In Business? Who Are YOU Reading?

Are you a professional artist, or launching an art career?

Whether you’re a gallery veteran or simply considering selling your art, it’s vital to remain current about the art field as well as business trends in general.

So… who are you reading, to stay current?

One of the most important recent books is Seth Godin’s Linchpin.  It’s changing about 70% of how I spend my online time, and almost everything about my offline art/business activities.  (Godin is talking about art, but not necessarily visual or fine arts.  The book applies to anyone with a job… self-employed or not.)

In addition, I subscribe to updates (or read the RSS feeds) from several people.  Once again, Seth Godin is high on that list.  (See his recent, excellent blog post, The First Rule of Doing Work that Matters.) Dan Zarrella is another one.  (If you’ve never heard of him, this is a typical post:  Introduce Yourself: Why Should We Listen to You?)

To stay current on art trends, read magazines related to art collecting. Generally, watch for regional trends that are likely to spread.

I put the most focus on the European markets, as they often influence what’s going on the States.  However, I also like the American Art Collector Magazine website, especially their Virtual Art Walk.

Look for colors, designs, and price ranges that are popular.  Look for the influence of mixed media and sculpture, paper arts and fiber.

You can benefit from these insights, whether you’re a full-time artist or someone who’s hoping to earn extra money with spare-time creative projects.