There are so many resources out there for Independent artists it can sometimes be hard to know where to begin. Here are my top 4 books that I would recommend an artist read to get started, especially if they’re of a more “entrepreneurial” mindset.

Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon

This book is stuffed full of good advice for a creative. Austin speaks to the creative about lifestyle, how we can find inspiration (there is nothing new under the sun!), and navigating the creative world.

This book is 10 concepts that I think every creative, especially an independent artist, should understand and know.

This is Marketing by Seth Godin

Seth Godin has always been my go-to for marketing content and education. His talks and posts have taught me a lot over the years. I think this book is a great resource for anyone thinking about marketing in this day and age.

Storybrand by Donald Miller

About 3 years ago I had the opportunity to attend a Storybrand workshop with my dad’s company. It opened my eyes to how simple marketing can be and how your story, the story of your brand, should be portrayed online and to your customer.

For the independent artist, this book can be a little harder to wrap your head around since the wording is referring to more “corporate” businesses, or at least something more traditional in that sense, but the content is so valuable none the less.

Deep Work by Cal Newport

This book changed how I used my time and in such a big way it is one book I recommend to anyone looking to improve and get things done.

As an independent, it’s easy to fall into distraction and I don’t necessarily mean the endless scroll of social media. We have emails to reply to, stuff to ship, inventory from the last show to upload – the list is usually long. Unfortunately, it can take us away from the things that require our complete concentration.

This book helped me understand the value of working without distraction and how much more I could complete!

Thumbnail Image by Claudia Wolff from Unsplash