Artist Resources, Grants for Artists, Creative Projects, Making Money for Artists

What kind of face do you find yourself making when you hear the word "budget?" Is it the same face you make when it's time to go to the dentist? In an ideal world, artists would love if they didn't have to budget and instead create freely, indulging in unchecked amounts of chocolate and coffee along the way. But in this world, creating a budget for your artistic project, however painful it might seem at first, can actually bring you some ease – and maybe even a fresh smile – as you work toward your goal with the knowledge that you don't have any unexpected cavities that need filling.

Tucked behind a small hill of 25 lb rice bags at Costco Wholesale, you can find two-pack jars of Shan Ginger Garlic Paste — 700 grams each. Some purists might turn up their nose at cooking with paste, but when you’re slinging weeknight curries as much as I am, you can’t be too precious with your ingredients. Turns out, grantwriters do the same damn thing! The most effective grantwriting operations know when to reuse material, how to buy time, and critically, what to make from scratch. Oftentimes, it’s the difference between a grant submitted and a grant opportunity you pass up.

In an industry where talking about money often feels taboo, Bills, Bills, Bills is doing something radical: asking theater workers to share exactly what they earn and how they make it work. Published through Lauren Halvorsen's Nothing for the Group newsletter, this crowdsourced series has featured over 40 financial diaries since 2022 — from costume workers in Cleveland to lighting designers in Australia — offering a rare glimpse into the real economics of building a life in the arts. In this conversation, series curator Jenna Clark Embrey talks about breaking down financial stigma, the power of salary transparency, and why she's still a little disappointed Destiny's Child hasn't sent a cease and desist.

Leadership isn't just for executives. As artists, we're constantly leading — our projects, our collaborations, our careers, our creative visions. In this installment of the CEO Chronicles, I speak with leadership coach Kelly Kienzle about finding clarity in confusion, trusting your instincts, and remembering you don't have to figure everything out alone. Give it a listen and let us know what questions you have for Kelly (or myself) in the comments 💬

Each time something new emerges in the world, I get asked how Fractured Atlas thinks about supporting staff. It feels ever more urgent to help the helpers — people trying their best to support the people in their organizations. I’m talking about managers, HR/People people, senior leadership, and anyone else who has some amount of institutional power within organizations to make decisions about resources and activities. I’m just one person working in a People role in an organization, and I’m by no means doing things perfectly. But together we know a lot, and hopefully I can share things I’ve been thinking about to get your ideas rolling. And I want to hear if you have other ideas that I didn’t mention, so comment away!

Picture this: it's a late night in deep February and you're Gollum-hunched over your laptop, sifting through old receipts and invoices, sipping on stale coffee, and wondering if maybe — just maybe — you should have paid someone to do your complex artist taxes this year. Or perhaps you're on the equally harrowing flip side: you just dropped $800 on an energetic social media manager and now you're eating instant ramen for a month, second-guessing whether those fast-paced Instagram reels were really worth it.

Fractured Atlas's mission is to make the journey from inspiration to living practice more accessible and equitable for artists and creatives. We are routinely getting curious about our practices and policies to ensure we are holding true to this mission in every inch of our day-to-day work. That’s why we are excited to announce a big change in policy coming your way!

As we head into tax season this year, and your feelings and fears about taxes begin to swell, remember: there is no tax education in this country. And that’s bananas! It’s no wonder that US tax literacy is so low. So if taxes confuse you, I want to reassure you that you are not alone, and you’re not broken. Your creative work is shifting the culture for good, so let’s make sure you stay on the right side of the law and get the most out of your taxes. That way, you can keep your focus where it belongs: on your amazing work. As an artist and tax pro who helps self-employed creative people manage their taxes, I want to help you navigate the top five tax pitfalls I see in my work.

In the Gentle Reminders series, we provide working artists with essential and convenient reminders for the care and maintenance of a nimble and flourishing creative practice. If your art is a garden, this series is about the continual weeding, watering, and miscellaneous upkeep it requires. A few months ago, we reminded you to review your *!%# contracts. This month, we are exploring how tidying up your virtual workspace can jumpstart your creative practice.

It’s rejection season, baby. For creative beings who bravely put themselves out there this fall and winter, I tip my hat to you—regardless of the outcome. The first months of the year are a notoriously brutal season for artists because, while a small percentage of us just received happy news (you finally got that grant!), the vast majority of working artists are questioning why they poured hours of their precious free time into applications that go nowhere.