Let’s face it — art school taught you how to blend colors, master perspective, and create stunning visual narratives. But when it came to running a business? 

Crickets.

That fantastic education gave you technical mastery and creative foundations, but most programs simply don’t have the bandwidth to cover the business side of creative careers. Most of us graduate with amazing portfolios but limited knowledge about turning our talent into sustainable income.

After graduating from RISD in 2008 and years of building my own creative business (plus helping countless other creatives build theirs), I’ve identified some important business skills that aren’t typically covered in traditional art education.

Here are 10 essential business concepts that can complement your artistic training and help turn your creative passion into a thriving business:

1. Pricing Your Work (AKA How Not to Work for Peanuts)

Art school’s approach to pricing: crickets intensify

It wasn’t just glossed over in my program — it literally NEVER CAME UP. Not once. No wonder so many talented artists are selling their souls (and work) for a fraction of what they’re worth.

Determining your prices isn’t just about materials + time + markup. It’s about understanding your value, your market position, and building a sustainable model that supports your long-term financial wellbeing.

My approach to pricing involves psychology, market research, and a clear understanding of your unique value. Without this foundation, you’re essentially throwing darts blindfolded and hoping you hit “profitable.”

2. Marketing & Self-Promotion Without Feeling Like a Sleazeball

“Make great art and they will come” might be the biggest lie ever told to creative people.

The truth? Your marketing drives your sales, which drives your finances. Without it, you just have a very expensive hobby.

And this landscape has transformed COMPLETELY since I graduated in 2008 (not to date myself). Social media platforms rise and fall (I’m looking at you, Clubhouse), algorithms change, and attention spans shrink by the millisecond.

Getting comfortable with self-promotion isn’t optional — it’s the oxygen your business needs to survive. But it doesn’t mean becoming someone you’re not. The most effective marketing for creatives actually feels aligned with who you are and draws your perfect people straight to you.

3. Contracts & Legalities (Or “How Not to Get Screwed”)

I’m definitely not a lawyer, but I can tell you this with absolute certainty: ALWAYS HAVE A CONTRACT.

Art school barely mentioned intellectual property, licensing, or how to protect your work from being stolen or used without compensation. Meanwhile, in the real world, these issues can make or break your business.

My non-legal, legal advice? Get professional help drafting your contracts, especially for important projects. Being proactive about protecting your work means you’ll spend less time (and money) in legal battles later.

4. Financial Management That Won’t Make You Hide Under the Bed

I’m also not an accountant! But I can tell you that understanding your numbers is non-negotiable.

Most creatives I know avoid spreadsheets like the plague. I get it. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: your creativity cannot thrive if your finances are a mess.

Establishing simple financial rhythms — regular check-ins with your numbers, understanding cash flow, and planning for inconsistent revenue — transforms finance from the scary F-word to “F yeah, I’ve got this!”

5. Client Experience (AKA Preventing Nightmare Clients)

This might be my biggest sweet spot, and it was FOR SURE never covered in art school.

Knowing how to communicate effectively, set boundaries, manage expectations, and handle different personalities isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s essential to your sanity and success.

A stellar client experience can actually take the pressure off sales. When your clients become raving fans, they send more business your way. It’s like having a marketing team you don’t have to pay.

6. Networking That Doesn’t Feel Like Pulling Teeth

I spent years DREADING networking events. The awkward small talk, the business card exchange, the feeling like I needed to “sell myself” — ugh.

What I learned later? Networking isn’t about any of that stuff. It’s about building genuine relationships that create mutual value.

Now, networking is something I’m intentional about, and I always advise my clients to approach it the same way. As cliche as it may sound, your network literally determines your net worth in the creative industry.

7. Time Management (Because You Can’t Do It All)

Being a creative entrepreneur means wearing approximately 17 hats at once — I did the math.

Art school taught you to pull all-nighters to finish projects but didn’t teach you sustainable productivity practices. The result? Burnout.

Beyond just time management, you need systems for organization, file management, and project management. Without these, you’ll spend half your time looking for that one layer in that Photoshop file from 2019.

8. Selling Without Feeling Like You Need a Shower Afterward

Without sales, you just have a very expensive hobby. Full stop.

While marketing attracts potential clients, turning that interest into actual revenue demands a unique set of capabilities that art school doesn’t usually cover. These include:

• The psychology of purchase decisions and overcoming objections
• Creating friction-free buying processes that convert interest into sales
• Setting up seamless payment systems and delivery methods
• Following up appropriately without being pushy
• Knowing when (and how) to negotiate

The mechanics of transactions — whether through e-commerce, in-person sales, or custom proposal processes — is a learning curve that art school completely ignores.

Effective selling as a creative isn’t about being pushy. It’s about connecting the right solutions with the right people at the right time. When you nail this, selling feels less like a necessary evil and more like a service.

9. Building a Long-Term Career (Not Just a Flash in the Pan)

This is LITERALLY what my entire approach is about. We’re here to build businesses that last and support you, not temporary success that fizzles out.

Many creatives focus on immediate sales rather than sustainable growth. But building a career requires strategy, continual evolution, and planning for the future.

Your creative business should fuel your creativity, not drain it. That means establishing systems and foundations that can weather market changes and evolve as you do.

10. Rejection & Resilience (The Emotional Rollercoaster)

This is actually an area where I feel RISD prepared me well! Learning to take constructive criticism and be discerning about what feedback to incorporate was baked into the curriculum.

But even with that foundation, the emotional toll of entrepreneurship requires ongoing mindset work. Your creative blocks might actually be business problems in disguise, and unlocking your CEO mindset is a never-ending process.

COO Tip: Want to dive deeper into any of these areas? Check out my free resources on pricing, marketing, client experience, and more on the blog!

The Bottom Line

Art school gave you technical skills, but building a successful creative business requires an entirely different toolkit.

The good news? You don’t have to learn it all through trial and error like I did. I’ve packaged everything you need to know into Business Building for Creatives — a comprehensive, self-paced course designed specifically for creative entrepreneurs like you.

In this course, I’ll guide you through building your creative business from the ground up, covering everything from pricing and marketing to client management and financial systems. You’ll get access to customizable templates, spreadsheets, and step-by-step guidance to transform your creative passion into a thriving, sustainable business.

Ready to fill the gaps art school left wide open? Enroll in Business Building for Creatives today!

No more guesswork. No more overwhelm. Just the exact business foundation you need to make your creative dreams a reality.