Artist Shares Advice on Most Boring Parts of Artistic Work

Artistic minds often hate bureaucracy and strict rules, giving themselves entirely to their projects. However, artist Brittnie Ortega believes that it's crucial to track your tasks and have contracts with your clients, even if the mere thought of creating those makes you groan.

To help fellow artists, she showed how to create contracts, invoices, and spreadsheets, so you don't have to get lost in Google search results.

Ortega highlights the importance of starting the process early in your career so you don't have to learn from your own mistakes when something goes wrong because you didn't have a contract.

Contract

"An art contract is there to protect you and list the exact terms of the agreement. It ensures both you and the client are on the same page before beginning the project," she says. It will protect your time, work, and peace of mind.

According to Ortega, your contract should name the sides that agree to the terms you also specify and include signatures. You can also add your brand's image as a bonus and a contract number for easier organization.

"It’s standard for the person drafting the contract (you) to sign first. Clients may request changes and that’s normal. If you’re open to them, make the edits before both parties sign. This ensures everyone is happy with the terms before committing."

Invoice

An invoice is a receipt that "gives both parties a record for their files." It should have information about the service and the cost, payment instructions to show how to transfer money, dates, and possibly an invoice number and your brand image.

"I usually request a 50% deposit upfront (due on signing and before starting the project) and the remaining 50% upon delivery. This helps protect your time and ensures commitment from the client."

Work Tracker

Ortega thinks that keeping track of your projects is essential, even if you work on one piece at a time. It doesn't have to be complex, you can make it as simple as you want, but it should be done to make sure everything is going according to plan.

The artist recommends including your clients' names and the projects you need to make for them, the timeline, payment status, references like the contract number, invoice number, and client contact info, and your notes.

These formal things will help defend you if something goes awry or if you work with someone unreliable. "The less you worry about contracts, invoices, and spreadsheets, the more time and energy you’ll have to focus on what you actually love – making art."

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