Why this practice exists
Money is personal for creatives. Bookkeeping should be too.
Most creative business owners I meet aren't bad with money. They've been handed tools built for steady salaries and predictable shops. Their income arrives in bursts. Their costs hide in framing invoices, platform fees and studio rent. Many have sat across from an accountant who made them feel small.
So they avoid the numbers, underprice their work and dread April. Not because they don't care, but because no one has explained their business back to them in a language that makes sense.
I started Studio Ledger to be that translator. I keep your books clean, then sit down with you to talk about what they mean: which work pays, how to price the next collection or program, and how to set aside enough to make the quiet months calm.
The result is simple. You make the work. You know the numbers. And clean books start opening doors that messy ones quietly close.
“You don't need to become a numbers person. You need a partner who is one.”
Mission and values
Financial clarity that helps creative work last
My mission is to turn bookkeeping from a source of dread into a tool for pricing power, cash flow stability and access to funding.
No shame, ever
Shoebox of receipts? Three years behind? We start where you are. Judgment never balanced a ledger.
Plain language
You'll get answers in words, not jargon. If a report needs a glossary, I've written the wrong report.
Advice, not just entries
Clean books are the starting point. The value is in what they help you decide next.
Built for irregular income
Launches, shows, grant cycles and event seasons shape how and when we check in.
Meet the founder Sample
Hi, I'm Ellen.
Before bookkeeping, I spent eight years managing a contemporary gallery. I watched talented artists sell out shows and still struggle to pay rent, because no one had ever shown them where their money went.
I retrained in bookkeeping and nonprofit fund accounting so I could help. Today I work with painters and potters, course creators and coaches, collectives, arts councils and the fairs and competitions that bring creative communities together.
Credentials
- Certified Bookkeeper Placeholder
- QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor and Xero Certified Advisor Placeholder
- Nonprofit fund accounting certificate Placeholder
- Eight years in gallery management and artist representation
Let's look at your numbers together.
A free, no-pressure discovery call is the first step. Bring your questions, your spreadsheet or your shoebox.
Book a free discovery call