How Women In The Arts Balance Creativity And Business

Many creatives dream that their art will be the way they earn their living. Artists absolutely deserve an income and shouldn’t have to hustle hardcore to survive, but that old stereotype of the painter working as a waitress by day “until they make it” unfortunately still rings true.

Lots of us struggle to find that balance between our creativity and business, and it sometimes feels like it will be impossible to break free. Some women artists are crushing it, though, and that’s who we want to look to for help in finding that balance between creativity and business.

A stroll through Paris may be many an artist’s dream, but French artist Lucy Lucy determined that her best career move was a literal one: relocating to Australia.

According to an interview Lucy gave on the Arts to Heart podcast team, she felt that establishing herself in an oversaturated space would impact her ability to find success. In contrast with the reputation of Paris as “the” art world, Melbourne offered Lucy a more supportive environment and smaller community in which to develop her voice and creative practices. Now she travels the world painting murals and exhibiting her artwork. She doesn’t have to constantly hustle like an emerging actor would in Hollywood.

Gallery owner and artist Reena Lath discusses the importance of one’s spiritual devotion in the artist’s journey in an interview with Arts to Hearts. In this era of constant digital contact and creation, artists are losing their connection to their creativity. Reena suggests that artists should instead focus on the depth of emotion and spirituality found in creativity. It’s easy to throw together unexceptional art — be it written, painted, or performed — and call it “good enough,” but if you’re not letting your passions lead you and turn to mass production instead, you’re in danger of losing both your creative voice and ruining your business.

None of us must be told that the housing and job markets are tough these days. Musician Cassandra Jenkins gets real about the issues and why she’s chosen self-care over the constant demands of touring in an interview with The Creative Independent. She said, “In terms of touring, I think my strategy right now is just to do as little damage as possible, which is a weird position to be in because touring too is such a privilege.” It’s about security, keeping a roof over your head and food on the table.

The touring life sounds glamorous but it’s also incredibly hard work and takes a toll on your soul and body. She said, “At a certain point, you have to prioritize your wellbeing. And if you’re not, yeah, I’m kind of over grinning and bearing it when it comes to touring because who am I doing it for at the end of the day?”

In an interview with Entreprenuer.com, multidisciplinary artist and early NFTs adopter Ellen Sheidlin discussed the importance of finding the right support team. An effective team allows her to “remain an artist and dedicate all [her] creative energy to making art, while entrusting the business side to professionals who truly understand it.” That team provides the space for balance between that hustle life and creating truly inspiring art. Ellen has exhibits all over the world, now, thanks to that team, and doesn’t spend every waking moment on social media trying to build her brand.

Ekaterina Popova, one of the women behind Create! Magazine shared a critical point in an interview with Cultbytes. As the term “artrepreneur” becomes more commonplace, and with it the mentality that we must not only be artists but also event planners and promoters, the challenge of finding this balance becomes more difficult.

Ekaterina said, “I learned the hard way that it’s best to limit yourself to no more than two projects at a time and to be aware of the risk of burnout. Remember that the reason we pursue art is because we love creating, so it’s essential to prioritize our time and energy for our true passions.”