The Art of Business

Andy Worhal has some quote about being good at the business of art and that's exactly what I learned this year: ART IS MORE ABOUT BUSINESS THAN BEING CREATIVE.

I'm an artist. A creative. Dance, fashion, photography, curating art exhibitions ... it's all under the "artist" umbrella. How to make a sustainable living from those art avenues is an entirely different story. I opened the gallery because "I want to make artists money". I was tired of being around my peers, discussing art, creating art and staying broke. I wanted to provide a place where we could make money ... and we did.

Those first two years were great (as it is for most new businesses). The gallery was new. Like a bright shiny toy that everyone wanted to play with. For me, I came in hard and fast: posting online everyday on multiple channels, partnering with local schools/libraries, curating offsite spaces, creating events/workshops at the gallery, a new exhibition every month and ... then ... I got burnt out. Year 3 ... 2025 ... a lot less workshops, I didn't partner with anyone, zero offsite curating gigs. Nothing. I was tired. Why? Because I was treating the gallery as a creative space and not running it like a business.

As artists, we know how to hustle. Some of us know how to hustle and make things work because that's what our childhood consisted of. Others just pick it up as they're growing more as an artist. What a lot of us miss (myself included) is how to turn that hustle mentality into entrepreneur mentality. Don't get me wrong, entrepreneurs still hustle, but they hustle smarter not harder. Year 3 was me hustling hard and it took it's toll.

Constantly throwing things against a wall to see what sticks is exhausting, so I hired a business coach for 2026. I hired her back in November and she's already opened my eyes to A LOT of missed revenue opportunities. In the past, I could frequently be heard saying is "I just want to bring people together through art and music" and I have been. There's no doubt in my mind that I'm good at bringing people together, however in order for those gatherings to be financially beneficial is what I want to focus on in 2026.

Opening an art gallery and thinking it's all about community is a sweet lie I told myself a few years ago. Now? I'm running it like I birthed a tech company out of Silicon Valley. Finances and numbers. How is it going to make me money so the gallery can grow and I can put MORE money in the pockets of artists and myself without burning out? Small business burnout is a real thing. Looking back I was burnt out for most of 2025 because I ran myself to death those first 2 years, but not anymore.

The first thing my business coach told me to do was to write down every stream of revenue I have or could have. That's the advice I'm giving you if you're a small business owner : there are at least 3 more ways you could be generating revenue. You're just not thinking of them, but maybe reading this will trigger an idea for you! Anyway, I wrote down a list of revenue streams and WOW. Writing it on paper really opened my eyes. I wrote down each stream of income and how much I wanted to earn each month with them. When I write my "To Do List"? I start by looking at my revenue streams to see what needs to be done.

GAME CHANGER

For me, this little change in my day made a big difference:)

If you're looking to expand your business and get yourself a little more organized and focused, reach out to Nicole Marquis. We went to Temple Unv. together and I've always admired her business growth. Her sessions boarder on business and therapy which I say with great enthusiasm. Her compassion along with strong business sense is something I look forward to every 2 weeks.

Instagram - Nicole Marquis

Email - nicole@nicolemarquisco.com