The ArtSmart CashFlow tool allows you to look at your income and budget and make sure you don’t get caught off guard.

The ArtSmart CashFlow, which is in your toolkit, lets you look at current stability, future potential, and old obligations—helping you take the lead in the dance of support, money, and exposure. I often take this tool for granted until I see an artist’s shoulders start to relax as we figure out that, no, their student loan repayment isn’t going to swallow them up. What you get is real-time analytics, showing you where you can pivot with the current funds you have available. You’ll also be able to see when you might be in danger of running out of money. 

While a budget is relatively static, the ArtSmart CashFlow shows you how quickly you’re burning money over a specific period, taking the inconsistent income of most artists into account, as well as the reality of debt and loans, taxes, and unexpected payments. 

There are many uses for a cash flow analysis, such as planning to fund an exhibition or deciding how much money you’ll need to save to quit your day job. It helps you to ask the question: should I be saving, paying off debt, or expanding my practice?

As we’ll see in the section “Paying Back Debt”  there are only three ways to deal with deficits—making more money, spending less money, or taking on debt. 

Looking at your finances in this way rebalances your relationship to money, showing you how you can treat it with care and respect so that it promotes your autonomy. 

The ArtSmart CashFlow has its own tab in the ArtSmart Budget. You will be pulling information in from the ArtSmart Budget so ensure it’s up to date. You will also need a personal budget, or at least a note of your total available savings, and your estimated income for the coming year.