What is the main message of Art, Inc.?

The main message of Art, Inc. is empowering artists to turn their passion into a successful business.

How long does it take to read Art, Inc.?

The reading time for Art, Inc. varies depending on the reader's speed. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

Who is the author of Art, Inc.?

The authors of Art, Inc. are Lisa Congdon and Meg Mateo Ilasco.

Career & Success

Art, Inc. Book Summary - Art, Inc. Book explained in key points

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Art, Inc. summary

Name: Art, Inc.
Rating: 3.9 (52 reviews)
Author: Lisa Congdon and Meg Mateo Ilasco

Lisa Congdon Meg Mateo Ilasco

The Essential Guide for Building Your Career as an Artist

3.9 (52 ratings)

16 mins

Brief summary

Art, Inc. by Lisa Congdon and Meg Mateo Ilasco is a guide for artists looking to turn their passion into a business. It covers topics such as building a brand, selling work, and managing finances. A must-read for anyone pursuing a career in art.

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Success Design

Table of Contents

Art, Inc.
Summary of 7 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Make your art work for you.

You're making great art but how can you sell it? Sacrificing your worldly possessions and leading a life of struggle until you “make it” may have been the story of some famous artists of the past, but doing the same won’t serve you.

As an artist today who wants to be successful, you need to not only have your creative skills, but also a good mind for business. You need to find your voice and your values, as well as know where to advertise, how to market yourself and sell your work. The following blinks will help you do exactly that.

In these blinks, you’ll find out:

how to find your voice as an artist,
how to sell your work and
how to present yourself to galleries.

Being authentic is the best thing you can do for yourself as an artist.

So many of us want to be great artists. But how do we get there? Study artists of the past, emulate them and their lifestyle? As tempting as it might be, doing the exact opposite is a far better idea.

We’re all aware of the “starving artist myth,” the idea that in order to create something worthwhile artists need to struggle and suffer like Vincent van Gogh. Although a lot of us cling to this myth, it’s a lie.

Being a professional artist doesn’t necessarily entail enduring a tough life and trying to make ends meet. It can actually mean being surrounded by people who care about you and support you, such as your family, friends, mentors and artist circle.

What you will need to keep your creativity thriving is passion, talent and hard work. The place you live and the amount of struggle you go through is irrelevant. So forget the starving artist myth and stop mimicking tortured artists of the past.

Often people tell artists that they need to learn from other established painters or experienced teachers, but the reality is that the best art is art that displays authenticity and the true inner workings of the artist who created it. It’s the art that reflects your history and the events that made you who you are.

Therefore, if you are copying someone else, you won’t be able to innovate. Taking risks, trying different techniques in your work and using different subjects for your inspiration will be far more valuable and worth your while.

The good news is that inspiration is all around you. To stay inspired, try keeping a journal and noting down your observations and activities. You never know when a seemingly insignificant event might become your next source of inspiration.

Being an artist requires you to create a well-run business based on your values.

So you want to be an artist? Fantastic! But first ask yourself, “Do I want to make a living out of it?” If so, you’ll need to be more than an artist; you’ll also need to be an entrepreneur.

To start thinking about yourself in a business sense, the first thing you should do is determine what kind of image you want to project. What type of artist would you like to be? What type of art do you want to make and what are your most important values?

The key to being a successful artist is to promote, promote, promote.

What is most important in the artistic process? The art itself, right? Actually, as important as creating your art is, whether you’re successful or not depends on how effective you are at promoting it. So how can you improve your promotion skills?

Start with the internet, which offers a vast space to promote your work. Make sure you have a good website where people can view your art and read about you as an artist. Make it easy to navigate and have your work readily available for people to view. You’ll also want to make sure you have an easy, memorable domain name.

Create, copy and sell your art as the professionals do.

Being an artist in the modern world is actually pretty great as you can enjoy many benefits that previous generations never had.

One main advantage is access to digital technology. Whether you’re a photographer or a painter, modern technology is a real asset. One such technology is digital reproduction. By replicating your work this way, you can sell your art to a multitude of people.

Exhibitions can be a great way to show your work to the world.

There are many different artists and all have different requirements when it comes to displaying their work.

For many, the goal is becoming a gallery artist, a visual artist who shows her work in exhibitions. So let’s look at how to do this.

One potentially lucrative path for an artist is to enter the illustration world.

So we’ve seen how to get started as a gallery artist. Yet this is just one road an artist can choose to go down. Another rewarding path you can follow is illustration.

The illustration world is largely commercial and you’ll need to have a good idea of how exactly you’ll sell your work there. To do this, first think about which area you wish to focus on.

Relish your productive and unproductive time.

Constant movement keeps artists working and in the flow. But taking breaks every now and then is just as important and experiencing peaks and valleys is normal.

If you’re experiencing some downtime in your career, it doesn’t mean that you have to stop working on anything altogether. You can use your downtime to refresh your portfolio, take up a personal project, make new connections with people in the local scene or even take on a residency. These can be highly beneficial to help you evolve artistically.

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What is Art, Inc. about?

Art, Inc. is a practical guide for artists who want to earn a living from doing what they love. Art, Inc. presents the business side of the art world in a palatable way, sharing useful advice and practical guidance.

Art, Inc. Review

Art, Inc. (2014) is a comprehensive guide for artists looking to turn their passion into a profitable business. Here's what makes this book worth reading:

Full of practical tips and strategies, it offers actionable advice on marketing and promoting artwork, helping artists navigate the business side of the art world.
Through interviews and case studies with successful artists, the book provides valuable insights into building a thriving art career, making it a valuable resource for aspiring artists.
With its inspiring stories and expert advice, the book keeps readers engaged and motivated, making the journey to artistic success both enjoyable and fulfilling.

Best quote from Art, Inc.

Much of what separates successful artists from those who struggle is simply their mindset.

—Lisa Congdon and Meg Mateo Ilasco

Who should read Art, Inc.?

Artists who want to stop struggling and earn money from their work
Artists who want to understand the business side of the art world

About the Author

Lisa Congdon is an illustrator and has worked for The Museum of Modern Art, The Obama Campaign and Simon & Schuster. Her work has also been shown in The Bedford Gallery and The Contemporary Jewish Museum.

Meg Mateo Ilasco is a creative entrepreneur and author of seven books including Craft, Inc. She has been a guest on Martha Stewart Living Radio and her work has been featured in Real Living and Real Simple.

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