All self-employed artists are entrepreneurs though I don't think most think of it in those terms. To generalize a definition, people think of entrepreneurs as innovators and risk-takers that are often a little bit crazy. Hm, sounds like a decent enough definition of an artist as well.
 
I had been working solo for years before I truly realized I was an entrepreneur. Sure I understood I was on my own making a living but I hadn't originally thought about it like a business. It takes business skills in any field to make it on your own. The arts are often seen as some sort of polar opposite of the business world, but the challenges of a corporate CEO and those of an oil painter are more alike than you think.
 
Successful artists run their talent like a business. This doesn't mean that the "soul" of creativity is stripped from their art for the sake of commercialism. Marketing, networking and bookkeeping are facets of the big picture, as is the creative process. The edge that most artists don't realize they have is a high level of creativity. They should use it in the business side imagining clever ways to market and sell their work.
 
Artists, view yourself as an entrepreneur. Take risks and be a little crazy.

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