Karen Atkinson is arguably a leading expert on professional practices for artists in America. She basically pioneered the teaching of business skills for artists across the country. Dozens of colleges, non-profits, and established artists look to her for professional guidance. As a visual artist, curator and educator, Karen Atkinson has taught Getting Your Sh*t Together for over a decade at the California Institute of the Arts, Side Street Projects, and all over the world. After sharing her wealth of knowledge with countless artists, and seeing these artists put her advice into action, it made sense to create an artist manual. Atkinson is the co-founder of Side Street Projects, a revolutionary artist-run, artist-support organization in Los Angeles. She has worked with many city and national non-profits and organizations, including the National Association of Artists" Organizations, LACPS, Installation, Foundation for Art Resources, NYFA, Chicago Art Resources, and over two dozen other well known artist-centered foundations. Atkinson has shown her work all over the world.

She has experience as a curator, director, editor, writer, installation artist, public projects organizer, grant writer, and teacher. Her involvement in nearly every facet of the art world gives her a unique perspective into how this world works - not just in the rarefied world of the international "art market," but also on the ground floor where artists work.