Using a tough love approach to pursuing a career in the visual arts, Jackie Battenfield expands on her highly successful classes and workshops to provide a comprehensive guide for both emerging and mid-career artists. Providing real-life examples, illustrations, and step-by-step exercises, Battenfield offers readily applicable advice on all aspects of the job. Along with tips on planning and assessment, she presents strategies for self-management, including marketing, online promotion, building professional relationships, grant writing, and portfolio development. Each chapter ends with an insightful Reality Check interview, featuring advice and useful information from high-profile artists and professionals. The result is an inspiring, experiential guide brimming with field-tested techniques that readers can easily apply to their own career.