Happy Halloween, trick-or-treaters! Grab some candy corn, a mug of hot cider, and a blanket—it’s time for our third and final art world horror story of the year. Produced by NOT REAL ART parent company Crewest Studio, Art World Horror Stories is a podcast series about bad things that happen to good artists. 

On today’s podcast episode, host and NOT REAL ART founder Scott “Sourdough” Power shares some spine-tingling anecdotes from his personal collection of art world horror stories. Rather than indulging every screwup and screw over from his 30-year career in the arts, Scott distills the horror into five practical tips for artists at every stage of their careers. “One of the lessons I've learned over 30 years in the art world, working with artists and doing projects with clients, is that poor negotiation skills result in bad deals,” he says. “Get that signed contract. You will live a happier, healthier life, not horrified and mortified by art world shenanigans.”

Tuning in, you’ll learn about the value of comprehensive communication, solid negotiation, copyright protection, clear contracts, and stoking demand for original art. Yes, bad things still happen to good artists, but they’re significantly less likely if you implement Scott’s hard-won lessons. “One of the fundamental reasons that bad things happen to good artists is because of financial reasons,” he says. “We need money to live and to work. Ultimately, when we're struggling to make ends meet, it's harder to do good deals and communicate better because you're strapped, you're paranoid, and you're stressed out, so you want to do that deal.

“Good, clear, comprehensive, real-time communication is essential to avoiding an art world horror story.”

Key Points From This Episode:

• The spooky history of Halloween and trick-or-treating, which goes back 2,000 years.
• Why bad things happen to good artists when communication isn’t prioritized.
• The art of negotiation: why poor negotiators tend to make poor deals.
• Benefits of investing in copyright protection for your work.
• How a signed contract can help you avoid art world shenanigans.
• What a “weak demand for cultural products” means for your art practice.

For more information, please visit http://notrealart.com/art-world-horror-stories-five-lessons