Being a creative in 2025–2026 is one of the best times to plug into public money: there is more structured funding, clearer processes, and more explicit invitations for artists, designers, and storytellers to work with government than even a few years ago. arts+1 ​ Federal grants and financial resources for creatives Recent federal guidance and agency priorities have pushed more money toward community arts, underserved groups, and cross‑sector projects (arts + health, arts +