What Entrepreneurs Can Learn from the Business Successes (and Failures) of Artists Surprisingly, artists face many of the same career challenges as people in business.

In business, there's a common misconception that the world of the visual arts and the corporate world are diametrically opposed. Artists — so this misconception goes — work purely in pursuit of a passion without concern for financial gain. On the other hand, starting a business is all about financial success.

Yet visual artists (as well as other working artists such as musicians, actors, poets, novelists and others) face many of the same challenges as entrepreneurs do when building their careers. Many artists will frankly tell you that, first and foremost, they are an entrepreneur—and that it's a cutthroat business.

Related: Brutal Lessons From 4 Failed Startups