Community offers opportunities for creative work to thrive, and that is a kind of magic we can all create.

as much as art needs money, money also needs art. The popes and kings of the world are indebted to artists for preserving their legacies via portraits and tombs and all kinds of art. Art and business have always needed each other and worked together over the years. The world we live in today is the result of such a timeless marriage.

that he was constantly cultivating patrons. What do you do when you find yourself in a position that is less than ideal? Do you quit your job and try to strike out on your own? Not at all. You look around for the closest patron, even if that means your day job. “Follow your curiosities and get a paycheck,” Kabir told me. “Don’t focus so much on the

said his goal was to “live like a pauper, but with plenty of money.” The artist’s name was Pablo Ruiz Picasso.

“All my great opportunities have come from friends,” he said. “You really only need one or two good friends, because it’s really about having someone who’s going to advocate for you. That’s the formula for success.”

Some artists tend to think making money is either a system you sell out to or something to be avoided altogether. But in reality, it’s neither. If you don’t make money, you won’t have any art to make. We must seek to better understand the business of being an artist. Ignoring this reality is the fastest route to stop creating altogether. To be an a

When you steal, don’t just copy and paste the work of your predecessors. Once you have mastered the form, bring those influences together in a new way. Curate before you create. If you do this well, you won’t be merely cribbing other people’s work and passing it off as your own. You will be building on it and making it better.

A network is more than a team of cheerleaders; it’s a diverse group of individuals who offer a set of skills and resources that help each member succeed. After all, not every art student becomes an artist. Some become curators, community organizers, and patrons; others become collectors, dealers, and auction house owners. And nearly all become entr

Genius, he argues, tends to happen in community, not isolation.

We love to praise the “Big Break,” that wonderful moment when the stars align and serendipity visits you, making you an instant success. We wait for such moments, even long for them. But here’s the truth: the Big