Arts & Numbers: A Financial Guide for Artists, Writers, Performers, and Other Members of the Creative Class

Being an artist of various media myself, I really wanted to read this book because my curiosity got the best of me. At one point in my life I worked nearly around the clock to manage my business, my store, my designs, my writing and my music. It was sometimes maddening to manage it all and keep all concerned happy, including customers as well as employees. As I said, my curiosity was peaked and I really wanted to see if there were vital things that I should have already known. If you are venturing out into the world of The Arts, or even already working in the field, then I do recommend reading through this book. It`s some pretty invaluable information for any artist. An artist`s mind and heart sometimes do not sync up as properly as they should, because we have an intellectual side to our brain and we have a creative side to our brain. We are usually caught up in a frenzy of creative passion and urgency to achieve the results that we hope for with our individual crafts. This book can help you sort that out.Please continue reading to learn more about this book.The creative class—artists, actors, writers, musicians, freelancers, dancers, performers, and the like—are known for applying their passion for creative expression to everything they do. Perhaps the one thing that most fills this group with apprehension is the rigid world of numbers. This leads to problems arising from the unconventional financial and business situations of creative professionals, as well as the nonprofit organizations with which they're often affiliated. Finances, budgeting, and business matters can be dreaded, if not outright ignored, by creatives--to the detriment of their artistic pursuits.Author, artist, and CPA Elaine Grogan Luttrull has written Arts & Numbers to help creative professionals find the same confidence in their financial dealings as in their chosen mode of expression. It is an engaging, accessible guide that covers a variety of must-know topics, such as budgeting, cash management, visual charting, taxes, employment, and business etiquette. In a simple, straightforward style, Luttrull draws examples from smooth-flowing narratives depicting common issues within the arts worlds, as well as from her own personal anecdotes. Unlike stuffy textbooks and patronizing business books, Arts & Numbers is a lively and artfully done ally in helping creative professionals plan their present financial situations and secure their futures.

This book does exactly what it says it will do. It starts the readers onto the road of financial literacy as it pertains to their creative endeavor. As a former banker and an MBA, this book did not offer much in the practical way of financial knowledge, but that isn't the point. This is a great primer for the particular task of understanding "numbers" and giving the creative professional the skills, vocab and knowledge to actually be financial literate.The exercises are practical and instructive. This isn't going to make you a wall street wizard. This book is however going to make you able to hold your own during contract negotiations, make you able to speak with a banker or grant writing foundation and not seem flaky and financially illiterate.If I were still working as a banker, I would recommend this book to clients, especially younger professionals, who were seeking to achieve financial literacy.My only complaint and this is for the publisher-- on my kindle-- every chart, illustration and graph appeared on a separate page from the descriptive text. This is super annoying and made the illustrations, charts and graphs way less useful to me. Since the book is directed at creative professionals, many of who will be graphic artists, this seems sloppy and unprofessional on the part of the publisher. It is the 21st century-- your e-book needs to reflect that.

This is the best basic money stuff book I've read so far for those of us in the so-called creative entrepreneur category. The whole category is somewhat too broad to be useful, as it lumps together well-paid professions like accounting with underpaid ones like dance. Still, it's hard to find basic financial advice that is framed for people with irregular incomes from a variety of sources, and this book fits the bill.Although I sometimes found the book's jargon annoying, the concept of the "portfolio career" was quite helpful. The covers everything from basic personal budgeting and book keeping to writing a business plan. Although I think I'm pretty on top of things, it inspired me to put together a personal balance sheet and to try automating some of the bookkeeping that I've been doing manually for both myself and my husband.I highly recommend this book to anyone with an irregular income who wants to get a better handle on their finances, including artists, writers, etc. even if some of the people in the book's examples have an enviable ability to accurately forecast their financial lives.

My wife bought this and loved it. I read two chapters in the airport and enjoyed it.Seems genuinely healpful. And a very easy straight forward narrative, like not reading a Personal finance book, it’s a bit like a story about several different people and finance happens to people the part of their life where observing.Might be fun for the author to explore a choose your own adventure style next time...like what if Phil makes some seriously irresponsible financial choices...O no! Yup, don’t do that either.

As the author on a book about taxes for folks in the arts I thought Ms. Luttrull's book was fantastic. It helps practicing artists working to gain financial literacy in their creative pursues on such issues as budgeting, setting goals, cash management as well as taxes. Clearly written and smart,  New Tax Guide for Writers, Artists, Performers, and Other Creative People highly recommended

When I first looked at the author's credentials (A CPA and an artist? Huh?) and glanced at the blurb, I figured that this would be a stuffy business book with some "cute" math review exercises thrown in. Boy, was I wrong! I never imagined that managing one's finances could be so important for creative professionals ("starving artist" is a useless stereotype that ultimately crushes your soul). This book is an absolute MUST READ for anyone who wants to lead a satisfying creative life.

I was so impressed with this book; I contacted the author for permission to excerpt in my Art Marketing News blog that is read by nearly 10,000 artists every week. It contains information every artist needs to know. I've advised artists for decades. One common issue is a lack of financial management and savvy. This book helps remove the mystery, and if artists follow its advice, it will make them stronger, smarter businesspeople. There is no reason for artists not to take the business side of their careers as seriously as they do in making their art. When they get both working correctly​, you nearly always find the best success stories.Elaine Grogan Luttrull may be a CPA, but she has the soul of an artist. She has managed to take a subject artists and many other small business people eschew to the peril of their business. Only someone who walks the talk on both creativity and finance could have written this book. That perfectly describes the author.

For anyone who wants to choose being an artist, painter, musician or dancer as their career goals, they should read tis book first. This books makes you face the reality of what it takes to survive as an artist, painter, dancer, etc.