Serving Kansas City's Self-Employed Creatives
WHAT WE DO
Sustainability is the name of the game in staying independent, and by tackling your creative enterprise's financial and legal worries proactively, we help you free up mental & emotional bandwidth you can use to concentrate on your creativity and refining your craftsmanship -- vital energy for putting your mark on whatever craft you find yourself in.







ABOUT US
Staying Indie Workshop is the combined effort of freelance graphic designer Joe Gauer and KC Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts executive director Dani Merrick. Joe has a decade's worth of experience working in personal finance before leaving his 9-to-5 to pursue the creative business he started with his wife, also a graphic designer. He specializes in budgeting, time and efficiency, and his own personal experience with opening and running a creative business. Dani is a law professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City with an expert knowledge of tax law, tax policy and legal contracts, especially how they apply to self-employed artists. She hosts workshops and seminars on tax and legal issues facing artists and entrepreneurs and also runs a legal clinic out of the UMKC School of Law. Running KCVLAA, a non-profit organization, has also taught her about arts and entrepreneurial grant programs in the state of Missouri.
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

"I was getting lost amongst the lines between individual artist, small business, creator, performer and administrator. Joe helped me to redefine, separate and prioritize. I think of Joe as psychotherapy for the business of art. I now have the clarity and confidence to set my work schedule and fees in a way that balances my profession, my passion and my bank account."
Maura Garcia, MFA
Dance Artist
BOOK A CONSULTATION
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Call or text us at 816-585-4046
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Consultation
Locations
Staying Indie Workshop
1712 Main Street, Suite 357
Kansas City, MO 64108
