Must Have Books for Serious Artists

 I know the business end of an art career is on the bottom of the list of enthusiast endeavors for most artists but it is a necessary evil if you want to continue to create art and also have a life.  I'm currently pursuing art in parallel to a full-time computer job so a lot of the pressure to earn a living with my art is not as heavy than if art was my sole source of income, but that being said, I believe also allows me to slack off a little more easier than I would like to.  In order to keep on track with my art I have to create a schedule of tasks for myself and I created a time line to achieve those goals by.  I took this idea and many others from the three books I mention below.

I don't believe in recommending or endorsing any product unless I've used them or in this case, that I've read them.  Therefore, I can say honestly that as an artist who's serious about their art work and the business of art, you have to read the following three books on the business of art.  Even if you purchase the book, use the information and resell it in Amazon.

Here are the 3 must-have books on the business of art:

1. "I'd Rather Be in the Studio!" by Alysson B. Stanfield
2. "How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist: Selling Yourself Without Selling Your Soul" by Carol Michels
3. "The Artist's Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love" by Jackie Battenfield,

Since I've read these really informative books I've been taking steps to move my art goals forward.

I've created my own web site http://www.rickmercerdesigns.com/ along with this blog, participated in an art festival, and signing up for Rob's workshop is one of the more larger steps I'm taking to improving my artwork.  My goal is to take a least one workshop a year and possibly two per year if finances permit.  I plan on using a lot more of the ideas within the pages of these books and see where the future and my art take me.