At Fractured Atlas and on this blog, we talk about money a lot. We cover why it’s hard to talk about money, how artists can raise money, and argue that pay transparency is anti-racist. We cover crowdfunding, grants, and how to improve your chances at succeeding in both of these ventures.

We know most artists don’t dream of managing multiple administrative tasks, juggling deadlines, and delegating work to your team. But, it’s also true that artists need to be able to do that administrative work to realize your visions, especially if they are ambitious, complex, and involve multiple different team members.

Most artists tend to dream of working diligently and purposefully on your art. For many, it’s an unpleasant surprise to realize just how much non-art work has to happen to support your art.

It’s no surprise that people who have been working remotely this past year (or for longer) are sick of Zoom. I’ve been a remote worker for years but it is only this past year that the video face boxes fill me with a deep sense of exhaustion and boredom. For years, Zoom was what I used for work, but now it has to also be what I use to talk to my family and mentor, and to watch movies with my friends.

When operating an arts organization or other kind of project, you have to decide what kind of formal structure is best for that project. Should you be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit? A worker-owned co-op? A collective? A business? A community group without any official structure?

Artists and arts organizations need to be able to communicate with your community, your audience, your donor network. You can and should use social media, paper mailings, or phone calls but the email list is golden.

It’s not unusual for an artist to take on a lot of roles in the creative process. You can be a multi-hyphenate director/choreographer/performer, a writer/editor, a producer/host, and much more. In addition to wearing multiple creative hats, artists are often your own project manager, grant writer, fundraiser, PR person, finance department, and social media manager.

One of the ways that people (including artists) get the word out about upcoming events, projects, goings-on, partnerships, and more is through PR, or public relations.

At Fractured Atlas, we talk a good deal about 501(c)(3) nonprofit status for a few reasons. That’s our own tax designation as an organization, so it’s on our minds. But we don’t just write about it or think about it because it affects us as an organization. We talk about it because it is through our 501(c)(3) status that we are able to support other artists and arts organizations via fiscal sponsorship.

For artists who are looking to raise money by crowdfunding, you’ll be reaching out to your personal network for support, including your family and friends. On the one hand, it’s most natural that the people closest to you will be the most enthusiastic about your creative vision. But on the other hand, it can be tricky to ask for donations from your nearest and dearest.